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US: Explosion at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland, Louisiana Prompts Evacuations

An explosion occurred at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland, Louisiana on Friday, August 22, prompted mandatory evacuations within a one-mile radius. The blast at the automotive manufacturing facility, which employs around 400 people, caused no reported injuries. Residents reported feeling the ground shake and saw black residue, believed to be oil, falling from the sky.

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China imports Ecuadorian pitaya for first time

STORY: China imports Ecuadorian pitaya for first time DATELINE: April 11, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:51 LOCATION: SHANGHAI, China CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the yellow pitaya imported from Ecuador STORYLINE: China has imported pitaya from Ecuador for the first time, with 420 kilograms of yellow pitaya arriving in Shanghai on Monday. The batch of pitaya was packed into 168 cartons, each weighing 2.5 kilograms, and it arrived in Shanghai after a three-day flight from Quito, the capital of Ecuador, according to customs authorities at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which has opened a green channel for these rare fruits to ensure rapid customs clearance. Yellow pitaya is similar to dragon fruit but sweeter. It has a high nutritional value and its cost is several times that of standard imported dragon fruit. In July 2022, China's General Administration of Customs officially allowed the import of Ecuadorian pitaya that meets relevant requirements. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting fro

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Thailand's northern provinces report unsafe levels of air pollution

STORY: Thailand's northern provinces report unsafe levels of air pollution DATELINE: March 28, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:55 LOCATION: Bangkok CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of air pollution in Thailand's northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai STORYLINE: Air pollution continued to plague Thailand's northern provinces, with air quality in some regions reaching unhealthy levels, government reports showed on Monday. The Pollution Control Department (PCD) reported that air quality in most of the country's 17 northern provinces reached unsafe levels, with PM 2.5 soaring to 561 micrograms per cubic meter in some areas in Chiang Rai province, 11 times higher than the national safe limit of 50 micrograms. People in Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Nan and Chiang Mai provinces are advised to take extreme caution this week, PCD official Sakda Tridech said on Monday. The Thai government has attributed the intense air pollution to smoke from forest fires and agricultural burning. Satellite images from the Th

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Japan to attract Southeast Asian tourists

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (seated 2nd from R) and ministers take part in a meeting on the promotion of tourism at Abe's office in Tokyo on June 11, 2013. The Japanese government set a goal of increasing the number of visitors from Southeast Asia by 2.5 times the current level to 2 million in 2016 in its 2013 white paper on tourism adopted the same day.

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Fujitsu develops world's fastest CPU for 1st time in 10 yrs

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows a board filled with the world's fastest central processing units, which have been developed by Japan's Fujitsu Ltd. The new CPU, called Venus, runs 2.5 times faster than that of rival Intel Corp., which has taken the lead in speed, according to company officials.

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New Zealand hikes official cash rate to 3 pct

STORY: New Zealand hikes official cash rate to 3 pct DATELINE: Aug. 17, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:56 LOCATION: Wellington CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of streets 2. various of port 3. various of supermarket 4. various of people on streets STORYLINE: The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ)'s Monetary Policy Committee raised the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 3 percent from 2.5 percent on Wednesday. The Committee agreed it remains appropriate to continue to tighten monetary conditions at a pace to maintain price stability and contribute to maximum sustainable employment. Core consumer price inflation remains too high and labor resources remain scarce, said the central bank in a statement. The central bank uses the OCR to control inflation, encouraging people to either spend or save. The OCR is the interest rate the RBNZ pays on settlement accounts and is reviewed seven times a year. Global consumer price inflation has continued to rise, albeit with some recent reprieve from lower global oil prices, it sa

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Hokuyo Electric's UGM-50LAP range finder

Hokuyo Electric has developed a range sensor that can withstand 50G of shock acceleration and more than 1,000 shocks of 25G. The distance to the target is determined from the reflection time of the laser. The measurement range is 120 meters when the laser scanning angle is 190 degrees, 20 milliseconds when measuring at a pitch of 0.32 degrees, and 80 milliseconds when measuring at a pitch of 0.08 degrees. The outer frame and the internal structure for scanning the laser have been designed to resist shock. The surface of the sensor is also hard coated to prevent scratches. The shock resistance has been increased 2.5 times compared to the conventional product. Heavy machinery is expected to be subjected to severe shocks and vibrations at the sites where they are used, and high reliability has been required of sensors for safety monitoring. We will prepare the production system and set the price for the launch.

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Water purification system using Cova Technology's silver ion technology

Koba Technology (Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu City) has developed a water purification system (photo) that applies its unique silver ion technology. It can produce 200 liters of water per hour for domestic use from sewage water from rivers and other sources. Then, after sterilization in two tanks containing silver ceramic balls of 6 mm and 2 mm in diameter, the reverse osmosis membrane filter removes even the smallest particles. The deodorizing effect was also confirmed. The device is small, with a tank capacity of 100ml, and can be carried by a light truck. The price, excluding consumption tax, is 2 million to 2.5 million yen. It is expected to be used for bathing and toilets in times of disaster, as well as for cooling water in factories. It is easy to handle and maintain, and President Kobayashi hopes to export it to emerging countries. Photo taken on November 13, 2019, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

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NTT's Transparent Rechargeable Battery

NTT has developed a "see-through rechargeable battery" (photo) that delivers about 50 times more power than conventional batteries. The average transmittance, which was previously about the same as that of sunglasses, has been tripled to 69%, equivalent to that of window glass. By gelatinizing the electrolyte, the average voltage was increased from 1.7 volts to 2.5 volts, which led to the improvement in transmittance. It also made it possible to deposit the film over a larger area, resulting in a larger battery. Six of the new batteries have the performance of one button battery. The company expects to use the new batteries for transparent signboards in tourist spots that post information without spoiling the scenery, windowpanes that can store electricity obtained from solar power generation, and lenses for smart glasses. In the future, the company aims to add flexible performance that can be bent. Photo taken on November 11, 2019, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

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2020 Tokyo Olympics to cost 6 times original estimate

Yoshiro Mori, a former Japanese prime minister and head of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, speaks at a meeting of committee board members in Tokyo on Dec. 18, 2015. The cost of hosting the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics is going to be roughly six times the original estimate of 301.3 billion yen ($2.5 billion), an informed source said the same day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Fujitsu develops world's fastest CPU for 1st time in 10 yrs

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows a board filled with the world's fastest central processing units, which have been developed by Japan's Fujitsu Ltd. The new CPU, called Venus, runs 2.5 times faster than that of rival Intel Corp., which has taken the lead in speed, according to company officials. (Kyodo)