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Home Post MIIT: China's 4G Users Reached 1.292 Billion
AK47 10:10:00 PM
Information from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that by the end of November 2020, China's three basic telecommunication companies had a total of 1.6 billion mobile phone users, including 1.292 billion 4G users with a year-on-year increase of 1.3%.
From January to November 2020, China's 4G users saw a net increase of 10.34 million and accounted for 80.9% of mobile phone users. The ratio was at the same level as that of October.
Statistics show that by the end of November 2020, the three basic telecommunication companies had a total of 1.345 billion mobile Internet users with a penetration rate of 84.2%, which was two percentage points higher than that at the end of last year.
Meanwhile, the country had 1.112 billion cellular IoT end users, a year-on-year increase of 14.2% and a net increase of 84.23 million compared with that at the end of last year. Among them, intelligent manufacturing end users accounted for 19.2%, intelligent transportation end users accounted for 18.3%, and intelligent public utilities end users accounted for 22.1%.
In addition, the total number of IPTV users reached 314 million, a year-on-year increase of 6.6% and a net increase of 19.76 million compared with that at the end of last year.
By AK47 at 10:10:00 PM


When I say this scene at the terminal for the Star Ferry in HK I couldn't get my camera out fast enough. It was one of those situations where I didn't mind being caught taking it or mind that the room behind me was crowded. I have a few frames and this is the only one that has the camera in it. For some reason I like it better with the camera.
If oyu look out the windows you can see the bamboo scaffolding that surrounds the building. It's really neat to see it used an 99% of construction sites.


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This article, headlined, "Missouri School Libraries Bracing for Crackdown on 'Explicit Books'", is from NewsMax, and was published on Friday, August 12th.
A number of Missouri school districts have reportedly begun purging books from their library shelves, in anticipation of the new state law intended to crack down on "sexually explicit" materials being available to students.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, signed the bill into law in June. It obliges public school administrators, faculty and staff to shield their students — particularly those 17 and younger — from material that could be construed as racy or sexually provocative.
The state law, which takes effect Aug. 28, is a Class A misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Missouri law defines "explicit sexual material" as any images or written descriptions of sexual acts or nudity.
National Director of the Knights Party of the Ku Klux Klan, based in Harrison, Arkansas, Thomas Robb, was quoted as saying, "It's made to sound like this is something historical, banning pornography from young children. My question is, why were these books promoting homosexuality and other deviant sexual behaviors ever put in a public school library to begin with? I remember when sexually explicit magazines such as Playboy and others were kept on a top shelf at newsstands so children couldn't see the covers of them! Now don't take me wrong, I have never promoted or partook of any sexually explicit material, but Playboy, from the covers, look mild compared to what I've seen being offered to children today in our public school system. According to Missouri law, 'explicit material' is defined as anything describing sexual acts and/or nudity. From what I've seen being offered to children, this should include any books supporting the LGBTQ+ agenda. This should be made a law in every school system in America. Pornography has no place in a White, Christian country."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Four years after Heather's mother left Jamaica she had saved enough money to bring over two of her children, Heather and her son from her first marriage. When people knew Heather was going to London they warned she would change. "Everybody said, 'You're going to turn white.' 'Am I?' They said, 'Yes, you turn white when you go there'".
Heather remembers very little about how she felt to be leaving Jamaica." I don't remember any sadness. I don't remember any joy. I don't remember anything really." She remembers her first flight on an aeroplane but nothing special about it. She does remember her mother meeting her at the airport in London.
When Heather attended Gayhurst School, near London Fields, they teased her with such taunts as, ' Heather, feather, leather rubber lips.' She comforted herself that Mick Jagger, who was white, also had rubber lips. A fellow boy pupil reacted badly to such racism. He tried to scrub himself white with bleach. The rumour was that he died.
Heather went to a secondary school in Hackney. She did well at most subjects but was particularly encouraged by her clothesmaking, art and dance teachers. Heather was accepted by London College of Fashion but dropped out to a take a job in accountancy, a decision she regrets. At 18 she had her son. She became a lone parent.
Heather's adult life has been full of accomplishments. She took up women's weightlifting and was soon being placed in national and international competitions. "I done really well at it. I've been British champion many times." Heather was placed third in Europe and sixth in the world and became captain of the British women's weightlifting team. Under her captaincy, the team was placed first in the EEC, and twice placed second in the European Championships.


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New Muslim University Opens Its Doors In Berkeley [incl. Hatem Bazian]
CBS Broadcasting
https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/17712/new-muslim-university-opens-its-doors-in-berkeley
Classes started Tuesday at a new school in Berkeley that aims to be one of the first accredited Muslim-run liberal arts colleges in the United States.
Zaytuna College, which is working toward accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, is initially offering two majors: Islamic law and theology and Arabic.
School officials said the accreditation process typically takes 4 to 8 years.
The school is starting out small with only 15 students and rented classroom space at the American Baptist Seminary of the West at Dwight Way and Hillegass Avenue, but officials said the college hopes to grow gradually and eventually have its own facility.
"The college will in due time graduate highly-trained and culturally aware professionals to lead the growing number of Muslim institutions and communities across the country as well as contribute in a meaningful way to the diverse American tapestry," co-founder Hatem Bazian said in a statement.
Another founder, Zaid Shakir, said the school also aims to improve relations between members of the Muslim community and other local faith groups.
The third co-founder, Hamza Yusuf, said the school represented the realization of a long-standing goal.
"We have long desired to establish an institution that recognizes the importance of shaping Islamic scholars and teachers that fully understand American culture," Yusuf said. "Zaytuna College is the first institution of higher learning to address that need."
Six men and nine women are enrolled in the freshman class at Zaytuna, which has five faculty members and charges $11,000 each year for tuition. All of the students are Muslim, but the college says it welcomes students and teachers of all faiths and perspectives.
Zaytuna is also seeking accreditation from major educational institutions in the Muslim world, such as Egypt's al-Azhar University.
Officials said the school is not receiving any government funding and instead subsists on contributions from the Muslim community in the U.S.
Courses offered at Zaytuna include Islamic theology, Islamic ethics, Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic business and finance law and Muslims in America.
Related Topics: University of California, Berkeley receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free mef mailing list


LAS VEGAS (CES 2018) and BURLINGTON, Mass., January 4, 2018 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) and ROOBO today announced the availability of fully optimized, best-in-class hardware and software solutions, which will be sold by ROOBO, that can be widely adopted by original equipment and design manufacturers (OEMs and ODMs) across smart speakers, robotics and smart home devices.
Drastically reducing OEM and ODM development time, this new audio capture solution combines Nuance's market-proven speech signal enhancement algorithms with ROOBO's hardware/software expertise and speedy time to market, resulting in a complete solution that incorporates all critical elements necessary for smart home, smart speaker and robotic applications. Together, Nuance and ROOBO are simplifying what was previously a complicated development process; OEMs/ODMs typically develop hardware and software separately, integrating and testing performance at the end of the process. Now, OEMs and ODMs can take advantage of a pre-packaged, integrated hardware/software solution powered by Nuance and ROOBO, making adjustments to the end product as needed.
Nuance speech signal enhancement (SSE) is a suite of signal processing technologies that remove noise from microphone input and send out a cleaner signal for improved speech recognition and hands-free communication in noisy environments. Nuance SSE has been commercially used in the automotive domain for more than 15 years, as well as in the smart home and in PC and mobile applications, delivering optimal hands-free communication and speech recognition results. In its partnership with ROOBO, Nuance will provide SSE algorithms for wake up word, barge-in, 360-degree speaker localization, and far-field operations – critical technologies for smart speakers, robotics and smart home devices. In addition, Nuance's automatic speech recognition (ASR) is pre-trained to support these use cases.
In less than three years, ROOBO has transformed from an AI robotic product company to a global AI solution provider for all kinds of intelligent devices in several industries. Based in Beijing, China, ROOBO was named one of China's Top 10 most competitive AI start-ups in 2016 & 2017. Pudding BeanQ, the company's third-generation robot, was the winner of 2017 Red Dot Best of the Best Award. Jelly, the company's service robot, won an iF Design Award, Red Dot Award 2017 and IDEA Design Award in 2017. DOMGY, the company's pet robot, was featured on CNBC and TechCrunch in 2016.
"China is a hub for IoT innovation. In ROOBO, we've found a global hardware partner that shares our goal: providing OEMs and ODMs with pre-tested, high-quality solutions that are fully optimized to provide incredible end user experiences across the IoT," said Kenn Harper, vice president of Emerging Solutions, Nuance Mobile.
CES 2018 attendees can view experience these solutions in person at the 2018 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas from January 9-12, 2018.
Founded in 2014, ROOBO is dedicated to becoming a world leading AI solution provider as well as a pioneer in consumer robotics. ROOBO's AI Operating System integrates cutting-edge AI and robotic technology to create a smarter and better life. Based in Beijing, the company has offices in Shenzhen, Suzhou and Moscow. For more information, visit: www.roobo.com.


Despite splendid-snow conditions that we enjoyed around Central Washington in early winter, it's been six weeks since measurable snow fell on the peaks surrounding Blewett Pass. Now the north-facing ski lines off Diamond Head and Windy Knob are tired and scarred from over-use. No matter. The Blewett Pass environs offer a warehouse of other interesting ski tours that few bother to visit.
One such offering near Tronsen Ridge has an intriguingly unique collection of skiable ridges and slopes. In one day a skier could hit western and eastern ridges, as well as southern and northern slopes. A tour hitting all the cardinal compass points would promise exposure to snows, fair and foul, that have sat fallow for six weeks and would deliver south-facing corn, north-facing powder, and just about every form of hideous crud in between.
Many backcountry skiers, fixated on powder as they are, would find the stew of snow conditions this tour promises unsavory, so I sent an invitation only to the few and the stupid who can be depended upon to enjoy snow in all its mutations and bastardized forms.
At 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning in early February, Matt Dahlgreen, Tom Janisch and I stair-step away from Highway 97 along one of many west-facing ridges leading to Tronsen Ridge. Matt, the forest ecologist in our midst, loves that we are traveling through timbers scorched by the 2012 Wenatchee Complex fires. The ground cover is seared and cleared but the big ponderosa pines and Douglas firs populating the ridgeline are merely black-barked. The fire thinned and cleaned the forest floor without jumping into the canopy to burn the whole forest down. It shows a good example of how fire probably moved across our dry forests before a century of fire exclusion allowed dangerous amounts of fuel to accumulate in the woods. Now many forests around the West are out of balance and are more likely to experience fire as catastrophic blazes than as ground-cleaning brooms.
Photo: Some of the snows we skied on this tour weren't pretty, but the forests themselves sure were.
At Tronsen Ridge (5,260 feet), West meets East and we pull out a GPS for several minutes to navigate through thick forests and pinpoint a ridge that is, initially, indistinct. Soon we find a long, inclined spine with open leads and nicely spaced glades that sinks steadily toward Mission Creek. The GPS retreats to the pocket and we make our eastward pilgrimage. The open leads prove to be coated with sugar snows that cleave cleanly beneath the blades of skis. The glade skiing is a different animal. Here the snowpack has first been cratered by clumps of snow falling from tree branches and then frozen into a solid, icy mass. This skis like conglomerate rock and our boards shake like aspen leaves on the hard surface.
Photo: Tom Janisch looking for more snow on the lower East Ridge.
Two thousand vertical feet lower, snow gives way to dirt. We skin up and climb back to Tronsen Ridge. From there we contour along two sides of a table-topped peak searching for the best entrance onto south-facing slopes that lead down into the bowels of an unnamed creek.
It's nearly 2:00 p.m. when we start this descent and, even though the day is partially overcast, the slopes have received plenty of warmth. The snowpack is ridiculously thin — only two inches deep in places — yet multiple freeze-thaw cycles have consolidated winter's white carpet and skinned it with corn. The open slopes we descend ski like a dream. Occasionally, however, the sun's magic has been too strong and the snow has bled down to dirt. Here we either jump or sidestep across short patches of soil before skiing onward and downward.
Eventually we have followed South all the way to the creek that forms the border with North. It takes just one step across that border to move from sunny salsa country into the north country with its shaded, wintery snows. The best skiing of the day will be on the north-facing slope we have just reached. Matt and I have both skied here before and, in the clearings formed by an old logging cut we know there is room to draw 800-vertical foot lines of calligraphy.
Unfortunately there's a hitch in the giddy-up today: I have a late afternoon family commitment and I need to pull the plug on the day so that my wife doesn't pull the plug on her husband. We touch North but we don't actually ski it. Instead we skin back up the south-facing slopes until we intersect the west ridge that we climbed early in the day.
Photo: On steeper slopes, the fires of 2012 jumped into the canopy. On gentle slopes, however, the fires tended to smolder through the understory.
The descent of the west ridge back to the car proves to be a riotous mix of conditions. On the crest of the ridge, the snow is harvesting the afternoon sun and has softened into creamy corn. Off the ridge to the south, the snow gives way abruptly to dirt. Off the ridge to the north, the skis break through a thin crust and sink into unconsolidated crud. If you avoid head planting, the crud quickly morphs into a powdery sugar snow that is soft, smooth and easy for turning left. Then it's back to the crud, fighting to avoid head planting, and into the corn — which is easy for turning right.
Photo: Matt executing an amazing one-leg lift in powder snow.
Back and forth we go, interlinking good turns with bad snow and ugly traverses. But what could be more appropriate for the Cardinal Points Tour than to have the Good, the Bad and the Ugly all intermixed in one superbly fun finish?
Photo: Cascade Subaru has been helping support the explorations of WenatcheeOutdoors … how could they not want to be affiliated with athletes who can pull off such shenanigans as a one-leg lift (above)?
Skill. Skiing or snowshoeing ability: 2. Navigating skill: 2+.
Elevation Gain: Doing the tour so you get a good descent on slopes of all aspects entails about 5,000 vertical feet of climbing. The tour is easy to shorten if time is short or your fitness begins flagging.
Access. From the Highway 2 / 97 junction (Y junction), drive Highway 97 south. Roughly 1.7 miles before from Blewett Pass (milepost 165.5) park in a large plowed pullout on the right side (west) of the road. No permit is required for timing.
Map. See topo map of the route below.
Cross the highway and climb in an easterly direction following the west ridge. The ridge provides easy to travel. In a few places you'll need to cut under rock outcrops capping the ridge.
On the summit of the table-topped mountain capping Tronson Ridge (elevation 5260 feet) go to the northern end of the table and find the eastern ridge system (it actually trends NE). The start of the ridge system is non-distinct and heavily forested so using a GPS to find waypoints e1 and e2 will be helpful. The ridge becomes more distinct and has more nicely spaced trees once you drop a few hundred vertical feet.
Follow the ridge system as far as snow and time allow. Then, climb back to the table-topped mountain and cross over to the southwestern corner of the table (waypoint s1).
Ski south-facing slopes down into the small, unnamed creek to reach waypoint s3.
Climb fairly steep north-facing slopes up through an old logging cut and then through open forests to waypoint n1 located at the 5,130-foot level of Bojangle Ridge (this ridge is used for other snowshoe walks and ski tours listed in our guidebooks).
Ski north-facing slopes back down to waypoint s3.
Climb south-facing slopes through open forests up to either waypoint w3 or to the little bump southeast of this waypoint (Point 5105).
Descend the west ridge back to the car.
Hazards. This is a relatively safe tour following safe ridges that, during most winters, don't accumulate a very heavy snowpack. The north-facing slopes leading to Bojangle Ridge are the most hazardous slopes on the tour and, if they were to slide, will pile up in a terrain trap. These slopes can be easily omitted from the tour and should be ascended/descended only if you're confident about their stability.
Snow conditions. Use our 'Snow & Ski Condition' reports to evaluate the snow and avalanche conditions before you head out.


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Pakistan Launches $8.2 Billion Railway Upgrade Project
Pakistan government has approved an $ 8.2 billion project to upgrade the 1,872 km Karachi - Peshawar rail track, bridges, tunnels, and culverts, according to International Railway Journal.
The new track will support increased axle load of up to 25 tons, up from 22.8 tons which is now the norm in South Asian countries. The higher axle load capacity will allow heavier freight trains carrying more freight per train for greater trade overland.
China will provide 85% of the financing for the project. It will be done in two phases, with the first due for completion in December 2017 and the second in 2021.
It will be part of an international rail link that will connect Pakistan with China, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. It will extend south from the city of Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Western China to Pakistan's deep-sea Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea, according to Zhang Chunlin, director of Xinjiang's regional development and reform commission.
Source: China Daily
A study for the plans for this international rail link was first presented in 2014 at a two-day International Seminar on the Silk Road Economic Belt in Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital, according to China Daily.
"The 1,800-kilometer China-Pakistan railway is planned to also pass through Pakistan's capital of Islamabad and Karachi," Zhang Chunlin said. "Although the cost of constructing the railway is expected to be high due to the hostile environment and complicated geographic conditions, the study of the (international rail link) project has already started," Zhang said. "China and Pakistan will co-fund the railway construction. Building oil and gas pipelines between Gwadar Port and China is also on the agenda," Zhang added.
The Pak-China link announcement was part of the discussion on China's broader effort to revive the historic Silk Route by building three main corridors through southern, central and northern Xinjiang to connect China with Russia, Europe and Pakistan. The Silk Road Economic Belt International seminar which concluded on Friday in Urumqi, Xinjinag was jointly sponsored by the State Council Information Office, China International Publishing Group (CIPG), China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences.
In a 2013 report, China's State-owned Xinhua News Agency articulated China's motivation to expand land trade in addition to building its navy to protect its sea trade. Here's what it said:
"As a global economic power, China has a tremendous number of economic sea lanes to protect. China is justified to develop its military capabilities to safeguard its sovereignty and protect its vast interests around the world."
The Xinhua report has for the first time shed light on China's growing concerns with US pivot to Asia which could threaten China's international trade and its economic lifeline of energy and other natural resources it needs to sustain and grow its economy. This concern has been further reinforced by the following:
1. Frequent US statements to "check" China's rise. For example, former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a 2011 address to the Naval Postgraduate School in California: "We try everything we can to cooperate with these rising powers and to work with them, but to make sure at the same time that they do not threaten stability in the world, to be able to project our power, to be able to say to the world that we continue to be a force to be reckoned with." He added that "we continue to confront rising powers in the world - China, India, Brazil, Russia, countries that we need to cooperate with. We need to hopefully work with. But in the end, we also need to make sure do not threaten the stability of the world."
Source: The Guardian
2. Chinese strategists see a long chain of islands from Japan in the north, all the way down to Australia, all United States allies, all potential controlling chokepoints that could block Chinese sea lanes and cripple its economy, business and industry.
Karakoram Highway-World's Highest Paved International Road at 15000 ft.
Chinese Premier's emphasis on "connectivity and maritime sectors" and "China-Pakistan economic corridor project" is mainly driven by their paranoia about the US intentions to "check China's rise" It is intended to establish greater maritime presence at Gwadar, located close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and to build land routes (motorways, rail links, pipelines) from the Persian Gulf through Pakistan to Western China. This is China's insurance to continue trade with West Asia and the Middle East in case of hostilities with the United States and its allies in Asia.
Pakistan's Gawadar Port- located 400 Km from the Strait of Hormuz
As to the benefits for Pakistanis, expanded trade and the Chinese investment in "connectivity and maritime sectors" and "China-Pakistan economic corridor project" will help build infrastructure, stimulate Pakistan's economy and create millions of badly needed jobs.
Clearly, China-Pakistan ties have now become much more strategic than the US-Pakistan ties, particularly since 2011 because, as American Journalist Mark Mazzetti of New York Times put it, the Obama administration's heavy handed policies "turned Pakistan against the United States". A similar view is offered by a former State Department official Vali Nasr in his book "The Dispensable Nation".
Comparison of Chabahar and Gwadar
How Strategic Are Pak-China Ties?
Gwadar as Hong Kong West
China-Pakistan Industrial Corridor
US-Pakistan Ties and New Silk Route
Can Pakistan Say No to US Aid?
Post Cold War Shifting Alliances
Posted by Riaz Haq at 4:35 PM
Labels: China, CPEC, Gwadar, Kashghar, Pakistan, Railway
Tambi Dude said...
the gauge used in china is standard gauge (4'8in) and the one in Pak is broad (5'6in). How will it work without costly change over of goods and services. #justasking
RK: " the gauge used in china is standard gauge (4'8in) and the one in Pak is broad (5'6in). How will it work without costly change over of goods and services."
India itself has significant lengths of four different gauges: 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Indian gauge, 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge, 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge and 2 ft (610 mm) gauge. How do you deal with it?
As to international rail links with China, the country handles them with double-tracking to accommodate more than one gauges at borders. It does so with Mongolia and Russia now.
Oh you have not heard of "project unification" of gauge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Unigauge) and now nearly complete. It was done for precisely the same reason. To avoid costly change of gauge charges. The meter gauge (1000m) has virtually disappeared and converted to predominant broad gauge. Today broad gauge is about 96% of all tracks.
THe other two narrow gauge are primarily left in the mountain areas as heritage trains meant for tourist.
Also Russian and Mongolian are 1520mm. India and Pakistan gauge is 1676mm. So obviously cpec trains can't use tracks meant for russian route.
It will be interesting to see how china tackles this gauge difference.
Excerpt of UNESCAP document "Development of Trans-Asian Railway" re cross-border train service issues in Asia:
Since the attraction of container traffic to the TAR (Trans-Asian Railway) network depends in large measure on
rail being able to deliver a cost effective and reliable service as compared with its
competitors in the corridor, it is essential that any operational impediments to realization of
these goals be removed.
In this context five factors are important:
(i) Compatibility in terms of the type and design of rolling stock employed by
neighbouring railway systems in international traffic would ensure rolling stock
inter-operability when no break-of-gauge is involved. Ideally, systems should
cooperate in the design of exchangeable rolling stock to ensure that only the
most efficient designs (i.e. those which maximize payload to tare ratios or
minimize gross to net ratios, and are capable of running nearly at passenger
speeds) are adopted;
(ii) Compatibility of train assembly and load scheduling practices between neighbouring
railway systems will be essential in order to avoid the necessity of having to readjust
train loads at borders. The desirability of operating fixed formation unit
trains across borders, where track gauge continuity permits, should be
recognized and acted upon by the responsible systems;
(iii) The presence of adequate route capacity on existing links in the TAR corridor will be
essential if the corridor is to meet its objective of providing a cost effective and
competitive means for the international transportation of containers; and
(iv) Breaks-of-gauge while not posing a problem currently, are likely to become a
problem in the future when lines of differing track gauge are connected within the
territory of one country, Bangladesh, and at two borders, China/Myanmar and
Islamic Republic of Iran/Pakistan. Possible re-gauging of the existing metre
gauge network in northeastern India would create two additional breaks-of-gauge
at borders - between India and Myanmar and between Bangladesh and India
(northeast). Provision of modern, high speed container transhipment equipment
at all break-of-gauge points will be essential to minimize delays.
The success of rail in being able to capture additional container traffic for the TAR
network will depend heavily on there being adequate capacity for handling containers at rail
served terminals in the hinterland and at the major sea ports.
http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/tarsc-fulltext_1980.pdf
Majumdar said...
Prof sb,
Pakiland is going great guns under Shri Nawaz Sharif- power sector, reforms, CPEC and now this. You used to make fun of me when I used to call Shri Nawaz Sharif the vikas purush of Pakiland. But for once, sir, I have delivered a KO blow to you!
#Pakistan shares end higher ahead of #MSCI announcement to upgrade country to #EmergingMarkets status http://reut.rs/1VUulOH via @Reuters
Pakistani stocks closed higher on Monday in a volatile trading session ahead of a much-anticipated MSCI announcement on whether the bourse would be reclassified as an emerging market, analysts said.
The benchmark 100-share index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange finished 0.11 percent higher at 36,979.96.
The index clocked in an intraday range of more than 440 points, hitting a low of 36,637.81 in early trading before bouncing back towards the end of the session.
"Market sentiment remained sombre today, in line with sentiment seen in global equities and commodities ahead of central bank meetings in the U.S., U.K. and Japan this week," said Gohar Rasool, head of international sales at Inter Market Securities Pvt Ltd.
MSCI is due to announce whether it will be reclassifying Pakistan as an emerging market on Tuesday.
The stock exchange was dropped from the MSCI Emerging Markets Index in 2008, but Pakistan has in recent months launched a final push to get back in so it can vastly expand its pool of potential investors.
Among index heavyweights that gained on the day were Engro Fertilizers Ltd, MCB Bank Ltd and Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd.
Oil stocks took a hit as international crude oil prices declined. Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd closed down 0.93 percent while Pakistan Oilfields Ltd was down 0.75 percent.
Traded volume on the day stood at 104.7 million shares, with traded value at 6.67 billion rupees ($63.83 million).
#Asia's new Great Game. #Modi #Afghanistan #India, #Pakistan #Iran #China #US #Chabahar #CPEC #CentralAsia
http://www.dawn.com/news/1264242
By Munir Akram
With a population of only around 50 million, Central Asia will not become a huge market for manufactured goods. It will be twice as expensive for India to send goods to Central Asia through Chabahar than it would be overland across Pakistan. Indian goods are thus unlikely to be competitive against Chinese products shipped overland.
Also read: Lessons from Chabahar
The strategic advantages for India are also questionable. Its influence in Afghanistan will be more dependent on Iran. Pakistan's cooperation will continue to be essential to restoring peace in Afghanistan. Indian shipping lanes to Chabahar will be vulnerable to disruption. India's limited influence in Central Asia will not dent that of Russia and China.
The new Great Game will increasingly revolve around China's One Belt, One Road vision of land and sea connections between Asia, Europe and beyond. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the first component of this ambitious project.
In comparison to the Chabahar route, the strategic and economic implications of CPEC are enormous. It will transform China from a one- to a two-ocean power; enable a part of its $4000 billion annual trade to circumvent the Malacca straits and other potential choke points in the Indian Ocean and shorten China's supply lines to the Gulf, West Asia and Africa. For these reasons, if no other, China has a vital stake in Pakistan's strategic stability and socioeconomic development. The Chinese commitment of $46bn for CPEC projects is but the first instalment of the massive capital which China is prepared to deploy in Pakistan.
Instead of being distracted by the moves of its adversaries, Pakistan must remain focused on the implementation of CPEC. This strategic enterprise should not be allowed to be stalled or delayed by external pressure or internal politics, inefficiency or corruption. It would be wise to create a separate and independent CPEC Authority which can be a 'one-stop-shop' entrusted with achieving CPEC's enormous potential for Pakistan's development. CPEC projects must go beyond infrastructure development to encompass manufacture, consumer goods, housing, health, textiles, finance and other sectors. To this end, the interaction between Pakistani and Chinese private- and public-sector companies must be actively expanded and intensified. Some of the externally imposed limitations on CPEC investment projects, such as restrictions on 'sovereign guarantees' for debt finance, need to be removed expeditiously.
CPEC faces threats from Pakistan and China's adversaries. These will have to be met forcefully.
India's opposition has been announced openly. New Delhi will continue to utilise Afghanistan as a base to destabilise Pakistan and undermine CPEC. The recent spate of attacks on Chinese workers in Pakistan is no accident. Pakistan will have to further enhance security for them and consider direct action to remove the Afghan-based threat from the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Iran has assured that Chabahar is not designed to compete with Gwadar or CPEC. Pakistan and Iran can cooperate for mutual benefit: to end terrorism in Balochistan, expand trade, and construct the Iranian gas pipeline and a Gwadar-Chabahar economic corridor. However, Tehran often wants to run with the hare and hunt with the hound. Some recent events have sent disturbing signals which Pakistan cannot ignore.
To balance the growing Indo-Iranian relationship, Pakistan must maintain and reinforce its relationship with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. It would be in Pakistan's interest to help in giving substance and form to the 'Islamic coalition' hastily formed by Riyadh. It should also convince the GCC states of the benefits of CPEC as a path to their closer connection with China.
America is and will remain a major player in the new Asian Great Game. ...
#Pakistan Railways poised to get massive funding from #CPEC and #CAREC. #China #CentralAsia http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/?p=559603 via @ePakistanToday
After decades of neglect, a silver lining is on the horizon for Pakistan Railways as it may be able to attract multi-billion dollar investment for the upgradation as well as deployment of new railway infrastructure across the country under two regional economic unions, the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), to link Central Asia and China with Pakistani ports of Karachi and Gwadar.
An official source said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has started the process to assess the financial needs for upgradation of 461 km main line (ML-1) between Lahore and Peshawar, under its CAREC Railway Connectivity Investment Programme. The financing is likely to start flowing form next year.
The Ministry of Railways has already shared plans, under early harvest projects by 2020, to upgrade Karachi-Peshawar main line (ML-1) and extension of ML-2 from Jacobabad to Gwadar via Basima to both CAREC and CPEC. If financing was available, the projects would be completed in relatively short time as the Pakistan Railways has technical expertise to execute the projects, he added.
ADB will be providing multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) to make the railway system more efficient and competitive. Improved railway corridor of Lahore-Peshawar will improve Pakistan Railways' institutional efficiency. Financial assistance will also be provided for Railways' modernization, IT-based accounting system and transforming and migrating accounting data into the new accounting system.
Under the plan, 411 km railway track between Lahore-Peshawar section of ML-1 will be upgraded and dualised together with new signaling and telecommunications system, including power supply for these systems, and upgraded passenger facilities at Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar stations. A 53-km section in the hilly area from Kaluwal to Pindora will have to be realigned and dualised. Except for realignment sections in the hilly tract, it is likely that all the work for rehabilitation and upgradation of the physical infrastructure will be limited to the PR-owned right of way.
Except for Pakistan, railways in all CAREC countries have more freight carriers than passenger tariff. CAREC railways have increased freight traffic volumes which shows the large potential for PR to freight forward to and from CAREC countries. Domestic market is large in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and China.
In the past, the railways infrastructure plans always received a cold shoulder from the government, but now the situation has changed as multilateral institutions are interested in linking Pakistani ports with China and Central Asia. Now the government wants to attract investment in railways infrastructure and China is asked to finance upgradation of strategically located ML-1 which connects major population centers in three provinces.
Under CPEC, Pakistan has shared Phase-I (Early Harvest Projects) upgradation of ML-1 (Karachi-Peshawar and Taxila to Havelian) and construction of New Dryport at Havelian (Buldher). In medium term, Phase-II upgradation of ML-2 and extension of ML-2 (Gwadar to Jacobabad via Basima) is proposed. The long term Phase-III seeks establishment of Havelian-Khunjrab-Kashghar rail link.
The source said Pakistan has shared plans to link the Gwadar port Kandahar, Kabul and Dushanbe. The second plan is to link Gwadar with Quetta and onwards to China. He said Pakistan Railways has prepared plans on rail link between Gwadar port and Mastung, Chaman to Kandahar rail link and rail lines between Kandahar and the Tajik border are also planned.
Michael Laudahn said...
Re the gauge difference problem, there is only one realistic way out, and that is to unify the gauge. As standard gauge is the world's dominating gauge, there is no doubt that this will be the gauge for Asia including the asian parts of Russia. In this latter case and with regard to the length of their existing network it is suggested to divide the network into a home network and and international network, the latter to be built in/converted to standard gauge. Same for CIS states.
#China to lend $5.5 B and ADB another $2.5 billion for #Pakistan's $8 B #Rail link project. #CPEC http://ecoti.in/z8wb4Z via @economictimes
About 75 per cent of the country's (rail) cargo and passenger traffic passes through the 1,687 km-long Peshawar-Karachi rail line.
Earlier, China had agreed to provide $3.7 billion out of the $46-billion CPEC program for the ML-I project and "now it has decided to increase its contribution to $5.5 billion," Iqbal said.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) would provide $2.5 billion t ..
The Peshawar-Lahore section of the ML-I will be built with the ADB loan.
The rail project would be completed in five to six years after which the rail speed would double to 180 kilometres per hour.
Regional cooperation forum: #CAREC offers avenues for deeper economic links among Stans #CentralAsia #Pakistan #CPEC
http://tribune.com.pk/story/1215393/regional-cooperation-forum-carec-offers-avenues-deeper-economic-links/
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recently hosted the 15th meeting of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (Carec), a body working for the collective benefit of the region by promoting economic cooperation.
Pakistan is increasingly looking at Central Asian states in an effort to forge trade links and give a fillip to its dwindling exports. However, so far, it has not been able to tap the full trade potential because of lack of infrastructure for connecting the South and Central Asia regions.
Carec is also pushing ahead with plans to encourage regional connectivity to enhance the trade volume.
In the Carec meeting, more than 200 participants from 10 member states and multilateral development partners participated. The member countries included Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan while Georgia took part as an observer.
Carec is an important forum that encourages regional countries to develop physical networks and infrastructure and ensure peace, stability and economic development.
Strategies and initiatives were highlighted at the huddle to stimulate much-needed investment in energy sector of the member states. After a briefing on selected case studies undertaken by Carec members including Pakistan, prominent investors shared their insights to identify and make investments in energy projects.
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appreciated that Carec had mobilised $29 billion for pouring into regional development projects and voiced hope that a mid-term review of the regional body in the next 10 years would prove to be an opportunity to fast-track economic cooperation.
The regional connectivity may lead to economic development and prosperity of the region. In this connection, Pakistan is working on energy projects such as the Central Asia-South Asia 1,000-megawatt (Casa-1,000) power import project and the Tapi gas pipeline that will start from Turkmenistan.
The Casa-1,000 is also going to pave the way for digital connectivity between the two regions through a fibre optic cable network called Digital Casa-I, which will link Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The existing cable reaches Pakistan after going through a long route. It first goes to Russia, extends to Europe and then comes to Pakistan.
The new project will provide a good route to connect the two regions. It will allow regional countries to become independent while tapping the international internet channels.
CPEC support
In his welcome address at the Carec ministerial meeting on the theme "Linking connectivity with economic transformation", Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) programme, which Pakistan had undertaken, would complement regional connectivity initiatives of Carec members.
He stressed that the CPEC offered a massive opportunity for connectivity between Central Asia, Middle East and Africa and was bound to play a defining role in economic development of the two regions.
Dar said improving the transport corridor was not an end in itself but it was an investment in establishing sound infrastructure and complementary frameworks for shared prosperity of the present and future generations in the region.
The markets of Central Asian states and Russia are open and this is the area where Pakistan needs to increasingly focus on.
With an air of distrust between Islamabad and Washington over the latter's inclination towards Delhi, China and Russia could not only support Pakistan's economy, but they will also block India's efforts to isolate Pakistan in the international arena. To achieve all that, Pakistan needs to forge deeper links with the Central Asia region and Carec can play a decisive role in that connection.
CPEC to strengthen CAREC by expanding north-south corridor:
The primary north-south transport corridor in Pakistan runs from Torkham on the northern border with Afghanistan and passes through primary production and population centres such as Peshawar, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, and Khanewal, before reaching the port city of Karachi in the south. The corridor serves the economy of an area that accounts for 80 percent to 85 percent of the country's GDP and in the regional context, forms an integral part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) corridors 5 and 6 after Pakistan's accession to the CAREC Programme in 2010.
The M-4 Motorway, linking Faisalabad with Khanewal, would be completed by July 2018, said National Highway Authority (NHA) member Mansoor Ahmed Sirohey on Friday.
He told journalists that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is the leading financer in M-4 Motorway, as the bank disbursed $170 million (77 percent share of the project) in 2009 for construction of a 58km four-lane motorway M-4, connecting Faisalabad to Gojra (section I). This section was completed in December 2014.
Similarly, the ADB would provide 56.15 percent share of the funding of the section II of the M-4, which will construct the 62km four-lane access controlled motorway connecting Gojra and Shorkot. Meanwhile, government of the United Kingdom would provide grant of 29.02 percent and Pakistan would release share of 14.83 percent. The project is expected to complete by 2018, he added.
Sirohey said that contract for section-III of the motorway linking Shorkot to Khanewal has been signed and construction is expected to commence in December 2016. The ADB noted that M-4 Motorway in Punjab, linking Faisalabad with Khanewal, will cut travel time and support the government's broader goal of improved investment and trade flows along the country's vital north-south corridor route. Once fully completed, the M-4 Motorway will provide a faster, safer, more cost-effective north-south route to the currently overburdened national highway 5 and other existing narrow and congested routes.
http://nation.com.pk/business/19-Nov-2016/project-to-be-completed-in-2018-nha-member
#Pakistan #Railway track upgrade to include overpasses, underpasses & grade separation for high-speed trains #CPEC https://www.geo.tv/latest/124093-Railway-tracks-to-be-made-gate-free-and-signal-free-under-CPEC …
LAHORE: Railway tracks from Karachi to Peshawar will be made gate-free and signal-free under the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Geo News reported, citing sources.
A fence would be built around the tracks, similar to Motorway, and an underpass or overheard bridge would be built at every gate on the tracks, the sources said.
Work on the project would be initiated from January. The first phase of the project would focus on railway tracks between Rawalpindi and Peshawar.
The signaling system in Pakistan Railways will also be upgraded under the project.
According to the sources, the purpose behind making railway tracks gate-free and signal-free is to make train journeys safer and faster for the public. The fencing and bridges would also lead to a reduction in accidents.
Once the project is completed, the tracks would be able to accommodate high-speed trains. The railways authorities have completed the planning for the project, the sources added.
#GE Transportation in #Eerie #Pennsylvania to build 20 #locomotives for #Pakistan, creating new jobs for #Americans
http://www.goerie.com/news/20170609/ge-transportation-to-build-20-locomotives-for-pakistan
GE Transportation workers in Erie will have more work to do, thanks to a new order for 20 locomotives from Pakistan Railways.
Top NewsClick Now and Read Later.
This latest order, announced this week, represents an expansion of a 2015 order for 55 Evolution series locomotives, 32 of which are already in service.
At about 2,000 horsepower, the locomotives being built for Pakistan are lighter and less powerful than the 4,600 horsepower locomotives the company builds for North American customers.
"These lighter-weight locomotives," according to a statement from GE Transportation, "are designed to better maneuver difficult access roads."
For Pakistan, the purchase is part of a strategic move to increase the percentage of freight moved by rail from 4 percent to 20 percent in the next 10 years.
For the Erie plant, which has been building about two locomotives per week, the order represents a small but important boost that could represent a certain amount of security at a plant where about 1,500 jobs were cut in the first half of 2016.
"Any work is good news," said Scott Slawson, president of Local 506 of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers at GE Transportation. "We are in a downturn that we are hoping to turn around."
There have been some positive signs lately.
Slawson said a handful of people on the layoff list have been called back to work recently. While some of those employees will be taking the jobs of workers who have retired, Slawson said a number of others will provide labor in areas of specific need within the company.
Workers in Erie recently wrapped up work on the first two locomotives in an order of 1,000 locomotives for Indian Railways. The first 40 locomotives will be built in Erie, followed by 60 so-called kits that will be built in Erie and then shipped to India for final assembly. The remaining 900 locomotives will be built in India over the next 10 years.
Slawson said the employment situation at the Erie plant, which builds locomotives for the international market, might be substantially different if the Indian Railways order, the largest in the company's history, was to be built exclusively in Erie.
"That would have been huge," he said.
AlanfromBigEasy said...
A three rail solution is possible between Indian & standard gauge. Turn-offs and switches are expensive with 3 rails, but not straight through sections. 3 rail does not work with standard & Russian gauge.
China would like a standard gauge link to Iran (and on to EU) through Pakistan. A standard gauge extension is going into Kazakhstan.
Upgrading ML-1 is an early harvest project of CPEC, for which the National Railway Administration of China and the Ministry of Railways Pakistan have jointly conducted a feasibility study.
CPEC's official website quotes the project cost of $8.176 billion for rehabilitation and up-gradation of the Karachi-Lahore Peshawar (ML-1) Railway Track, with a length of 1,872kms. The first phase of $3.2 billion covers up-gradation of four segments.
The upgrade will bring the long-needed attention to railway transportation, which has deteriorated significantly over the past few decades. The Pakistan Railways carried over 70% of the national freight load in the 1970s, which now stands at a meagre 4%. Reportedly, the Pakistan Railways expects that this would grow to 20% after completion of this project with freight traffic increasing from five to 25 million tonnes per annum by 2025. The passenger traffic is also expected to increase by 45% (from 55 to 80 million passengers per annum).
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1651831/6-cpec-and-railways/
National Transport Policy 2018 approved
https://nation.com.pk/02-Jun-2018/national-transport-policy-2018-approved
The National Transport Policy available with The Nation has recommended that Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority will be restructured, separating its regulatory and service provision responsibilities.
Work on the National Transport Policy was initiated by the Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform in collaboration with Department for International Development (DFID) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) in February, 2017.
In road transport the NTP said that the priority for passenger transport by road will be to enhance the usage of non-motorized transport and public transport. An increased focus will be made to the provision of public transport services and integration to other modes. Private transport will be considered complimentary to non-motorized transport and public transport, and will provide reliable access to low density and remote areas.
For freight, the predominant movement by road transport will increasingly be shifted to rail and pipeline, by better integration of agriculture and industry to rail stations, dry ports, and pipelines.
Rural roads will remain vital for providing accessibility to local communities and public services, Urban roads will be designed to support efficient and effective urban transport and International road transport will be supported by accession to and implementation of relevant international road transport agreements and conventions. Leasing within the Right of Way shall not be pursued.
Regarding the maritime transport the NTP said that maritime sector shall be geared to become a major engine of growth through its support and facilitation of international trade. Karachi and Port Qasim ports will serve as the primary international gateway ports for all types of commodity shipments, with Gwadar Port balancing national trade opportunities, transshipment and regional transit.
A port-city council planning forum will be established to support port developments. Ports will be operated under a landlord port model.
Private sector terminal operators will lead in providing specialist terminal facilities and service delivery. Public sector will provide supportive port and navigation infrastructure and regulatory oversight.
Coastal port harbour facilities will be promoted, including freight and passenger shipping service concessions.
Maritime security will be enhanced for all maritime zones and implementation through maritime security agency. (xvii) An independent regulator will be established as national maritime authority.
Regarding the pipelines NTP said that oil, gas and bulk liquid will principally be transported via pipelines. Bulk dry commodities will be considered via slurry pipelines or conveyors upon establishment of a supporting business case. Pipeline connections will be established to ports, terminals, refineries, storage depots, dry ports, airports, industrial zones and to periphery of urban areas.
Regarding inland waterway transport the policy said that inland waterway transport will be promoted as a cheaper alternate, and environmentally friendly mode, and will become an element of intermodal transport services in conjunction and support of rail and road freight and passenger connections.
Passenger ferry services will target cross-river linkages, urban transit corridors, and coastal estuaries/ zones, as alternatives to rail and road access.
An inland waterway transport master plan will be developed, actively exploring other navigable rivers and canals, considering effective riverine water management planning.
The NTP further said that urban transport will be considered as a single integrated transport system and planned in accordance to the hierarchy of modes, including public transport, private transport, non-motorized transport, and freight transport.
Rail network to connect #Gwadar with #China, #Afghanistan under #CPEC. 1,328 km new line from #Jacobabad and #Quetta via Basima to Gwadar at a cost of $4.5 billion and new 560km rail track from Quetta to Kotla Jam on ML-2 via Zhob and DI Khan https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/08/18/pakistans-railway-network-to-be-extended-to-gwadar-kashgar-kabul/ via @Profitpk
ISLAMABAD: The ambitious plan of connecting Pakistan's railway network from China and Afghanistan to Gwadar deep sea port under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been declared strategically important by both Pakistan and China.
The plan will help commercially viable transportation of goods from China and Central Asian States to the port city, besides boosting trade and tourism activities in the country.
The already agreed CPEC project for up-gradation of existing Main Line 1 (ML-1) railway track from Peshawar to Karachi will be materialised in the first phase, followed by new railway lines that would be laid across the country to boost trade activities under CPEC.
According to the plan, a new 1,059 kilometer railway line from Havelian in Pakistan's province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to Kashghar in Chinese province of Xinjiang would be laid to connect both the countries through railways.
Another 1,328 kilometer long new railway line from Jacobabad and Quetta via Basima to Gwadar has also been planned to be constructed at a cost of $4.5 billion to connect the port city with the rest of the country and China. Similarly, Pakistan Railways also plans to lay a new 560km railway track from Quetta to Kotla Jam on ML-2 via Zhob and DI Khan.
A new railway line from Peshawar to Torkham in Afghanistan is also part of the plan, however, in a fresh development, a source in the ministry of planning and development said that the railway network would be extended deep in the country to Kabul, and then to Mazar-e-Sharif, so that the Central Asian states could be connected via railway line with Gwadar.
All these new railway projects have been put in the long-term plan of CPEC which is supposed to be completed by 2030. "In order to effectively eventuate ML-1 project, it has been decided to break the project into three packages," an official in the railways ministry said.
The ministry of railways has already submitted the PC-1 of Package-1 to the Planning Commission.
"Keeping in view the importance of the project, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the authorities concerned to start work on the project as early as possible. Therefore, the PC-1 of first package of the project is expected to be considered by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) later this month which would refer to the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval," an official in planning ministry said.
He further said that once approved by the ECNEC, this project would be presented before the 9th annual meeting of Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on CPEC between Pakistan and China to be held in October this year for finalising financing modalities.
The scope of work includes up gradation and doubling of ML-1 from Karachi to Peshawar and Taxila to Havelian (1,872km) including provision of modern signaling and telecommunication systems, conversion of level crossings into underpasses/flyovers and fencing of the track.
CPEC project leader in Ministry of Railways Basharat Waheed said that on completion of ML-1, Pakistan Railways will reap the advantages of increase in speed from 65-105 km/hour to 120-160 km/h, increase in line capacity from 34 to 171 trains each way per day, increase in freight volumes from 6 to 35 million tons per annum by 2025, increase in passenger trains (ex-Karachi) from 20 to 40 each way per day and increase in railway share of freight transport volume from less than 4% to 20%.
Journey time from Karachi to Lahore will be reduced from existing 18 hours to only 10 hours while that from Islamabad to Lahore will be reduced from four-and-a-half hours to two-and-a-half hours, he added.
#CPEC Re-Emerges In #Pakistan With Flurry Of Major #China Deals: 2 #hydropower projects costing $3.9 billion, and another to revamp Pakistan's colonial-era railways for $7.2 billion -- the most expensive #Chinese project yet in Pakistan. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/belt-and-road-re-emerges-in-pakistan-with-flurry-of-china-deals-2263687 via @ndtv
China's Belt and Road program has found new life in Pakistan with $11 billion worth of projects signed in the last month, driven by a former lieutenant general who has reinvigorated the infrastructure plan that's been languishing since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office two years ago.
The nations signed deals on June 25 and July 6 for two hydro-power generation projects costing $3.9 billion in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region, and another to revamp the South Asian nation's colonial-era railways for $7.2 billion -- the most expensive Chinese project yet in Pakistan.
Khan's government appointed Asim Saleem Bajwa last year to run the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority, which oversees more than $70 billion in projects from power plants to highways.
He also joined Khan's cabinet in late April, becoming one of more than a dozen former and current military officials in prominent government roles as the army expands its influence in the country.
The Chinese financing has helped rid Pakistan of an electricity deficit that left exporters unable to meet orders and major cities without electricity for much of the day. Still, the implementation of some investments appeared to stall since Khan came to power, with no new projects announced in 2018 and very few in 2019.
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the initiative in 2013, the World Bank estimates about $575 billion worth of energy plants, railways, roads, ports and other projects have been built or are in the works across the globe. Its progress has slowed recently, dogged by accusations that China is luring poor countries into debt traps for its own political and strategic gain.
"The reality is that much of CPEC, like the Belt and Road more broadly, has been paralyzed," said Jonathan Hillman, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Pakistan "is a flagship for China's Belt and Road, so the need to show progress is even more important."
In a tweet last month, Bajwa said some detractors had given the "false impression" that CPEC had been slowed. Not only has the pace of work on projects picked up recently, but a great deal of ground work has been done to launch phase two of the project that also includes special economic zones to lure Chinese manufacturers, agriculture, science, technology and tourism, he wrote.
"The prime minister pushed very hard on this," said Abdul Razak Dawood, Khan's adviser on commerce and investments said by phone. "We feel that we have to get more and more hydro in our energy mix."
A spokesman in Bajwa's office said he was not immediately available to comment.
Little Progress
Pakistan's army is already responsible for securing every single Beijing-funded project scattered across the country, from the mountains near the Chinese border to the desert in Gwadar where the Chinese operate a port. Its role has become even more important following terrorist attacks on three Chinese-related projects in the past year.
"There is no doubt that PM Khan's arrival slowed the pace of CPEC projects," said Mosharraf Zaidi, a senior fellow at Islamabad-based think tank, Tabadlab, and a former principal advisor to the foreign ministry. "The renewed energy and approval we are now seeing is almost entirely likely due to the chairperson having settled in, and being added to Prime Minister Khan's cabinet."
Railway Minister Shaikh Rasheed's Tweet:
انگریز نے ٹریک بنایا ہم نے 70 سال ٹریک کو ہاتھ نہیں لگایا،ٹریک بنے گا اس میں کوئی ریلوے کراسنگ نہیں ہو گی،7 گھنٹے میں کراچی سے لاہور کا سفر ہو گا،اسی سال یہ کام شروع ہوگا اور چین کی جس بھی پارٹی کو کنٹریکٹ ملے گا،ڈیڑھ لاکھ لوگوں کو کنسٹرکشن میں نوکری ملے گی۔
https://twitter.com/ShkhRasheed/status/1281597235898331136?s=20
#Kavkaz2020: Why #Russia's Latest #Military Drills Are a Golden Opportunity for #Pakistan! 18 nations, including #China, Pakistan & Central Asian nations are participating. #India has withdrawn from opportunity for military diplomacy. @Diplomat_APAC https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/kavkaz-2020-why-russias-latest-military-drills-are-a-golden-opportunity-for-pakistan/
Pakistan can also use the opportunity to reset relations closer to home. The scenic Wakan corridor separates Pakistan and Tajikistan and at their closest point, the two countries are a mere 10 miles apart. Despite historical and cultural ties between the two Asian nations (both were part of the Arab Umayyad and Persian Empires) and their joint participation in several infrastructure and energy projects (the Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Program), Tajikistan plays host to India's only air force base outside of its borders. The Farkhor Air Base lies around 81 miles southeast of Dushanbe and perilously close to Pakistan's northern border with Afghanistan. Indian fighter jets taking off from the base can reach Pakistani airspace in little more than a few minutes.
Naturally, this has put a significant strain on relations with Islamabad. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are no major military ties or significant arms deals between Pakistan and Tajikistan, and if the former plays its cards right, it could use the drills as an opportunity to pull Tajikistan away from India's military grip.
Military drills are often seen as a show of common strength between allies and a warning to others. However, for Pakistan it would be wise not to see these drills as a show of strength, but rather as an important opportunity to further its relationship with the former Soviet World. India's recent decision to stay away from Kavkaz 2020 along with the sheer number of former Soviet states participating in them suggests a golden opportunity Pakistan cannot afford to ignore.
The spatial competition between containerised rail and sea transport in Eurasia
The competition in space between rail and sea transport is of great significance to the integration of Eurasia. This paper proposes a land and sea transport spatial balance model for container transport, which can extract a partition line on which transport costs by rail and sea are equal given a destination. Four scenarios are discussed to analyse the effects of different factors on the model. Then the model is empirically tested on current rail and sea transport networks to identify the transport competition pattern in Eurasia. The location of destinations, the freight costs, and time costs are the three main factors affecting the model. Among them, time costs are determined by the value of a container and its contents, the interest rate, and by time differences between land and sea transport. The case study shows that Eurasia forms a transport competition pattern with a land area to sea area ratio of about 1:2; this ratio, however, changes to 1:1 when time costs are considered. Further, the land and sea transport balance lines are consistent with the theories of geopolitics, which indicate that the same processes may exist in the spatial pattern of geo-economics and geopolitics in Eurasia. According to the balance lines, we get a spatial partition, dividing Eurasia into the land transport preferred area, the land–sea transport indifference area, and the sea transport preferred area. The paper brings a new perspective to the exploration of geopolitical economic spatial patterns of Eurasia and provides a practical geographic theory as an analytic basis for the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.
There are some limitations in the case study too. First, it is based on the precondition of using Beijing and Berlin as the destinations, and the current fluctuated values of speeds, goods and freight rates are all set unique. According to the simulation under different scenarios, preferential policies for transportation could be carried out by governments or transport companies in different places, which could further strengthen the practicality of our model. Specifically, some countries (such as India) oppose China's BRI (Blah, 2018; Pattanaik, 2018). Therefore, we could add evaluations of the strategies for infrastructure construction, of such countries, in the future. Second, container transportation is a complex process. The extent to which the cross-border transportation between countries is frictionless will affect the land transport pattern. Moreover, these factors are difficult to quantify and have not been considered in this paper, such as unequal freight cost rates in different countries, different capabilities and widths of rails, time spent at ports, tariffs, insurance costs and so on, which may also influence actual costs. Third, in not considering the road network, this paper presents a basic possible pattern of land and sea transport balance based on the current railway and maritime networks, which may bias our results. At a strategic level, the results can offer positive suggestions to influence a better approach for transportation. It will, however, be necessary for individual decision-makers to make accurate calculations of the costs of different routes at a micro-level. Additionally, container shipping on the northern sea route is a potential transport corridor (Verny and Grigentin, 2009), it could be included in the future study. Moreover, because of the organisational system and mature development of transport companies, the related data of container transport are easy to obtain, which helps determining the costs and speeds more easily. In contrast, it is hardly to collect datasets of bulk transport. However, the effect of bulk transport may be significant because it is likely to form a large proportion of global maritime trade (J.P.Morgan Asset Management, 2019). This may render some ports more economically viable.
In the future, the BRI will be significant to the integration of economic trade in Eurasia, following the premise that land and sea transport should find a spatial balance. In fact, analysis of the competition and cooperation between land and sea transport can also be of theoretical significance for transport geography. This paper presents a LSTSB model based on the conceptualised Eurasia and simulates different land–sea transport scenarios. We then identify the transport balance lines by applying the model to Eurasia and present the partition of land and sea transport dominated areas in line with the theories of geopolitics.
The main insights are as follows:
Four scenarios based on different locations of destination, different freight costs, different values of a container's goods and different speeds of transport are simulated using the theoretical model. They show that these basic factors influence the spatial balance lines of transportation. The results indicate that land transport is relatively competitive with sea transport but that this depends on different factors. Land transport may be undervalued at present due to long-term cooperation behaviour between governments or enterprises with maritime companies.
The case study shows that in terms of freight costs, maritime transport has an obvious advantage in Eurasia. The transport spatial balance line divides the Eurasian continent into a land and sea transport competitive pattern with an area ratio of 1:2. However, this ratio changes to 1:1 when we take time costs into consideration. Results show that the Economic Belt on road has economic feasibility and rationality.
Furthermore, the spatially competitive pattern of land–sea transport in Eurasia is highly consistent with geopolitical theories. This paper presents a partition of transport areas based on the calculation of balance lines, showing the land transport preferred area, the sea transport preferred area and the land–sea transport indifference area. The partition shows that the China–Russia–EU region, located in the land transport preferred area and the land–sea transport indifference area, is the key pivot area of integration influencing the current economic geographic imbalance in Eurasia. Further, it can serve as the analytic basis underpinning the necessity of increasing cooperation between China and the EU under the BRI, which is in the land–sea indifference area. Thus, the LSTSB model can bring a new perspective to the discussion of the spatial pattern of geopolitics and geo-economics in Eurasia.
Impact of Transport Cost and Travel Time on Trade under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
Khalid Mehmood Alam
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/2019/7178507/
China is the second biggest economy in the world and almost 40% of its trade in 2016 is transported through the South China Sea. China needs a small, secure, and low-cost path to trade with Europe and the Middle East and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a feasible solution to this requirement. This research analyzes the effect of CPEC on trade in terms of transport cost and travel time. In addition, the study compares the existing routes and the new CPEC route. The research methodology consists of qualitative and descriptive statistical methods. The variables (transport cost and travel time) are calculated and compared for both the existing route and new CPEC route. The results show that transport cost for 40-foot container between Kashgar and destination ports in the Middle East is decreased by about $1450 dollars and for destination ports in Europe is decreased by $1350 dollars. Additionally, travel time is decreased by 21 to 24 days for destination ports in the Middle East and 21 days for destination ports in Europe. The distance from Kashgar to destination ports in the Middle East and Europe is decreased by 11,000 to 13,000 km.
Transportation is the shifting of goods by truck, rail, road, and sea and is reasoned as an important indicator for economic development [1]. Transport has two main parts. The first part represents vehicles that are either van, truck, rails, airplanes, or ships and second part represents the transport infrastructure such as roads, highways, seaways, airways, and railway tracks on which transport runs smoothly. In the recent days, both parts of transportation are considered as an important factor of trade and help in reducing transportation cost and travel time. The selection of transport mode for delivery of goods within less time and minimum cost is important to maximize the profit. Every state tries its best to discover short trade routes that can reduce trade cost and transfer time. To enhance their trade, countries invest in transport infrastructures like roads and rails and adequate transport infrastructure can potentially reduce transport cost and travel time. Transport cost and travel time are considered as the most important among all factors [2].
Shipping industry plays an significant part in the development of trade and about 80% of world trade is transported by the international shipping industry [3, 4]. The import and export of goods on large scale are not possible without shipping [5]. China is the second biggest economy and energy user in the world and safety of the oil supply chain stay the essential idea of China's strategies [6]. China is importing about 83% of oil supplies by sea, out of which 77% are functioning through the Strait of Malacca, a possible bottleneck for China [7]. There are some factors like China's regional disputes, pirate incidences, and geopolitics that make the Strait of Malacca as an attentive weakness for China and may stop economic development in case of any unanticipated events [8, 9]. About 60% of world pirate occurrences take place in the Strait of Malacca and presence of the Indian and US armadas in the seaway rises serious security concerns and in case of any unforeseen actions can affect trade and economic supplies of China [10–12]. To overcome these challenges, China wants to get access to deep water through Pakistan. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will link the city of Kashgar in Western China and the Gwadar Port in Pakistan by developing a transport infrastructure network comprising road and rail. Kashgar has great economic opportunities for the shortest land access to the local markets of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, India, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan [13].
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text:
<?php
namespace app\modules\user\models;

use yii\base\Model;
use Yii;

/**
 * Signup form
 */
class SignupForm extends Model
{
    public $username;
    public $email;
    public $password;
    public $password_repeat;
    public $verifyCode;
    public $first_name;
    public $last_name;
    public $gender;
    public $divisi;
    public $jabatan;
    public $birth_date;
    /**
     * @inheritdoc
     */
    public function rules()
    {
        return [
            [['username', 'email', 'password', 'first_name', 'birth_date', 'last_name', 'divisi', 'jabatan'], 'filter', 'filter' => 'trim'],
            [['username', 'email', 'password', 'first_name', 'birth_date', 'last_name', 'gender', 'divisi', 'jabatan'], 'filter', 'filter' => 'strip_tags'],
            [['username', 'email', 'password', 'first_name', 'birth_date', 'last_name', 'gender', 'divisi', 'jabatan'], 'required'],
            [['gender'], 'integer'],
            [['gender'],'in', 'range'=>[0,1]],
            ['username', 'unique', 'targetClass' => '\app\modules\user\models\User', 'message' => 'This username has already been taken.'],
            ['username', 'string', 'min' => 2, 'max' => 255],
            ['email', 'email'],
            ['email', 'string', 'max' => 255],
            ['email', 'unique', 'targetClass' => '\app\modules\user\models\User', 'message' => 'This email address has already been taken.'],
            ['password', 'string', 'min' => 6],
            ['password_repeat', 'compare', 'compareAttribute'=> 'password'],
            ['verifyCode', 'captcha',  'captchaAction' => '/user/signup/captcha'],
        ];
    }

     /**
     * @return array customized attribute labels
     */
    public function attributeLabels()
    {
        return [
            'verifyCode' => Yii::t('app', 'Verification Code'),
            'password_repeat' => Yii::t('app', 'Repeat Password')
        ];
    }

    /**
     * Signs user up.
     *
     * @return User|null the saved model or null if saving fails
     */
    public function signup()
    {
        $auth = Yii::$app->authManager;
        $role = $auth->getRole($this->jabatan);

        if ($this->validate() && !empty($role)) {

            $user = new User();
            $user->username = $this->username;
            $user->email = $this->email;
            $user->setPassword($this->password);
            $user->generateAuthKey();

            if ($user->validate() && $user->save()){
              $person = new Person();
              $person->first_name = $this->first_name;
              $person->last_name = $this->last_name;
              $person->gender = $this->gender;
              $person->birth_date = $this->birth_date;
              $person->user_id = $user->id;

              if ($person->validate() && $person->save()){
                $auth->assign($role, $user->id);

                return true;
              }
            }

        }

        return false;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Great as the bike may be, the best thing about the new Lightning Strike electric motorcycle may be its name.
Perhaps in an effort to beat the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric bike to market, Lightning introduced its new, more mainstream Strike last week.
Unlike the LiveWire or the new Zero SR/F, the Lightning Strike is a sportbike, with riders hunched over the tank—although it's much more subtle than Lightning's first effort, the LS-218, named for its top speed in a standing record run for an electric motorcycle on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The LS-218 also set a record at the Pikes Peak hillclimb in 2013.
The Strike will have "only" a 150-mph top speed, but will be significantly more affordable than the $38,888 LS-218.
The Strike will offer three trim levels starting at $12,998 with a 10-kilowatt-hour battery pack that's expected to offer 100 miles of range in the city or 70 miles on the highway. It comes standard with a 3.3 kilowatt charger and J-1772 port that can recharge the bike in two to three hours on a standard public charger. A 6.7-kw charger that can cut the charge time in half is optional.
For another $4,000, the Midrange Strike gets a 15-kwh battery good for 150 city miles or 105 on the highway.
The top-trim Carbon Edition sells for $19,998, and gets a boost to 120 hp and the 150-mph top speed. It also gets a 20-kwh battery and comes standard with the 6.7-kw charger, which can replenish its bigger battery in a little over 3 hours. It also offers DC fast charging capability that can deliver 100 miles of range in 20 minutes or a full charge in about 35 minutes. To justify its name, the Carbon Edition also adds carbon-fiber bodywork, upgraded Brembo brakes, and Ohlins suspension.


text:
from setuptools import setup, find_packages
from ouchdb.version import VERSION

setup(
    name='ouchdb',
    version=VERSION,

    description='OuchDB is an implementation of CouchDB API on relational databases',
    long_description=open("Readme.rst").read(),
    packages=find_packages(exclude=["ez_setup"]),
    install_requires="web.py gunicorn".split(),

    author="Anand Chitipothu",
    author_email="anandology@gmail.com",
    license="Apache License, Version 2.0",
    platforms=["any"],
)


There are homeless women in Tucson who draw little attention. The Sister Jose Woman's Center is working to address this and other related issues. Penny Buckley is the Operations Coordinator for the Center.


text:
Kalyan Banerjee (Bengali: কল্যাণ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়; born 4 January 1957) is a member of the All India Trinamool Congress. He has won the 2019 Indian general elections from the Serampore (Lok Sabha constituency).
He was earlier elected for the 16th Lok Sabha from the same constituency.

Kalyan education qualification is  B.Com. and LL.B. He is a well known advocate, who has been frequently taking up numerous cases for Trinamool Congress. He has been practicing in Calcutta High Court since 1981. Some of the cases he handled are of  Rizwanur Rahman Case, matters relating to Nandigram, Chhota Angaria Case, Bhikari Paswan Case, Imposition of Sec-144 in Singur and different land acquisition cases.

He visited U.K. and U.S.A. as a member of a parliamentary team in October 2009.

References

Living people
India MPs 2014–2019
Trinamool Congress politicians from West Bengal
India MPs 2009–2014
Lok Sabha members from West Bengal
People from Hooghly district
1957 births
20th-century Indian lawyers
Indian Hindus
India MPs 2019–present
Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Nintendo 0045496380649 - Pearl is the cute and sassy mc, while marina is the dazzling DJ genius of the pop idol-duo known as 'Off the Hook' in the Splatoon 2 game for the Nintendo Switch. Fans love them for their unique, futuristic sound! pearl is the cute and sassy mc, while marina is the dazzling DJ genius of the pop idol-duo known as 'Off the Hook' in the Splatoon 2 game for the Nintendo Switch.
Together, they host the inkopolis News and Splatfest events; in which Inklings pick one of two sides and battle the opposing team in Turf War.
Nintendo NVLEAE3E - Like inklings, they have the ability to transform, but into octopi rather than squids. Games, systems, and amiibo sold separately. Visit Nintendo. Com/amiibo for details on amiibo functionality. The protagonist of the splatoon 2: octo expansion DLC is a young octarian octoling, known as agent 8. They're naturally good with their hands and adept at using tools and machinery, making them quite formidable in battle.
Octolings seem to have a more serious Nature than the carefree inklings we're accustomed to. Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set.
- Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set. Import japan - splatoon 2 amiibo 3 sets girl neon pink, boy Neon Green, they have the ability to transform, Squid Neon Purple " Import Japan" Like inklings, but into octopi rather than squids.
Manual and packaging in Japanese language. Games, systems, and amiibo sold separately. Compatible with US systems region free. Import game - Japanese Version. Visit Nintendo. Com/amiibo for details on amiibo functionality.
Nintendo - Visit Nintendo. Com/amiibo for details on amiibo functionality. Nintendo amiibo Inking boy imported from Japan, new. Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set. Compatible with US systems region free. Import game - Japanese Version.
Games, systems, and amiibo sold separately. Manual and packaging in Japanese language. Nintendo amiibo inking boy imported from Japan, new Like inklings, they have the ability to transform, but into octopi rather than squids.
Nintendo Games NVLCAEAA - Games, systems, and amiibo sold separately. Import game - Japanese Version. Manual and packaging in Japanese language. By tapping one of these amiibo to the GamePad, players can receive special missions to unlock weapons and gear. Girl amiibo figure like inklings, they have the ability to transform, but into octopi rather than squids.
Launching simultaneously with splatoon on may 29 are Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy and Inkling Squid amiibo figures. Visit Nintendo. Com/amiibo for details on amiibo functionality. Compatible with US systems region free. Nintendo amiibo Inking boy imported from Japan, new. Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set.
Nintendo - Import game - Japanese Version. Manual and packaging in Japanese language. Launching simultaneously with splatoon on may 29 are Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy and Inkling Squid amiibo figures. Nintendo amiibo Inking boy imported from Japan, new. Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set.
Games, systems, and amiibo sold separately. Like inklings, they have the ability to transform, but into octopi rather than squids. Visit Nintendo. Com/amiibo for details on amiibo functionality. Compatible with US systems region free. By tapping one of these amiibo to the GamePad, players can receive special missions to unlock weapons and gear.
Neon Purple Splatoon Series - amiibo Squid - Manual and packaging in Japanese language.
Nintendo of America NVLCAEAJ - Just tap an amiibotm accessory to the nfc touchpoint to enjoy fun in-game extra features in compatible games on the Nintendo Switch system, New Nintendo 3DS system, or Wii U console. Recommended for children ages 6+. Games, systems, and amiibo sold separately. Visit Nintendo. Com/amiibo for details on amiibo functionality.
Manual and packaging in Japanese language. Compatible with US systems region free. Import game - Japanese Version. By tapping one of these amiibo to the GamePad, players can receive special missions to unlock weapons and gear. Manual and packaging in Japanese language. Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set.
Nintendo amiibo - New Inkling Girl Neon Pink - Recommended for children ages 6+ For more details on amiibo, please visit nintendo. Com/amiibo like inklings, they have the ability to transform, but into octopi rather than squids. For more details on amiibo, please visit nintendo. Com/amiibo. Get cool in-game extras with amiibo accessories and compatible games.
Just tap an amiibotm accessory to the nfc touchpoint to enjoy fun in-game extra features in compatible games on the Nintendo Switch system, New Nintendo 3DS system, or Wii U console.
Little Buddy USA 1469 Splatoon Callie Pink Squid Sister Plush, 10"
Japan VideoGames 1469 - Limited availability. Launching simultaneously with splatoon on may 29 are Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy and Inkling Squid amiibo figures. Just tap an amiibotm accessory to the nfc touchpoint to enjoy fun in-game extra features in compatible games on the Nintendo Switch system, New Nintendo 3DS system, or Wii U console.
Recommended for children ages 6+. Visit Nintendo. Com/amiibo for details on amiibo functionality. Official licensed Plush By Little Buddy USA. The title is a portmanteau of the words "splat" and "platoon. Like inklings, they have the ability to transform, but into octopi rather than squids. Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set.
Little Buddy USA 1469 Splatoon Callie Pink Squid Sister Plush, 10" - Cute and Collectible. Manual and packaging in Japanese language. Size: 4. 5"l x 4"w x 10"H. Soft and Cuddly. Compatible with US systems region free. For more details on amiibo, please visit nintendo.
Little Buddy USA 1467 Splatoon Female Inkling Plush, 9"
Little Buddy 1468 USA Splatoon Male Inkling Plush, 10"
Little Buddy Splatoon 2 Series Inkling Boy Neon Green Plush, 10"
Little Buddy USA 1472 Splatoon Judd/Judge Kun The Cat Plush, 7"
Sanei SP04 Splatoon Series Marie Green Squid Sister Stuffed Plush, 9.5"
Nintendo - Soft and Cuddly. Official licensed Plush By Little Buddy USA. Like inklings, they have the ability to transform, but into octopi rather than squids. Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set. Limited availability. Manual and packaging in Japanese language.
For more details on amiibo, please visit nintendo. Com/amiibo. Nintendo amiibo Inking boy imported from Japan, new. Brand new game sealed, Japanese Version, compatible with US systems region free. Approx. Launching simultaneously with splatoon on may 29 are Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy and Inkling Squid amiibo figures.
Nintendo Splatoon Series - Octoling Amiibo Triple Set Japan Import - Compatible with US systems region free. Compatible with US systems region free. Cute and Collectible. Manual and packaging in Japanese language. Just tap an amiibotm accessory to the nfc touchpoint to enjoy fun in-game extra features in compatible games on the Nintendo Switch system, New Nintendo 3DS system, or Wii U console.
Recommended for children ages 6+. Import game - Japanese Version.
Nintendo Nintendo - Compatible with US systems region free. Nintendo amiibo Inking boy imported from Japan, new. Games, systems, and amiibo sold separately. Like inklings, they have the ability to transform, but into octopi rather than squids. Compatible with US systems region free. Release on november 9, 2018 Japan time. Octoling girl, octoling boy, and octoling octopus amiibo figures are available exclusively in the splatoon series 3-pack set.
Cute and Collectible. Import game - Japanese Version. Visit Nintendo. Com/amiibo for details on amiibo functionality. By tapping one of these amiibo to the GamePad, players can receive special missions to unlock weapons and gear. Manual and packaging in Japanese language. Manual and packaging in Japanese language.
Inkling Girl Neon Pink Splatoon series Japan Import - Nintendo amiibo - Size: 4. 5"l x 4"w x 10"H. Launching simultaneously with splatoon on may 29 are Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy and Inkling Squid amiibo figures. Just tap an amiibotm accessory to the nfc touchpoint to enjoy fun in-game extra features in compatible games on the Nintendo Switch system, New Nintendo 3DS system, or Wii U console.
Recommended for children ages 6+.


text:
Hesperia Father of Four Killed in Ranchero Road Crash
HESPERIA, CA:(VVNG.com)– A local family is grieving after a father of four was killed in a traffic accident on Friday, October 7th.
At about 2:50 a.m. 37-year-old Eduardo "Eddie" Frayre, of Hesperia, was driving on Ranchero Road heading to work at Gardner Trucking in Ontario.
At the same time, Jose Antonio Corral, 24, of Hesperia, was traveling on Ranchero Road just east of Outpost Road heading in the opposite direction. Authorities say Corral's Honda Civic crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with Eddie's Mitsubishi Mirage.
Both drivers sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Eddie leaves behind four children ranging in ages from 2-17 years old and a loving wife named Maribel Frayre.
Family friend Anne Schroeder described Eddie as a great husband, father, son, and friend to many. According to Schroeder, Eddie was very involved in the community and was a great support for Sultana Football and Carmel Elementary where two of his children attended.
"Eddie worked hard to make ends meet and support his family," says Schroeder. "Luis his oldest son was on our sultana Football team for all four years of high school and had just quit on Tuesday to stay at home and help his family care for their younger siblings when both parents worked the night shift."
Without the financial support of Eddie, the family is faced with coming up with the necessary funds to bury their father. A Gofundme account has been established for those wishing to help raise money that will assist with funeral services and to maintain the immediate needs of the family. All donations can be made here: Eddie Eduardo Frayre Memorial Fund
"You were truly one of the kindest, caring and genuine men we have ever known. We are deeply saddened by your loss, you were taken from us way too young and had so much left here on this earth to do. You will forever be cradled in the loving arms of Jesus, fly on angels wings until we meet again." – Anne Schroeder.
https://vvng.wpengine.com/two-people-killed-in-hesperia-crash-on-ranchero-road/
Shakey's Pizza Returns to the Victor Valley
UPDATE: Motorcyclist Killed on Sheep Creek Road


A modern classic, the Rocket Rocking Chair is a unique and entertaining piece for any space. The seat is crafted from durable, yet surprisingly comfortable polypropolene. The wire steel frame connects the soild wood rockers to the seat.


text:
1,000 foods Mimi Sheraton thinks you need to eat before you die
Mimi Sheraton's latest book is much much more than just a culinary bucket list
1,000 foods Mimi Sheraton thinks you need to eat before you die Mimi Sheraton's latest book is much much more than just a culinary bucket list Check out this story on Freep.com: http://on.freep.com/1Hxry2o
Tribune Content Agency, LLC Published 12:03 a.m. ET May 28, 2015
Mimi Sheraton talked publisher Workman into a deal they couldn't refuse.(Photo: TNS)
Mimi Sheraton's latest book, "1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die" (Workman, $24.95), is more than just a culinary bucket list. Consider it also a valuable reference work, a tour book, a restaurant guide, a recipe source and — as Sheraton hopes — a book to pick up and enjoy.
"As a writer, I would be pleased to have this seen as a good read," says Sheraton, the legendary former restaurant critic for the New York Times. The book's inspiration came from a 2003 Workman title, "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" by Patricia Schultz.
"I saw that and thought, 'Why not food?' I called Workman and we worked it out," the New York City resident says. "The idea, basically, is to give interested people an idea of what the whole world eats."
Entries range from items familiar to most Americans, like Toll House chocolate chip cookies and bacon, to what most people in the U.S. might find obscure or exotic. Mastiha (wild pistachio tree sap) or hirn mit ei (scrambled eggs with brains), anyone? Whatever the food, Sheraton then tells you what it is, what to do with it and how to get it.
"Everything is sourced," she says, meaning you can buy it at a restaurant, obtain it via mail order or make it yourself with a recipe.
Sheraton's original list for the book ran to some 1,800 entries.
"The first two things were a frozen Milky Way and caviar," she recalls. "That more or less indicated the breadth of the book, that not everything had to be expensive to be memorable."
"1,000 Foods" is more than just dishes, ingredients and some recipes. It lists important restaurants (including Chicago's Alinea and Frontera Grill), world-class markets (from London's Billingsgate to Addis Ababa's Merkato in Ethiopia), holiday foods, and culinary cultural touchstones, such as the 1989 movie, "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" (listed cheekily as "Pleasures of the Flesh") and the 1958 book, "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon," by Jorge Amado.
The book took Sheraton a decade to craft because of all the globe-girdling research, fact-checking, cross-referencing and Web link testing required.
"1,000 Foods" is also, as the subtitle "A Food Lover's Life List" suggests, rather autobiographical. That's fun, too.
"For the last 60 years or a little more, I've been going in search of food and place. It shaped my life," says the journalist, cookbook author and food authority. "My work was my life and this is the net result."
Despite what the title says, the book contains more than 1,000 foods. There are 1,000 entries, Sheraton says, some of which have multiple food references. How many of these dishes has Sheraton, 89, tasted over a 60-year journalism career? About 90%, she says.
"It's the 10% yet to know that keeps me going," she adds.
Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/1Hxry2o