Tag Archives: education
Rare blue diamond to be auctioned in Hong Kong
Rare blue diamond to be auctioned in Hong Kong (AFP) / 19 August 2013 A rare round blue diamond will go under the hammer in Hong Kong in October, with auctioneers hoping the sale will fetch a record-breaking $19 million despite fears over the slowing Chinese economy. Auction house Sotheby’s expect the 7.59-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, which is about the size of a shirt button, to set a new record for price-per-carat. Quek Chin Yeow, Sotheby Asia’s deputy chairman, said Hong Kong was the natural venue to sell the gem, known as “The Premier Blue”, with collectors expected to fly in from all over the world. “While there is a slowdown (in Chinese economy), the number of top-level collectors are still there,” he told AFP. “We have been selling very well in Hong Kong.” Hong Kong has become a centre for jewellery auctions thanks to growing wealth in China and other parts of the region, as well as the region’s increasing taste for art. But there are fears for the future of the Chinese economy, the world’s second largest, where growth fell to 7.8 percent in 2012 — its slowest pace in 13 years. Blue diamonds seldom hit the market and have been coveted by royals and celebrities for centuries, while a round cut is rarely used in coloured stones because of the high wastage. The most famous example of a blue diamond is the “Hope Diamond”, which was bought by King Louis XIV of France in the 17 th Century. The term “fancy” is used to describe a diamond of intense colour, while a gem’s saturation grading ranges from light to vivid for coloured diamonds. The Premier Blue will go up for auction on October 7. Quek said the owner wanted to remain anonymous. In April, a rare 5.3-carat fancy deep-blue diamond was sold for £6.2 million ($9.5 million) at a London auction, then setting a record for price-per-carat at $1.8 million. Continue reading
Indian train kills at least 37 crossing track, triggers protest
Indian train kills at least 37 crossing track, triggers protest (Agencies) / 19 August 2013 At least 37 pilgrims were killed and over a dozen injured on Monday when they were run over by a speeding train in Bihar’s Khagaria district. Angry locals and pilgrims set ablaze six bogies of the train, brutally assaulted its driver and took several railway officials hostage. Additional Director General of Police S.K. Bhardwaj confirmed the death of 35 pilgrims (Kanwariyas) when the Rajya Rani Express train mowed them down while they were trying to cross the rail track at the Dhamara railway station on the Saharsa-Mansi route of the East Central Railway (ECR). The death toll may increase because detailed information is yet to come from the accident site, he said. The train was travelling from Saharsa to Patna when the accident took place between 8 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. The express train does not have a scheduled stop at Dhamara station. ”The accident took place when pilgrims were trying to cross the railway track after alighting from a local train,” he said. Soon after the incident, angry pilgrims and locals set ablaze six bogies, including one AC coach, of the train and attacked railway officials. ”Some angry people attacked the train driver and seriously injured him. They beat him up mercilessly. Besides, some railway officials have been held hostage by them,” a police official said. Bhardwaj said top officials of the district administration have been asked to rush to the accident site. Chief Public Relations Officer of ECR, Amitabh Prabhakar said over telephone from Hajipur, the railway headquarters near Patna, that the situation went nearly out of control at the railway station following the incident as hundreds of angry people began agitating. ”The railway officials are not in a position to visit the accident site,” he said, adding that there was a lot of “confusion”. ”It is difficult to say any thing exact for now. It will take another one or two hours to say anything concrete after security forces are mobilised to clear the agitating people,” he added. In the month of July-August, thousands of pilgrims visit a temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand, where they offer holy water from the Ganga river to Lord Shiva at an ancient temple. After offering the holy water, they return to their native places in vehicles or trains. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief at the incident and asked railway officials to launch rescue operations and arrange proper treatment for the injured. Continue reading
11,000 private school seats by 2015-16
11,000 more seats in Abu Dhabi schools by 2015-16 (Wam) / 19 August 2013 To meet the growing demand for private education facilities in the Capital, more than 11,000 school seats, located in very attractive locations for private investors, are due to operate by the academic year 2015-2016. The efforts taken by Abu Dhabi Education Council’s (Adec’s) will see the new seats open up in areas including Khalifa A, Al Wathba and Al Fallah. This is the second land Request for Proposal (RfP) to be issued by Adec’s Private Schools and Quality Assurance (PSQA) sector, which offers a huge opportunity for an establishment and operating of a long-term school building. The new schools will offer the most demanded curriculum’s in the private school sector, namely: Indian, American, British and Ministry of Education curriculums. “One of the main pillars of Adec’s strategy for developing education in Abu Dhabi is to provide equal opportunities for all students to enjoy quality education at an affordable cost. This land RfP is part of Adec’s plan to cope with the annual demand and increase of five per cent for more private schools across the emirate. We will continue to work on attracting and supporting committed investors in order to help build new private schools in order to achieve Adec’s vision,” said, Adec’s PSQA executive director Engineer Hamad Al Dhaheri. He added: “Providing this land RfP is part of Adec’s strategy plan to offer high quality affordable education across the private school sector and to increase the supply of school seats in populous areas in Abu Dhabi. For that reason, Adec is reaching out to qualified investors on a local, federal and regional level, who have excellent educational experience, strong financial capabilities and a proven record of managing schools.” In order to ease the process for committed investors, Adec’s PSQA sector will provide all the incentives and support, from business development expertise to obtaining the necessary licences and approvals from the government entities. When asked why the new land plots are located in Khalifa A, Al Wathba and Al Fallah, Engineer Al Dhaheri explained that there are no more lands available in the city. “The island of Abu Dhabi is saturated; in addition these areas are growing by the day and are attractive for many families who chose to relocate there. In addition to the fact that they become not far out from the island of Abu Dhabi at all.” “Currently there is a demand to provide 201,744 private schools seats and supply is 175,441. By the 2015/2016 academic school year we expect this demand to rise to 225,521”, said Engineer Tareq Al Ameri, Business Development Division Manager for PSQA. Once applications for the land RfP are submitted by committed investors who prove to have a strong track record of handling long-term school projects, Adec will provide them with a fast-track service to help obtain the necessary approvals to get started in constructing their schools. Further details for potential investors will be released in an advertisement, which is expected to be published in September. Continue reading
