Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Head to the Bahamas for His 40th Birthday Celebration – PEOPLE.com

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Head to the Bahamas for His 40th Birthday Celebration
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The Bahamas birthday celebration follows a trying few months for Kim and Kanye. Earlier this year, sources told PEOPLE the couple hit a rough patch in their marriage following fallout from Kim's harrowing Paris robbery and Kanye's grueling tour schedule.
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Declare offshore wealth? Russia tycoons would rather ship themselves off shore – Reuters

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MOSCOW Some of Russia's super-rich have given up residency to escape a 2014 law requiring them to disclose offshore assets, wealthy businessmen told Reuters, a practice that could keep billions of dollars hidden from Moscow's tax authorities.

Interviews with more than a dozen people familiar with the practice -- including prominent tycoons, wealth managers, lawyers and current and former officials -- suggest a swathe of Russia's national wealth is now in the hands of a new class of semi-exiled oligarchs, who keep bases in their homeland but escape its tax net by spending fewer than 183 days a year there.

"You can scold them, call them unpatriotic, but the fact remains: the budget has lost out," Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia's ten richest men, told Reuters about the practice.

Potanin, co-owner of Arctic mining giant Norilsk Nickel, said he has remained a tax resident of Russia but watched as many of his peers moved out in response to the 2014 law.

Two other people on Forbes Magazine's list of the 100 richest Russians told Reuters they had given up Russian residency to escape the law, speaking on condition that they not be identified to avoid hurting their Russian business dealings.

Two more declined to say whether they had done so, but, like Potanin, said they also knew many fellow oligarchs who had.

No official data has been made public on how many people have given up Russian residency to escape the law, or the overall size of the assets they have shielded from Russian tax jurisdiction through the practice.

But Russian law firm Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and Partners said it had conducted a survey of around 300 wealthy Russians and found as many as 40 percent of those with offshore companies had given up residency in Russia. Another 9 percent transferred the assets to relatives who are not tax residents.

The law, popularly known in Russia as "de-offshorizatsia", requires all Russian taxpayers to declare their interest in offshore companies they control, on which they can then become liable to paying tax in Russia. It is similar to the standard practice in most western countries, but represented a change for Russia, where previously taxpayers could hold interests in companies abroad without declaring them.

The change was a high-profile initiative of President Vladimir Putin, widely interpreted as a way to force Russians to do their patriotic duty by investing in their homeland. While there is no suggestion that it is illegal to avoid the law's requirements by giving up Russian residency, those who have done so told Reuters they accepted they were thwarting the law's aim.

In response to Reuters questions, Russia's economy ministry said the de-offshorization law was in line with global practice.

It said improving the investment climate was a government priority, with positive results, as demonstrated by Russia's improved ranking in the World Bank's ease of Doing Business index. Russia is now ranked 40th, up from 92nd in 2014.

The Kremlin declined to comment. The finance ministry did not reply to a request for comment by the time of publication. In response to a list of questions, the tax service said the number of tax cases it was pursuing against Russians with foreign tax exposure was rising, but it did not directly address the questions.

The impact of tax exiles giving up Russian residency is heightened because so much of the country's wealth is concentrated in the hands of relatively few people. According to Forbes, the 200 richest Russians have $460 billion in wealth, equivalent to nearly a third of Russia's nominal GDP.

"People are forced to decide: do they keep their business in Russia or become citizens of the world and take their assets offshore," said Konstantin Korishchenko, a former deputy head of the Russian central bank.

A former official who has kept close ties to the Kremlin and talks often to Russian oligarchs said that by his estimate a third of Russia's top 500 businesspeople had left the country over the past three years, in part because of the new law.

"IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOW"

Some familiar with the practice said wealthy Russians were giving up their residency because they feared that disclosing their offshore companies would open them to the risk of the information being leaked to business rivals, or even abused by corrupt officials for spurious prosecutions or blackmail.

"The first thing that entrepreneurs say is that there is a big sense of mistrust: mistrust toward each other, mistrust towards the state," said Andrei Sharonov, dean of the Moscow School of Management, Skolkovo, which offers an MBA program.

Sitting on the leather sofa in his office in one of Moscow's most prestigious commercial addresses, one of the tycoons who gave up his residency told Reuters he made the move reluctantly.

Leaving his homeland for most of the year was a wrench. But because of the investment climate in Russia, he and his partners were looking for buyers for their Russian businesses and focusing instead on international holdings, he said.

"I would stay here and would continue paying taxes here if it was not for this law," the businessman told Reuters. "It's impossible now."

He now spends his time mostly in a European Union country where his family has settled some time ago, or traveling to meetings around the world. Such a lifestyle, he said, has become common among his peers since the law was passed: "Lots of people lived here and paid tax. Now they don't."

Another Russian businessman, a billionaire who also gave up his Russian residency over the de-offshorization law, told Reuters he and fellow tycoons were worried that it could be followed by further measures, tougher on businesspeople.

After three years of deep recession, Russia's economy is stabilizing but has not yet returned to the steady growth needed to begin making up lost ground.

The de-offshorization law is one of several factors discouraging investment in Russia, said Chris Weafer a senior partner at Russia-focussed consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd.

"Its completely unrealistic to talk about raising growth rates to 4 percent, as Russian officials hope, without a sharp increase in inward investment," he said.

Businesspeople who spoke to Reuters said complying with the new rules meant they incurred hefty fees to lawyers and accountants to audit their offshore assets and prepare tax returns, they had to deal with a mountain of paperwork, and at the end risked having to paying more tax.

Several said privacy was also an issue, in a country where vendors at flea markets sell CDs purported to contain leaked information from the tax authorities' databases.

In the law firm's survey, almost two third of respondents said that they or their clients had encountered problems with leaks of confidential information from state services.

Ultimately, people do not trust the authorities to keep their information safe, said the businessman on the Forbes list of 100 richest Russians who did not reveal whether he had given up his residency.

"No one wants to show the money."

(Additional reporting by Darya Korsunskaya, Oksana Kobzeva, Svetlana Reiter, Anastasia Lyrchikova, Alexander Winning, Andrey Ostroukh, Kira Zavyalova and Olga Sichkar; editing by Peter Graff)

WASHINGTON The U.S. and Mexican governments reached a new agreement to significantly shift their sugar trade mix, but U.S. sugar producers have failed to endorse the deal, leaving question marks over whether it could still sour broader trade relations.

SINGAPORE/LONDON A campaign by leading Arab powers to isolate Qatar is disrupting trade in commodities from crude oil to metals and food, and deepening fears of a possible jolt to the global gas market, where the tiny Gulf state is a major player.

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Offshore leaks fail to harm Maltese PM – EUobserver

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Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat was sworn in for five more years on Monday (5 June) despite aggressive revelations about offshore firms.

His Labour Party won 55 percent of the votes on Saturday, according to a first count by the electoral commission, beating the opposition Nationalist Party with 44 percent.

He described the result as a big vote of confidence after having called the elections to restore his authority amid corruption allegations.

These involved leaks that his wife, his chief of staff, and a minister had secret offshore accounts in accusations that remain under investigation.

"You have confirmed your confidence in the movement despite one of the most negative electoral campaigns in the country's history, Muscat told supporters in Valletta on Saturday.

Those who thought that the Maltese people would choose negativity dont truly know the Maltese people, because the Maltese people choose positivity, optimism, energy, goodwill, unity and equality, he said.

Simon Busuttil, the Nationalist Party leader, resigned after his defeat.

But he urged magistrates to continue their probes into the offshore leaks.

The fact that Joseph Muscat won the election does not mean that what happened has now been erased. It does not mean that the crimes committed have been forgotten. I hope Muscat at least realises that politics have to be cleaned up, Busuttil said.

Maltas president, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the same day called on both parties to end their aggressive and abusive language.

The result clears a potential embarrassment for the EU, whose rotating, six-month presidency is currently being held by Malta.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, said in a letter to Muscat that: Your result is a remarkable tribute to your leadership over the last years.

Muscat, who is 43 years old, promised to cut taxes and raise pensions in his campaign, underlining the islands mini-boom in his past four years in power.

He also pledged to legalise gay marriage, building his international reputation on civil rights.

His strong new mandate saw 92 percent of Maltas 342,000 eligible voters cast a ballot.

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Offshore leaks fail to harm Maltese PM - EUobserver

Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Industry Pledge Huge EU Offshore Wind Expansion – New York Times

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Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Industry Pledge Huge EU Offshore Wind Expansion
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LONDON Germany, Denmark and Belgium joined with 25 companies on Tuesday to back a pledge to increase Europe's offshore wind capacity almost fivefold in the next decade. The joint declaration, signed by energy ministers for the three countries and ...
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Consultancy titan EY to offshore hundreds of jobs to India – The Register

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Exclusive Consultancy goliath Ernst & Young is planning to outsource a number of IT jobs to India in its latest wave of outsourcing.

An email from EY, seen by The Register, told staff it has decided to work with India-based Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to deliver its application support.

It said: "We recognise this is a big change that affects our people and we have sought to minimise the impact on them. We have already notified the people impacted by this decision and we will support them during this transition.

"The majority will be redeployed within EY or offered a role at TCS to support the EY account. We are also working through the notification process for incumbent suppliers."

According to one insider, almost all the roles in the 300-strong in-house app support and developer team have been earmarked for offshoring. The team spans EMEA and the US, and works with IBM, SAP and Microsoft to deliver tax, audit and fraud investigation tools for EY globally.

This is the third round of outsourcing at EY since 2015. The company has already outsourced its help desk function to TCS, and its more in-depth support services to India and Buenos Aires. The moves will affect both the US and UK.

Before the outsourcing process started in 2015, there were around 600 IT people in the UK. By the time it ends that number is expected to be fewer than 100, said the insider.

"Outsourcing was always in the background as a cost pressure, especially as EY was advising other companies to do it," he added. "In 2012 they brought in a global CIO from Goldman Sachs who parachuted in her own people in the US firm and ripped the heart out of a global organisation, experienced people in Germany and UK were sidelined and managed out and then the cost cutting started.

"That CIO, Mo Osborne, is now leaving end of June and a chunk of her appointees are going too."

An EY spokesman said the outfit regularly reviews its processes and systems. "Following our recent, independent IT strategy review, we are in the process of transforming how we deliver IT services to provide market differentiation for our clients.

"We are still finalising the recommendations from the IT strategy review and once this has been completed we will then be able to assess the potential impact on our people."

A number of large organisations have shown renewed interest in offshoring large swathes of their workforce to India. In December, Capita said it will axe roughly 2,250 staff, which includes sending more jobs to the subcontinent.

British Airways has also offshored a chunk of its workforce to TCS.

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Consultancy titan EY to offshore hundreds of jobs to India - The Register

Offshore drilling would begin with a literal bang – Asbury Park Press

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President Trump signed an executive order in April, opening the possibility of offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in more than 30 years. First, energy companies will survey the ocean floor with sound to try and locate oil reserves. Russ Zimmer

President Donald Trump gestures as he answers a question from a members of the the media after signing an Executive Order in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, April 28, 2017. The Executive Order directs the Interior Department to begin review of restrictive drilling policies for the outer-continental shelf.(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)

The new oil rush in the Atlantichas officially begun.

With an executive order, President Trump in April rolled back a ban on oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean.

Now, energy companies are in a race to figure out what's under the ocean's floor.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday it is considering five permits that are essential to allowing theindustry to conduct seismic tests in the Atlantic Ocean.

ELECTIONS: Here's where the NJ gubernatorial candidates stand on top issues

Environmentalists opposing the president's action worry about anotherDeepwater Horizon a calamity in which 11 offshore oil rig crew members were killed and 4 million barrels of crude spewed into the Gulf of Mexico.

After all, ahalf-million Shore jobs are supported by tourism and another 50,000 by fishing. Those two industries, which would be devastated by an environmental disaster at sea, accountfor about 1 in every 8 employed people statewide.

But ocean advocates have another concern ahead of any drilling the possible harm to marine life caused by seismic surveying.

The equipment used to find subterranean oil reserves requires repeated discharges of piercing sound, which can confuse sea creatures and damage their hearing.

I think it has an effect on the communication between juvenile marine animals and their mothers," saidBob Schoelkopf, executive director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine."The interference could separate a whale from its calf, which depends on the mother for nursing purposes."

OFFSHORE DRILLING: Pros and cons for NJ

Commercial fishermen say seismic testing coulddisrupttheir livelihood.

"They need to find a better way to test for oil reserves other than seismic testing," saidCaptain Jim Lovgren, who sits on the board of directors of the Fishermen's Dock Cooperative inPoint Pleasant Beach."The loud decibels of sound created by it absolutely scatter our fish population."

In this May 14, 2015, file photo, the oil drilling rig Polar Pioneer is towed toward a dock in Elliott Bay in Seattle. Working to dismantle his predecessor's environmental legacy, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday, April 28, 2017, aimed at expanding drilling in the Arctic and opening other federal areas to oil and gas exploration.(Photo: ELAINE THOMPSON/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Meanwhile, the oil industry, some researchers and government regulators all say the mapping can be done responsibly by following carefully considered rules to protect marine mammals and fish populations.

Marty Durbin is executive vice president and chief strategy officer for the American Petroleum Institute, the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America's oil and natural gas industry. (Handout/TNS)(Photo: Handout, TNS)

"We do have concerns about how these types of activities may hurt marine mammals but also we believe that we put measures in effect that will allow us to offset them," said Jolie Harrison, chief of the Permits and Conservation Division in theNOAA Fisheries' Office of Protected Resources.

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The applicants all companies that provide geophysical data to the oil and gas industry are seeking access to asurvey area that stretchesfrom the Delaware Bay south to Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Seismic surveying, sometimes called seismic testing, is a method of usingsound and science to create a picture of what's below the surface of the seabed.

Watch the video above for more on the science involved.

Oil and gas exploration requires this kind of intelligence in order to know where to drill.

Before you're going to do anything else you're going to need the results of those seismic surveys, said Marty Durbin, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of the American Petroleum Institute, during a conference call last week.

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During seismic testing, there is thepotential for injury to marine mammalsor the disruption of their behavioral patterns caused by the testing, which is performed with an instrument called an airgun,saidthe NOAA's Harrison.

This is referred to as "a take."

"A take would include a mortality, which we certainly do not anticipate here at all," she said. "It includes an injury. When we think of injury from the impact of sound we typically think of hearing impairment, which there is a small potential for here."

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Airguns are towed in an array behind a ship and fireoff a pulse of soundtoward the sea floor at regular intervals. Different frequencies penetrate deeper and deeper and then the echoes bounce back to sensors that surround the airguns.

An example of an airgun used in seismic testing.(Photo: Courtesy of the USGS)

The speed by which the different frequencies return createsa comprehensive image of what's below the surface.

To achievethis, the volume of the airguncan be loud, sometimes the equivalent of a jet taking off from 1,000 feet away.

#NJgov: Which candidate has got the best electricity plan?

To safeguard marine mammals, independent observers are positioned on the deck of every ship performing seismic tests. Adevice is also used to monitoranimals below the surface of the water.

If a protected animal, such as a whale, is detected within 5 kilometers of the ship, testing is stopped until they are out of range for at least 30 minutes.

The ship used as part of the seismic survey to gather ancient evidence of sea level change from the sea floor off New Jersey in 2015.(Photo: Courrtesy of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University)

Just a couple years ago, Rutgers Professor Greg Mountain found himself in the middle of a firestorm over seismic testing off the coast of New Jersey.

Mountain, a geologist who is also a researcher with Columbia University's vaunted Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, was trying to gather evidence on the ocean floor of rising sea levels from 30 million to 40 million years agoinformation that could furtherour understanding of climate change.

Mountain says he was under constant criticism for seismic testing from all corners environmentalists, fishermen, even Gov. Chris Christie.

He was comparedto infamous Nazi Dr.Josef Mengele at one point, a charge that Mountainsaid "almost brought me to my knees."

Mountain, who said he feels"a close connection with the environment,"spent months at sea performing these tests and "never once have I seen a harmed animalnever once. No animal floated to the surface, dazed or injured. Nothing. Nada. Zip."

Watch Gov. Christie talk about Mountain's plan in the video below.

Archival clips off past protests in New Jersey over seismic testing and oil drilling. iPhone by Dan Radel.

While seismic testing might be the battle, the war is offshore drilling.

"Trumps plans for seismic testing along our coast are not only environmentally damaging on its own, but it will lead to offshore drilling that could threaten our coasts even more, said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, in a statement.

Oil spills don't need to be of the magnitude of the BP Gulf spill to be damaging.

THE SHORE ECONOMY: NJ tourism spending rose nearly 3 percent in 2016

Schoelkopf, of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, recalled the effects of a February 2004 tanker leak of a few hundred gallons of oil that slicked60 miles along the New Jersey coastline and left globs of tar balls on the beach.

Being a coastal state just about any amount of an oil spill will have an effect on the ecosystem,"Schoelkopf said."I remember answering calls after an oil bargethat leaked oil. It mixed with sand and made tar balls on Brigantine beaches. They were like cement boots for the birds. They couldnt fly.

In this file photo, a gull with oil-soaked feet, rests on a railing as a clean-up crew from Miller Environmental Group, Inc. cleans up the oil spill on the beach in Bradley Beach, February 5, 2004.(Photo: File Photo)

One hundred and sixty-nine birds were affected; 114 died.

OIL SPILLS: Notable spills in U.S. water, 1989-2011

In 2014, the NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration was called to 117 oil spill sites.

Because of ocean currents, a spill wouldn't need to be off the coast of New Jersey in order to effect the Shore.

"If they drill off the South Carolina coast a spill might not reach New Jersey," said Captain Lovgren, who pilots a trawler called the Sea Dragon,"but anything north of Cape Hatteras will get into the Gulf Stream and be carried to us."

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TRUMP: Activists want NJ to fight climate change without feds

Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com;Dan Radel: 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com

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Offshore drilling would begin with a literal bang - Asbury Park Press

Durham Town Council backs resolution supporting offshore wind – Foster’s Daily Democrat

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By Casey Conely news@fosters.com

DURHAM Town councilors on Monday endorsed a resolution calling for a focused look at offshore wind development.

The measure, which passed 7-1, urges Republican Gov. Chris Sununu to ask the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to form a task force dedicated to exploring commercial wind power in the Gulf of Maine. Councilor Firoze Katrak opposed the resolution and Councilor Carden Welsh was absent.

The benefits would be potentially federal grants to researchers (at UNH), investments in the local offshore region by wind energy companies and opportunities in the port of Portsmouth, said Mary Downes, who sits on Durhams Energy Committee.

It could lead to reduced reliability on other forms of energy we have to import and pay a lot of money for, she continued.

Durham became the first Seacoast community to approve the resolution, which is backed by several alternate energy organizations, including a state affiliate of the climate group 350.org and Durham-based Seacoast Anti-Pollution League.

Doug Bogen, an organizer with the Seacoast Anti-Pollution League, said the effort is in its early stages. However, the group hopes to build on recent local successes. Energy commissions in Dover, Durham and Portsmouth already have backed the resolution.

The climate is changing, Bogen told Durham councilors Monday, and we need to act much more (quickly).

The town councils approval follows President Trumps decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2016 Paris Agreement aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Power plants that burn fossil fuels are a major producer of greenhouse gases.

In spite of the change weve seen at the federal level," Downes said, "there is a lot we can do at the state and federal level and this is one concrete action we can do."

Supporters argue offshore wind would be a boon for the environment and the New England economy. For instance, waters off New Hampshires sliver of coastline offers potential to generate to 2,600 mW of electricity more than enough to power the entire state, according to data from a 2010 federal Dept. of Energy report.

Large scale, commercial wind development also would support hundreds and potentially thousands of jobs, according to data provided by the Seacoast Anti-Pollution League.

Mondays resolution passed with little debate. Councilor Kenny Rotner pointed out the measure requires no financial commitment from the town.

Katrak likened alternative energy projects that require subsidies to reverse Robin Hood measures.

They take money from poor people and give it to the rich people, he said, suggesting costs of subsidies are borne by poorer residents.

In other town council news Monday, councilors made clear the towns consultants will share expert testimony related to the Seacoast Reliability Project transmission line with the state Site Evaluation Committee (SEC). Eversource has proposed building the line.

The town hired The Woods Hole Group and GeoInsight to review Eversources conclusions related to the project, and residents have expressed concern such data would not be submitted to the SEC. The SEC will consider approving the project this fall.

Town Administrator Todd Selig recommended the town ask its consultants to submit a report to the SEC, and councilors agreed, voting 8-0. Such a request will cost additional money, but roughly $35,000 is still available from an initial $90,000 allocation approved earlier this year.

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Durham Town Council backs resolution supporting offshore wind - Foster's Daily Democrat

Activists: Trump’s Atlantic coast survey is the ‘first step to offshore drilling’ – Washington Examiner

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The Commerce Department is proposing to grant five permits to survey the Atlantic coastline's seabed, a move that activists oppose because they see it as part of President Trump's plan to expand offshore drilling.

The proposed permits, filed on Monday for publication in the Federal Register, would allow companies to use high-powered air guns to conduct seismic survey activity. But environmental groups say the survey technique is harmful to marine mammals and other sea life and should not be used.

"The threats of seismic airgun blasting alone are bad enough, but it's also the first step to offshore drilling, which could lead to the industrialization of coastal communities and the risk of another BP Deepwater Horizon-like disaster," said the large conservation group Oceana. "The time to protect our coast is now."

The Commerce Department, however, is warning that any comments submitted to the agency in opposition to, or suport of, oil and natural gas drilling will not be accepted. The agency is accepting comments on its proposed permit authorization for 30 days.

"Comments indicating general support for or opposition to hydrocarbon exploration or any comments relating to hydrocarbon development (e.g., leasing, drilling) are not relevant to this request for comments and will not be considered," the notice read.

President Trump in an April executive order began the process of reversing the Obama administration's ban on drilling off the Atlantic Coast. The proposed survey activity is the first step in opening up oil and natural gas drilling on the East Coast by assessing what lies beneath the seabed.

Although the survey actions may help in planning future drilling operations, the action being taken does not allow any actual drilling to take place. That approval is still being worked out by the Interior Department.

The Commerce Department's fisheries division issues the permits, which allow companies to incidentally harm whales, seals and other aquatic mammals through conducting their activities.

"An authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if [the National Marine Fisheries Service] finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species," the notice read.

The survey area will stem from northern Florida to Delaware.

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Activists: Trump's Atlantic coast survey is the 'first step to offshore drilling' - Washington Examiner

Town Council Pushes For Offshore Wind In Gulf Of Maine – North American Windpower

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Despite the presidents decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, town councilors in New Hampshire are trying to take action on climate change at the local level by pushing for an offshore wind task force.

According to a local report from fosters.com, the Town of Durham wants Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H., to urge the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to create a task force devoted to offshore wind development specifically on the Gulf of Maine. A measure calling for this action was passed 7-1 during a town meeting yesterday.

The meeting agenda states that the resolution endors[es] the formation of a multi-state task force to explore the potential for offshore wind development along the Maine and New Hampshire coastline.

The report notes that the resolution has garnered the support of a 350.org affiliate, the Seacoast Anti-Pollution League and three local energy commissions.

In spite of the change weve seen at the federal level, there is a lot we can do at the state and federal level [on climate change], and this is one concrete action we can do, Doug Bogen from the Seacoast Anti-Pollution League said at yesterdays meeting.

Recently, a legislative committee in Maine voted unanimously to deny a bill aimed at forcing the University of Maine to move a pair of demo floating wind turbines farther from the coast of Monhegan Island. The bill, introduced by Sen. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro, in February, had sought to bar wind turbines within 10 miles of the island.

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Town Council Pushes For Offshore Wind In Gulf Of Maine - North American Windpower

An Energy Shock from the High Seas – Wall Street Journal (subscription)

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An Energy Shock from the High Seas
Wall Street Journal (subscription)
Circle January 2020 on your calendar for what could be a major disruption to the energy market and a jolt to the global economy. The origin of the problem isn't some oil cartel's machinations, a looming war or even a technological shiftit is a ...
An Energy Shock from the High Seas -- Heard on the StreetFox Business

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An Energy Shock from the High Seas - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

You can gamble on the high seas out of Galveston, but it might not always be smooth sailing – Rare.us

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Texans are always ones to bet on.

And, with the opening of Jacks or Better Casino in April, there may soon be a whole new generation of gambling Houstonians. That is, if they can stomach the seasickness.

Ive seen fewer sick people in the Ben Taub Hospital emergency room, Ken Hoffman wrote on CultureMapafter his recent trip aboard the risky vessel. Crew members began roaming the boat with trays piled high with sickness bags and crackers. Like waiters serving hors doeuvres at a wedding party. Passengers were stumbling aimlessly, bumping into furniture and slamming into walls, like babies taking their first steps, or town drunk Otis Campbellon The Andy Griffith Show.

Although it is well established that gambling is not for the faint of heart, for those strong enough to fight through the potential motion sickness from rough waves, Jacks could be the perfect way for Houstonians to explore beyond the Bay this summer.

RELATED: If this video from the worlds tallest water coaster doesnt get you pumped for summer, nothing will

Just an hour down I-45, the 150-foot boat offers at least one $15 cruise nearly every day, equipped to handle up to 360 passengers at a time.

Game tables, karaoke and slot machines can be found throughout the three decks, and nothing on the menu is over $8. You also get two free drinks on the way out of Texas-U.S. waters, where gambling is effectively prohibited.

Jacks is even prepared with Dramamine and provides a complimentary $20 chip and a free boarding for the next visit if passengers do get sick.

With a policy to embark in conditions of up to 5 feet, however, its not always smooth sailing, even with the preparations and options to cancel in advance.

According to one Yelp reviewer, her May 20th cruise was easily one of the worst experiences of my life.

Another reflected on his journey with emotion through poetry:

To make matters worse, Jacks had an unfortunate buoy incident in April that left the vessel with a 100-ft gash requiring shipyard repair:

A reported mechanical issue also left the boat out of commission for several days, but, despite the bad rap and luck, Jacks is committed to customer service and providing the best experience conditions will allow.

We care about your comfort and wish to make your ride a pleasant and winning one! their website provides.

And not everyone is disappointed:

Besides the vomiting, which ultimately forced the captain to end the cruise an hour early, Hoffman said his only other complaint was the lack of sports betting options at the moment.

True to their mantra of creating a great time for guests, the sports manager on board said the required machines should be arriving within a few weeks.

RELATED: Once among the wealthiest towns in America, the history of Galvestons Sea Wall is just as rich

For more information or to plan your cruise, check out Jacks summer hours and visit their website here.

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You can gamble on the high seas out of Galveston, but it might not always be smooth sailing - Rare.us

Footprints: PERIL ON THE HIGH SEAS – DAWN.com

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A DARK empty room and the constant sound of bombardment are amongst the most prominent memories Kabir Hussain carries of his six-month stay in Al Hudaydah, Yemen.

The chief officer aboard an ill-fated cargo ship, MV Jouya 8, has finally reached his home in Karachi.

At his home across from the Airport Road, there is no family other than his wife, Kaneez Fatima, and their three teenage children. Kabir, visibly nervous, begins to narrate how he ended up in war-torn Yemen.

On Nov 9 last year, I and seven other crew members set out for a city in the south of Iran called Bushehr [or Bushire]. Iran was the flag-bearer of the cargo and as part of the contract we had to reach Iran and then a port in Egypt. In the middle of the journey, the company communicated to Captain Aneesur Rehman that the cargo agreement had been cancelled, he says. We were asked to return to Iran.

On Dec 4, the crew members of MV Jouya 8 made their way to Yemen since fresh water in the ship was depleting and the engine was heating up. Kabir was asked by the captain to keep the anchor ready.

We were four nautical miles away from the port, he explains. I reached the forward station and began opening the anchor. The captain asked me to wait for further orders as he wanted to go 2.5 nautical miles more before anchoring. At 5.55pm, something hit the ship. It halted and started rocking. This was followed by a missile attack. The ship began to sink soon after.

Kabir adds that one of the crew members, sailor Sohail Ahmed, was the only one I saw. He was bleeding profusely and was slumped down.

Since the ship was sinking, Kabir knew he had barely a minute or two to jump off the vessel. I couldnt see any other crew member apart from Sohail, who earlier didnt let me approach him and who was, by now, slumped even further. I jumped and swam 50 to 60 metres as a whirlpool formed around the sinking ship. When the ship had gone down totally, I grabbed a cargo pallet floating nearby and reached the area where the ship had sunk, to see if anyone survived, he explains. I saw Sohail floating nearby and caught him up, thinking that hed probably survive, he muses. At the time, I was four nautical miles away from the shore.

Kabirs right hand was cut open and he tells me that his head and legs were full of small pellets. I realised I was bleeding so I kept my safety shoes on, even though they are heavy, in order to not attract a shark, he says.

As it began to get dark, Kabir saw a flicker of light that continued to get closer. I cried for help and soon, a boat came past. By then I was finding it difficult to keep Sohail beside me as he kept drifting away, he adds.

The men who rescued Kabir wore camouflage uniform and were armed. On reaching an ambulance and traversing the severely bombarded lanes, Kabir says he was very fearful. The hospital was full of victims of the bombing, he recalls. People kept coming in with severed limbs. I asked the doctors whether Sohail had survived and was told that he might. The truth was that he had died and they didnt tell me as I was in shock.

On Dec 6, Kabir was moved to Hudaydah for further surveillance. I was in a big, dark room with an attached toilet, where I spent six months, he says. By that time, a statement from Saudi Arabia claimed that the attacked cargo ship had been carrying weapons and missiles for Houthi militias with the help of Iran. In a statement on Dec 7, Iran refuted the claim.

In the meantime, a rescue operation conducted by Yemeni authorities ended with the recovery of six crew members of MV Jouya 8, who were taken to a military hospital in Hudaydah.

In February, Kabir was informed that the Red Cross, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migrants, was looking into his case. Amongst the items recovered from the debris of the ship were some of Kabirs passports in a file. My two old passports had survived, but the current one did not, he says. That information was sent to Riyadh for verification and then to Pakistan. On that basis, I was asked to get to Djibouti via ferry, where I stayed for eight days. From there I was sent to Riyadh, then Jeddah, and then Istanbul. And I finally landed in Karachi on June 3 at 5am, he recounts with a sigh.

His wife, Kaneez Fatima, complains that no one came to speak to us or to ask if we are doing okay. I just received a months salary after he went missing.

Kabir seems to be at peace with himself. I dont want to blame anyone. My only appeal right now is to the government to please get back the bodies of the six crew members who are still at the military hospital in Yemen.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2017

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Footprints: PERIL ON THE HIGH SEAS - DAWN.com

Cruise ship crime: Who’s in charge of law and order on the high seas? – Star2.com

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Its a question that a passenger boarding a cruise ship might fleetingly ask, but then quickly forget: Who is responsible for law and order when were out on the high seas?

The passengers on an average cruise ship amount to a small town of 2,000 to 5,000 people, and there might be situations when one or a few of them misbehave, even break the law.

What then? Who can detain a troublemaker? Is there even a jail cell?

There are actually detention rooms on some ships, says Helge Grammertsdorf, whose job it is to worry about these problems. These usually are ferry vessels, says the expert from Germanys international cruise lines association CLIA.

On a cruise ship this can, if need be, a cabin used for the purpose. Tui Cruises is one such line to use this practice.

The person that lays down the law on a vessel is almost always the ships captain, says Grammertsdorf. Its his decision whether a suspect will be arrested. Additionally, there are also specially trained security personnel on board, he points out.

Theres a small town on board a cruise ship and there might be situations when one or a few of the residents misbehave, even break the law. Photo: dpa/Stefan Sauer

Tui Cruises says it even has a department that acts as a security service on its fleet. The department is headed by a chief security officer who usually has a military or police service background and is versed in the basics of crime investigation.

At Aida Cruises, a spokeswoman says the company likewise employs an experienced and highly trained international team of security personnel on board. The security team is on call to resort, at any given moment, to measures needed to protect guests, the crew and the ship itself.

If the situation actually does require a passenger to be arrested, then as a rule the person is handed over to local authorities or police at the next port of call. Tui Cruises says it has laid down the procedures throughout its entire fleet for such cases. dpa

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DAVID MURDOCK: On fascinating things – Gadsden Times

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By David MurdockSpecial to The Times

There are certain subjects that hold an inexplicable fascination for me. I have no idea why or where or when, for example, I became fascinated with rock strata. I am, though. Love em. Ive actually traveled just to see interesting rock strata. Luckily, Etowah County comes equipped with seemingly endless strata, so I stay pretty well satisfied in that department.

Some of these fascinations become subjects of columns. Ive written two columns on roadkill over the years, for example. How many times Ive rhapsodized about the sky night, cloudy or otherwise lies beyond easy recollection. How many times have I gone on about the birds and animals in my yard or the view from the front porch? I quit counting.

There are others I have never mentioned in the column my endless fascination with whaling, for example. That one, at least, makes some sense since Herman Melvilles Moby-Dick is not only one of my favorite novels, but one I teach several times a year. To mimic Melvilles phrasing, subjects like whaling have become fascinadoes to me seemingly unrelated subjects that trigger endless research. However, I recently decided to do something about some of the more odd ones that dont fit anywhere in the college classes I teach. I usually lead a class at the University of Alabamas Osher Lifelong Learning Institute every term, typically on a literary or cultural topic, but Ive decided to do something more quirky for the summer term. Were calling it Daves Summer Grab Bag, and the course begins at 3 p.m. Wednesday with one of my weirder topics, micronations.

A few years ago, I started tracking micronations in the press. A micronation is a legally non-existent country that has been formed for any of a variety of reasons by ... well ... dreamers, I guess. The most famous one near here is The Conch Republic. Back in the 1980s, the island of Key West seceded from the United States as a protest against a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint that the locals found burdensome. This protest was mostly for the sake of humor, a political satire, but it quickly became a tourist draw, and the Conch Republic currently issues souvenir passports that some people mistakenly believe are real.

Other micronations are sincere attempts to secede from host countries and form ideal governments, and still more were formed for a variety of other reasons (some not always benign). Anyway, I read any article on micronations I stumble across.

Well continue the next week with invasive species plants and animals either knowingly or unknowingly introduced to non-native environments that have since taken over or otherwise become an issue. Think kudzu.

Next up my fascinado with sleeping and dreaming. Im still pursuing the ideal, perfect nap, and I may be on the verge of a breakthrough in my research. Just the other day, I napped past my bedtime. I literally woke up 45 minutes after I usually go to sleep and didnt quite know what to do. So, I watched a movie and went back to sleep. I was just a little exhausted that day. Sleeping and dreaming has been a subject of interest for me since my days as a psychology student, so that ones quite old.

After that, a more recent one the city of Alexandria. Not the one down the highway, the one in Egypt. And not the Alexandria of today, but the Alexandria of antiquity, the one with the ancient worlds most impressive library.

From there, well look at ruins and abandoned places in general. Thats also a recent fascinado for me, dating back to a trip I took a couple of years ago when I stumbled across the Windsor Ruins during my meandering in Mississippi. That experience was profoundly moving, even spiritual, so I never pass up a good ruin or abandoned place now in my travels. Theres even a wish list of places to visit.

Lastly, the granddaddy of all my fascinados dating to my childhood Native American mounds. I wrote an article about them for Gadsden Style a while back, and Ill be giving a talk about my visits to all the nearby mound structures to finish the Grab Bag.

Please come out and join us at OLLI, which offers an opportunity to learn new things, meet new people and go to new places. There are no tests, no homework and no degrees required. For information on how to join OLLI and sign up for sessions, either call 205-348-6482 or contact Shirley Dupont at 256-442-3769. I hope to see yall there.

A correction to last weeks column on the Battle of Midway: Ensign George Gays squadron consisted of 15 Devastator torpedo bombers, not 10 as appeared in the article. Its odd, I had the correct number in the first draft and, for some reason, corrected it. The error is mine.

David Murdock is an English instructor at Gadsden State Community College. He can be contacted at murdockcolumn@yahoo.com. The opinions reflected are his own.

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When Did We Become A Country? The (Not So) Great Chaplin/Cruz Debate – Above the Law

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(Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

It started with a tweet about President Trumps decision to pull us out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Professor Chaplin who is the Chair of American Studies Department at Harvard and the James Duncan Phillips Professor, tweeted this:

That tweet somehow got picked up by Senator Ted Cruz, who, in the spirit of curiosity and intellectual inquiry, sought to clarify what Professor Chaplin meant. He asked, Dear Professor Chaplin, your tweet struck me as odd, given that we all usually think of July 4, 1776, as the birth of our nation. Can you clarify what you mean?

Just kidding! He completely dismissed her, and then in the right-wing press, was described as having owned her.

That led to Professor Chaplins clapback:

I jumped in because it was clear that Senator Cruz wasnt looking for intellectual debate, or he wouldnt have started out with the ad hominem and condescension. As one of my colleagues wrote, What did Senator Cruz say that was wrong? My reply was:

And then discussion degenerated. I dont have time to do a thorough statistical analysis, but the vast of majority of replies (at least to me) were insults. There were a few who came to Professor Chaplins defense, seeking to elaborate on her points (if they went to her twitter feed, they would have seen some more discussion). Many came to Senator Cruzs defense. But, at this point, the discussion became partisan, and all hope for any understanding was lost.

So, let me try to sum up the two positions, not doing justice to either side.

A country requires international recognition to exist. I could declare myself the great state of LawProfBlawg, but no one is going to acknowledge my country. I wont be a player on any international arena, and I might very well get invaded. Throughout history there were many nations that lacked international recognition, such as the Republic of Lakotah, the Principality of the Hutt River, or other micronations. Some countries have varying degrees of international recognition, which makes the notion murkier, but it is still a necessary condition for statehood. Professor Chaplin takes a more eloquent position here.

A country begins at conception. Perhaps Orin Kerr said it best in his tweet:

In other words, the Declaration of Independence created the United Colonies, which then undertook a name change on September 9, 1776, to the United States of America. The only trouble here is that the founders spoke of free and independent states, so perhaps then we should be talking about multiple countries. Regardless, by the time of the Articles of Confederation and later the Constitution, it was very clear they were a single country, the good ol US of A.

Blog length makes my summary of both arguments incomplete, with many unanswered questions. For example, was the Confederate States of America a country? It did declare independence, and under the second standard, would have to be historically recognized as a country. Under the first standard, the Confederacy was not a country because it received no international recognition. But there are countries that exist without full international recognition. In short, its murky.

While the answer may be murky a few things about the great debate are clear:

I wondered about the gender implications of the debate. I wondered if this is what it is like to be a female faculty member at a University.

I wonder why Im even calling it a debate. Professor Chaplin was doing what most of us do on Twitter. She wasnt expecting a Cruzian call-out. She was expressing outrage at the United States, a member of the international community since birth, pulling out of that community. Even as other tweeters got involved, it was never a debate. It had all the trappings of the famous Monty Python Argument Clinic.

Thats not the fault of Twitter. Those with differing viewpoints refuse to seek common understanding, as traditional debate becomes an increasingly lost art. The loss will eventually destroy us, if it hasnt already.

UPDATE (2:45 p.m.): After hearing from Senator Cruzs staff members, I must add that I was remiss in not pointing out that Senator Cruz did lay out his argument in two subsequent tweets:

I would characterize this more along the lines of the conception argument, but might eliminate the problem of what to call the Confederacy (because they lost). Ill incorporate my previous assertions to apply to these tweets as well.

LawProfBlawg is an anonymous professor at a top 100 law school. You can see more of his musingshereand onTwitter. Email him atlawprofblawg@gmail.com.

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This Destination Wedding Venue on a Private Island Is Actually AffordablePromise! – Brides.com

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There's something to be said for having an island wedding with a "castaway" feeling, but it's not easy to achieve that and still give your guests the kind of luxurious accommodations that many of them crave when they travel to a tropical destination . Frequently, choosing a remote-feeling destination wedding location means having to ask your guests to make compromises. Unless you choose to get married on Palomino Island.

Palomino Island is one of only three privately-owned islands in Puerto Rico. It's just a little over 200 acres, and it has been owned by the same family for generations. The vast majority of the island has been rented to the Waldorf Astoria's El Conquistador Resort , a popular destination wedding venue on the east end of Puerto Rico, about an hour's drive from San Juan.

While El Conquistador's gardens and terraces on the cliff overlooking the water (and Palomino Island) are popular ceremony locations, for brides seeking a beach ceremony in an unforgettable locale, the resort has a very special treat for them on the shores of its private island.

There's a ferry that runs between the resort and the island every 30 minutes, free to guests of the hotel. It's only a 15-minute trip each way, and many couples choose to get married on the private island, and take their wedding pictures there, before returning to the resort for a fabulously posh reception. Choosing to get married before the regular ferries stop running at 5:30 pm keeps your budget in check, as all of your guests will travel to and from your ceremony for free. But not to worry, El Conquistador has kept the rates reasonable if you choose to charter your return trip so that you can capture sunset in your wedding photos.

For brides and grooms attracted to the Gilligan's Island -vibe of Palomino Island, it's possible to rent the entire private island for your wedding festivities. As in, you can get married on a beautiful Caribbean island that is entirely yours for the evening, and treat your guests to a fabulous tropical experience that is unlike anything they can experience anyplace else.

Just because Palomino evokes a castaway feeling doesn't mean your wedding ceremony or reception has to be any less elegant and sophisticated than you want. El Conquistador and its recommended vendors have designed numerous elaborate weddings, and other special events, on Palomino. You can have as many bells and whistles as your budget allows. For those who choose the private island for its Jimmy Buffet-esque appeal, you can stick with that theme and keep it casual while your guests party all night long. On a PRIVATE island that you and your fianc have rented for your entire wedding night.

Kamil Rivera Lopez, a catering sales manager at El Conquistador who plans weddings, explains that brides and grooms can literally have anything they want catered to their wedding reception on Palomino.

"We take everything over to the island on the ferries, and set it up exactly as the clients imagined it would look," Kamil says. The only caveat to her "anything you want and can afford" policy is elephants. The resort is popular for Indian weddings, and she's had that request more than once. There are no elephants available for rent in Puerto Rico. However, Palomino Island is equipped with beautiful horses that are frequently brought into service for wedding ceremonies and photo shoots.

See More: How to Choose a Wedding Planner for Your Destination Wedding

There are many lovely destination wedding venues on tropical islands, but El Conquistador is the only one in the Caribbean that boasts a private island that can be used exclusively by wedding couples for their wedding festivities. And since El Conquistador itself is located on the island of Puerto Rico, brides and grooms who choose Palomino Island as their wedding destination are getting married on an island, located off of an island. It makes their destination doubly special.

Another added bonus is the fact that this resort is in Puerto Rico, which means your wedding guests won't need passports for the trip, and they can use U.S. currency for their expenses. Don't forget to check out the off-season rateswhile temperatures in the continental United States become unbearable in the summertime, El Conquistador has stunning views and spectacular breezes on its cliffs year round.

Sandy Malone is the owner of Sandy Malone Weddings & Events and author of How to Plan Your Own Destination Wedding: Do-It-Yourself Tips from an Experienced Professional. Sandy is the star of TLC's reality show Wedding Island , about her destination wedding planning company, Weddings in Vieques .

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Dubai to Build $1.7B Man-Made Islands – Hospitality Net – Hospitality Net

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Press Release 6 June 2017

In the last 20 years, Dubai has seemingly grown from the desert in the United Arab Emirates, rising up to become arguably the most luxurious and high end travel destination on the face of the planet. Now, the hotel and leisure industry in the city is helping it to grow outward, into the sea nearby.

The global investment holding company Dubai Holding has recently announced its plans for Marsa Al Arab, a four million square feet pair of man made islands that will be located on either side of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, which is the city's iconic hotel that is shaped like a sail.

Estimates place the cost for this project at $1.72 billion, and when it is complete it is slated to add as much as 1.4 miles of beach to the coastline that runs along the city. The ground breaking is currently scheduled for June, but given the extensive nature of this project, Dubai Holding officials have said that none of the islands will be complete until late 2020.

This construction, like much of Dubai, will be geared toward tourists and other leisure seeking visitors. One of the islands will include family friendly resorts, a 2.5 million square foot marine park and a custom built 1,700 seat theater, which will be home to the first Cirque de Soleil show in the Middle East region. This island will also house 300 sea facing apartments.

The second private island comprising the Marsa Al Arab project will host 14 luxury villas and marina areas for residents, along with a chic boutique hotel. Once all of this work has been completed, Marsa Al Arab will add a total of 2,400 hotel rooms to the Jumeirah Group's portfolio. This group is part of Dubai Holding, and the majority owner for Dubai Holding is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the Ruler of Dubai.

This is not the first time that the Jumeriah Group has been involved with the construction of man made islands. That group is also the manager of the Burj Al Arab, which is itself located about 280 meters from Jumeriah Beach, atop a tract of artificial land that was first built back in 1994.

In recent years there have been other attempts to build islands along with the Burj, and the levels of success of these projects has tended to vary.

Another appealing hotel proejct in Dubai will be the Oyster Resort Dubai, a 5-star new-build resort with a key count of 1,748. The resort consists of a two spiralling towers that anchor a set of radiating fins that sit in the lagoon in front and house a series of villas looking onto the lagoon, each with a private garden and beach.

More information on hotel construction in Dubai can be found on TOPHOTELPROJECTS, the specialized service provider in the exchange of cutting-edge information of hotel construction in the international hospitality industry.

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Dubai to Build $1.7B Man-Made Islands - Hospitality Net - Hospitality Net

Fiji’s astounding revival after Cyclone Winston – Gourmet Traveller Magazine Australia

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Aerial view of Vatuvara Private Islands

After Cyclone Winston swept Fiji in February 2016, the process of rebuilding has transformed some of its most idyllic islands into the hottest resort destinations going around.

A year after Cyclone Winston clobbered Fiji, something remarkable has happened. In the wake of the most powerful storm on record, these idyllic islands have brushed themselves off, spruced themselves up and emerged more appealing than ever. The hardest task for holidaymakers will be choosing which island to visit first.

Related: Fiji's luxury Vatuvara Private Islands

The beach charm of Kokomo (Photography: Nikki To)

Top of the leisure list is Kokomo, billionaire Australian developer Lang Walker's dream beach resort that opened this month. Walker has reportedly spent a whopping $90 million so far (with further stages planned) to build the finest "private island paradise that caters to the fast-growing intergenerational market". Kokomo's five rainforest "residences" are ideal for larger family groups - with chefs, butlers and nannies on call - while the 21 beachfront villas cater to couples and small families. Kokomo even has its own offshore aquarium, the Great Astrolabe Reef - one of the world's largest barrier reefs.

The spacious Palms villa at Vomo Island.

Vomo Island is one of several properties to snatch opportunity from the misfortune wreaked by Winston. The resort, which started life as a Sheraton in the early 1990s, emerged from a multimillion-dollar makeover in 2015, but closed after Winston struck in February 2016. It took six months to fix extensive storm damage and complete a wholesale renovation, adding two new private residences of three and four bedrooms apiece and extending the popular sunset bar. Vomo is the island's sole occupant, so guests at its 32 villas have 87 hectares of tropical playgrounds to themselves. There's also a deserted island, Vomo Lailai, accessible by private launch and best enjoyed with Champagne. Dining is overseen by Vomo's general manager Mark Leslie, a resort veteran and one-time personal chef to Nelson Mandela. Those familiar with the resort say it's looking better than ever after the refresh.

The beachside infinity pool at Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island.

The Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island, is one of a cluster of five-star properties in the Mamanuca chain just west of Nadi, reopened last month after a year-long, $16 million reconstruction and makeover. It's not the only holiday inn on this relatively compact island, but it does have a private beach for sunset viewing and 30 adults-only retreats with private pools and ocean views. (Children are most welcome elsewhere within the property, just not here.) Also new to Tokoriki are a Fijian cultural centre and Sunset Bistro, which takes Sheraton Tokoriki's dining options to five, including the Sala Bar and an outpost of Peter Kuruvita's Flying Fish restaurant.

An artist's impression of the Six Senses at Malolo Island resort.

Stay tuned for the Fijian dbut of ultra-stylish resort chain Six Senses on a private bay at Malolo Island in the Mamanucas. It's set to open at the end of 2017 - current bets are on November - with 26 pool bures of between 110 and 150 square metres and 60 flash residences of three to five bedrooms with sunset views. Six Senses does luxe austerity like nobody's business; guests will be able to combine "multidimensional Six Senses Integrated Wellness programs" and treetop yoga with private plunge pools and indulgent menus showcasing the diverse local produce of the archipelago. Two marinas will accommodate guests' private yachts and charter boats.

Inside the Beachfront Bure at Castaway Island.

Just next door, Australian family favourite Castaway Island is back in business after a serious run-in with Winston. More than a dozen bures had to be replaced but everything was in great shape by the time the resort celebrated its 50th birthday in November. It's a beautiful little island where the bures are comfortable, the kids' club is awesome and the beachside Restaurant 1808 is a gastronomic surprise, in the best possible way.

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Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel’s Laucala Island honeymoon – Daily Times

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PRIVATE FIJI VILLA the couple enjoyed their own private villa, which is part of just 25 other villas in the private island resort. Laucala is one of a triplet of small islands that lie to the east of Thurston Point on the island of Taveuni in Fiji. The privately owned islands are the site of the exclusive Laucala Resort. The total land area of the main island is 12 square kilometres. It is 5 kilometres long with a maximum width of 3 kilometres, narrowing to 1.5 kilometres in some places. The other two islands in the group are Qamea several hundred meters to the west and Matagi.

INFINITY POOL AND MORE not only did the couple enjoy their own infinity pool, but they also got to take in the 360-degree views of deserted beaches and lush rainforests.

FLOOR-TO-CEILING VIEWS each villa comes with floor-to-ceiling windows that open out to the fresh Fiji air.

ROMANTIC AMBIANCE the bed faces out toward the massive windows, which undoubtedly added to the couples romantic stay.

SOAKING BATH it also come complete with a bathtub that overlooks like sea.

COMPLETE PRIVACY the resort offered total privacy to Kerr and Spiegel as it can only be accessed by private aircraft.

IMPECCABLE SIGHTS from sunsets to rainforests to private, sprawling beaches, absolutely nothing can beat the scenery surrounding the resort.

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Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel's Laucala Island honeymoon - Daily Times

Curating Community through Intentional Placemaking – Urban Land

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Decades ago, who would have thought that the graffiti-covered walls of deteriorated industrial buildings would catalyze the regeneration of an entire urban community? The 2016 ULI Global Award for Excellence presented to Miamis Wynwood Walls underscores how all types of art can become the foundation for economically successful placemaking.

A panel at ULI Washingtons recent Trends Conference explored strategies for strengthening communities identity and economic vitality with arts programming and local institutions. The session was moderated by Andy Shallal, proprietor of Busboys and Poets, a combined bookstore, restaurant, and performance venue with several locations in the Washington, D.C., area.

Shallal pointed out that creative placemaking can lead to gentrification, which, in turn, can cause displacement. Successfully regenerating urban neighborhoods can quickly become too expensive for the artists and longtime residents who created their communities allure to begin with. Displacement is an unintended consequence, but we keep doing it, he said.

Displacement does not always occur, argued Jim Brooks of City Solutions. It happens in strong markets, but not necessarily in weaker ones. It can be avoided by building in affordability over the long term, he noted, through land trusts, covenants, and similar measures. He also cited the success of a number of HOPE VI projects, which preserved affordable housing for many longtime residents. There is always pressure to build for the market rate, he warned.

Heidi Zimmers organization, ArtSpace, is devoted to creating, fostering, and preserving affordable space for artists and arts organizations. Financing usually combines state and federal low-income housing tax credits with a variety of other sources to maintain income-qualified housing and/or studio space for artists. The need for this type of housing became obvious in 2016 when a fire killed 36 people in an Oakland, California, warehouse that had been converted to an artists collective.

In 2006, the Washington, D.C., Department of Housing and Community Development asked ArtSpace to help expand and renovate Dance Place, which had helped generate a renaissance of development and investment in the citys Brookland neighborhood since 1986. ArtSpace and Dance Place formed a partnership to create a unique arts complex that is being built in two phases. Phase I, the mixed-use Brookland ArtSpace Lofts, is now in operation, while fundraising is underway for the complete renovation and expansion of Dance Places existing theater. Brooklands subsequently built $250 million mixed-use Monroe Street Market, using no public funding, includes 27 artists studios designated affordable in perpetuity.

Since its founding in 1979, ArtSpace has expanded to operate in 20 states across the United States. Its completed projects include nearly 2,000 live/work units and millions of square feet of nonresidential community and commercial space.

Juanita Hardy, ULIs senior visiting fellow for creative placemaking, believes that collaboration is the key to successful arts-focused community redevelopment with minimal displacement. ULIs Building Healthy Places Initiative, as part of a two-year creative placemaking project funded by the Kresge Foundation, has identified ten best practices in this area, summarized below and in her article in the March/April 2017 issue of Urban Land magazine:

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