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Category Archives: Islands

Kiwis romp past Cook Islands in warm-up

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New Zealand warmed up for their defence of the World Cup with a 50-0 rout of the Cook Islands in Doncaster.

Winger Jason Nightingale started and finished the scoring and centre Bryson Goodwin also scored two tries of the nine tries as the Kiwis comfortably avoided the fate that befell England and France.

Both of those nations suffered shock defeats at the hands of World Cup minnows in their warm-up matches over the weekend.

New Zealand were without five members of Sydney Roosters' NRL Grand Final-winning team but standoff Kieran Foran, from beaten finalists Manly, was drafted into the side.

Foran replaced Wigan favourite Thomas Leuluai, who rested a hamstring injury.

Hooker Issac Luke was a constant threat at dummy-half and created one of the tries of the match, after taking a quick penalty tap, scampering 40 metres, and throwing a long ball for Nightingale to score.

Coach Stephen Kearney says the hitout will benefit his players ahead of their World Cup title defence, which begins against Samoa in Warrington on Sunday.

"There were parts of our game that were a bit rusty out there, but it was a good start for us," he said.

"The improvement areas are in both defence and attack, to be fair, and given that some of the guys haven't played in six weeks it was a good performance, but our focus for this week is to improve both areas."

The Kiwis never looked back after running in three tries in the first 16 minutes through Nightingale, winger Manu Vatuvei and loose forward Elijah Taylor but they had to wait until eight minutes before halftime for their next score, when Goodwin touched down Foran's delicate kick for his first try.

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Kiwis romp past Cook Islands in warm-up

Kiwis too strong for Cook Islands

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The Kiwis have plenty to work on, but theyll be pleased to have kept the Cook Islands to nil today in their Rugby League World Cup warm-up match in Doncaster. After leading 24-0 at half-time, the Kiwis ran out 50-0 winners.

Among the standouts for New Zealand were Issac Luke, Sam Kasiano and Bryson Goodwin, who scored two tries in his first game for the Kiwis since 2009. One of Goodwins efforts, involving beautiful in-and-away footwork, saw him score directly from a scrum.

"The guys are certainly better for a run," said the Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney. "There were parts of our game that were a bit rusty out there, but it was a good start for us.

"The improvement areas are in both defence and attack, to be fair, and given that some of the guys havent played in six weeks it was a good performance, but our focus for this week is to improve both areas."

Kieran Foran, the Kiwis vice-captain, was brought into the team as a late replacement for Thomas Leuluai, who rested a groin strain. Foran was due to sit this match out, along with other Kiwi players who were involved in the NRL grand final, but instead combined in the halves with Shaun Johnson for just the second time, following Aprils test against the Kangaroos in Canberra. Johnsons pace was on show as he scored from 60m in the second half.

The Kiwis bench for this game - which wasnt an official test match - was extended before kick-off with the inclusion of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. He got to wear the Kiwis jersey for the first time, playing 10mins at the end.

Man of the Match awards were announced for each team and went to Tinirau Arona for the Cook Islands and Issac Luke for the Kiwis. Luke was a constant threat at dummy-half and created one of the tries of the match, after taking a quick penalty tap, scampering 40metres, and throwing a long ball for Jason Nightingale to score in the right hand corner.

The game, played in front of 4,638, was the first match since the NRL regular season for many of the Kiwis, including their captain Simon Mannering.

Before the match, the Kiwis delivered a new haka, led by Issac Luke. Called Te Iwi Kiwi, the haka was created by members of the Kiwi team along with a cultural advisor.

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Kiwis too strong for Cook Islands

DFCC branches out to Solomon Islands through POB

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DFCC Bank of Sri Lanka will expands its expertise to Solomon Islands by arranging to establish Pan Oceanic Bank (POB) which will be supported by the DFCC bank facilitating the establishment of correspondent banking relationship through its subsidiary Synapsis Limited. According to a foreign report the bank will be open for the public from March 2014.

According to the report a statement issued by the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) said that it has provided the POB an Interim banking licence on the 5th of September 2013 to carry out their banking business in Solomon Islands.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of POB, Nihal Kekulawala has said that Solomon Islands is in need of a financial institution that acts as an agent of development.

According to Kekulawala through the licence they will be the fourth commercial bank to operate within the islands and will be able to provide the islands with financial services when full approval is given.

According to the report CBSI POB will gain full approval once it meets certain conditions put forth by the CBSI and is satisfied by POBs efforts to meet this conditions so far. Kekulawela said that POB hope to service all sectors and business operations, he says that the task will be efficiciant as they are purely driven by the overall needs of Solomon Islands and is focused around the Islands dynamics and future expectations.

He also claims that POBs main goal is to unlock the islands economic potential and attain a good profit since inception. Required systems and the establishing of the process necessary for a good start is done the Global Management Consultants Ltd Sri Lanka (GMC). The report stated that this consultancy team is formed to cater to the pacific region. According to the report GMC has been working on this project for a year to get POB to the licencing stage.

The Banking statement highlights that POB will be also supported by MBanx system which a core banking platform which has the capability of taking on large bank operating platforms.

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DFCC branches out to Solomon Islands through POB

Solomon Islands seek financial help from FIFA

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FIFA and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) have stepped in to appoint an interim administration body to run the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF), reports Soccerex Business Daily.

The SIFFs funding has been suspended and a normalisation committee appointed, pending an investigation into the federations handling of its finances. However, OFC general secretary Tai Nicholas said that there is no indication of misappropriation by those running the SIFF, and it appears poor accounting is to blame.

For one reason or another, the former administration, for the amount of activities theyre involved in both internationally and domestically, werent able to fund everything, Nicholas told Australian broadcaster ABC Radio.

The best way forward in order for football to grow in that country is to install a new administration, which was done by FIFA appointing a Normalisation Committee to run the affairs of football, and to call for new elections in a years time.

Weve concluded lapses in financial management in terms of the accountability of where the money went. We cant prove theres misappropriation, so the current administration agreed that maybe it was time to install a normalisation for the time being, and look to stakeholders across the Solomon Islands to install a new administration.

Nicholas maintains football in the OFC is in a healthy position. He added: We have state of the art facilities and were entering all the competitions. Tahiti were at the Confederations Cup and were at the semi-finals in beach soccer, the Solomons are doing well in Futsal, New Zealands at the World Cup; so for a small federation I think were punching above our weight.

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Solomon Islands seek financial help from FIFA

Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto Adds Two New Island Tours (and Two New 20-Passenger APEX Inflatable Boats …

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Islands of Loreto, Baja, Mexico (PRWEB) October 17, 2013

The beauty of Isla Coronado and the majesty of Isla Danzante are now just a quick, ultra-smooth boat ride away for guests of Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, the newest member of Villa Group Resorts. Today the resort announced that it had received the necessary permits for the addition of guest excursions to both islands, which will be available to guests immediately.

The new excursions allow guests to explore these beautiful islands up close and personal aboard the resorts new 20-passenger APEX inflatable boats, though the resort limits its tours to 12 guests and two crew members for maximum comfort.

Departing from downtown Loreto, the Isla Coronado tour provides amazing snorkeling opportunities along the areas crystal blue water. Guests may even have a chance to see colonies of sea lions and dolphins, which have been known to swim along with the boats, often jumping for the cameras. The Isla Danzante tour departs from nearby Puerto Escondido, and takes guests to the regions most iconic island, which features an amazing array of native plants, coral groups and a wide variety of marine species. Danzante is known as a great place to enjoy diving, hiking or just relaxing in the sun on whats known as Honeymoon Beach.

Both the Coronado and Danzante tours are offered daily, except Sundays, and are priced at $70 USD for adults and $35 USD for children.

The addition of the new APEX inflatables for these tours comes on the heels of the resorts launch of Mad Dash, the new Luhrs 320 Tournament boat the resort uses for half-day and full-day sportfishing excursions.

The Islands of Loreto are an amazing site to explore and we couldnt be happier to be able to provide these new tours to our guests, said Owen Perry, owner and president, Villa Group. There are so many activities for people visiting Loreto to enjoy and both Isla Coronado and Isla Danzante are not to be missed. Theres nowhere quite like them.

With more than 100 miles of coastline, 300 sunny days a year and year-round surface temperatures averaging in the 80s, the 800-square-mile Loreto National Marine Park is water-lovers paradise. More information on these new offerings can be found at Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loretos activities website, http://www.myloretoexperience.com.

The Islands of Loreto, located on the east coast of the Baja California Peninsula on the Sea of Cortez, is known for its quiet beaches, scenic vistas, rich history and astounding natural habitats. The region caters to adventurous travelers looking to explore the many outdoor opportunities in addition to scuba diving, including snorkeling, hiking, and mountain biking, as well as people looking for a getaway where they can enjoy the beauty and authentic culture of the region without the commotion of heavily-trafficked Mexican destinations. The destination is fast becoming an alternative for travelers looking for a slower pace with all the options and amenities they have come to expect from a vacation in Mexico.

For reservations or additional information, please contact Premium Service at premiumservice(dot)vdpl(at)vgloreto(dot)com or call 866.209.0726, ext. 4005 from the U.S. or 855.440.5590, ext. 4005 from Canada. To learn more about Villa del Palmar, contact your preferred travel professional, visit http://www.villadelpalmarloreto.com/ or call the number above.

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Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto Adds Two New Island Tours (and Two New 20-Passenger APEX Inflatable Boats ...

Nature lovers return to Gulf Islands National Seashore

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OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (WLOX) -

For two weeks, Gulf Islands National Seashore has been basically deserted.

"I might have come out at least once, snuck out here in defiance of the government," Diana Stack said with a smile. "But it was sad to not have access to this stuff."

For Stack, the park is her getaway. She enjoys bird watching here at least two times a week.

"I'm always out here looking for the odd bird, seabirds. And I know there are two king fishers out here and it's my goal to get them on film," Stack said.

Dr. Ron Jenkins is a regular at the park, too. You can find him running or biking the nature trails.

"It's been pretty stressful, you come out here and the gates are closed," Jenkins said. "I thought this was our park. They shut it down and it doesn't take much to ride a bike out here. I don't need anyone's services only my own.

Gulf Islands National Seashore is also a popular place for campers, not only because of the park's beauty, but also its affordability.

"We camped out in Gulfport," Bob Crowell said. "It's about $42 a night and we wanted to stay in this area for a while."

Crowell was the first one back with his RV.

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Nature lovers return to Gulf Islands National Seashore

Earthquake : A powerful 7.1 EQ rocks the Island of Bohol in the Philippine Islands (Oct 15, 2013) – Video

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Earthquake : A powerful 7.1 EQ rocks the Island of Bohol in the Philippine Islands (Oct 15, 2013)
SOURCE: http://www.bbcnews.com News Articles: At least 20 people killed after 7.2 earthquake hits central Philippines http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/10/14...

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Earthquake : A powerful 7.1 EQ rocks the Island of Bohol in the Philippine Islands (Oct 15, 2013) - Video

Construction rebounds on barrier islands

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Published: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 2:12 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 2:12 p.m.

New home construction on Southwest Florida's barrier islands hardly took a breath during the Great Recession, but the economic recovery has sparked a new burst of activity.

Unlike larger housing developments on the mainland that were shelved during the downturn, some for years, many builders of custom luxury homes continued to find work though at a much slower pace on the region's keys.

"We definitely went through a slow time, but not nearly as bad as the tract home builders," said Ricky Perrone, vice president of business development at Sarasota's Perrone Construction.

For Perrone, business began to bounce back about a year ago. The company is currently building six custom homes on Siesta, Lido and Bird keys, valued from $1.7 million to $3 million and ranging from from 4,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet.

"Things really picked up last October," Perrone said. "People were getting off the fence and moving on big properties where they planned homes. Properties started to get snatched up, and people decided the time was right to build."

Lakewood Ranch-based John Cannon Homes is in various stages of construction on 12 custom homes on the barrier islands off Sarasota and Manatee counties.

"The barrier island buyer has been shown to be recession proof," said the company's namesake.

Sarasota's Murray Homes has four custom projects under way on the islands, ranging from $850,000 to $2.5 million and measuring from 3,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet.

"That's based on how comfortable individuals feel with the economy and their own personal situation," said Steve Murray, vice president at the family owned company. "They have recouped losses from the recession, reallocated investments and are now feeling comfortable enough to jump in and buy.

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Construction rebounds on barrier islands

Fitch Affirms U.S. Virgin Islands GRT Bonds at 'BBB' and Implied GO at 'BB'; Outlooks Negative

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fitch Ratings takes the following actions on the ratings of the U.S. Virgin Islands:

--Affirms the 'BBB' rating for the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Public Finance Authority (VIPFA) bonds (Virgin Islands gross receipts tax (GRT) loan note) (senior lien);

--Affirms the 'BB' implied general obligation (GO) bond rating for the USVI. There are no outstanding stand-alone GO bonds of the USVI.

The Rating Outlooks remain Negative.

SECURITY

The GRT revenue bonds issued by VIPFA are secured by a pledge of GRT collections from the USVI deposited to the trustee for bondholders prior to their use for general purposes. The bonds also carry a GO pledge of the USVI.

KEY RATING DRIVERS

GRT SECURITY INSULATED FROM GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS: Bonds issued by the VIPFA and secured by the GRT have been insulated from general fund operations through a collection process that allocates pledged revenues to a separate escrow account. Debt service coverage remains satisfactory, even through stress scenarios. The USVI's action to raise the rate in fiscal 2012 appears to have offset the severity of declines due to the loss of Hovensa, the USVI's former largest employer and taxpayer; however, the linkage to the weak USVI economy maintains the rating Outlook at Negative. In addition, over-leveraging of the GRT to support general fund operations would weaken credit quality for these bonds.

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL STRAIN: The below investment-grade implied GO rating and Negative Outlook reflects significantly strained fiscal operations and the intractability of longer-term fiscal challenges that are now compounded by severe economic difficulties from the closure of Hovensa.

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Fitch Affirms U.S. Virgin Islands GRT Bonds at 'BBB' and Implied GO at 'BB'; Outlooks Negative

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix – Kingdom Hearts Re: CoM – Episode 13: Destiny Islands – Video

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Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix - Kingdom Hearts Re: CoM - Episode 13: Destiny Islands
Be sure to LIKE and COMMENT. Your support matters. Playlist: Due to Sora #39;s douchiness, he #39;s by himself. So it means that he #39;s going to have to go solo as we ...

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Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix - Kingdom Hearts Re: CoM - Episode 13: Destiny Islands - Video


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