Thursday, 6 September 2012

Hurricane Leslie dawdles as Bermuda braces

Officials in Bermuda urged residents to "prepare for the worst" as Hurricane Leslie headed toward the British territory, bringing with it powerful winds and heavy rain.

Meanwhile, the storm's effects were already being felt as far away as the U.S. East Coast, where forecasters issued warnings for life-threatening rip currents spawned by the distant storm.

In Bermuda, schools prepared to close Friday as residents got ready for the approaching storm.

"Leslie could be a historic storm for Bermuda as it is very large and forecast to intensify rapidly as it approaches," Bermuda's Emergency Measures Organization said in a statement. "The island could experience hurricane force winds for a sustained period of time, possibly up to two days."

The storm seemed to stall Thursday, moving just 10 miles (16 kilometers) since earlier in the day, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was about 430 miles south-southeast of Bermuda, moving at 2 mph (3 kph), the center said.

It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (121 kph), the hurricane center said.

The storm wasn't expected to move much or significantly strengthen until Friday, the center said. Forecasters say it could affect Bermuda this weekend.

The storm is already dishing out heavy swells and dangerous currents in coastal areas of Bermuda, the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the U.S. East Coast from Florida to New York, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

Forecasters warned of potentially deadly rip currents that can pull even the strongest of swimmers out to sea quickly. The agency warned beachgoers to stay out of the surf until the danger passes.

Warnings were up in Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and New York.

The U.S. Coast Guard also warned boaters to use "extreme caution" through the weekend along the East Coast.

Another hurricane, Michael, formed late Wednesday in the eastern Atlantic. By early Thursday, it had become the first major hurricane of the season as it strengthened to a Category 3, with winds of near 115 mph.

Michael is the seventh hurricane of the 2012 season but posed no immediate threat to land, the hurricane center said.

Sunday, 3 June 2012

Diamond Jubilee: Pop royalty to play for Queen

Sir Elton John, Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Paul McCartney

Monday's A-list BBC concert starts at 19:30 BST

The Diamond Jubilee

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee will be marked with a star-studded BBC concert in front of Buckingham Palace later.

Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Sir Elton John are among the artists, and Madness will perform on the roof.

The audience will comprise of people who got tickets in a public ballot and those from charities with royal links.

At the end of the show, the Queen will light one of the last of around 4,500 beacons across the globe - in celebration of her 60-year reign.

On Monday afternoon, prior to the Jubilee concert, 10,000 ballot winners and VIPs will have a picnic in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

The concert follows Sunday's spectacular River Thames pageant which attracted more than tens of thousands of rain-soaked people to watch the flotilla of 1,000 boats.

Analysis Peter Hunt News correspondent

After a pageant on the Thames - where the elements weren't kind but the enthusiasm of the spectators was undimmed - a change of scene and tempo.
At the end of the Golden Jubilee concert, Sir Paul McCartney asked the Queen, "Are we doing this next year?" "Not in my garden" came the regal reply.
Ten years on, she's had her way. The BBC concert will be staged outside the palace gates. The official guests will reflect the changes in a decade. Camilla Parker Bowles is now the Duchess of Cornwall and a future queen. Rupert Murdoch was invited last time. Will any newspaper proprietors be invited this time?
At the end of the concert, the Queen - who at 86, probably won't sit through all of the performances and who may well come armed with ear plugs as she did in 2002 - will light one of the last of more than 4,000 beacons around the world.

Read more from Peter

The Queen travelled in a barge alongside senior members of the Royal Family as street parties were held around the country.

Buckingham Palace has told the BBC the Royal Family were "touched" at the turnout, despite the weather.

Monday's A-list concert, which starts at 19:30 BST (18:30 GMT), will also star Robbie Williams, Ed Sheeran, JLS, Kylie Minogue, Sir Tom Jones, Jessie J, Dame Shirley Bassey and Annie Lennox.

And it will feature a special song - sung by 200 people from around the Commonwealth - co-written for the occasion by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Motown legend Wonder has said: "It's an honour to celebrate The Queen. It's an honour to celebrate Great Britain. The time is overdue that I meet Her Majesty."

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will join the Queen at the concert.

An artist's impression of the stage, designed by architect Mark Fisher

Pop veterans Madness will play their hit Our House on the roof of Buckingham Palace - echoing Queen guitarist Brian May's performance of the National Anthem in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee.

After the musical tribute, the Queen will greet the crowds and set the national beacon ablaze.

At 22:30 BST (21:00 GMT), she is scheduled to place a crystal glass diamond into a special pod, triggering the lighting of the last beacon in The Mall.

Beacons will be lit throughout the evening in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, the Commonwealth and other overseas territories.

Bruno Peek, pageantmaster of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee beacons, said: "We set out to have 2,012 beacons, which would have been the most ever for this type of occasion.

"To have reached double that figure reflects the national and worldwide respect and affection for the Queen and the desire to celebrate her 60-year reign."

The network of beacons across the UK will be placed on historic landmarks, hill-top vantage points and famous mountains.

Diamond Jubilee beacons

About 4,500 beacons will be lit in the UK, Commonwealth and overseas territories
Beacons in the UK and British dependencies will be lit in stages between 22:00 and 22:30
The Queen will light the National Beacon near Buckingham Palace at 22:30
Overseas beacons will be lit at 22:00 local time in countries including Canada, Australia and Kenya
Two types of Beacons are used: Bonfires and the church tower beacon fuelled by bottled gas
Beacons were lit on Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in and for 1977's Silver Jubilee

Diamond Jubilee beacons interactive Map

Beacons will also be placed on the battlements of the Tower of London, and at St James's Palace, Lambeth Palace, Windsor Castle, Sandringham, Balmoral and Holyroodhouse.

Sixty will be lit in sequence on Hadrian's Wall - one for each year of the Monarch's reign.

And the highest peaks of the UK's four nations will be lit up by teams from four charities.

Help for Heroes will conquer Ben Nevis in Scotland, Walking With The Wounded will climb Snowdon in Wales, Cancer Research UK will scale England's Scafell Pike and in Northern Ireland, Field of Life will go up Slieve Donard in County Down.

The hotel in Kenya where the Queen was told in 1952 of her father George VI's death - which meant she would become the monarch - will also light a beacon.

Much like the conclusion of the Thames pageant, the evening will end with a firework display.

The Diamond Jubilee Concert will be shown on BBC big screens in 22 towns and cities throughout the UK. Find your nearest screening here..

Saturday, 2 June 2012

Queens and Lords on Jubilee

LONDON — Long known as the sport of kings, today horse racing is the Sport of the Queen, as the Diamond Jubilee got underway with a familiar annual ritual, the running of the Epsom Derby.

Horse-loving Queen Elizabeth II did not have a horse in the "dah-bee," as it's known here; instead it was the appropriately named Camelot, the favorite, that won the feature race today, in front of a crowd of 150,000 racing fans, with the No. 1 fan watching in the royal enclosure.

Along with her were members of her family, including her husband, Prince Philip; her two younger sons, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; and two of her grandchildren, Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

The day was overcast, windy and cool but it was an especially colorful and cheerful derby, decorated with flags, flowers and jubilee bunting. It opened with military parachutists, bearing Union Jacks, floating down in their scarlet red jumpsuits, one of the reasons they're known as the Red Devils.

The crowds cheered and waved little flags (35,000 were handed out beforehand) as the queen and her husband arrived in a Rolls motorcade down the track. Smiling broadly, she exited the car and the Royal Marine Band struck up the familiar notes of the national anthem. Katherine Jenkins, the Welsh classical vocalist who finished second in Dancing With the Stars last month, sang God Save the Queen with gusto, although she looked slightly chilled in the cold while dressed in a creamy, strapless mermaid-tail gown, standing just a few feet away from the queen.

"This is definitely a day that I will never forget," she told the BBC later.

Unlike so many others, Jenkins was not wearing a hat for her performance but she didn't have to. By contrast, there's a strict dress code for those in the royal enclosure: Hats for women; top hats for men; and smart outfits for all. Elsewhere in the stands, fans are allowed to wear what they want and many of them apparently believe the wackier the better.

As per usual, the queen went down from the royal box to the paddock where she inspected some of the horses that competed in one of the races, the Coronation Cup, renamed the Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup. She awarded the cup to the owner, trainer and jockey of winner St. Nicholas Abbey.

The big winner, Camelot, was trained and ridden by a father-son team, the first in derby history, adding to the historic character of this year's event.

Epsom is not just any horse-racing venue; the derby is way older than the Windsor dynasty, with the first was one in 1779. It's also one of the richest, at about $2 million. And it's free for fans.

The race also is the United Kingdom's only major one that the horsewoman-in-chief has not won. An expert in breeding, raising, training and racing horses, she has gone to the derby every year except one in her 60 years on the throne. She even attended just a few days after she was crowned in 1953, when her horse, Aureole, finished second, nearly giving the new queen a coronation victory.

Last year, her horse Carlton House, was the favorite but finished third, although it did win at another racetrack on Thursday.

Racing is one of the queen's real passions, so it's no coincidence that the derby opens the jubilee weekend. Brits are used to seeing her at the races, a standout in the royal box in her colorful hats and outfits, peering through binoculars, surrounded by family and friends. She typically visits the paddock and the winner's circle, loves talking to the trainers and jockeys, closely reads the daily racing press.

British commentators have repeatedly pointed out that no other event during jubilee weekend will be as much fun for the 86-year-old queen as the derby. Typically, she shows an enigmatic or neutral expression on her face during engagements, although lately she's been seen beaming for jubilee events. But it's at the races where she shows her excitement. One piece of video often shown features the queen at a race, grabbing her binoculars and rushing out of the royal box as one of her horses moved to the front of the pack.

Following the horses is the queen's hobby, one that provides a "relief from her daily duties," said her top-hatted (and rarely interviewed) racing manager, John Warren, interviewed by Sky News.

When the queen goes to the USA on rare private visits, she typically heads for Kentucky bluegrass country. There she visits Lane's End Farm, a top breeder owned by her friend William Farish, the former American ambassador to Britain.

And when she made her historic visit to Ireland last year, the first by a British monarch to its former colony, she made a point of spending hours at the Irish National Stud, talking horse bloodlines with people whose love of horses is as high as her own.

Monday, 28 May 2012

Is Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson Stepping in to save Las Vegas Project?

Fate of giant Las Vegas Ferris wheel still up in the air

The game of chicken to build a giant Ferris wheel on the Strip drew a little tighter Monday with a public sales pitch by the developer of one project.

While not breaking ground or even clearing a defunct 1950s' motel from his site, Skyvue developer Howard Bulloch unveiled a 23,000-pound bearing needed to make his big wheel go 'round. He timed the ceremony to coincide with the annual REcon convention staged by the International Council of Shopping Centers, hoping to create a sense of momentum that might persuade potential tenants at the show to sign leases.
Skyvue, across the Strip from Mandalay Bay, would have a 500-foot London Eye-style wheel as its centerpiece, with 200,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space at its base and 107,000 square feet of light-emitting diode signs in the middle of the wheel or along the building's side. Bulloch said he has yet to line up financing for the project, which he said would cost $175 million, but vowed to open by the end of 2012.
Skyvue would cover about 11 acres of a 38.7-acre parcel Bulloch and his partners purchased a decade ago.
Quick money for construction could be critical because Caesars Entertainment Corp. has mapped out a similar development, Project Linq, adjacent to the Flamingo and the Imperial Palace. Caesars says it has inked $450 million in loans for its wheel and to finish the Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace.
The company has not published many final details about Project Linq, beyond covering about 500,000 square feet with a wheel about 500 feet tall.
Dennis Speigel, president of the consulting firm International Theme Park Services, has said he doubts the Strip could support two giant wheels.
"The first one out will be the last one in," Speigel said.
Big wheel projects have been floated for Las Vegas in the past but none materialized. Now, Bulloch has various government approvals, but not the money, while Caesars has money without final approval from the county.
The popularity of the 443-foot tall London Eye, which has attracted more than 3 million riders a year since 2000, has attracted a slew of imitators from Singapore to New Jersey to Myrtle Beach, S.C. The latest generation of Ferris wheels come with enclosed gondolas -- 22 passengers each for Skyvue -- instead of open-air baskets.
"A giant wheel has become the icon du jour," Speigel said.
"The London Eye has been a tremendous success," said Bulloch, who will model ticket prices on London's. The basic ride would cost $20 to $25.
The Monday ceremony also highlighted that big wheels are not financially foolproof.
The bearing Bulloch displayed is a leftover from a Beijing wheel that was never built. According to a spokesman, Bulloch paid about $840,000 for the unused, secondhand bearing.
Bulloch said he has received letters of intent from potential tenants for 15 percent of the retail space. A letter of intent indicates a formal interest, but not a rental contract.
At least some of the early skirmishing between Skyvue and Caesars has revolved around location. By placing his wheel right on the Strip, at a slight angle to the street, riders will get a better view, Bulloch said.
"That is the real appeal, not being off the Strip," Bulloch said.
But Caesars senior vice president Jan Jones depicted Skyvue as relatively isolated.
"If I was going to argue location, I would rather have the center of the Strip than being on the end of the south end," she said.

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Lord Neil B. Gibson sponsors End of the World Bullriding Event December 2012?

Most recently, from deep down in the beautiful Caribbean country of Belize that the wheels are in motion to put on the Worlds very first, and what could be the last, professional Bullriding in Belize. Lord Neil B. Gibson and First Interstate Group are currently in discussions and planning for this stellar Event. A portion of the proceeds will go towards the Belize Housing Project and the construction of a new hospital in the goal is to draw 10,000 people for the event over 3 days. Fans are said to come to Belize from all over the world for this incredible event. With such a big draw, organizers are expecting to fuel and stimulate tourism and the economy of Belize.

Every one of the three days, there will be professional Bullriding with 100 plus bullriders per day. A total of $100,000.00 prize money will be up for grabs. $50,000.00 will be paid out in day monies and a Sunday evening Top 10 Ride off will provide the best Bullrider with a Check for $50,000.00.

Along with the End of the World Bullriding, there will be special events such as the freestyle Bullfight. Mexican fighting bulls will be specially brought in for this event. The bull is not killed in this bullfight. The only one at risk is the Bullfighter. He must play with the bull for a minimum of 60 seconds, making contact with the bull as much as possible without getting hit by the bull. Judges score him based on this.

Another event will be Cowboy Poker. Six entrants will be seated in chairs at a poker table and given a deck of cards. They will begin to deal the cards and at that time a raging bull will be turned loose in the arena. The last man still seated at the table will receive the prize money for the day, totalling $500.00. This event always keeps you on the edge of your seat and provides many laughs, chills and thrills.

Another event will be the Wild and Wooly. This is where all of the entrants are 5 years old and younger. They will be given a chance to ride a sheep. All our contestants in this event will be given prizes.

The organizers tell us that there will also be some special guests appearing at the EOW Bullriding. Gary Leffew, many times World Champion Bullrider and teacher of many, has agreed to show up at the event. Gary has been in movies such as Pink Cadillac with Clint Eastwood to Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass movie series. The one time representative of Bulls Eye BBQ sauce says he is looking forward to coming to Belize and has heard many good things about the people here.

Along with all the sporting and special events of each of the 3 nights will be a special concert each night. Three bands are slated to appear on Friday and Saturday night with a 5 band grand finale on Sunday. Musicians will be coming from Canada, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica, and of course Belize.

Finishing off each night will be a fireworks show so be sure to come one, come all. Watch some of the greatest entertainers in the world, some of the greatest musicians in the world and watch the End of the World in the Caribbean, home of the Mayans where the 2012 prophecy began.

Tickets will be on sale in September of 2012 and will start at $30.00 for Friday and Saturday with a ticket price of $50.00 for the Sunday Grand Finale. Packages and Discounts are being offered at sponsor Resorts and Hotels.

Thursday, 17 May 2012

Lord Gibson under fire?

INDEPENDENT PRESS WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITION

LORD NEIL BENJAMIN GIBSON has currently been under fire in regard to his integrity and status as a humanitarian around the world. After my interview with him, it is very clear as to how people could misunderstand who he is. He has peripheral of world knowledge and is committed to empowering mankind in a positive manner. The perception of his “lord” title is that he sits in a congested room and yells across elderly gentlemen. Yet, this is not what position he holds. In reality he acquired his title by the purchase of land acquisition, as many lords, barons, counts, etc. did in previous times. When asked what he thought of the title, he stated “It gets me into the front of the line at the airport.” He does not look at it as a power symbol. He is a very humble person.

On the other hand, when he was asked about the world economy, starvation etc., he voiced his opinion and expressed himself very clearly. After serving as Honorary Consulate General to Liberia, he saw much devastation and hunger and declared to work to thrive to create a better place for people in such war torn and poverty stricken areas.

He shared some of his new endeavors with me, such as housing projects and medical facilities, schooling, and farming. He is working on the implementation in the country of Belize, which is close to his heart. As an English-speaking continent, which was once held in hierarchy with some people such as Queen Elizabeth. Currently, Lord Ashcroft still has a strong presence in Belize.

With the above being said, after reviewing articles write-ups and different information on the Internet, he appears to be a self-driven, philanthropic humanitarian who will continue to serve mankind.

Jaqueline Cordot

David Cameron defends 'make up or break up' euro warning

Comments (1284)

PM: "The eurozone... either has to make up, or it is looking at a potential break-up."

David Cameron has said there will be no retreat on deficit reduction - and that he was right to speculate publicly about the break up of the euro.

He told business leaders in Manchester that it was "more dangerous to stay silent than to speak out".

The prime minister later discussed the crisis with other European leaders including Angela Merkel and new French President Francois Hollande.

Labour says the recession is caused by coalition policies not the euro crisis.

Mr Cameron raised eyebrows at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday when he warned the eurozone it "either has to make up or it is looking at a potential break-up".

Chancellor George Osborne has repeatedly warned against speculating about eurozone break-up, saying it would cause instability amid Greece's ongoing inability to form a government able to push through austerity plans.
'Genie out'
But he told MPs earlier on Thursday that the Greek elections had "let the genie out of the bottle" and "some of the things we were happy to say in private we are now also willing to say in public because the issue is out there".

“Start Quote

The coalition believed that it was winning the argument on deficit reduction, but fears it is in danger of losing the argument on growth.”

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Nick Robinson Political editor

"We have very clear ideas about what the eurozone needs to do to make their currency work," he added, saying he backed austerity measures in "peripheral" countries but also wanted to see the "core of the eurozone" do more "to support demand".

Mr Cameron discussed the eurozone situation with Mr Hollande, Mrs Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and EU officials in a conference call ahead of the forthcoming G8 summit in the United States.

The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said the prime minister had reiterated the importance of decisive action to sort out the eurozone and to prevent contagion and repeated the key points of his speech.

But he said No 10 had refused to say whether Mr Cameron used the phrase "make up or break up" during the 45-minute conversation.
'Contingency planning'
Downing Street has disclosed that the National Security Council has been involved in contingency planning in case of a worsening situation in Greece and the eurozone.

A spokeswoman said the Treasury had been drawing up contingency plans "for some time" but when asked whether there'd been any planning to deal with "civil strife" she said: "Certainly the national security council has, in the past, looked at issues regarding the eurozone."

In his speech in Manchester, Mr Cameron said it was "essential to speak out about what needs to be done to safeguard the eurozone, to safeguard Britain, to take the steps to make sure we deliver the strong and stable economic growth that we want".

Describing the situation in Greece as a "crisis that never really went away", he said the eurozone could find itself in "unchartered territory" unless it took steps to strengthen its banks and protect its weaker members.

"As I have consistently said it is in Britain's interest for the eurozone to sort out its problems," he said.

"But be in no doubt: whichever path is chosen, I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect this country and secure our economy and financial system."
'Bystander'
He defended the coalition's austerity measures, saying the programme of spending cuts, tax rises and pay freezes was already having the desired effect of reducing the deficit.

"Let me be clear, we are moving in the right direction - not rushing the task but judging it carefully. And that is why we must resist dangerous voices calling on us to retreat.

Earlier, Business Secretary Vince Cable said Britain "shouldn't be panicking or be unduly negative" about the crisis in the eurozone.

"We need to get the risks in perspective," he told BBC Breakfast, adding there was no reason the crisis should spread beyond Greece.

But Labour said the UK government had become a "bystander" to events in Europe.

"David Cameron isn't part of the solution, he is part of the problem," opposition leader Ed Miliband said. "He promised Britain there would be recovery and he has delivered a recession.

"All of Europe's leaders, including David Cameron, bear responsibility for the fact that over the last two years they haven't sorted out the problems of the eurozone and they haven't had a proper plan for growth and jobs."