Sunday, January 15, 2012
car photo japan
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Three die as cruise ship runs aground in Italy
Three die as cruise ship runs aground in Italy
PORTO SANTO STEFANO, Italy (Reuters) - At least three people were killed and rescuers were searching for other victims after an Italian cruise ship carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground and keeled over in shallow waters.
Dozens were injured and around 50 people remained unaccounted for after the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia hit a sandbar near the island of Giglio off the coast of Tuscany as passengers sat down to dinner on Friday evening.
Passengers spoke of panic and described some people leaping into the sea from the listing ship, which finally came to rest on its side, with decks partly submerged, a few hundred meters from the shore.
Photographs showed a large gash along its side but officials declined to speculate on what had caused the accident in calm seas close to the shore.
They said rescue efforts were continuing after a night-time operation involving helicopters, ships and lifeboats.
"We have about 40 men at work and we're expecting specialist diving teams to arrive to check all the interior spaces of the ship," said fire services spokesman Luca Cari.
"We don't rule out the possibility that more people will be lost," he said.
But there was confusion around passenger lists.
"It's a very complex operation because some of the passengers may have jumped into the sea and not been picked up by rescuers, while others may have been sheltered in private houses and therefore not been identified yet," said Giuseppe Linardi, police chief in the nearby town of Grosseto.
PANIC
"We were sitting down to dinner and we heard this big bang. I think it hit some rocks. There was a lot of panic, the tables overturned, glasses were flying all over the place and we ran for the decks where we put on our lifevests," passenger Maria Parmegiano Alfonsi told Sky Italia television.
Police and passengers quoted on television spoke of people jumping off the 290-metre-long ship, a floating resort hotel with spas, theatres, swimming pools and a discotheque.
"We had a blackout and everybody was just screaming. All the passengers were running up and down and then we went to our cabins to get to know what is going on," said another passenger, who did not give his name.
"They said we should stay calm, it is nothing, it's just some electrical problem or just some blackout thing."
Several passengers criticized the response to the emergency.
"We'll be able to say at the end of the investigation. It would be premature to speculate on this," coastguard spokesman Filippo Marini told SkyTG24 television.
Many of the 3,206 passengers and 1,023 crew were taken to the mainland port of Porto Santo Stefano where they were given shelter in schools, churches and other public buildings.
The website of the ship's operator, Genoa-based Costa Crociere, had apparently collapsed under the volume of searches but the company set up a helpline to answer public enquiries. Costa said it would cooperate fully with authorities.
There was no word on the identities of casualties.
"We are going through the list of passengers at a reception centre that's been set up but most of the passengers didn't have their papers with them of course, so it's been difficult to get full identification," an official said.
Most of the passengers were believed to be Italian but people of several other nationalities were thought to be on board. British consular officials travelled to the area.
(Additional reporting by Philip Pullella and James Mackenzie in Rome and Silvia Ognibene in Florence; editing by Andrew Roche)
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Thursday, November 17, 2011
"The rules should be more relaxed in Bangladesh."
Bangladesh importers scramble for older cars
DHAKA, June 17 (Reuters) - Bangladeshi car importers have urged the country's army-backed interim government to allow older vehicles in to keep them affordable to buyers, the head of the vehicle importers' association said on Sunday.
Currently they can import cars already used for four years. "But we urged the government to allow us bring in cars used for six years or more, which will lower costs by up to 40 percent," said Abdul Haque, president of Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers' Association.
He also urged the government to waive an up to 350 percent supplementary duty proposed on the import of microbuses, which comprise 15 percent of all used vehicles imported in Bangladesh every year.
The exorbitantly high tariff on microbus was proposed by the government's finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam when he unveiled a $12.6 billion annual budget for 2007/08 fiscal earlier this month.
Islam, however, proposed to cut import duty on other used cars from 89 percent to 78 percent, which the importers felt was still high.
The high tariff, soaring fuel prices and an age cap on import of old cars would shrink the business and reduce the number of domestic buyers, Haque told Reuters.
He said he believed the government would reconsider their proposals before the new budget takes effect on July 1.
Microbuses are commonly used by offices, educational institutions and in social or family functions.
"If the proposed supplementary duty is implemented, the cost of a second-hand microbus will go up between 400,000 taka and 900,000 taka, depending on their size and brand," Haque said.
Previously, no supplementary duty was charged on microbuses.
"Now anyone would find it hard to afford a microbus, which would be among the costliest," Haque said.
He said even countries such as Britain, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand allowed import of 12 to 18-year old cars, he said.
"The rules should be more relaxed in Bangladesh."
The government, struggling to boost revenue to cut dependence on foreign aid, so far has not responded to the car importers' pleas.
Some 200 Bangladeshi importers bring in 8,000 or more reconditioned vehicles every year. More than 90 percent of the cars on Bangladesh roads are Japanese, mostly Toyotas.
The cost of cars are generally too high in Bangladesh, where nearly half of its more than 140 million people still live on less than a dollar a day.
But things in the capital Dhaka are different from its other major cities. Traffic officials estimate more than 40,000 vehicles run in Dhaka, a city of 10 million, with 7,000 vehicles added every year. ($1 = 69.00 taka)
DHAKA, June 17 (Reuters) - Bangladeshi car importers have urged the country's army-backed interim government to allow older vehicles in to keep them affordable to buyers, the head of the vehicle importers' association said on Sunday.
Currently they can import cars already used for four years. "But we urged the government to allow us bring in cars used for six years or more, which will lower costs by up to 40 percent," said Abdul Haque, president of Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers' Association.
He also urged the government to waive an up to 350 percent supplementary duty proposed on the import of microbuses, which comprise 15 percent of all used vehicles imported in Bangladesh every year.
The exorbitantly high tariff on microbus was proposed by the government's finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam when he unveiled a $12.6 billion annual budget for 2007/08 fiscal earlier this month.
Islam, however, proposed to cut import duty on other used cars from 89 percent to 78 percent, which the importers felt was still high.
The high tariff, soaring fuel prices and an age cap on import of old cars would shrink the business and reduce the number of domestic buyers, Haque told Reuters.
He said he believed the government would reconsider their proposals before the new budget takes effect on July 1.
Microbuses are commonly used by offices, educational institutions and in social or family functions.
"If the proposed supplementary duty is implemented, the cost of a second-hand microbus will go up between 400,000 taka and 900,000 taka, depending on their size and brand," Haque said.
Previously, no supplementary duty was charged on microbuses.
"Now anyone would find it hard to afford a microbus, which would be among the costliest," Haque said.
He said even countries such as Britain, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand allowed import of 12 to 18-year old cars, he said.
"The rules should be more relaxed in Bangladesh."
The government, struggling to boost revenue to cut dependence on foreign aid, so far has not responded to the car importers' pleas.
Some 200 Bangladeshi importers bring in 8,000 or more reconditioned vehicles every year. More than 90 percent of the cars on Bangladesh roads are Japanese, mostly Toyotas.
The cost of cars are generally too high in Bangladesh, where nearly half of its more than 140 million people still live on less than a dollar a day.
But things in the capital Dhaka are different from its other major cities. Traffic officials estimate more than 40,000 vehicles run in Dhaka, a city of 10 million, with 7,000 vehicles added every year. ($1 = 69.00 taka)
Case Interview Question #00350: Our client BMW (FWB: BMW) is a German luxury car
Case Interview Question #00350: Our client BMW (FWB: BMW) is a German luxury car maker that manufactures automobile, motorcycle and engines. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the BMW group produced BMW luxury carsmore than 1,400,000 automobiles and over 110,000 motorcycles worldwide across all its brands in 2010.
Recently, The CEO of BMW wants to grow business and is looking into selling cars in Bangladesh (a sovereign state located in South Asia and bordered by India). The current population of Bangladesh is estimated to be 142 million and the country’s GDP growth is 5% per year during the last three years. The CEO of BMW wants you to help find out whether they can break even in three years if his company enters the Bangladesh market. How would you go about it?
Additional Information: (to be given to you if asked)
Currently, the only luxury car sold in Bangladesh is Mercedes-Benz (FWB: DAI) and they have been in this market for the past 10 years.
Mercedes-Benz imported and sold 10,000 luxury cars in this market over the past 10 years, and has their own dealership in Bangladesh.
There are ~1000 new buyers for luxury cars in Bangladesh each year.
Existing luxury car owners replace their cars every 10 years (the interviewee should calculate how many new cars are sold to existing owners – 1000 per year, and therefore the total market size per year is 2000 new cars)
If BMW enters the market, they will have 30% (The interviewer should not give this info out right away, ask the candidate to estimate first) market share each year.
The price Mercedes-Benz charges is $100,000 per car.
Assume the discount rate is zero.
Possible Answers:
1. Ask the candidate how to estimate BMW’s market share.www.mhsysteminc.com
Recently, The CEO of BMW wants to grow business and is looking into selling cars in Bangladesh (a sovereign state located in South Asia and bordered by India). The current population of Bangladesh is estimated to be 142 million and the country’s GDP growth is 5% per year during the last three years. The CEO of BMW wants you to help find out whether they can break even in three years if his company enters the Bangladesh market. How would you go about it?
Additional Information: (to be given to you if asked)
Currently, the only luxury car sold in Bangladesh is Mercedes-Benz (FWB: DAI) and they have been in this market for the past 10 years.
Mercedes-Benz imported and sold 10,000 luxury cars in this market over the past 10 years, and has their own dealership in Bangladesh.
There are ~1000 new buyers for luxury cars in Bangladesh each year.
Existing luxury car owners replace their cars every 10 years (the interviewee should calculate how many new cars are sold to existing owners – 1000 per year, and therefore the total market size per year is 2000 new cars)
If BMW enters the market, they will have 30% (The interviewer should not give this info out right away, ask the candidate to estimate first) market share each year.
The price Mercedes-Benz charges is $100,000 per car.
Assume the discount rate is zero.
Possible Answers:
1. Ask the candidate how to estimate BMW’s market share.www.mhsysteminc.com
New regulations worry used car dealers in Bangladesh
New regulations worry used car dealers in Bangladesh
The government of Bangladesh plans to implement new regulations on the import of used and reconditioned vehicles. According to the new rules, dealers would be allowed to import only passenger cars that are no more than 3 years old. The current vehicle age limit for importing a used car is of 5 years.
Moreover, the technical inspection of the vehicles would have to be obtained from a private company, JEVIC (Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre co ltd.), which standards have become so severe recently that it would be very difficult for Bangladeshi dealers to import cheap but good quality used vehicles. Until now, the technical inspection was carried out by a state owned organization, JAAI (Japan Auto Appraisal Institute), which has been chosen also for inspecting cars exported towards Tanzania and Mauritius. JEVIC has become a major obstacle for importing cheap vehicles in Zambia and in Kenya, as the Inspection Certificate can be refused several times even for minor or esthetic problems.
Fearing disastrous effects on the local car market, the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA), is asking the government to work on new regulations that would on the contrary promote the imports of cheap but good quality vehicles from Japan. BARVIDA is suggesting the government to authorize the import of up to 6 year old used cars and up to 8 years for vans and microbuses. www.mhsysteminc.com
The government of Bangladesh plans to implement new regulations on the import of used and reconditioned vehicles. According to the new rules, dealers would be allowed to import only passenger cars that are no more than 3 years old. The current vehicle age limit for importing a used car is of 5 years.
Moreover, the technical inspection of the vehicles would have to be obtained from a private company, JEVIC (Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre co ltd.), which standards have become so severe recently that it would be very difficult for Bangladeshi dealers to import cheap but good quality used vehicles. Until now, the technical inspection was carried out by a state owned organization, JAAI (Japan Auto Appraisal Institute), which has been chosen also for inspecting cars exported towards Tanzania and Mauritius. JEVIC has become a major obstacle for importing cheap vehicles in Zambia and in Kenya, as the Inspection Certificate can be refused several times even for minor or esthetic problems.
Fearing disastrous effects on the local car market, the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA), is asking the government to work on new regulations that would on the contrary promote the imports of cheap but good quality vehicles from Japan. BARVIDA is suggesting the government to authorize the import of up to 6 year old used cars and up to 8 years for vans and microbuses. www.mhsysteminc.com
Bangladesh: Over 100 injured, 230 cars set on fire, shops vandalized, archbishop
Bangladesh: Over 100 injured, 230 cars set on fire, shops vandalized, archbishop struck with stone in "Islamist" rampage
More on this story. "Islamists go on Dhaka rampage," from UCA News, September 20 (thanks to Twostellas):
Several hundred supporters of the country’s largest Islamist party went on the rampage in Dhaka yesterday during a protest to demand the release of several of their top leaders arrested on war crimes charges.
The crimes allegedly took place during Bangladesh’s fight for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to try and disperse members of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, who were conducting a country-wide campaign yesterday against the imprisonment of their leaders, who were arrested amid a probe into individuals accused of collaborating with Pakistan and committing atrocities during the war.
More than 100 people including two dozen policemen were injured in the clash which, according to police, flared when the protesters suddenly became violent.
Jihad causes poverty:
At least 230 cars, including five police vehicles, were set on fire or attacked and many shops were vandalized during the trouble, police sources said.
Media reports said similar incidents took place in a number of districts across the country.
According to police, at least 120 people were arrested during the course of the Dhaka violence, which took place in the Kakrail district close to where St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Archbishop’s House and St. Joseph’s Seminary are located.
“I haven’t seen clashes like this for twenty years. We’re lucky no Church buildings were affected even though the road outside the cathedral looked like a battlefield,” said Father Kamal Corraya, the Dhaka archdiocesan social communications commission convener.
Archbishop Paulinus Costa of Dhaka wasn’t so lucky, having been struck by a stone in Ramna Park, which is next to the cathedral, just as the clash began.
The prelate was exercising in the park when he was struck and several seminarians went to his assistance, but luckily the prelate was unharmed, Archbishop’s House sources said.
Holy Cross Fr Pankaj Nokrek, who had travelled to Dhaka for a meeting yesterday, had to run for cover when the violence broke out.
“I had to run through tear gas and scenes of chaos. It was an awful experience, but at least I and some other people managed to find safety in a nearby house,” he said.
www.mhsysteminc.com
More on this story. "Islamists go on Dhaka rampage," from UCA News, September 20 (thanks to Twostellas):
Several hundred supporters of the country’s largest Islamist party went on the rampage in Dhaka yesterday during a protest to demand the release of several of their top leaders arrested on war crimes charges.
The crimes allegedly took place during Bangladesh’s fight for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to try and disperse members of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, who were conducting a country-wide campaign yesterday against the imprisonment of their leaders, who were arrested amid a probe into individuals accused of collaborating with Pakistan and committing atrocities during the war.
More than 100 people including two dozen policemen were injured in the clash which, according to police, flared when the protesters suddenly became violent.
Jihad causes poverty:
At least 230 cars, including five police vehicles, were set on fire or attacked and many shops were vandalized during the trouble, police sources said.
Media reports said similar incidents took place in a number of districts across the country.
According to police, at least 120 people were arrested during the course of the Dhaka violence, which took place in the Kakrail district close to where St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Archbishop’s House and St. Joseph’s Seminary are located.
“I haven’t seen clashes like this for twenty years. We’re lucky no Church buildings were affected even though the road outside the cathedral looked like a battlefield,” said Father Kamal Corraya, the Dhaka archdiocesan social communications commission convener.
Archbishop Paulinus Costa of Dhaka wasn’t so lucky, having been struck by a stone in Ramna Park, which is next to the cathedral, just as the clash began.
The prelate was exercising in the park when he was struck and several seminarians went to his assistance, but luckily the prelate was unharmed, Archbishop’s House sources said.
Holy Cross Fr Pankaj Nokrek, who had travelled to Dhaka for a meeting yesterday, had to run for cover when the violence broke out.
“I had to run through tear gas and scenes of chaos. It was an awful experience, but at least I and some other people managed to find safety in a nearby house,” he said.
www.mhsysteminc.com
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