This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Citation: Europe’s clocks ‘back on time’ after electricity grid fixed (Update) (2018, April 3) retrieved 18 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-04-european-grid-lag-clocks.html The power operators association ENTSO-E said in early March the row had affected the grid’s electric frequency since mid-January and caused clocks for radio alarms, ovens and heating systems to run several minutes late.”The Continental Europe transmission system operators carried out a collective compensation programme to restore the situation back to normal,” Brussels-based ENTSO-E said Tuesday in a statement.”The digital clocks geared by electric frequency are now back on time,” it added.ENTSO-E said it will “continue to support all parties” in a bid to achieve a lasting end to the energy dispute between Serbia and Kosovo.Serbia’s electrical power grid company EMS AD, tasked with balancing the Kosovo grid, blamed the missing power on Kosovo withdrawing without permission “uncontracted” energy from the synchronised European grid.Kosovo operator KOSTT complained of an “imbalance in the system” when it supplied electricity at a loss to minority Serbs in northern Kosovo who refuse to recognise the ethnic Albanian authorities.Serbia has refused to recognise its former breakaway province since it declared independence in 2008 and tries to block its attempt to join UN and various international organisations, including ENTSO-E. Both are seeking to join the European Union. Europe’s digital clocks are “back on time” after its power operators compensated for a shortfall in the continent’s electricity grid because of a row between Serbia and Kosovo, the operators said Tuesday. The power operators association ENTSO-E said in early March a row between Serbia and Kosovo had affected the grid’s electric frequency since mid-January and caused clocks for radio alarms, ovens and heating systems to run several minutes late © 2018 AFP European clocks slowed by lag in continent’s power grid Explore further read more

US tariffs threat a headache for foreign automakers Explore further © 2018 AFP At the end of the Group of Seven summit, Trump renewed his threat to impose tariffs on cars imported into the United States by manufacturers accused of unfairly taking market share from American carmakers.But this decision—part of Trump’s “America First” efforts to redress trade imbalances—may be counterproductive because not only do most of the targeted manufacturers have factories in the US, but American carmakers are among the largest importers of vehicles from Canada and Mexico.The move would also come at a time when China—the world’s largest car market—is moving in the opposite direction, lowering taxes on imported vehicles from 25 to 15 percent.”The Honda Accord is not a threat to our national security,” tweeted Jeb Hensarling, the Republican head of the House Finance Committee.”However, taxing it with trade tariffs is a threat to the economic security of millions of hardworking American families,” he wrote.The Trade Partnership Worldwide consultancy estimates that additional taxes of 25 percent would create 92,000 industrial jobs in the US but would result in the destruction of 250,000 jobs in the larger economy.About one million jobs are currently tied to the auto industry, up from 660,000 in 2010, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.More imports than exportsTrump’s statement about the imbalance between imported and exported vehicles in the United States is supported by statistics.In 2017, the United States imported 8.27 million vehicles valued at $192 billion and exported 1.98 million at a value of $57 billion, according to the Commerce Department.But in general, the US imports less-expensive cars and exports high-end vehicles. For example, more than 70 percent of the 371,316 vehicles produced by BMW’s South Carolina plant were destined for export.”European automakers not only export vehicles into the US, but many of them also have a major manufacturing footprint there, thereby creating hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs,” the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said.”A large part of their US production is exported to third countries, including the European Union,” it said.”In America, Toyota has 10 plants, 136,000 employees and 1,500 dealers that contribute to their local economies. Tariffs on auto imports could hurt American jobs & raise consumer costs,” the Japanese manufacturer said.NAFTA-related move?Kristin Dziczek of the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan notes that Detroit’s “Big Three” (GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler) could also be affected by tariffs because the cars they import represent around 14.5 percent of all cars sold in the US last year.Prior to being sold in the US, these cars are mainly produced in Canada and Mexico, the other two members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which account for half of imports (4.27 million) and of exports (1.07 million). They are trailed by Japan (21 percent of imports), Germany (11 percent) and South Korea (eight percent).”We don’t compete regionally; we sell regionally but we compete globally,” said Joe Hinrichs, executive vice president at Ford. “The ramifications, unintended or intended, of changes to policies and practices, could be significant.”The threat of tariffs on cars imported from Canada could also be a stick meant to force Ottawa’s hand in the renegotiation of NAFTA, some experts say.”We believe much of this investigation (of the need for tariffs) is squarely focused on developing a final NAFTA agreement,” said Ed Mills, an analyst at Raymond James.”Country-of-origin rules, especially for automobiles, has been a key sticking point in the talks.” This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. US President Donald Trump’s threat to tax imported cars in the name of national security risks weakening domestic manufacturers, but could accelerate the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Citation: US tariffs on car imports are a double-edged sword (2018, June 11) retrieved 18 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-06-tariffs-car-imports-double-edged-sword.html Threatened US tariffs on imported vehicles pose a risk to domestic as well as foreign manufacturers read more

Tamil Nadu File Photo: TN Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.   –  THE HINDU COMMENT Published on COMMENTS June 15, 2018 SHARE SHARE EMAIL politics SHARE The Tamil Nadu government today urged the Centre to keep in abeyance its decision to enact a Dam Safety Bill, recalling it had earlier raised some objections and that it had not received any revised draft on the matter thereafter. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister K Palaniswami requested that the decision arrived at by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday to legislate the Act on the Dam Safety Bill, 2018, be kept in abeyance till all states were consulted and a consensus was evolved. He said late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had earlier raised objections to “certain clauses” of the draft Bill, 2016 .“Since they encroach upon powers of state governments and also rights conferred on the state by virtue of Inter-State Agreements on dams owned, operated and maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu but located in other state.” The state had earlier urged the Centre that the legislation should be re-examined and should not be “proceeded with in haste, without considering objections raised by Tamil Nadu threadbare.” “The Government of India has not circulated any revised draft after 2016 and it is presumed that the Bill in its original form has been approved by the Union Cabinet.” “This Bill would have wide ramifications on dams operated and maintained by (a) state government, especially those dams which are owned operated and maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu, but are located in the neighbouring state,” he said in an apparent reference to the Mullaperiar dam located in neighbouring Kerala. Mullaperiar dam located in Kerala’s Idukki district is owned and operated by Tamil Nadu and the two states are at loggerheads over it’s safety and storage level. The Supreme Court had in May 2014 held that the dam was safe, and allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the storage level to 142 ft initially and to 152 ft later after completing strengthening efforts on the reservoir. In his letter today, Palaniswami said he considered “it appropriate that consensus of all the states be obtained before bringing forward such a legislation on dam safety.” “In the circumstances, I request you to kindly keep in abeyance the decision arrived at by the Government of India to legislate an Act on dam safety till such time all the states are consulted and consensus is evolved,” he said. The Union Cabinet had on Wednesday approved a proposal for enacting the Dam Safety Bill 2018, which will help states and union territories to adopt uniform safety procedures to ensure safety of reservoirs. The Bill seeks to constitute a national committee on dam safety which shall evolve safety policies and recommend necessary regulations, Union Minister Piyush Goyal had said on Wednesday. The Bill provides for establishment of National Dam Safety Authority as a regulatory body which shall discharge functions to implement the policy, guidelines and standards for dam safety in the country. In certain cases, such as dams of one state falling under the territory of another, the authority shall also perform the role of State Dam Safety Organisation, thereby eliminating potential causes for inter-state conflicts. The legislation will address all issues concerning dam safety including regular inspection, emergency action plan, comprehensive safety review, adequate repair and maintenance funds for dam safety, instrumentation and safety manuals. The Bill also provides for constitution of a State Committee on Dam Safety by the state governments. The provisions of the Bill also lay onus of dam safety on the dam owner and provides for penal provisions for commission and omission of certain acts. The draft bill was finalised after wide consultation with leading experts and international experts, Goyal had said. read more