Views from the Solar System (39)

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SPACE WATCH

Moscow at Night
NASA – Moscow appears at the center of this nighttime image photographed by the Expedition 30 crew aboard the International Space Station, flying at an altitude of approximately 240 miles on March 28, 2012. A solar array panel for the space station is on the left side of the frame. The view is to the north-northwest from a nadir of approximately 49.4 degrees north latitude and 42.1 degrees east longitude, about 100 miles west-northwest of Volgograd. The Aurora Borealis, airglow and daybreak frame the horizon.

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A few states could decide Obama-Romney battle

By Mark Z. Barabak – With the November field set, Americans can look forward to months of trench warfare as President Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney wage a costly, brutal and scathingly negative fight over a narrow slice of voters in a limited number of states.

Each candidate starts with a core of partisan supporters, which together represent at least 80% of the electorate, and a set of states he can reliably expect to win come November, strategists in both camps agree.

Romney is almost certain to sweep most of the Great Plains and Southern states, notwithstanding his weak performance there during the primary season, as contempt for Obama overcomes much of the resistance the former Massachusetts governor has faced among evangelical and socially conservative voters.

The president should repeat his 2008 performance by prevailing along the West Coast and carrying New York, his home state of Illinois and most of New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. more> http://tinyurl.com/86llvv4

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No simple answer to EU growth vs austerity conundrum

By Paul Taylor – Fierce debate is growing in Europe over whether austerity or growth offers the best strategy to overcome the continent’s sovereign debt crisis. As if it were that simple.

The growth camp argues that synchronized austerity across Europe will only aggravate economic contraction, swell the ranks of the unemployed and make it harder for debt-laden countries to reduce their deficits and restore market confidence. more> http://tinyurl.com/7w2h8z6

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Hitachi Develops High-efficiency Motor Without Using Neodymium

By Shinya Saeki – Hitachi Ltd and Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co Ltd co-developed a permanent magnet synchronous motor with an efficiency of 93% without using a neodymium (Nd-Fe-B) magnet, which contains a rare-earth material.

With the new technologies, it is possible to realize an industrial motor whose performance is equivalent to that of a neodymium magnet-based motor at lower costs, the companies said. As one of the solutions to address the export restriction imposed by China, which accounts for 90% of the rare-earth materials produced in the world. more> http://tinyurl.com/7t5wldf

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ABN Amro Shrinking to Shadow as Dutch Rue Pride of Nation Lost

ABN AMRO headquarters in Amsterdam.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Maud van Gaal – The play’s success points to unhealed wounds in the national pride of the Dutch, for centuries among the leaders in global trade and finance. The record 71.9 billion-euro ($94 billion) takeover of ABN Amro by three banks on the cusp of the financial crisis led to the company’s breakup just as the credit crunch forced the Dutch government to nationalize parts of the institution and bail out firms such as ING Groep NV. (INGA) The tumult left the financial industry smaller in size and influence.

“Power, that was the game that was played,” said Arnoud Boot, a professor of corporate finance and financial markets at the University of Amsterdam. more> http://tinyurl.com/764qxpm

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