Paying for car tax

When Mercedes engineer Klaus Millerferli holds the suspension component for the new EQXX concept car in his hands you might think something has gone wrong with the design. The metal part looks misshapen and unstructured, more suitable for the trash can than the front axle of a cutting-edge electric car. It certainly doesn’t look sturdy enough to take the weight it will have to sustain. But in fact Millerferli is very pleased with the component he’s holding, admiring its low weight and airy shape. After all, it’s not only extremely stable, but also weighs 4kg less than a conventional component. And where did the inspiration come from for this unusual design? Nature itself. The streamlined boxfish inspired Mercedes engineers and is also considered highly manoeuvrable in confined spaces. Photo: Daimler AG/dpa Skeletons made of carbon "To achieve this, we designed it based on nature's model," the engineer says. The component was developed – or rather grown – … [Read more...] about Fish and skeletons the inspiration for car designs

- A + A KOTA KINABALU (May 20): A man professing to be a "Datuk" was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Sabah on Friday for investigations into a case related to 'protecting' the falsification of crude palm oil sales tax declarations every month to the Sabah Ministry of Finance. Sabah MACC director Datuk S. Karunanithy said the arrest of the ‘Datuk’ followed the arrest of a senior government official and a retiree on May 18 for investigation in the same case under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act 2009. “The 66-year-old suspect, who is a former civil servant, was arrested at the Sabah MACC office at about 4pm when he turned up to give his statement. “A remand application against the suspect is expected to be made at the Kota Kinabalu Magistrate's Court on Saturday,” he said in a statement here. At the same time, he reminded oil palm mill operators throughout Sabah to come forward to assist the investigation as the submission of a false … [Read more...] about ‘Datuk’ arrested in connection with falsified palm oil sales tax declarations

ORLANDO, Florida: University of Central Florida scientists are charging on with an experimental battery capable of reinventing how automobiles and spacecraft are made. By reworking the idea of energy sources, a UCF research group is creating a lightweight battery that would double as the outer shell of a vehicle in what the group is calling its “power suit” project. Led by UCF College of Engineering Professor Jayan Thomas, the group plans to accomplish this with nanotechnology – supercapacitor composite material involving graphene arranged over carbon fiber in a fan-like structure, Thomas said. “The advantage is its lightweight, and can increase the mileage because you’re reducing the weight of the car and in addition to that, you can store energy like your battery in the same composites,” said Thomas, who conducts his research at UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center. While reducing weight, the suit is thought to increase an electric car’s range by 25% to 30%; equating to about … [Read more...] about US university charges on with ‘power suit’ as a new battery for electric cars, spacecraft

Teachers play a important role in shaping young minds. Educators who are dedicated and kind are remembered by their students long after they have left school. Some teachers inspire their pupils to do their best, and not just in their studies. Teachers Day was celebrated on Monday May 16. Here are the letters from Starchild readers about their favourite teachers. Lakshmita Vigneswaran , 12, thinks highly of her favourite teacher, Rima Rohani Mohamad. “She has been teaching me Bahasa Melayu for two years. Pn Rima is understanding and motherly. I am proud to have her as my class teacher. Happy Teachers’ Day, and may God bless her always.” Lakshmita Vigneswaran, 12 Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 7 “I have three teachers teaching me in Year One. Two of them wear a microphone so that everyone in class can hear what they are teaching. I enjoy my various lessons, especially English. I look forward to celebrating my first Teachers Day in school,” says Bethany Wang Qi Syuen , … [Read more...] about Starchild: Malaysian children pay tribute to their favourite teachers

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Pilots at Spirit Airlines SAVE haven’t taken a position on the carrier’s merger future, but they don’t like what they have seen about the carrier’s plan for their futures. In a letter sent to members on Wednesday, Ryan Muller, chairman of the Spirit chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, said he is concerned that Spirit has no intent to raise pilot wages over the next five years. Spirit has about 3,000 pilots. Muller said he read a JetBlue Securities & Exchange Commission filing, which described an April 19th conference call in which Spirit management described a five-year plan that “did not contemplate any wage increase for team members, including pilots, at a time of high attrition and an anticipated shortage of pilots.” The call included “members of JetBlue leadership and Spirit’s senior management team, along with representatives from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley MS and Barclays,” Muller said. … [Read more...] about Spirit Airlines Pilots Want To Know: Is The Airline Eyeing Flat Pay For Five Years?

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on May 17 and May 18 met heads of state-run and private banks to take a stock of credit growth and asset quality in the banking system in the wake of recent geopolitical developments, the central bank said. “In his introductory remarks, the Governor noted the key role played by the banks in supporting the economy throughout the pandemic,” the central bank said in a release on Wednesday. Das further stated that the banking sector has remained resilient and has continued to improve despite facing various headwinds. He also advised banks to remain watchful of the recent geopolitical developments and take mitigating measures proactively including raising capital for ensuring that the potential impact on their balance sheets is minimised. Governor Das also urged banks to pay specific attention to further improving their grievance redress systems and continue to provide the necessary support … [Read more...] about RBI Governor meets bank chiefs to discuss credit growth, asset quality

Customers will have to enter the details afresh for each transaction from July 1 Starting July 1, payment aggregators and gateways and merchants onboarded by them will not be allowed to store credit and debit card data of customers on their platforms, as directed by the Reserve Bank of India. With a little over a month left, merchants are worried that an alternative system may not be ready in time. Payment aggregators, payment gateways and merchants can store card credentials of customers in their databases only until June 30, a deadline that has already been extended twice, most recently by six months on December 23. In the absence of an alternative mechanism, customers using their credit or debit cards from July 1 will have to enter the details afresh for each transaction, including the 16-digit card number, expiry date and card verification value (CVV). Payment companies and card networks Visa, Mastercard and RuPay are working to implement the alternative – Card on File … [Read more...] about Payment disruption fears linger as deadline nears for merchants to delete customer card data

Stock investors who expect to rake in big profits on the soaring shares of Uber Technologies and Lyft when they go public should think again, according to a detailed analysis by industry expert Joseph Vitale. Deloitte’s global automotive practice leader, whose group delivers consulting, risk management, and other services to auto makers, suppliers, dealers, and car rental companies, and also advises governments, is not one of the wave of sell-side analysts waiting to market the two ride-hailing stocks. 4 Reasons to Be Cautious About Uber and Lyft Uber and Lyft are actually worsening the urban congestion problem. Ride hailing will become less convenient for consumers as congestion increases. Ride hailing isn’t as economically traffic-efficient as taxis. Ride sharing has declined among the heaviest users. Unicorns Valued at $120B and $19B The public debuts of America’s two leading ride-hailing rivals are among the most anticipated in 2019, as the volume of IPOs … [Read more...] about Read This Before Investing in Uber and Lyft IPOs

Reuters filepix for illustration purpose only - A + A SINGAPORE (May 20): Singapore's anti-narcotics agency on Friday announced the seizure of nearly 18 kg (634 oz) of heroin in a car arriving from neighbouring Malaysia, in what local media said was the biggest haul of its kind in the city-state in two decades. Singapore has some of the world's toughest penalties for drug trafficking, including execution by hanging. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) arrested three Malaysian men aged between 23 and 28 following Wednesday's search of the vehicle, which uncovered 17.7 kg of heroin, 261 grammes of crystal methamphetamine and two grammes of ecstasy pills. The driver was detained at the scene and the other two men — believed by officers to be the intended recipients — were arrested the following day. The wealthy city-state has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and imposes long jail terms, or the death penalty. The trafficking of more than 15 grammes of pure … [Read more...] about Singapore makes major heroin bust at Malaysian border

(CNN) When it comes to salary negotiations , job candidates have a lot of leverage these days. "There are a number of economic factors that are relevant for thinking about salary negotiations right now," said Linda Babcock, an economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Along with rising inflation, the nationwide labor shortage -- there are now almost two jobs available for every job seeker -- has given workers "a lot more bargaining power than they have traditionally had in softer labor markets," she said. With that in mind, here's how experts suggest you handle salary negotiations in today's market: Nice to meet you, how much do you want to make? Recruiters are getting to the salary question much earlier these days. Read More The job hunt can be exhausting. Here's how to cope "What has really accelerated in the past few months is companies asking candidates very early in the process what their salary … [Read more...] about Employees have the upper hand in today’s job market. Here’s how to negotiate your salary