Mauritius: Coffee, Cars and Healthcare...

Free market does a pretty good job in delivering a whole range of goods and services. However, healthcare services can't simply be compared to running coffee shops or selling cars, says the author.

Sales of the Nano, the "people's car", are expected to be huge and there are plans to export it to other countries.

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Arlington targets residents who don't register cars

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Arlington County is cracking down on thousands of residents who have out-of-state license plates on their vehicles for failing to register their cars in Virginia.

Beginning in April, the county will issue $100 annual fees for failing to register cars properly. State law requires that residents title and register their cars within 30 days of moving to Virginia.

Arlington also requires cars to be registered with the county within 60 days, along with payment of a tax based on 5% of the car's value.

Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy tells The (Washington) Examiner about 4,000 car owners have vehicles with out-of-state tags that are registered with the county but not the state. She estimates another 3,000 car owners still need to register with the county.


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Popular Ford SYNC System Updated, Expanded; '911 Assist' Connects ...

In his keynote address at the 2008 International CES in Las Vegas, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates announced that Ford will expand SYNC to nearly all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks by the end of 2008. Gates also confirmed a new "911 Assist" feature that will help drivers connect with emergency assistance in the event of an air bag deployment.

Introduced in the fall of 2007 and developed jointly by Ford and Microsoft, SYNC provides customers the convenience and flexibility to bring digital media players -- Apple iPods, Microsoft Zunes and other MP3 players -- and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones into their vehicle and operate the devices via voice commands or with the buttons on the steering wheel or radio.

SYNC has been very popular. The new technology - which is exclusive to Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles -- topped 30,000 unit sales in its first three months on the market.


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Old standards missing on many new cars

Believe it or not, some cars are still offered with a bench seat. And some even have ashtrays. But many vehicles no longer offer these features, even as options. So let's take a peek at features that you won't be finding on future cars and trucks, ones that are about to join vinyl LPs, shag carpet and typewriters in the dustbin of history.

Bench seats

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Pool cars, get goodies galore

MUMBAI: If you give a lift to your neighbour, there is a good chance that you will get a discount on your car insurance premium, cinema ticket, and even coffee and food at some cafes and restaurants.

In a serious effort to tackle the mounting traffic and air congestion in the city, the Mumbai traffic police department along with a car pooling site has now tied up with a private insurance firm, multiplexes and restaurants in the city so that car pool members will get a rebate on a variety of allied services across a broad spectrum.

Carpoolmumbai.com is a social networking initiative which is currently providing online car pooling service to city motorists.

Members can, through an email, a phone call or an SMS, locate a car pooler plying near his location who is ready to accommodate him and take him to his desired destination.

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19 cars of freight derail northwest of Sudbury, Ont; no injuries, no spills, CP says

SUDBURY, Ont - Nineteen cars of a CP Rail freight train have derailed in northern Ontario, northwest of Sudbury.

CP Rail spokesman Breanne Feigel says it happened about 12:45 a.m.

today on a CP Rail line in a remote area, about 130 kilometres northwest of Sudbury.

Feigel says there were no injuries to the crew, and no public safety concerns.

There's no word on what caused the derailment.

Feigel says the westbound train was carrying a mix of consumer goods.

CP Rail crews are heading to the scene to assess the situation.

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Fuel price getting people out of cars

High prices at the petrol pump are forcing nearly a third of New Zealanders to drive their cars less, according to a new study.

The Research New Zealand study about the impacts of rising fuel costs, found that 32% of respondents say they are already thinking twice about taking the car, with 54% saying they will use their cars even less if the $2 a litre mark is passed. Females surveyed altered their driving habits more than males. While 35% of females said they were driving less, only 29% of males said they were.

People with a lower household income who were surveyed were more likely to change their driving habits, while those with incomes of $70,000 or more were least likely to say they were driving less (70%).

Director Emanuel Kalafatelis says the results are a significant given a cross section of New Zealanders were interviewed.

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