Gran Canaria, Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles, Canary Islands – Spain Travel Channel – Video

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Gran Canaria, Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles, Canary Islands - Spain Travel Channel
Maspalomas and Playa de Ingles -- Canary Islands http://www.myvideomedia.com English see below [dt.] Maspalomas und Playa del Inglés auf der kanarischen Inse...

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Gran Canaria, Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles, Canary Islands - Spain Travel Channel - Video

Cook Islands market could be opened up to other airlines

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Published: 7:34PM Wednesday November 06, 2013 Source: ONE News

A review of a multi-million dollar contract between the Cook Islands and Air New Zealand could see the market opened up to other airlines.

The Cook Islands currently has to pay New Zealand's national carrier more than $13 million every year to operate direct routes from Rarotonga to Los Angeles and Sydney in a deal due to expire in October next year.

"It's a lot of money we are putting in out of the operational budget," said Finance Minister Mark Brown.

"It represents close to 13% of our budget."

The Cook Island Government is now opening up the bidding to other commercial airlines after economic research found a new deal could provide further benefit to the local tourism industry.

"We have three or so to compare against each other and come up with something worthwhile for the Cook Islands," said Finance Secretary Richard Neves.

Any new agreement would be in place for four years in order to give the Government security.

"Where these things always become unstuck is when they start to cost a lot of money so if we see oil prices, for whatever reason, go through the roof that makes it a lot more difficult to sustain the two underwrites," said Mr Neves.

The direct routes are crucial for the Cook Island to access the US and Australian tourism markets.

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Cook Islands market could be opened up to other airlines

Suntech applies for provisional liquidation in Cayman Islands

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Nov 6 (Reuters) - Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd, once the world's largest maker of solar panels, said it had filed an application for provisional liquidation in the Cayman Islands, where the New York-listed Chinese company is incorporated.

Suntech also said it would consider pursuing a filing in the United States that would allow U.S. courts to recognize a foreign bankruptcy as the main proceeding and block creditors from seizing the company's U.S. assets.

Suntech shares fell 14 percent to $1.29 on Wednesday morning on the New York Stock Exchange, way below their life high of $86.28 in December 2007.

"We do think this is the end for Suntech," Raymond James analyst Ryan Berney said.

Shunfeng Photovoltaic International Ltd agreed last week to buy Suntech's main manufacturing unit, Wuxi Suntech, for $492 million, leaving Suntech with few other assets.

Wuxi Suntech was dragged into bankruptcy proceeding by Chinese creditors in March, days after Suntech defaulted on a principal payment on $541 million of convertible bonds.

"Shunfeng is buying essentially all of Suntech's production capacity and technology portfolio, apparently leaving the U.S.-listed holding company a quasi-empty shell," Berney said.

After the sale of its main manufacturing unit, Suntech is left with little more than its U.S. sales and distribution business and an investment company that holds solar power plants in Italy.

However, some of these plants are under investigation in Italy for illegally availing state subsidies.

"By commencing such proceeding in the Cayman Islands, the company will have the benefit of protection and additional time to complete negotiations and conclude the restructuring in the best interests of all stakeholders," Suntech said on Wednesday.

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Suntech applies for provisional liquidation in Cayman Islands

Yandex Islands: Markup Issues and Implementation by @promodo_en

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What is Yandex Islands?

Yandex Islands is a new platform from the Yandex Company. Officially, Yandex Islands were launched in July; they present a new type of snippets in the search results. From now on Yandex wants to give interactive answers to users search queries (official information about Yandex Islands you can find here: http://beta.yandex.com ).

Long time before Yandex started adding elements to the search results in order to help the user estimate the website relevance. It ended up with idea to show to the user website functionality right into the search results. This way the search engine decreases the number of actions users have to perform to receive the answer to what interests them.

Yandex says its islands will be able to find solutions for complicated search tasks. For example, the user fills in the form to call a taxi, he writes Place of departure and Place of arrival, then Yandex sends request to the website and receives the information about costs and time for this particular case or as in an example below where we searched for the cinema:

In short, with the help of Yandex Islands users can order, buy a product, make an appointment or perform many other types of actions without leaving search results page.

While appearance of Yandex Islands is beneficial for the search engine users, it also brings challenges to the webmasters and website owners. Firstly, interactive snippets require much more space in the search results than simple snippets currently take. It means that less websites will be visible on one page and competition for the space in the search results will become fiercer.

Secondly, if you dont want your website to lose to your competitors and what it to have the most beneficial look in Yandex Islands, you will need to write special markup for website correct display in interactive search results.

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Yandex Islands: Markup Issues and Implementation by @promodo_en

Mount Sinai Researcher Shares 2013 American Society of Human Genetics Leadership Award With Research Partner Wife

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Newswise Kurt Hirschhorn, MD, who launched the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinais Human Genetics Program in 1966, and went on to shape the department, and lead genetics on the national and international scene, is sharing the American Society of Human Genetics 2013 Victor A. McKusick Leadership Award with his wife, Rochelle Hirschhorn, MD, Research Professor and Professor Emerita of Medicine, Cell Biology and Pediatrics, NYU Langone Medical Center. The Award recognizes individuals whose professional achievements have fostered and enriched the development of human genetics.

The McKusick Leadership Award was given to the husband-and-wife team at the 63rd ASHG Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 26. Dr. Hirschhorn is Professorial Lecturer of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, Professorial Lecturer of Genetics and Genomics Sciences and Professorial Lecturer of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Rochelle Hirschhorn is a Research Professor and Professor Emerita of Medicine, Cell Biology and Pediatrics at NYU Langone Medical Center.

The Hirschhorns son, Joel Hirschhorn, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Genetics, Childrens Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, introduced his parents for the awards ceremony. Reflecting on the introduction, he said: I am both proud and moved that my parents' long-standing leadership in many aspects of human genetics was recognized by their receiving the Victor A. McKusick Leadership Award. It was a thrill to be able to introduce them at the ASHG meeting.

In presenting the award, American Society of Human Genetics Executive Vice President Joseph D. McInerney said: The enduring leadership and vision provided by the Drs. Hirschhorn have helped human genetics to flourish and assimilate into the broader context of science, medicine and health. They also have helped to improve awareness and understanding of human genetics among policymakers and the general public.

Dr. Kurt Hirschhorn established the program of Human Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai in 1966 when he was recruited from the Department of Medicine at NYU School of Medicine. When he was named Chair of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai in 1977, he recruited Dr. Robert Desnick from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and turned the Division of Human Genetics over to him. In 1996, he helped to found an independent Department of Human Genetics at Mount Sinai, which was chaired by Dr. Desnick until 2007, when Dr. Eric Schadt was recruited from California to become the new Chair of Genetics and Genomics and the head of the Icahn Institute if Genomics and Multiscale Biology. Dr. Desnick became the Dean for Genetics and Genomics. Dr. Hirschhorrn remains deeply involved in the activities of the Department.

I am extremely honored and grateful for this leadership award, said Dr. Hirschhorn.

The McKusick Award honors the combined contributions of Drs. Hirschhorn, who have been members of ASHG for over 40 years and have served in many society leadership positions, including president and member on the Board of Directors and Editorial Board.

Dr. Kurt Hirschhorn has received multiple awards in genetics and pediatrics, including ASHGs Allan Award and Excellence in Education Award, the March of Dimes Colonel Sanders Lifetime Achievement award and the Howland Award in Pediatrics. At Mount Sinai School of Medicine, he was the Chief of one of the first Divisions of Genetics for eight years and Chair of Pediatrics for 18 years. In addition to serving as a mentor to numerous trainees and faculty, he helped establish the first Masters level genetic counseling program at Sarah Lawrence College.

His major scientific achievements include discovery, characterization and application of the mixed-lymphocyte reaction and the early and sustained use of cytogenetics to discover and describe multiple human chromosomal disorders including the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, also called the 4p- syndrome.

In 2010, Rochelle Hirschhorn was honored with the NYU Langone Medical Centers Master Scientist Award. Dr. Hirschhorn, who was the centers Chief of the Division of Medical Genetics for 24 years, has been a leader and role model in the advancement of women in medicine and genetics. In 1986, she was the first woman elected to the Interurban Clinical Club, founded in 1905, and soon was elected president of the group.

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Mount Sinai Researcher Shares 2013 American Society of Human Genetics Leadership Award With Research Partner Wife

Bill O’Reilly: Obama Believes Ends Justify the Means on Health Care ‘Deceit’ – Video

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Bill O #39;Reilly: Obama Believes Ends Justify the Means on Health Care #39;Deceit #39;
10/31/13 - Bill O #39;Reilly has never explicitly called President Obama a liar in the health care debate, but said Thursday night that there has been "deception...

By: WeNeedASavageNation

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Bill O'Reilly: Obama Believes Ends Justify the Means on Health Care 'Deceit' - Video

Health Care Reform: Incremental Change or Fundamental Shift?

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During the U.S. News & World Hospital of Tomorrow conference, panelists in the health care reform break-out session discussed the changes underway in the health care system and if they represent incremental change or a fundamental shift.

[More Hospital of Tomorrow Forum coverage: usnews.com/hospitaloftomorrow]

Panelists included David Burik, the Managing Director who co-leads Navigant's Healthcare Strategy, Dr. Gene Lindsey, M.D. CEO Emeritus and Vice Chair of Atrius Health, and David W. Johnson, Managing Director and Sector Head for Healthcare and Higher Education at the Public Finance and Infrastructure Group.

Burik began by asking about lessons can we learn from the Massachusetts health exchange and apply to a national model. Some of the findings of the Navigant study indicate that there are no national players, yet, in the healthcare system.

"So, if we're not national, what are we?" Burik asked. "The principal consolidation in this industry is local."

Burik also wondered: "Who is going to have primary care models?" He predicted the answer is in the "Walmarts, the Walgreens," and also in the clinics which are expanding their affiliate care centers, including The Cleveland Clinic (27 Affiliates), MD Anderson Cancer Center (9 affiliates), the Mayo Clinic (14 affiliates) and Duke Lifepoint Healthcare (4 affiliates).

Here are a few additional highlights of the Navigant study.

"In 2011, the Top 20 (by admissions) health systems operated 20 percent of the hospitals and captured 26 percent of total U.S admissions," he said. "In 2003, the Top 20 operated 18 percent of US hospitals and captured 23 percent of admissions."

"Will the market or government have a larger hand in the result?" The short answer, Burik offered, is yes. We are seeing that change through exchanges that are introducing health insurance plans with narrow networks.

Dr. Gene Lindsey, of Altrius Health, began by asking "Why are organizations consolidating?" and specifically addressed why Altrius came to be. The short answer was "to create capitol."

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Health Care Reform: Incremental Change or Fundamental Shift?

Health Care REIT Q3 FFO & Revs Top

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Health Care REIT Inc. (HCN), a real estate investment trust (:REIT), which operates senior housing and health care real estate, reported third-quarter 2013 normalized funds from operations (:FFO) of 97 cents per share, a cent ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate and up 6 cents year over year.

The improved results were primarily attributable to robust revenue growth. Alongside, the company registered decent same-store NOI.

Normalized Funds available for distribution (FAD) in the reported quarter stood at 86 cents per share, up from 82 cents per share in the year-ago period.

Behind the Headlines

Total revenue reached $786.9 million, escalating 70.4% year over year. The figure also substantially exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $728 million. Total same-store (cash NOI (net operating income) increased 3.7% from the year-ago period. This included a 9.4% rise in the seniors housing operating portfolio.

Notable Quarterly Activities

During the quarter, Health Care REIT accomplished the sale/leaseback transaction with Avery Healthcare for $212 million (140 million) in the UK. The portfolio comprises 14 seniors housing communities with 940 beds.

Also, the company closed the triple net lease deal with Emeritus Senior Living (ESC) for a portfolio of 38 senior housing communities. Notably, the properties were previously owned by Health Care REIT in an 80%/20% joint venture with Merrill Gardens. As per the deal, Health Care REIT acquired Merrill Gardens 20% interest in the JV for $173 million, which includes pro rata mortgage debt of $74 million.

In addition, Health Care REIT sealed the buyout of $95 million worth of hospital acquisitions (at a blended yield of 9.5%) and medical office building worth $50 million (at a blended yield of 6.9%). Moreover, the company finished the development of 2 seniors housing triple-net assets for $38 million (at a blended initial yield of 8.1%) and 1 medical office building for $9 million (at an initial yield of 8.3%).

Year-to-date, as of Nov 5, Health Care REIT has garnered $412 million from asset divestitures and $66 million from loan payoffs.

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Health Care REIT Q3 FFO & Revs Top

Activist wants food labels to disclose genetic engineering

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Consumers who want to know if their food contains genetically modified ingredients can thank Ronnie Cummins for his efforts to slap labels saying as much on everything from taco chips to coffee cake.

Food companies can blame him for playing to what many consider misguided fears, costing them money with new labels and scaring consumers; after all, GM ingredients are everywhere in the grocery store.

Cummins and his Minnesota-based Organic Consumers Association have been instrumental in making GM labeling a prominent national food issue. Next month, voters in Washington will be the latest to consider whether GM-containing foods should be labeled as such in their state.

"This is the most important battle in 20 years in the battle against genetic engineering," Cummins said. "If they pass it, it will have national repercussions."

It's a close contest, with pro-labelers in the lead, polls show. The vote follows a similar referendum in California last year that was narrowly defeated, and by pro-labeling initiatives passed by the Connecticut and Maine legislatures earlier this year, albeit with big caveats.

U.S. food safety agencies years ago approved the genetically engineered crops in use today, and they've gotten the imprimatur of many prominent science and medical groups. Still, calls for labeling -- once thought to be a lost cause -- by activists like the firebrand Cummins have grown as concerns over GM ingredients have lingered.

"A lot of people thought they had no chance, that it was really a fool's errand," said Ben Lilliston, a vice president at the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. "They achieved some things that a lot of people didn't think were possible." Lilliston wrote a book with Cummins called "Genetically Engineered Food: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers."

Based in the northeast Minnesota hamlet of Finland, the Organic Consumers Association is Cummins' baby, the apex of a lifelong career of liberal activism. The 67-year-old started by protesting the war in Vietnam and went on to battle everything from nuclear proliferation to the Flavr Savr tomato -- the first GM food to be licensed for human consumption.

The Organic Consumers Association helped mobilize citizens in California last year to get a labeling referendum on the ballot. The group was one of the largest donors to California pro-labeling forces, ponying up about $1 million beyond initial mobilization efforts.

In Washington this year, the Organic Consumers Association had raised $700,000, according to Washington state government records. Those contributions come mostly from donations of less than $100 from thousands of the group's members.

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Activist wants food labels to disclose genetic engineering

Internet Freedom Monitoring in New Zealand

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Internet Freedom Monitoring in New Zealand

Summary

We conclude that of the 29 Internet Freedom indicators in the La Rue Framework New Zealand: 14/29 compliant including: basic legal framework; no generic bans / restriction on political content; high levels of access , no State sponsored cyber attacks and strong privacy laws 4/29 non-compliant: child sexual abuse images filter has no legal basis; protection of journalists and bloggers is weak; access to legal information needs improving; and the private sector is not transparent on content removal; 11/29 unclear: these include access issues for marginalised and vulnerable groups and proposed laws on national security and counter-terrorism (which were not developed at the time this research was completed, but have since become law).

Where we are doing well New Zealanders are generally free to express themselves online There is no criminal defamation New Zealands legal structure applies to and supports freedom of expression on the Internet Content blocking for solely political reasons does not occur and policies for operation of .nz adhere to rule of law in relation to takedown of online content. Government actions generally adhere to the rule of law and due process but there are significant exceptions which raise serious concerns The local Internet community is active in promoting human rights in Internet policy Internet access rates are high, there is diverse content and infrastructure development and improvements

Where we need to do better: There is a high degree of soft censorship and an apparent acceptance of this by many internet users. This is a concern given lack of transparency and few opportunities for input into filtering and content blocking policies of Internet service providers. Overall, Internet freedom related public policy is fragmented and contradictory: for example, on the one hand the law on Internet intermediary liability and the lawful basis for filtering of child sexual abuse images are unclear and have not been tested in the Courts. On the other hand there is increasing specificity and control over regulation for some online content and proposed new laws for online communications will set a lower legal standard for removal of online content than would be possible for offline content. Privacy laws are strong, but there are increasing concerns about privacy breaches by government agencies and the need to protect whistleblowers. The private sector is doing poorly in transparency reporting and is not generally engaged in Internet freedom debates. New Zealanders have access to some legal information for free, but access is poor for those who cannot afford premium fee-paying services and for access to secondary legal information, including case law.

ENDS

Scoop Media

Even Granny Herald has come to love Kiwibank. To the point where in May 2010, it was saying in an editorial that Kiwibank had been such a success, it should be semi-privatised! ...

So, riddle me this. Since Kiwibank has been such an acknowledged success, why on earth has Granny Herald been editorialising so strongly this week against the Labour Partys announcement of a Kiwi owned and operated insurance company, along Kiwibank lines?

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Internet Freedom Monitoring in New Zealand

Local governments slow to commit to Freedom Transit funding

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The free service may stop or change significantly without enough financial assistance

By Sarah Fleischman

sfleischman@eveningsun.com @sefleischman on Twitter

Without enough financial support, Freedom Transit may permanently discontinue or significantly change its service.

Four municipalities and the Adams County commissioners were asked to provide funding to help keep Freedom Transit from reducing its service or ceasing it entirely, but none have made any commitments, said Richard Farr, executive director of the York Adams Transportation Authority.

The free system, which provided more than 149,000 trips in 2013 and grew 76 percent between 2012 and 2013, started in 2009 as a three-year demonstration project, according to a news release.

Now the demonstration period has ended, the authority no longer receives 100 percent of its funding from the federal government through a U.S. Department of Transportation grant, Farr said.

The annual operating cost of Freedom Transit is more than $900,000, he said.

The authority needs $65,264 in local funds to access more than $900,000 in state and federal funds, according to a news release.

Farr said the authority wrote letters to Cumberland Township, Straban Township, Gettysburg Borough and Mount Joy Township in May asking the municipalities to help supply the needed funds.

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Local governments slow to commit to Freedom Transit funding