Daily Archives: June 11, 2017

A Terrible Argument For Economic Nationalism In The National Review – Forbes

Posted: June 11, 2017 at 5:34 pm

A Terrible Argument For Economic Nationalism In The National Review
Forbes
In more detail, how many people are employed inside the US economy depends upon the monetary policy (from the Fed) and the fiscal policy (when we have one, from Congress) in place in the US economy. ... Then there's this about freedom and liberty:.

Read the rest here:

A Terrible Argument For Economic Nationalism In The National Review - Forbes

Posted in Fiscal Freedom | Comments Off on A Terrible Argument For Economic Nationalism In The National Review – Forbes

Two 6% dividends to help you achieve financial independence … – AOL UK

Posted: at 5:33 pm

Being able to achieve financial independence is the goal of almost every investor. Without a doubt, dividends are crucial to meeting this target. Research has shown that dividends will double your investment returns over the long term, and the higher the yield is, the better.

Kcom(LSE: KCOM) has all the hallmarks of an excellent dividend stock and at the time of writing shares in the telecommunications company support a dividend yield of 6.5%.

Over the past few years, Kcom has struggled with rising customer churn thanks to increasing competition, two factors that have weighed heavily on the company's share price. Management has also been investing heavily in the group's offering. For the year to the end of March, the company reported a pre-tax profit of 30.5m, down from 88.7m in the year-ago period as operating costs rose to 299m from 257m.

This restructuring is expected to simplify the group and improve profit margins. Management has aligned all of Kcom's businesses under one brand and is focusing on the operational performance of two segments, Hull & East Yorkshire and Enterprise. In these two markets, the company has almost no competition. Itis now focused on investing in its fibre network within these two regions which should drive long-term growth for both the company and shareholders, without distractions.

Excluding last year's poor performance, between year-end 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2016, the company generated an average annual pre-tax profit of 51m compared to a total dividend cost of around 30m. If the company can return to this historic level of profitability, it looks as if the group's highly attractive dividend yield is here to stay.

Insurance services provider Redde(LSE: REDD) also appears to be a top dividend stock. At the time of writing, shares in the company support a dividend yield of 6.3%. For the year ending 30 June, analysts have pencilled-in earnings per share of 10.5p, the same level as the dividend payout, giving a dividend cover of just one. These figures may not suggest that Redde's dividend is really all that sustainable but just like Kcom, looking at the company's cash figures gives a different picture.

Cash flow from operations is a more reliable indicator of dividend strength than earnings per share, as the latter metric is easily manipulated. If a company does not have the cash to fund a dividend, no matter how strong its earnings are, the payout is not sustainable. For the six months to the end of December, Redde earned cash from operations of 22.3m; dividends paid cost the group just under 15m, easily covered by operational cash flows.

Based on these figures then, Redde's 6.3% dividend yield looks safe and highly attractive in the current low-interest rate environment.

Dividends are essential for building wealth over the long term and thanks to the miracle of compounding,they can significantly increase your chances of being able to retire early and achieve financial independence.

And if financial independence is your goal, the Motley Fool is here to help. Our analysts have recently put together this brand new free report titled The Foolish Guide To Financial Independence, which is packed full of wealth-creating tips. The report is entirely free and available for download today

Click here to download the report. What have you got to lose?

Rupert Hargreaves has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

Follow this link:

Two 6% dividends to help you achieve financial independence ... - AOL UK

Posted in Financial Independence | Comments Off on Two 6% dividends to help you achieve financial independence … – AOL UK

The real test for Leo’s ‘new Republic’ – Limerick Leader

Posted: at 5:32 pm

I CANT get my head around Leo Varadkars brand new Republic, the place where prejudice has no hold. Of course I welcome it, but at the same time, I cant wait to test it, which means, in essence, that I havent much faith in it. Anyway, Im not even sure if Im ready for it yet.

Im full of prejudices, fears and phobias myself, and only last night I had a nightmare that the Irish language lobby was having me committed to Mountjoy for racism after I had once again questioned the policy of making it a compulsory subject for every Leaving Cert student apart from those whose parents had the money to be able to provide evidence of a learning difficulty that applied only to Irish.

Neither can I shake off the feeling of deep prejudice that I have been harbouring for years against the likes of highly paid hospital consultants who virtually dictate the effectiveness or otherwise of the HSE, and who include their childrens nannies on their staff payrolls to cut their tax bills. Am I going to have to clasp them to my bosom now lest they flee abroad and leave us all without access to open heart surgery?

Even as I write, this new non-judgemental Republic is seething with prejudice against social welfare recipients who have to prove that they are not cheats or parasites, while the richest among us draw down the Childrens Allowance and the free travel and dont have to prove anything. The Taoiseach in waiting had best watch out in case he gets infected with this prejudice, because he already seems to have diverted most of his old Social Welfare staff to fraud detection, while mothers about to give birth have to wait six weeks for their badly needed maternity benefits. Look, we either have a Welfare State or a Republic that holds no prejudice, and I know which one Id prefer.

Now dont even get me started on priests and nuns. If the so called non-judgemental secularists of the new Republic had their way, the clergy would be obliterated with even more ferocity than Henry VIII could ever have mustered against the Monasteries. An innocent priest is vilified on Prime Time and an innocent nun is jailed on hearsay evidence and, because of our prejudices, we dont even bat an eyelid at the injustice. We may have managed to dump some of our nastier phobias, but now weve developed an even more malevolent one Christophobia, a fear of Christianity.

Most people in this country are Christians and why any of us have to lie down and have our religious beliefs disrespected the way they are in some quarters is beyond me.

Im telling you now, if we dont stand up to the new visionaries, well have to bring back the Mass rocks and head for the glens and mountains to practice our Faith, or risk being burned at the stake.

Ive had my problems with individual priests and nuns all my life, but generally I found them nothing but a force for good and I cant even imagine the hurt people like Sr Stan, who devoted her life to helping the poor and the homeless, are now enduring.

But of course, if you really want to experience what its like to be the butt of prejudice in this grand new Republic, all you have to do is grow old and listen to someone asking you when youre going to throw in the towel and make way for a younger person.

For despite all the lip service paid to the venerable elderly, were not as valued as older people once were and were fair game for second rate comedians. Maybe its because there are more of us now, and our numbers are likely to swell even further in the years ahead.

Were a growing demography with serious implications for the economy and the health service, and the real test of Leos new Republic, for us anyway, is whether anyone will have the gall to tell us to our faces that weve become a burden.

It wouldnt, of course, be the first time we declared a Republic where every person and every child would be cherished equally.

But it wasnt long before we had lost the plot and, in the end, we even lost the run of ourselves. But this is different. This is a place where even tolerance with its unfortunate connotations of them and us is considered a dirty word. Weve moved on from all that, it seems, and there is no going back?

Forgive me for being cynical but its hardly two years since the wealthy and influential citizens of South County Dublin - where apparently the seeds of this new Utopia of equality were sown behind electronically gated entrances - successfully resisted plans to have a travellers halting site planked in their midst. I dont know what inspired them if it wasnt prejudice of some kind, but Im sure theyve overcome the intolerance by now.

Maybe Id have been better prepared for this brave new world if I had done what everyone told me to do a long time ago and moved with the times. But I didnt.

So here I am, full, no doubt, of old loyalties, but a Neanderthal at heart with Neanderthal opinions that should never be dismissed as prejudices. For I believe wholeheartedly in equality, and Im not sure that everyone else does, because according to the late lamented Sean O Faolain, the notion of equality is not really in our genes, and that may yet rebound on Leos vision.

The Irish, OFaolain declared, had an ineradicable love of individual liberty. Equality, as far as I could see, they never bothered about, he admitted.

View post:

The real test for Leo's 'new Republic' - Limerick Leader

Posted in New Utopia | Comments Off on The real test for Leo’s ‘new Republic’ – Limerick Leader

Oceania Cruises Launches Sell 5 & Sail Free Booking Incentive in the UK – Cruise Trade News

Posted: at 5:32 pm

Oceania Cruises, the worlds leading culinary-and destination-focused cruise line, has launchedSell 5 & Sail Free,a fantastic booking incentive where UK travel agents have the chance to experience the cruise line that boasts the Finest Cuisine at Sea for themselves.

By booking and confirming between 1stand 30thJune 2017 any five cruises sailing in 2017, travel agents will be rewarded with a free berth on any cruise of up to 10-nights sailing this year.Qualifying travel agents may also bring a guest for the low price of $100 dollars per day.

We have found that there is no better reward for our loyal travel partners than by offering the chance to sail on board Oceania Cruises themselves, said Bernard Carter,Senior Vice President & Managing Director, EMEA, Oceania Cruises. Travel agents who experience the finest cuisine at sea, unparalleled service and elegant casual on board ambience of Oceania Cruises return to work not only well-rested from an exceptional cruise holiday, but also ready to sell the product with more authenticity and enthusiasm.

All six ships of Oceania Cruises luxury fleet the 684-guestRegatta,Insignia,NauticaandSirenaand the 1,250-guestMarinaandRiviera can be sold in the incentive with destinations including the Mediterranean, the Baltics & Scandinavia, the Caribbean, Canada & New England, the Caribbean and Alaska.

Two-Grade Accommodation Upgrade Flash Sale 5thto 19thJune

To assist agents in qualifying for the incentive, Oceania Cruises has also launched a two-grade accommodation upgrade Flash Sale, which agents can use to tempt their customers on a variety of outstanding 2017 European sailings.

The selected sailings range from 7 to 16 days and visit ports in the Eastern & Western Mediterranean, Northern Europe, around the UK and the Canary Islands. Selected Atlantic Crossings are also included.

The Flash Sale, which started on 5thJune and ends on 19thJune, is available on four of the fleets luxurious ships Nautica,Sirena,MarinaandRiviera and, depending on the ship, applies to selected accommodation categories.

For more information about the booking incentive or the two-grade accommodation upgrade offer, travel agents should contact their Oceania Cruises business development manager or emailagencysales@oceaniacruises.com.

Visit link:

Oceania Cruises Launches Sell 5 & Sail Free Booking Incentive in the UK - Cruise Trade News

Posted in Oceania | Comments Off on Oceania Cruises Launches Sell 5 & Sail Free Booking Incentive in the UK – Cruise Trade News

Libya dismantle Seychelles to send stern signal to Nigeria – Goal.com

Posted: at 5:31 pm

The Mediterranean Knights began their quest for a ticket to Cameroon 2019 on a solid note against the Pirates

Libya outclassed Seychelles 5-1 to begin their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on a solid note.

Goals from Anis Saltou, Ahmad Benali, Hamdou El Houni, Mohammed Zubya and Muaid Ellafi were all the Mediterranean Knights needed to pummel the east African nation.

However, Leroy Coralie got a goal for the visitors in the 90th minute to leave the Tripoli Stadium with little to cheer about.

With this win, Javier Clementesmen lead Group E with three points and superior goals difference as they await the result of the Nigeria versus South Africa tie in Uyo.

Libya have failed to qualify for the last three editions of Afcon with their last participation at Equatorial Guinea and Gabon 2012.

They would hope to build on this momentum when they travel to South Africa on March 27, 2018, while Seychelles welcome Nigeria toStade Linit.

Link:

Libya dismantle Seychelles to send stern signal to Nigeria - Goal.com

Posted in Seychelles | Comments Off on Libya dismantle Seychelles to send stern signal to Nigeria – Goal.com

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: June 11, 2017 – Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Posted: at 5:31 pm


Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)
Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: June 11, 2017
Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)
Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource ...
World's largest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, takes to water for first timeUSA TODAY
Royal Caribbean Floats Out World's Biggest Cruise Ship, Symphony of the SeasCruise Critic
World's largest cruise ship gets first taste of waterOrlando Sentinel
TravelPulse -Travel Agent
all 92 news articles »

See original here:

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: June 11, 2017 - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Posted in Caribbean | Comments Off on Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: June 11, 2017 – Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Dominica seeks to attract more Caribbean tourists – St. Lucia Times Online News (press release)

Posted: at 5:31 pm

June 11th, 2017 0 comments

Dominica is looking to the Caribbean to boost its tourist numbers with a new campaign launched in time for summer 2017.

The Meet Me In Dominica, Summer 2017 campaign targetsCaribbean people for a summer of adventure, nature and events for singles, couples and families.

The campaign was launched by Discover Dominica Authority; the agency responsible for marketing the Nature Island of the Caribbean. It will run from June 1-August 31, 2017.

Dominicas Tourism Director, Colin Piper said With 2017 labeled as the Year of Adventure, Dominica has positioned itself to embrace visitors from the region and beyond for an unforgettable experience in Dominica.

Piper added that hotels and tour operators have come on board to offer exciting specials and activities as part of the campaign, all in an effort to ensure that every day of your vacation is a day spent outside enjoying the Nature Island.

Continue reading here:

Dominica seeks to attract more Caribbean tourists - St. Lucia Times Online News (press release)

Posted in Caribbean | Comments Off on Dominica seeks to attract more Caribbean tourists – St. Lucia Times Online News (press release)

Latin America and the Caribbean promotes an international code of conduct to prevent and reduce food losses and waste – Reliefweb

Posted: at 5:31 pm

The region will submit a proposal to the Committee on World Food Security at the end of June.

June 09, 2017, Santiago, Chile - Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean today announced their interest in promoting an international code of conduct to serve as a global guideline to prevent and reduce food losses and waste.

FAO has supported countries in the region to create a technical support note for the code, which will be submitted to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in June.

The note that will be presented to the CFS contains a methodological framework to identify critical points, practices and key actors associated with losses and wastes.

This proposal was debated by parliamentarians, government officials, representatives of the private sector, civil society and the academy of sixteen countries of the region during the III Regional Dialogue on Food Loss and Waste.

"That a great part of the food produced in the world ends up in the garbage, when more than 795 million people are still suffering hunger all over the planet, it is a real crime," said Julio Berdegu, FAO's Regional Representantive, during the dialogue.

If accepted by the international community, the proposal will serve as a basis for constructing a non-binding legal instrument - such as that for pesticide use - that will enable countries to meet target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims at at 50% cut in per capita food losses and waste by the year 2030.

The Code of Conduct will enable the overall response to be coordinated through a shared vision and strategies involving all actors in the food system.

By identifying the critical points at each stage of the food life cycle, countries will be able to prevent and reduce losses throughout the food chain. By linking local, regional and global strategies, it will serve as a reference to create laws and foster cooperation between the parties involved.

The region strengthens its laws and institutions

Since 2015, several countries in the region have incorporated this theme into their legislative agendas and their institutions.

During the regional dialogue, Chile announced the creation of an intersectoral committee on this subject, adding Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Uruguay. Ecuador, Honduras and Paraguay have already started similar processes.

Currently, there are about 19 bills related to the losses and waste that being debated in the parliaments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

During the regional dialogue, ten members of the Parliamentary Front against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean participated in a special training session and defined a joint road map to drive these initiatives.

"Legislation is needed to minimize food loss from a multidimensional and preventive approach, not only linked to punishment," said Mexican Senator Luisa Mara Caldern, General Coordinator of the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger.

According to the FAO, one of the outstanding challenges is to advance not only in the reduction but also in the prevention of losses and wastage at all stages of the food supply chain.

A problem with multiple repercussions

Food losses and waste have important environmental, economic and social implications, and have great negative impacts the sustainability of food systems.

While in developing countries 40% of the losses occur in the post-harvest and processing stages, in industrialized countries more than 40% of losses occur in retail and at the consumer level.

According to FAO, about 1.4 billion hectares of land are used each year to produce food that is not consumed, a larger area than that of Canada and India as a whole.

Media Contacts

Benjamn Labatut Santiago, Chile tel: (+56) 229 232 174 e-mail: benjamin.labatut@fao.org

Read the original here:

Latin America and the Caribbean promotes an international code of conduct to prevent and reduce food losses and waste - Reliefweb

Posted in Caribbean | Comments Off on Latin America and the Caribbean promotes an international code of conduct to prevent and reduce food losses and waste – Reliefweb

Competition for offshore wind ramps up in Massachusetts – ABC News

Posted: at 5:29 pm

Massachusetts' bid to become the nation's leader in offshore wind power is ramping up.

The state's electric utilities National Grid, Eversource and Unitil are slated to release by June 30 their requirements for projects seeking to develop the state's first ocean-based wind farm.

That sets in motion an ambitious effort to put Massachusetts ahead of states like New York, New Jersey and Maryland also seeking to establish their presence in the nascent U.S. industry. Here's a primer on where things stand:

NEW ENERGY LAW

A state law passed last year to boost Massachusetts' use of renewable energy outlines the process for developing offshore wind power.

The law calls for generating at least 1,600 megawatts of power, roughly enough electricity to power 750,000 homes annually, from offshore wind by 2027.

To accomplish this, the utilities are required to secure long-term contracts with wind farm developers in at least two phases: a bid request this June and another in 2019.

The law also calls for generating up to 1,200 additional megawatts from other clean energy sources, including hydropower, onshore wind power and solar power by 2027.

KEY PLAYERS

At least three companies have expressed interest in the bid: Rhode Island's Deepwater Wind, Denmark's DONG Energy and Vineyard Wind of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Those three have already taken the key step of securing federal leases to develop offshore wind farms miles of the coasts of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, where the state is focusing its offshore wind efforts.

Each firm comes with its industry bonafides.

Deepwater Wind opened the nation's first offshore wind farm off Block Island last year a five-turbine project generating 30 MW.

DONG Energy has installed hundreds of turbines in waters off Europe and has partnered with Eversource on its Massachusetts venture.

And Vineyard Wind is partly owned by Portland, Oregon renewable energy developer Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners of Denmark.

ROUGH DRAFT

The utilities in concert with state agencies have been developing their bid requirements for months.

The most recent draft calls for proposals generating between 400 to 800 megawatts of power and outlined key dates, including a December deadline for submitting applications and a May 2018 deadline for picking a winner or winners.

But the utilities have also sought input from offshore wind companies and other stakeholders, so it remains to be seen if those specifics are further tweaked.

SIZE MATTERS?

As the utilities have drafted their bid requirements, there's been some debate about the right size for the wind farms.

DONG Energy argues that larger projects generating up to 800 megawatts provide "efficiencies of scale" that would lead to lower electricity costs for ratepayers.

Vineyard Wind believes the more practical approach is developing four projects of 400 megawatts each. And Deepwater Wind has argued for a range of projects of varying sizes.

"We think a more gradual approach makes the most sense," said Jeffrey Grybowski, Deepwater Wind's CEO. "You need to walk before you run."

TOO SLOW?

Timing also has been a concern among some stakeholders.

The Conservation Law Foundation, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, has advocated for an accelerated timeline that would allow construction to start as soon as next summer and the wind farm to be operational by 2023.

Vineyard Wind CEO Erich Stephens warns that a prolonged selection process makes it harder for firms to maximize their benefit from federal investment tax credits that are gradually being phased out. That, he said, could ultimately impact costs passed to ratepayers.

"Even just a few months makes a huge difference," Stephens said.

THE TRUMP EFFECT

Offshore wind developers seem united on at least one point: they're not overly concerned about President Donald Trump's policies on renewable energy just yet. Trump was a vocal critic of offshore wind technology as a candidate and businessman.

The companies note that states play a vital role in setting the nation's energy priorities since they regulate utilities, and Massachusetts' Republican Governor Charlie Baker has reaffirmed the state's commitment to its clean energy goals despite the country's withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement.

"There's no pause for us," said Thomas Brostrom, president of DONG Energy's North American operations. "We're remain really committed to the market here in Massachusetts and the U.S."

Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.

More here:

Competition for offshore wind ramps up in Massachusetts - ABC News

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on Competition for offshore wind ramps up in Massachusetts – ABC News

Offshore gaming boosts demand for PH office space – Inquirer.net

Posted: at 5:29 pm

The local market for office space experienced a big boost in the first quarter, thanks mainly to strong demand from offshore gaming operatorsa subsector of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry that is growing rapidly with the help of new government regulations.

In a recently published research note, international property consulting firm Pronove Tai described offshore gaming companies as a strong but beleaguered driver in the Philippine office market.

While the office market is still largely driven by the information technology and business process management industry, offshore gaming companies as of end March have been the second single industry demand driver, accounting for 20 percent or 56,000 square meters of the pre-leased office space scheduled for completion in the second quarter, the firm said.

This demand is equivalent to three dedicated high rise office buildings out of the 18 buildings slated for completion in the second quarter of this year.

The property analyst said that a slowdown in the accreditation process by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority for new buildings has resulted in developers taking a second look at offshore gaming clients.

Offshore gaming companies are classified by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation as either service providers or licensed operators, both of which are technology-driven enterprises.

Service providers are gaming and software/platform providers, BPO providers, data/content streaming providers and gaming support providers.

Licensed operators, meanwhile, are gaming agents and those classified as special class BPOs which provide marketing and customer relation services only to duly licensed gaming operators overseas, must not handle betting activities for gaming operators and do not service any Pagcor Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) licensee.

To date, the Philippines is the first and only country in Asia to license offshore online gaming. Pagcor believes it can net an additional P10 billion in annual revenues from its Pogo licensees.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

Read the original post:

Offshore gaming boosts demand for PH office space - Inquirer.net

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on Offshore gaming boosts demand for PH office space – Inquirer.net