September 2009

At least 28 dead in Samoa quake, tsunamis: reports

Posted Tue, 09/29/2009 - 16:46 by admin

APIA (AFP) –
The death toll from a massive South Pacific earthquake and tsunami has risen to at least 28, with a minimum of 14 reported dead in both Samoa and American Samoa, the Red Cross and media reports said.

The toll is expected to rise as rescue teams work their way through the worst hit areas and assess the full extent of the damage.

"We are on our way to the south coast where our people have told us of 11 deaths and we heard on the radio of another three," the secretary general of the Red Cross in Samoa, Talutala Mauala told AFP.

"There have also been some injuries. We won't know the full extent of the damage until we get there and see for ourselves."

Radio KSBS-FM reported at least 14 people were killed in the Poloa, Asili, Pago Pago and Leone areas of American Samoa

Hole In One Insurance

Posted Tue, 09/29/2009 - 14:33 by admin

When insured parties experience a loss for a specified peril, the coverage entitles the policyholder to make a 'claim' against the insurer for the covered amount of loss as specified by the policy. The fee paid by the insured to the insurer for assuming the risk is called the 'premium'. Insurance premiums from many insureds are used to fund accounts reserved for later payment of claims—in theory for a relatively few claimants—and for overhead costs. So long as an insurer maintains adequate funds set aside for anticipated losses (i.e., reserves), the remaining margin is an insurer's profit.

Property and casualty insurers currently make the most money from their auto insurance line of business. Generally better statistics are available on auto losses and underwriting on this line of business has benefited greatly from advances in computing. Additionally, property losses in the US, due to natural catastrophes, have exacerbated this trend.

Hole In One Insurance

Bloomberg seen as top BusinessWeek bidder: source

Posted Tue, 09/29/2009 - 13:12 by admin

NEW YORK (Reuters) –
McGraw-Hill Cos Inc is leaning toward selling its money-losing BusinessWeek magazine to Bloomberg LP, although another bidder could still make a higher offer, a person familiar with the matter said.

A deal still could take weeks, or could fall apart because of depressed magazine advertising and uncertainty in the financing market; but BusinessWeek executives think that Bloomberg would be the best fit, the source said on Tuesday.

Despite their positive feelings toward Bloomberg, the executives are not dismissing the possibility that another bidder could deliver a superior offer, the source said.

Private equity firms OpenGate Capital and Platinum Equity are part of the bidding, as is ZelnickMedia, the investment firm owned by Take Two Interactive Software Inc Chairman Strauss Zelnick.

Former Wall Street Journal Publisher Gordon Crovitz is advising Zelnick but would not be involved in running the magazine if ZelnickMedia won the auction, another source with knowledge of the bid said.

A price for BusinessWeek could not be learned.

McGraw-Hill considers Bloomberg, a privately held provider of news and financial data, as the best buyer for BusinessWeek because it could capitalize on the marriage of two brand names well known in financial circles, the sources said.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because the sale process has not been made public.

Bloomberg owns Bloomberg Markets, a financial news magazine that produces feature stories that often run much longer than the shorter pieces on the Bloomberg newswire.

That magazine and BusinessWeek could be blended to make a title that would expand Bloomberg's presence beyond its financial data clients and reach a mainstream online audience.

McGraw-Hill has owned the 80-year-old BusinessWeek since its inception. It draws nearly 5 million readers weekly to its website.

McGraw-Hill said in July that it was considering "strategic options" for BusinessWeek as its ad sales deteriorated, indicating that it might sell the magazine. The company hired investment bank Evercore Partners Inc to handle the sale, a source told Reuters in July.

McGraw-Hill Chief Executive Terry McGraw told Bloomberg News earlier this month that 93 parties had indicated interest in the magazine. Bloomberg LP, which competes with Thomson Reuters Corp, submitted its bid for BusinessWeek in September, BusinessWeek has reported.

"BusinessWeek has generated a meaningful level of interest," McGraw spokesman Steven Weiss said in an e-mailed statement. "We are pleased that the process, which will take some time to complete, continues to go well."

Zelnick was not immediately available for comment. A Bloomberg spokeswoman, Platinum and OpenGate all declined comment.

(Reporting by Anupreeta Das and Robert MacMillan)

Communion Dresses

Posted Tue, 09/29/2009 - 07:12 by admin

In Western culture, dresses are usually considered women's clothing. The hemline of dresses can be as high as the upper thigh or as low as the ground, depending on the whims of fashion and the modesty or personal taste of the wearer.

One may usually wear a bra, but for modesty wearing a camisole / vest or full slip is also an option for the top. Dresses are sometimes worn with tights.

Communion Dresses

Manchester City's apologetic Tevez sinks West Ham

Posted Tue, 09/29/2009 - 02:48 by admin

MANCHESTER (AFP) –
Carlos Tevez refused to celebrate as his double-strike inspired Manchester City's 3-1 win over his former club West Ham on Monday.

While Tevez won't win any popularity contests at Manchester United after his acrimonious switch to City, he is fondly regarded at West Ham after almost single-handedly keeping them in the Premier League during a loan spell three years ago.

The Argentina striker acknowledged that the Hammers still have a place in his heart as well as he waved an apology to West Ham's travelling supporters after opening the scoring at Eastlands.

Carlton Cole equalised for Gianfranco Zola's team but Martin Petrov restored City's lead before half-time and Tevez settled an entertaining encounter with his second goal after half-time.

Again he hardly acknowledged the goal that left West Ham stuck in the bottom three and lifted Mark Hughes's side, who have won five of their six league matches, into fifth place.

Hughes handed Petrov his first start of the season after Stephen Ireland was ruled out with an illness.

Just as significant from West Ham's point of view was Matthew Upson's absence with a calf injury.

With their England centre-back out of action, West Ham were unable to stem City's early onslaught and the hosts took the lead after five minutes.

Petrov was played in down the left wing and his low cross found Tevez in acres of space four yards from goal. Tevez easily converted the chance to claim his first league goal for City but there was no celebration in front of the West Ham fans at that end of the stadium.

Unlike his team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor, who had raced the length of the pitch to taunt Arsenal's fans when he scored against his old club earlier this month, Tevez held out his arms in apology to the Hammers supporters and they responded by clapping their former idol.

City were rampant and Wayne Bridge forced a smart stop from Robert Green before Tevez turned onto a wayward effort from Gareth Barry and sent his shot narrowly wide.

Tevez threatened again as he fizzed his strike just past a post. He then picked out Petrov with a superb pass but Green was equal to the winger's shot.

Remarkably, just as a second City goal seemed inevitable, West Ham punished slack defending from the hosts to snatch an equaliser in the 24th minute.

Alessandro Diamanti's free-kick was only cleared to Radoslav Kovac and his shot was deftly flicked in by England striker Cole with his back to goal.

Parity for Zola's team was short-lived however as Petrov marked his return to action with a clever strike eight minutes later.

Luis Jimenez fouled Nigel de Jong and Petrov stepped up to drive a low free-kick around the West Ham wall and past Green.

The Hammers had an equaliser ruled out when Cole barged Joleon Lescott before setting up Scott Parker for a tap-in, but Green had to be alert to keep out Craig Bellamy and Petrov before half-time.

But Tevev put the result beyond doubt in the 61st minute. Bellamy, another former Hammer, curled over a free-kick and Kovac played Tevez onside, allowing the Argentina star to head past Green.

There was still time for Barry to bring a fine save from Green before Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz came on for his City debut after a lengthy spell on the treatment table following his move from Blackburn.