THE Swissbourgh Diamond Mines and Josias van Zyl sent a notice of arbitration to the Lesotho Attorney General that it would take a longstanding dispute to an international arbitrator after the suspension of the SADC Tribunal.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Sedan, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Honda, Design/Style, Electric

Honda is bringing a whole range of transportation solutions to the Tokyo Motor Show, from this plug-in hybrid sedan concept to folding scooters and pod cars. Dubbed AC-X for Advanced Cruiser eXperience, this streamlined sedan draws heavily from the FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan’s aesthetics, applying its design language to a plug-in hybrid electric showcar.

Powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder and a pair of electric motors, the four-seat AC-X features a super-slippery .21 cD thanks to active aero bits (front bumper, side skirts and rear diffuser) and transparent full wheel covers that remain stationary when the car is in motion.

Just as interestingly, the AC-X explores autonomous control, with “Automatic Drive Mode Support,” which folds the control yoke ‘wheel’ into the dashboard, reclines the front seat and presents an ottoman for the driver’s legs, all while safely delivering its passengers to their destination.

Despite such future-think technologies, the AC-X’s powertrain seems remarkably near-term, with a realistic EV-only cruising range of 50 kilometers and a maximum electric-only top speed of 100 kph (62 mph). Check out more in our gallery live from the show floor.

Honda AC-X Concept PHEV is ready to move you originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I thank the Daily Monitor for its crusade against corruption and abuse of power by government officials, especially in the Lands ministry. I am one of the victims of the scum involving forgery and arbitrary transfer of properties – having had my three property titles transferred dubiously in just one day.

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Niger officially became an oil producer Monday with the opening of a refinery run by the state and a Chinese company.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, Rumormill

Valentino Rossi, certainly the greatest motorcycle racer of our generation, has no concrete plans to leave MotoGP. In fact, after an extremely disappointing first season with Ducati in 2011, we’d wager he’ll be sticking around for at least a few more years to prove he’s still got what it takes to win at the highest level when competing on competitive machinery.

But, as we’ve heard in the past, Rossi would love nothing more than to “retire” by taking a break from two-wheeled competition and settling into something with four. And while we know The Doctor has proven quite adept at piloting a Ferrari Formula One machine, the likeable Italian apparently prefers to rally. In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rossi said:

I’m happy, it was one of my best rallies, even if I had won it the past. Getting ahead of Loeb in two specials really turned me on… I’ll do a few more years in MotoGP, then I’d race in rallies: these machines are really fun to drive because they have less electronics.

A future career in rally racing wouldn’t be a stretch for Rossi – the motorcycle racer finished in second place in a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, a mere 24 seconds behind eight-time world champion Sebastien Loeb’s Citroen DS3.

*UPDATE: Video of Rossi’s rally exploits added after the break.

Continue reading Valentino Rossi hopes for future in rally racing [UPDATE: w/video]

Valentino Rossi hopes for future in rally racing [UPDATE: w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NURSES countrywide are threatening to go on strike from December 7 if the government fails to heed their call for a pay increment and improved working conditions. If the government fails to avert the strike, it will take place two days after doctors down their tools from December 5. The nurses are demanding for a 300 per cent pay hike, and hiring of more health personnel to meet the country’s surging population and increased health needs. The strike notice has been issued by the Kenya Health Professionals

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Crossover, Hatchback, Nissan, Racing

Forty years, countless miles, a corporate name change and untold heaps of abuse separate Dave Coleman’s 1971 Eyesore Racing Datsun 510 from the 2011 Nissan Juke. But that didn’t stop the guys from Inside Line from pitting the two distant cousins against each other in a gravel there-and-back race over a little more than a mile. The beater 510 has plenty of rally class wins under its belt and has been prepared to tackle the worst a stage can throw at it. There’s a full cage on board as well as plenty of skid plates, and everything else has been gutted in the name of weight savings.

The Juke, meanwhile, is a bonafide street-legal commuter. Where the 510 has race harnesses, the Juke has airbags, but it also has the benefit of all-wheel drive on its side. How did the two fair on the impromptu rally course? We won’t ruin the surprise for you, but we will say that the show down was closer than we would have thought. Hit the jump to check out the clip for yourself.

Continue reading Nissan Juke takes to the dirt against the Eyesore Racing Datsun 510

Nissan Juke takes to the dirt against the Eyesore Racing Datsun 510 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Bugatti, Luxury

It appears the gentleman who piloted his Bugatti Veyron into a Texas lagoon has run into a spot of legal trouble. The insurance company that paid out $2 million for the trashed exotic is calling fraud on the whole scenario, and a federal judge has decided that the claim should go before a jury. Andy House of Lufkin, Texas, originally purchased the Veyron after securing an interest-free $1 million loan from Lloyd Gillespie. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company alleges House attempted to pay a confidential informant to steal the Bugatti and set it on fire so that he could later claim insurance on the vehicle and double Gillespie’s initial investment.

Before that could happen, however, House drove the Veyron into a salt water marsh. Amateur video captured the vehicle calmly exiting the paved surface and splashing down, and House later said that he had swerved to avoid a pelican on the road while trying to pick up a dropped cell phone. The vehicle’s owner then left the supercar idling in the salt water for 15 minutes until the vehicle died of its own accord. House claimed that he was being bitten by mosquitos at the time and didn’t want to return to the car to turn off the engine.

The insurance company also claims that the collector’s car policy House took out on the vehicle doesn’t apply in this case since House violated the terms of the policy. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company claims House put over 1,200 miles on the vehicle in the three weeks he owned it. Hit the jump to check out the video once again.

Continue reading Infamous Bugatti offshore excursion going to trial for insurance fraud [w/video]

Infamous Bugatti offshore excursion going to trial for insurance fraud [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Wagon, Tokyo Motor Show, Subaru

Subaru had provided early sketches of its Advanced Tourer Concept, and many of you in the comments weren’t confident that it would look as good in real life as it did in (digital) ink and paper. Dare we say it, but we think it looks better in the metal than it did in drawings. A mean, ground-hugging wagon with a 1.6-liter boxer-hybrid powertrain, its internals are close enough to production to make the jump in the not-too-distant.

Its interior, however, is another matter. Undeniably beautiful, features like the monitor in the steering wheel and the steel-rimmed wood pedals are treats we won’t be seeing anytime soon. No matter – if there were to be a wagon in our future, we’d hope this were it. There’s a bit more information after the jump, and a much closer look at it in the gallery of high-res photos.

Continue reading Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept is an awesome angry wagon

Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept is an awesome angry wagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Tokyo Motor Show, BMW

BMW let loose the details on its ActiveHybrid 5 two months ago and little’s been mentioned of it since. If you had seen the liquid blue sedan tucked anonymously into the BMW stand at the Tokyo Motor Show, you might wonder if it’s ever going to engage in a public display of affection. The hybridized 535i gets BMW’s much-loved turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and a 55-horsepower electric motor, for a total of 335 hp and a 5.7-second run to 60 miles per hour.

It’s coming to the United States early next year, so details like exact fuel economy and pricing – which is to say, how much more you’ll have to spend to get more fuel economy than a 535i – should be on the way very soon. In the meantime there’s a press release after the jump and a fresh gallery of high-res photos live from Tokyo for you to peruse.

Continue reading BMW ActiveHybrid 5 might be the ultimate modesty machine

BMW ActiveHybrid 5 might be the ultimate modesty machine originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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