Clipmarks | Japan Clips

Asian Stocks Gain on Bank Stakes Plan; Treasuries,Yen Decline

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:02:43 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Standard & Poor's 500 Index futures gained 2.1 percent. S&P rebounded yesterday from its worst week in 75 years with an 11.6 percent advance, its steepest since 1939. Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index rose 9.9 percent, a record gain.

The Bush administration will invest about $125 billion in nine banks including Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley, said the people. France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria have committed $1.8 trillion to guarantee bank loans and take stakes in lenders.

Governments across the globe stepped up measures to support banks after global stock markets lost $7 trillion of their value last week, driving the MSCI World Index down 20 percent, on concern frozen credit markets will trigger an economic collapse.

Clip Source: www.bloomberg.com

Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks surged, driving Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average to its steepest advance in 18 years, after U.S. and European governments agreed to buy stakes in banks. Treasuries and the Japanese yen declined.

The Nikkei jumped 13.2 percent, rebounding from the worst week on record, as people briefed on the plan said the U.S. government will invest in nine of the biggest U.S. banks. Sony Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. climbed more than 14 percent.

Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Ltd. in Singapore. ``They're putting confidence back into the market by not just adding liquidity but adding strength to the banks that serve Main Street.''

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 8.4 percent to 96.07 as of 1 p.m. in Tokyo, poised for its biggest advance since 1998

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 3.6 percent, extending yesterday's 5.5 percent climb. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index increased 3.1 percent to 16,814.64, bringing its two-day advance to 14 perce

Tags: nikkei, asx 200, hang seng, dj stoxx 600, s&p index futures, msci world index

CHANGE OF POWER AT THE WORLD BANK

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:41:21 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: About time to change the players and influence

Clip Source: www.commondreams.org

US Surrenders Power to Appoint World Bank President

WASHINGTON - The US is to lose its power to appoint the president of the World Bank after the UK's development secretary, Douglas Alexander, brokered a deal to throw open the post to candidates from any country.

Backed by European governments and developing countries, Alexander overcame resistance from the US and Japan to secure a reform he described last night as "a significant step forward".

Washington has had the right to hand-pick the president of the World Bank since the institution was founded after the second world war, with Europe choosing the managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

Alexander said: "The agreement provides the opportunity for candidates to be nominated regardless of nationality. It will ensure that the best-qualified candidate is selected."

Alexander said that more changes were needed: "It is a significant step forward, albeit on a much longer journey."

Mom Does Know Best - Chicken Soup May Also Help With High Blood Pressure

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:39:42 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: www.scientificblogging.com

Mom Does Know Best - Chicken Soup May Also Help With High Blood Pressure

Chicken soup isn't just good for the common cold and, apparently, our souls, that popular home remedy so ubiquitous it is sometimes known as "Grandma's Penicillin" may also have a new role alongside medication and other medical measures in fighting high blood pressure, scientists in Japan are reporting. Their research is in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Ai Saiga and colleagues cite previous studies indicating that chicken breast contains collagen proteins with effects similar to ACE inhibitors, mainstay medications for treating high blood pressure. But chicken breast contains such small amounts of the proteins that it could not be used to develop food and medical products for high blood pressure. Chicken legs and feet, often discarded as waste products in the U.S. but key soup ingredients elsewhere, appear to be a better source.

Tags: chicken soup, blood presure, cold, ace inhibitor

Wave Powered Boat to cross Pacific!!!

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:17:22 GMT

clipped by: jerry23w
clipper's remarks: when a big ship is raised a few feet by the ocean swell, think how much energy it takes to lift several thousand tonnes.. Now think of that same ship alongside a quay, and a lever extracting that same energy as it lowers the ship back down before the next swell.. Cmon you engineers!

Clip Source: gas2.org

Japanese Man to “Hang 10″ in Pacific Journey with Wave-Powered Boat

How does he do it? With a wave-powered boat. Wave power has been discussed quite a bit recently, with a lot of applications including traditional grid energy generation. However, Kenichi is taking things to the next level by powering his ocean going vehicle with the very thing it bobs atop.

As you can see in the photo (click for larger view), the boat is powered by two fins that raise and lower with the tide, which drive the propellers. On board energy is provided by solar panels and the boat is primarily made out of recycled aluminum.

By sailing from Japan to Hawai’i, Kenichi and his Suntory Mermaid II hope to set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled in this type of wave-powered ocean goer. To be sure, this boat doesn’t go very fast (it’s got about half of the speed potential of a diesel powered craft), but this type of innovation is certainly interesting to see.

Tags: wave-power

"To sleep, perchance to dream"

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:53:07 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly
clipper's remarks: continues:
Housed in a dark space broken into discrete pockets (and designed by the German architect Nikolaus Hirsch), the flickering of the exhibits in and out of view itself invokes the fleeting secrets of sleep. It is organised more as a series of impressions than as a pedagogical chronology, divided into five themes: Dead Tired, Traces of Sleep, Dream Worlds, Elusive Sleep and World Without Sleep.

Clip Source: www.forteantimes.com

To sleep, perchance to dream

FT visits the Wellcome Collection's new exhibition, 'Sleeping and Dreaming'.

Sleep Concert. Japanese at a concert specifically designed to send them to sleep. Miyashita Fumio, 1999; Reproduktionen Nagano (Japan), Biwa Studio

We spend about a third of our lives asleep, yet still have only the vaguest of ideas about why we do it, or of what happens to us during that time. A new exhibition at the revamped Wellcome Collection sets itself the ambitious task of exploring this vast and slippery subject through art, science and social history, and isn’t afraid to admit that, despite notable advances in our understanding of the biomedical and neurological processes involved, sleep remains a mysterious, wondrous and even fearsome state.

The Dragon’s Triangle

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:55:46 GMT

clipped by: valann 47

Clip Source: www.stumbleupon.com

The Bermuda Triangle’ infamous association with disappearing boats and aircraft is known across the globe. Less well known is an area off the west coast of Japan which has an equally deadly history.

Japanese sailors have often recorded freakish occurrences in the area and talk of hearing terrible noises and seeing awful red lights. They believe one particularly potent creature lives in an immense palace beneath the waves. They call this monster ‘Li-Lung’, the ‘Dragon King of the Western Sea’, and say his lair is decorated with the ships he has captured.

In truth, this area of ocean bears a remarkable resemblance to its Western cousin. Both areas are known for extreme changes in weather conditions, unexpected fogs, tidal waves, seaquakes and hurricanes, and both have examples of agonic lines, lines upon which a compass needle will point true north and south. Their most unwelcome similarities are the truly horrifying levels of unexplained sinkings and disappearances.

Tags: japan, dragon's triangle, ocean

STOCK FUTURES RALLY

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:46:28 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: OPEC tells IMF that without quick end to financial market crisis, bearish sentiment in oil market is likely to continue.
• Saefong reports on taking refuge in gold

Clip Source: www.marketwatch.com

U.S. stock futures surge on Monday following last week's drop of nearly 20%. Indexes in Europe and Asia rise markedly.
• Stocks to watch for Monday | World markets rally | Oil futures up
• Gold falls | Bailouts boost euro | Hong Kong jumps over 10%
• Libor eases slightly | Rally in London -- but not for HBOS, RBS
• IMF: world has a plan | Time to buy Chinese stocks?

Agreements reached in Paris and Washington D.C. restore degree of confidence

Europe leads the way
Euro-zone members outline deal to back bank loans, recapitalize banking sector.
• Banks to get $73 bln | U.K.'s arms-length deal
• Germany readies $135 billion for banks
• Central banks to offer unlimited dollar funds
• Japan to halt bank share sales
• Mark-to-market rules 'clarified'
• G7's broad-but-vague plan

Tags: futures surge, gold falls, libor eases, imf plan, paris washington agreements, confidence restored

World Markets Soar After Last Week's Plunge

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:35:45 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: economy into recession.

On Monday five central banks — including the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank — unveiled new measures to thaw frozen credit markets and bolster funding to banks. The Bank of England, the European Central Bank and the Swiss National Bank said they would provide unlimited U.S. dollar funds to financial institutions. The Bank of Japan said it was considering similar measures.

In Britain, three of the country's largest banks — Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC, Lloyds TSB Group PLC and HBOS PLC — announced plans to take up to 37 billion pounds (US$63 billion) of government money to boost their balance sheets.

Earlier in the day, Australia said it would guarantee bank and other lender deposits for three years.

The moves came after leaders of the 15 euro-zone countries said Sunday they would guarantee new bank debt until the end of 2009, allow governments to help banks by buying preferred shares and vowed to rescue

DOW up 350

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

HONG KONG — Global stock markets rebounded strongly on Monday after last week's historic sell-off as governments from Europe to Australia and the U.S. intensified efforts to ease a financial crisis that threatened to the throw the world into recession.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index, which tumbled more than 7 percent Friday, soared 1,434.33 points, or 9.69 percent, to finish at 16,231.20.

Australian and Singapore indices jumped more than 5 percent, while South Korean and Chinese benchmarks added around 3.7 percent.

As markets opened in Europe, Britain's FTSE-100 shot up 5.6 percent, Germany's DAX climbed 6.4 percent and France's CAC-40 advanced 7 percent.

In Japan, where the Nikkei 225 tanked nearly 10 percent Friday to close out its worst week in history, trading was closed for a public holiday.

Markets around the world sprung to life as nations expanded their efforts to save a financial system, reeling from seizing credit markets and risky debt, that threatened to throw the global

Tags: global stock markets

Alien invaders hit the UK

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:03:37 GMT

clipped by: tabsey

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

A superweed spreading throughout the UK could be brought under control by introducing plant-eating predators from Japan, scientists believe.

Japanese knotweed was first introduced as an ornamental plant, but has since plagued the environment; removal is costly and time consuming.

Now a team has identified natural predators from its native home that could also control it in the UK.

The plans have been submitted to the government for approval.

The nymphs are literally sucking the life out of the plant.

If the proposal gets the go-ahead, it will be the first time that biocontrol - the use of a natural enemy to control another pest - will be used in Europe to fight a weed.

All this week, BBC News will be taking a closer look at some of the alien invaders that are in the UK.

Appetite for knotweed

This year has been particularly bad for knotweed spread in the UK.

"The weather patterns have ended up with us seeing a lot of knotweed spread in a number of areas."

Tags: nature

Without real leadership, we face disaster

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:06:24 GMT

clipped by: christo norman

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

- Will Hutton
- The Observer,
- Sunday October 12 2008
- Article history

In the week of the crash in 1929, Wall Street fell by 23 per cent. Last week, it fell by 18 per cent, London and Frankfurt by 21 per cent and Japan's Nikkei by 24 per cent. Every major financial centre's interbank market is frozen. Trust and confidence have collapsed; the global system is paralysed on a scale that now surpasses 1929. There is a combination of a worldwide bank run, seizure of credit markets and collapse of asset values that could plunge the globe into a depression. This is history's joke: the crisis of capitalism long predicted by communists and socialists who are no longer able to take advantage of it.

Without real leadership, we face disaster

The End is Nigh

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:20:06 GMT

clipped by: muckdog
clipper's remarks: Is it?

Clip Source: www.safehaven.com

The End is Nigh
by David Chapman

"It's a recession when your neighbour loses his job. It's a depression when you lose your own." - Harry S. Truman

The stock market has crashed. Pretending it is anything else is futile. What has for years been predicted by the perma bears has come to pass. But now that it has happened we can begin to focus on the recovery. The end is nigh. While it will be a severe recession or even a mild depression, either of which will grip us for more than a few years and maybe a decade or more as it is with Japan, we can with the mind boggling collapse of the past two weeks begin to focus on how to get out of this mess.

Tags: bear market, financial criis

Crisis Management Fund

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:54:41 GMT

clipped by: mustali

Clip Source: www.arabnews.com

Would you want to add the British crisis-management fund to this? On Oct. 7 Britain announced an $87 billion rescue package for its banks, and offered a guarantee of $200 billion more. How high would you have to go if you added Japan and other nations to the list? And this is only the start of a story.

What do the great capitalists plan to do with this waterfall of cash? Some of them think that the party can continue as before. Executives of the world’s largest insurance company, AIG, which has already picked up $85bn and is thirsting for more, celebrated in the only way they know. They gathered at a top California beach resort for an eight-day jamboree and ran up a tab for $440,000, including pedicures, massage, golf and cocktails.

crazy 08

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:22:20 GMT

clipped by: doodleicious
clipper's remarks: this whole article is pretty good......things that make ya go hmmmm

Clip Source: www.smirkingchimp.com

Crazy '08

Iceland goes bankrupt. Iceland is not Zimbabwe. I don't mean that to be taken racially. Iceland is about as steady a ship as a nation can get. It has had a representative government for over a thousand years, with a break of about 50 years in the early 19th Century when the Danes took over. The Althing, Iceland's legislative body, was re-established in 1845 and the Icelanders began a laborious process to become a free nation once again, regaining full independence in 1944. In quality of life issues, it always ranks near the top of nations. It has the 4th best nominal GDP and the 5th best purchasing power of all the countries in the world. It is often a leader in low infant mortality rates, competing with countries like Japan, Sweden and Singapore.

Leave it to a guy with Bush's criminal record, almost all of it involving intoxication, not to know the difference between a hangover and a life threatening case of alcohol poisoning.

Tags: economy

Deepest-living fishes (video)

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:55:22 GMT

clipped by: rj3sp
clipper's remarks: British scientists have filmed for the first time the hadal snailfish: the deepest-dwelling ocean animal ever captured on camera.

Clip Source: www.mailonsunday.co.uk

Caught on camera: The world's deepest-dwelling fish five miles under the ocean's surface

British scientists have filmed a species of fish said to be the deepest-dwelling ocean animal ever captured on camera.

A team from Aberdeen University collaborated with their Tokyo counterparts to film the ghostly white Hadal snail fish off Japan’s east coast at a depth of 7,700m.

Clip Source: planetearth.nerc.ac.uk

Beyond the abyss

Alan Jamieson and colleagues are on a mission to film the world's deepest-living fishes.

Ophidiidae Marianas, photographed on a previous Hadeep Project expedition.

Clip Source: planetearth.nerc.ac.uk

Deepest-living fishes caught on camera for the first time

Marine scientists filming in one of the world's deepest ocean trenches have found groups of highly sociable fish swarming nearly five miles (7700 metres) beneath the surface.

The Hadeep team.

With sapphire viewports and pressure housings as thick as cannon-barrels, the HADEEP submersible is made of stern stuff.

Clip Source: uk.youtube.com

rare Fish Caught on Camera 4.8 miles Deep

[Video]

Clip Source: www.oceanlab.abdn.ac.uk

Tags: fish, science, snailfish, video, ocean

Toyota Prius Reviews

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:25:45 GMT

clipped by: acaiberries

Clip Source: www.allaboutprius.com

In 1997, Toyota introduced the very first mass-produced hybrid vehicle to the general public in Japan and released it worldwide in 2001. Today, the Prius is sold in more than 40 countries and is touted as the most fuel efficient vehicle sold by the United States EPA.

Toyota wanted a progressive name for its new hybrid car so they chose Prius, which in Latin means [to go] before. Their thought was that the Prius was the leader for the cars to come. The car experienced average success in Japan and in 1999, Toyota decided enough research had been done on the Japanese version to release the Prius in the US.

Tags: toyota prius, 2009 toyota prius, prius reviews