Islanders from a remote British territory in the Pacific hope to lure billionaire US investor Warren Buffett to help them overcome a severe economic downturn, an academic said Monday.
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Category Archives: Islands
Touch Down for Romance in 16 Islands of The Bahamas
NASSAU, The Bahamas, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
- With Photo
Sixteen lucky brides and their grooms-to-be touched down in Nassau before heading off to 16 different islands where Bahamian wedding planners are making the finishing touches to arrangements for the 16th May wedding ceremonies. Each won by the couples in the Bahamas 16 Islands Wedding Invitation.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120516/531519 )
Two couples will take a short taxi ride, one staying in Nassau for their 'Colour Me with Love' ceremony and the other travelling over the connecting bridge to Paradise Island for their 'Royal Bliss' wedding in the 14th century Cloister.
Inter-island flights lasting from just 15 to 90 minutes will take the 14 remaining couples to other main islands in this tropical archipelago. Also joining them will be their 32 witnesses, two per couple, plus about fifty extra family and friends who have booked through joint sponsor Kuoni to join the couples' once-in-a-lifetime Caribbean wedding experience.
Not simply beach weddings, these are destination weddings with a difference. For example:
Jade & Mikhail have so many guests coming from around the world to The Berry Islands that the small CarrieEarl hotel cannot accommodate them all. Berry Islands' residents are opening their homes to put up the extra guests so that all can enjoy the wedding ceremony at sea. No need for a beribboned bridal car when you are tying the 'Nautical Love Knot' aboard a white catamaran floating on an azure ocean.
There's no limousine either for Carla and Daniel for their 'Light Up My Love' marriage ceremony in The Abacos. A small boat ferries the groom and witness across the harbour to await the bride's arrival, travelling by little golf cart with her witness to the candy-striped Elbow Cay Lighthouse.
The 'Colour Me with Love' wedding in Nassau will be a loud, lively and colourful celebration with a band of Junkanoo musicians, in bright handmade costumes. A wedding party that's sure to be a hit with the 7 children in Claire and Jason's wedding party of twelve.
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Islands in the sky – conserving the cloud forests of Samoa
MEDIA RELEASE
Date: 11 May 2012
Feature Article
Islands in the sky conserving the cloud forests of Samoa
The cloud forest of Savaii could look like a wildlife scene out of a David Attenborough nature film next week, once biodiversity specialists and community members set up camp in untouched forestlands to conduct a special survey of the flora and fauna.
Known as the BIORAP, this project is the Rapid Biological Survey of the plants, birds and animals; the kaleidoscope of living creatures that inhabit the forests of Savaii. It will be the first time for the biodiversity in these cloud forests to be properly surveyed.
The BIORAP is very much a joint partner initiative that involves the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Conservation International, New Zealand Department of Conservation and the NZ Defence Force, as well as several other cooperating agencies. Funding is being provided by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.
A select team of wildlife biologists and locals will venture into approximately 65,000 hectares of cloud forest owned by village communities on Savaii, who are responsible for the care and stewardship of these natural resources.
Samoa, in particular Savaii, is of special biodiversity significance with the island ranked 23rd out of 226 South Pacific Islands in terms of conservation value. Savaiis forest ecosystem has been rated by Conservation International as one of two hotspots for biodiversity in Samoa and, it has also been said that the Savaii cloud forests are the largest remaining intact high-altitude forests in Polynesia.
The cloud forests could hold the key to the survival of the Samoan Woodhen punae which has not been recorded since 1873. A detailed survey of the habitat could also confirm the conservation of the tooth-billed pigeon manumea and even more exciting is the prospect of the project team discovering a new species.
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Islands in the sky – conserving the cloud forests of Samoa
Moral rides tour-record putting effort to lead at Madeira Islands Open
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Moral rides tour-record putting effort to lead at Madeira Islands Open
Wilson leads Madeira Islands by one after 65
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Wilson leads Madeira Islands Open
UpdatedMay 11, 2012 9:38 AM ET
Oliver Wilson of England boosted his hopes of capturing a first European Tour victory in shooting a second-round 65 on Friday to take a one-shot clubhouse lead at the Madeira Islands Open.
Wilson, who has nine second-place finishes in his tour career, moved to a 13-under par 131 with seven birdies on the mountainous Santa da Serra course.
''I again played really nice and no bogeys after two rounds is always very pleasing,'' Wilson said. ''I am just trying to play sensible and felt also that I left a few out there.''
Wilson, 31, competed in the 2008 Ryder Cup but lost his main tour card at the end of last year after finishing 130th.
His effort in Madeira is his lowest opening 36-hole tally since a pair of 66s over the first two days of the 2010 Hong Kong Open.
Wilson kick-started his second round in style when he chipped in from 15 feet and then birdied the next from six inches.
''To start in that manner was great and gave me the momentum I needed,'' he said. ''But there is a long way to go and the low scoring is going to carry on so I am going to have to keep going forward, and going forward low.''
The Swedish duo of Magnus Carlsson and 19-year old Joakim Lagergren, who both recorded rounds of 66, are joint second on 12 under.
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Former Cook Islands PM Sir Geoffrey Henry farewelled
Published: 7:46AM Saturday May 12, 2012 Source: ONE News
Sir Geoffrey Henry - Source: ONE News
The state funeral of former Cook Islands Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Henry has been held today.
The 71-year-old, who served as prime minister for 10 years, lost his battle with cancer on Thursday.
He became leader of the Cook Islands Party (CIP) in 1979 after his cousin Albert Henry was forced to resign over using Government money to fly in voters from New Zealand.
Sir Geoffrey remained leader of the party until 2006 and was twice prime minister of the Cook Islands - for seven months in 1983, and again from 1989 until 1999.
He resigned as prime minister in July 1999 rather than face the break-up of the CIP due to party dissidents who opposed both his leadership and the nation's growing debt of more than $100 million.
Desperate to raise funds, Sir Geoffrey issued letters of guarantee for (US) $1.1 billion.
New Zealand was forced to step in and implement harsh measures in order to stop the country from going bankrupt. An independent report found that the Cook Islands were a gullible victim in a fraud which could have cost the nation all of its assets.
Despite the turmoil, Sir Geoffrey will be remembered for his support behind the Cook Islands protest against French nuclear testing and his fierce nationalism.
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Golf-Madeira Islands Open second round scores
May 11 (Infostrada Sports) - Leading second round scoresfrom the Madeira Islands Open at the par-72 course in Santo da Serra on Friday. ...
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Golf-Madeira Islands Open third round scores
May 12 (Infostrada Sports) - Leading third-round scores fromthe Madeira Islands Open at the par-72 course on Saturday inSanto da Serra 199 Carlos Del Moral (Spain) 69 67 63 202 Joakim Lagergren (Sweden) 66 66 70 203 Mikael Lundberg (Sweden) 69 70 64 Ricardo Santos (Portugal) 68 67 68 Magnus Carlsson (Sweden) 66 66 71 Oliver Wilson (Britain) 66 65 72 204 Andreas Harto (Denmark) 67 71 66 Richard ...
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England's Oliver Wilson leads Madeira Islands Open
SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira Islands (AP) Oliver Wilson of England shot a 7-under 65 Friday to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Madeira Islands Open.
He has nine second-place finishes on the European Tour but has yet to win. He lost his main tour card at the end of last year
Wilson is at 13-under 131 on the mountainous Santa da Serra course. Tied for second are Sweden's Magnus Carlsson (66) and 19-year old Joakim Lagergren (66) and England's Andy Sullivan (64).
The tournament is being played on a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles west of Morocco.
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Dougherty: Not afraid of failing after losing card
SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira Islands (AP) Ryder Cup golfer Nick Dougherty returns from a six-week absence from competition looking forward to the birth of his first child and playing without a fear of failure.
Dougherty is among four former Ryder Cup players and six former champions competing Thursday in the Madeira Islands Open.
It is only Dougherty's third event this season after competing in two Challenge Tour events, capped by a tie for fourth in the Colombia Classic in March. He's lost all playing rights on the European Tour, where he's won three times, so he's concentrating on the Challenge Tour.
''It's been a long time since I can say I am looking forward to my golf as I just punished myself so hard trying to hold onto my main European Tour card,'' he said after Wednesday's pro-am. ''I just didn't want to go out and play but I had to. Then when I did, I played absolutely horrible. Now if I don't play well, then it's not going to get me down.''
He won't compete in the BMW PGA Championship on May 24, his 30th birthday. It's a tournament he's played every year since 2002.
''I am looking to build back my confidence, and if I manage to win back my European Tour card, then well and good,'' he said. ''If not, I will stick out here on the Challenge Tour. There's just not the intensity or the hype around the main tour.''
Dougherty married former TV presenter Di Stewart in 2010 at St. Andrews and the couple expects their first child, a boy, in August.
''I can't wait to become a father and Di and I are so much looking forward to the birth,'' he said. ''She's here with me this week and that's great.''
Others in the field include former Ryder Cup players Phil Price, Niclas Fasth, Oliver Wilson and Jarmo Sandelin.
The former Madeira Islands winners who will tee up are Spain's Santiago Luna (1995), Sandelin (1996), Fasth (2000), Welshman Bradley Dredge (2003), Argentina's Daniel Vancsik (2007) and Scotland's Alastair Forsyth (2008).
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Orkin Establishes Franchise in Turks and Caicos Islands
ATLANTA, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Rollins Inc., a nationwide consumer services company (ROL), announced today that the company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Orkin, has established the company's 21st international franchise in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.
"Orkin continues to expand internationally with Orkin Turks and Caicos, our third international franchise this year," said Tom Luczynski, Orkin vice president of U.S. and international development and franchising. "The tropical, moist weather conditions create unique pest challenges, and we are pleased to bring Orkin's quality services to the area and expand our presence in the Caribbean."
Orkin Turks and Caicos will offer commercial pest control, focusing mainly on the hospitality sector located there. The franchise owners are Ben and Bradley Walkin. Ben Walkin is the owner of Walkin Diversified Services on the island. Bradley Walkin will be the general manager of the franchise and will travel to Atlanta, Orkin's U.S. headquarters, for initial training at the company's award-winning training center later this month.
In the region, Orkin has operations in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and franchise operations in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Central America.
About Orkin, LLC
Founded in 1901, Atlanta-based Orkin is an industry leader in essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa and Mexico. With more than 400 locations, Orkin's almost 8,000 employees serve approximately 1.7 million customers. The company serves homeowners and numerous industries, including food and beverage processing, foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, retail, warehousing, property/facilities management, schools and institutions. Orkin is proud to be recognized by the National Pest Management Association as a QualityPro and GreenPro-certified company, addressing not only our customer's pest control needs, but also their concern for protecting the environment. Learn more about Orkin at http://orkin.com. Orkin is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rollins Inc. (ROL).
About Rollins
Rollins Inc. is a premier North American consumer and commercial services company. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Orkin LLC, Orkin Canada, HomeTeam Pest Defense, Western Pest Services, The Industrial Fumigant Company, Waltham Services LLC, Crane Pest Control and Trutech LLC, the company provides essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects to more than 2 million customers in the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa and Mexico from more than 500 locations. You can learn more about our subsidiaries by visiting our web sites at http://orkin.com, http://orkincanada.ca, http://pestdefense.com, http://westernpest.com, http://indfumco.com, http://walthamservices.com, http://cranepestcontrol.com, http://trutechinc.com and http://rollins.com. You can also find this and other news releases at http://rollins.com by accessing the news releases button.
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Key pays tribute to ex-Cook Islands PM
Prime Minister John Key says the death of former Cook Island prime minister Sir Geoffrey Henry is sad news.
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Former Cook Islands PM Geoffrey Henry dies
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Ex-Cook Islands PM dies
Former Cook Islands prime minister Sir Geoffrey Henry has died aged 71.
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Research and Markets: 4Q11 Faroe Islands Mobile Operator Forecast, 2012 – 2015: Faroe Islands to have over 63,000 …
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t3lv74/4q11_faroe_islands) has announced the addition of IE Market Research Corp.'s new report "4Q11 Faroe Islands Mobile Operator Forecast, 2012 - 2015: Faroe Islands to have over 63,000 mobile subscriber connections in 2015" to their offering.
Mobile Operator Forecast on the Faroe Islands (a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark) provides key metrics for the country's wireless market. The forecast is based on proprietary, country-specific forecasting models. These models deploy multiple regression analysis and cross-impact matrices that estimate relationships between subscriber data, technology use and deployment data, overall economic and demographic changes expected in a particular country; and relate these to company operational and financial metrics.
Companies Covered:
- Faroese Telecom (Froya Tele)
- Vodafone Faroe Islands (Vodafone Group Plc)
Topics Covered:
Annual Results & Forecasts for each of the above operators is covered in this report for: CY 2001-CY 2015.
Quarterly Results & Forecasts are covered for: March 2003 - December 2013
- Prepaid And Postpaid Subscribers
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Research and Markets: 4Q11 Falkland Islands Mobile Operator Forecast, 2012 – 2015: Cable & Wireless Falkland Islands …
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ftt6sq/4q11_falkland_isla) has announced the addition of IE Market Research Corp.'s new report "4Q11 Falkland Islands Mobile Operator Forecast, 2012 - 2015: Cable & Wireless Falkland Islands to have 4,600 mobile subscriber connections in 2015" to their offering.
Mobile Operator Forecast on the Falkland Islands provides key operational metrics for the Falkland Islands wireless market and is one of the best forecasts in the industry.
The mobile network operator covered for the Falkland Islands is Cable & Wireless Falkland Islands.
This Mobile Operator Forecast is based on proprietary, country-specific forecasting models. These models deploy multiple regression analysis and cross-impact matrices that estimate relationships between subscriber data, technology use and deployment data, overall economic and demographic changes expected in a particular country; and relate these to company operational and financial metrics.
Topics Covered:
Annual Results & Forecasts for each of the above operators is covered in this report for: CY 2001-CY 2015.
Quarterly Results & Forecasts are covered for: March 2003 - December 2013
- Prepaid And Postpaid Subscribers
- Subscriber Growth (Yoy)
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Cayman Airways Launches Non-Stop Service Between Dallas and the Cayman Islands
GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Cayman Airways has announced the launch of non-stop service from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Grand Cayman to commence this June. Effective June 23, 2012 September 2, 2012, Cayman Airways will operate weekly service from Dallas to Grand Cayman on Sunday and from Grand Cayman to Dallas on Saturday, starting at $399.
Just in time for the summer season, the introduction of this flight route allows Dallas and Texas residents an easy escape from the hustle of everyday life to head to the Cayman Islands for some fun in the famed turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. Visitors can also take advantage of Cayman's affordable summer promotion, Cayman Summer Splash, enjoying 5th night free accommodations including a $100 resort credit. Business class service is available.
Dallas, TX - Grand Cayman
Flight
Departure
Arrival
Frequency
KX 321
9:00am
1:00pm
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Cayman Airways Launches Non-Stop Service Between Dallas and the Cayman Islands
Solomon Islands 'blond' gene found
Dark-skinned, blond-haired indigenous people on the Solomon Islands have a gene that is unique to the South Pacific nation and was not picked up from interbreeding with Europeans, scientists say.
Outsiders have long presumed the unusually fair-haired Melanesians were a result of long-ago liaisons with European traders, while locals often attributed their golden locks to a diet rich in fish or the constant exposure to the Sun.
But the reason why some five to 10 per cent of the islanders are blond comes down to simple genetics - a gene called TYRP1 that natives of the Solomon Islands possess but Europeans do not, said the study in the US journal, Science.
'So the human characteristic of blond hair arose independently in equatorial Oceania. That's quite unexpected and fascinating,' said lead author Eimear Kenny, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University in California.
Researchers gained the trust of a local chief and collected data from 1000 people, including hair and skin colour assessments, blood pressure, height and weight and saliva samples for DNA.
The lab analysis on samples from 43 blond and 42 dark-haired natives began in September 2010 and 'within a week, we had our initial result', said Kenny.
'It was such a striking signal pointing to a single gene - a result you could hang your hat on. That rarely happens in science.'
The idea to study the genetics of the population came from co-author Sean Myles, a former Stanford postdoctoral scholar who is now an assistant professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, after a trip there in 2004.
'They have this very dark skin and bright blond hair. It was mind-blowing,' said Myles.
'As a geneticist on the beach watching the kids playing, you count up the frequency of kids with blond hair, and say, 'Wow, it's five to 10 per cent.''
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Solomon Islands to Work Towards Improved Services
Grant Signing: Solomon Islands to Work Towards Improved Services World Bank, Government of Solomon Islands Sign US$2 Million Development Policy Grant
MANILA, May 4, 2012 ----- Today the World Bank and the Government of Solomon Islands signed a US$2 million grant agreement to boost the economy and support effective service delivery for the countrys population of 530,000 people. The agreement was signed by Pamela Cox, Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bankand Rick Houenipwela, Minister for Finance in Solomon Islands at the annual meetings of the Asian Development Bank in Manila.
Over recent years the Government of Solomon Islands has delivered on a number of important reforms that have helped build a stronger economy, said Cox. The grant will take this forward and deliver better services and poverty reduction for all Solomon Islanders.
Developed in coordination with the government-led multi-donor Core Economic Working Group, the operation will support government-led reforms that will help to improve the budget process, make the process more consultative and encourage civil society involvement. It will also help strengthen financial management of state owned enterprises in the water and electricity sectors.
In addition the funding will support the Governments efforts to provide clearer information about mining revenues, as they look to achieve compliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). EITI is a global initiative that aims to strengthen governance in the extractives sector, a growing industry in Solomon Islands.
These reforms, along with additional efforts by the government and its donor partners, are expected to contribute over time to an improvement in public service delivery for the country's citizens.
The operation supports the priorities of the Solomon Islands Governments National Development Strategy, 2011-20, which focuses on efficient service delivery, transparency and accountability. It will be funded by a grant from the International Development Association, the World Banks fund for the poorest countries.
For more information about the World Bank in the Pacific, please visit http://www.worldbank.org/pi
ENDS
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