23 February 2009
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Goes Live in Brownsville, VT.
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn Club Vacations today announced that a ski-in, ski-out resort at the foot of Vermont’s Ascutney Mountain is now part of the timeshare brand’s portfolio. Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Ascutney Mountain Resort joins the flagship location, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Fla., and two other Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts in Lake Geneva, Wis., and Panama City, Fla. Travelers can rent vacation villas at all four resorts at www.hiclubvacations.com.
The addition of Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Ascutney Mountain Resort follows the recent announcement that the timeshare brand will be adding two more resorts in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., to its portfolio in April of this year.
“We’re pleased to offer our customers a memorable brand experience at the only ski-in, ski-out snow destination in the Holiday Inn U.S. portfolio,” said Christian Hempell, vice president, Holiday Inn Club Vacations. “We’re excited to include Ascutney Mountain Resort as the fourth Holiday Inn Club Vacations property as part of our alliance with Orange Lake, with our fifth and sixth resorts joining the brand in April.”
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was announced in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success. This alliance is unique in that it allows IHG to enter the timeshare industry, purely through an exclusive licensing and marketing agreement with no capital investment. Orange Lake will continue to own and operate these resorts as a privately held company.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Ascutney Mountain Resort, the only ski resort in the Holiday Inn U.S. portfolio, offers a host of amenities for timeshare owners and guests, including a fitness center and spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, arcade, convenience store and a full service restaurant and café. Recreational activities at the resort include downhill skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, cross-country skiing and an on-site outfitter offering guided and self-guided outdoor adventures year-round with equipment and gear rentals.
Don Harrill, President and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts, said, “This resort at the base of Ascutney Mountain is a year-round destination for every member of the family. It’s been a popular drive-to destination for thousands of our club members living in the New England area.”
Through IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards, guests renting villas will earn Priority Club points during their stays at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, which they can redeem for free nights at IHG properties or exchange for merchandise and special experiences. This resort will also welcome members of the newly formed Holiday Inn Club™ exchange program, which allows members to exchange their weeks at any Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort for hotel nights at IHG’s more than 4,150 hotels worldwide. Holiday Inn Club members will also have access to Resort Condominium International’s (RCI) network of more than 4,000 resorts.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to seek opportunities to expand in top North American destination locations, adding more vacation experiences, features and benefits. Orange Lake also plans to build a flagship Holiday Inn Resort hotel at the Orlando resort and has the potential to develop up to 2,500 more timeshare villas at this location. For more information, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.
About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success. Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,412 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas. Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. and Brownsville, Vt. Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,150 hotels worldwide. Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations. For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Horse race named after bookmaker
Horse race named after bookmaker
BBC NEWS:
2009/02/23
Online Sportsbooks
A race at Cheltenham's National Hunt Festival is to be named in honour of popular bookmaker 'Fearless' Freddie Williams who died in 2008.
The Freddie Williams Festival Plate will offer £90,000 in prize money.
It will be run as the fifth race on Thursday 12 March. The festival runs from 10 to 13 March.
Julie Williams, Freddie's daughter, said: "This is a special honour for a very special man and the whole family is touched by Cheltenham's gesture."
Making memories
Cheltenham's Managing Director Edward Gillespie said: "Freddie was one of the people who helped define the Festival in modern times.
"His friendly battle with JP McManus was the highlight of the betting ring action each year and he certainly earned his nickname 'Fearless' by being prepared to back his own opinion against those of people with bulging pockets.
"The Festival will be a poorer place without him this year and we are delighted to be renaming the Festival Plate in his honour."
Julie Williams, who will be standing in the betting ring in her own right for the first time this year, added: "Dad loved the Festival and everything it stood for and this will give us some more great memories of his favourite meeting."
BBC NEWS:
2009/02/23
Online Sportsbooks
A race at Cheltenham's National Hunt Festival is to be named in honour of popular bookmaker 'Fearless' Freddie Williams who died in 2008.
The Freddie Williams Festival Plate will offer £90,000 in prize money.
It will be run as the fifth race on Thursday 12 March. The festival runs from 10 to 13 March.
Julie Williams, Freddie's daughter, said: "This is a special honour for a very special man and the whole family is touched by Cheltenham's gesture."
Making memories
Cheltenham's Managing Director Edward Gillespie said: "Freddie was one of the people who helped define the Festival in modern times.
"His friendly battle with JP McManus was the highlight of the betting ring action each year and he certainly earned his nickname 'Fearless' by being prepared to back his own opinion against those of people with bulging pockets.
"The Festival will be a poorer place without him this year and we are delighted to be renaming the Festival Plate in his honour."
Julie Williams, who will be standing in the betting ring in her own right for the first time this year, added: "Dad loved the Festival and everything it stood for and this will give us some more great memories of his favourite meeting."
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Play Baccarat with Bodog Casino and Win Great Cash Prizes
Play Baccarat with Bodog Casino and Win Great Cash Prizes
Games Baccarat and 75 other casino games including 20-line slots
Bodog Casino
Baccarat may be classy enough for James Bond but you don’t need a double-0 bankroll to play. Baccarat is actually one of the easiest casino games to learn, the easiest game to play, and the easiest game on your wallet.
It’s a simple game:
- Two cards are dealt to two hands, named Player and Banker.
- You can bet on the Player, Banker, Tie or any combination of the three.
The object of the game is to correctly pick which hand will have the higher score, with the highest score in Baccarat being 9 and the lowest being 0. 10 through King have no value while Aces only count as one. Easy and fun!
Bodog Casino is a good place to play Baccarat. Their software is great, and there’s a free contest with big cash prizes running until March 12th. Bodog’s Baccarat contest will award a grand prize of a $1,000 Bodog Casino chip and five (5) weekly prizes of a $100 Bodog Casino chip awarded to each top-five weekly winners.
Anyone can start playing Baccarat
Baccarat isn’t just for those with monocles, fur coats and a license to kill; Baccarat is a game that can be easily enjoyed by all.
Games Baccarat and 75 other casino games including 20-line slots
Bodog Casino
Baccarat may be classy enough for James Bond but you don’t need a double-0 bankroll to play. Baccarat is actually one of the easiest casino games to learn, the easiest game to play, and the easiest game on your wallet.
It’s a simple game:
- Two cards are dealt to two hands, named Player and Banker.
- You can bet on the Player, Banker, Tie or any combination of the three.
The object of the game is to correctly pick which hand will have the higher score, with the highest score in Baccarat being 9 and the lowest being 0. 10 through King have no value while Aces only count as one. Easy and fun!
Bodog Casino is a good place to play Baccarat. Their software is great, and there’s a free contest with big cash prizes running until March 12th. Bodog’s Baccarat contest will award a grand prize of a $1,000 Bodog Casino chip and five (5) weekly prizes of a $100 Bodog Casino chip awarded to each top-five weekly winners.
Anyone can start playing Baccarat
Baccarat isn’t just for those with monocles, fur coats and a license to kill; Baccarat is a game that can be easily enjoyed by all.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Leash Tightening Around Bodog?
Informer
Leash Tightening Around Bodog?
William P. Barrett, 02.19.09, 11:47 AM ET
Bodog Poker
A federal judge has ordered the forfeiture of nearly $10 million of bank account money linked to Bodog, the once-dominant but illegal under U.S. law Internet gambling site, amid indications authorities are making headway in building a criminal case.
U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake in Baltimore signed an order earlier this month allowing the federal government to keep $9.67 million of the $9.87 million it seized from Nevada bank accounts last July. The order said the other $200,000 would be returned to Edward Courdy, whose ZipPayments credit card processing company owned the bank accounts.
What makes this unusual is that Courdy and another man, Michael Garone, still face federal criminal money-laundering charges brought in September. These charges were started not by a formal grand jury indictment but by the simple filing of papers by the same prosecutors seeking the forfeiture. This is often an indication of an impending plea bargain, since felony charges normally cannot be pursued without an indictment.
Moreover, Blake's order contains a secret schedule of when that $200,000 is to be returned. In addition, the feds have made no apparent move to force Courdy or Garone to appear in court and plead or post bail, which hints that they might be cooperating with authorities.
Courdy's lawyer, Stanley I. Greenberg of Los Angeles, declined detailed comment, but told Forbes the $200,000 was being returned because "it couldn't be traced to illegal activities."
Garone has no lawyer of record in the case and could not be located.
Baltimore federal prosecutors routinely flood the news media with press releases about their activities--nearly five dozen statements so far this calendar year alone, many concerning far less significant cases. But in this matter they have been mum. A spokesman did not return a call seeking comment.
The forfeiture order was the second big one involving proceeds attributed to Bodog. The first, involving some $14.2 million seized in early 2008 from accounts in banks in the southeastern U.S., was finalized last year.
Federal filings in the two forfeiture cases call the proceeds Bodog money and make clear that the organization, founded by Canadian tycoon Calvin Ayre and now based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, is under criminal investigation. Despite published speculation in Canada that he already faces a secret indictment, Ayre has denied he's on the lam. However, he has disappeared from public view and is believed to be in places that lack extradition treaties with the U.S.
A Forbes cover story about Ayre in 2006, when he qualified for the Forbes list of the world's billionaires, was titled "Catch Me If You Can." Legislation President Bush signed later that year strengthening online gambling prohibitions shredded Bodog's giant $6 billion-a-year operation and Ayre's fortune.
Bodog is now officially run from the Kahnawake Reserve Indian reservation in Quebec, Canada by the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group under what it describes on Web sites as a licensing agreement. In a statement to Forbes, Chief Executive Alwyn Morris again disputed the U.S. government's assertion that the funds were connected with Bodog. "Not related to us," he said, noting that his group didn't file a formal claim for the money that was seized.
But Morris added that "what's been lost in the coverage" is that if the proceeds came from non-U.S. gaming operations, the seized funds "would be U.S. citizens' money en route to them."
From time to time, other wagering-news Web sites have posted complaints by winning gamblers about slow payments from Bodog.
Federal authorities aren't the only ones after Bodog. Before the last forfeiture was finalized, Las Vegas software maker 1st Technology filed a claim seeking to collect on a $46 million judgment it won against Bodog in a suit alleging that Bodog had infringed on its intellectual property. But 1st Technology withdrew its claim for unstated reasons after, it said, consulting with prosecutors. A 1st Technology lawyer did not return a call seeking comment.
Despite the declining dominance of Bodog, thousands of online gambling sites operate worldwide. There have been calls in Congress for legalization of online gambling as a way to improve regulation of it and generate tax revenue. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, who has introduced such legislation, says the ban-- which dates back to organized-crime-fighting efforts in the 1960s--is an infringement of individual freedoms.
But legislative efforts to weaken the prohibition face strong opposition from religious and family value interests, and even from some traditional casino operators who presumably would rather not have more competition.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Cool Hand Freeroll Poker Tournaments boast $20,000 in payouts
Cool Hand Freeroll Poker Tournaments boast $20,000 in payouts
Cool Hand Online Poker
Online poker keeps growing in popularity with young, old, new and experienced players getting in on the game. For those who enjoy a social game or who would like to improve their skills, Cool Hand Online Poker promises the perfect playground. Not only do new players receive an enticing 100% match on all deposits up to $350, but they also get to practice their play for free.
Cool Hand Poker promises some of the best online poker tournament action around with daily Freeroll Tournaments that won’t cost you a cent to enter. With $0 entry fee, players get the opportunity to practice and improve their poker skills without the worry of depleting their bankroll. This is the ideal space for beginners and inexperienced players to grow their confidence before taking on their more seasoned poker playing friends.
Cool Hand runs daily Freeroll Tournaments comprising $100 Freerolls, MP3 Freerolls and Bounty Freerolls. Even though players don’t pay to play, they still stand in line to win cash prizes, points, tournament invitations and other great giveaways. Weekly, these Freeroll Tournaments amount to $20,000 in payouts – a substantial amount especially as players don’t pay to enter!
With $20,000 up for grabs every week and $0 entry fee, players in fact get paid to be entertained. Not taking part just wouldn’t make sense.
Cool Hand Online Poker
Online poker keeps growing in popularity with young, old, new and experienced players getting in on the game. For those who enjoy a social game or who would like to improve their skills, Cool Hand Online Poker promises the perfect playground. Not only do new players receive an enticing 100% match on all deposits up to $350, but they also get to practice their play for free.
Cool Hand Poker promises some of the best online poker tournament action around with daily Freeroll Tournaments that won’t cost you a cent to enter. With $0 entry fee, players get the opportunity to practice and improve their poker skills without the worry of depleting their bankroll. This is the ideal space for beginners and inexperienced players to grow their confidence before taking on their more seasoned poker playing friends.
Cool Hand runs daily Freeroll Tournaments comprising $100 Freerolls, MP3 Freerolls and Bounty Freerolls. Even though players don’t pay to play, they still stand in line to win cash prizes, points, tournament invitations and other great giveaways. Weekly, these Freeroll Tournaments amount to $20,000 in payouts – a substantial amount especially as players don’t pay to enter!
With $20,000 up for grabs every week and $0 entry fee, players in fact get paid to be entertained. Not taking part just wouldn’t make sense.
Cool Hand Poker
Cool Hand Poker’s $350 sign-up offer is as unique as its play environment
Cool Hand Online PokerNew kid on the block, Cool Hand Poker undoubtedly holds true to its online poker for pleasure promise. And with a 100% match sign-up offer on all initial purchases up to $350, new players will certainly get their moneys worth.
Just by signing up, you already feel like a winner. Why? Most online poker rooms offer sign-up match bonuses that might double your first deposit. Cool Hand understands that you might not want to make a large first deposit and would like to experience the play environment first. Therefore it promises to match all your deposits 100% up to $350, whether you prefer to do it all at once or spread it over a few weeks. The bonus is released to players in $10 increments every time they play 100 raked hands. You wont find this offer at any other online poker room as it is exclusive to Cool Hand Poker.
Unlike many competitors that tend to intimidate, this online poker room provides players with the perfect place to sit down, hang out and play poker at their own pace. This makes it a good training ground for inexperienced players who need to build up their confidence. Its also the ideal environment for beginners to learn the rules, rankings and strategy. With the help of a poker school and freeplay tables, they can improve their skills in a safe, secure and friendly setting without the fear of having their bankroll run out after just a few minutes of play.
In a nutshell, Cool Hand Poker is the perfect destination for players who enjoy a social poker evening with friends. And with a $350 head start, players are sure to grow their skills and up their game.
First Holiday Inn Express in Canada's Capital Opens Near Airport
12 February 2009
First Holiday Inn Express in Canada's Capital Opens Near Airport
Holiday Inn Express
Ottawa, Ontario – IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced today that Ottawa’s first Holiday Inn Express® hotel has opened near the Ottawa International Airport. The new-build property is the tenth Holiday Inn Express hotel in Canada to showcase the brand’s new sign, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program.
The 91-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites Ottawa Airport is ideally located within minutes from the Ottawa International Airport, golf courses and restaurants, shopping and corporate offices such as IBM. Guests will be within a short driving distance of Ottawa’s downtown core and businesses such as Canada Post, Bank of Canada and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and several government offices. Nearby tourist attractions include Moneys Bay Beach, South Keys Shopping Centre, the Rideau Carleton Race Track & Slots and Nepean Sportsplex, making the Holiday Inn Express hotel a convenient option for both business and leisure travellers alike.
First announced in 2007, the Holiday Inn brand relaunch program was established to create a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom, and guest bath comfort. The global estate of more than 3,200 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010.
Elements of the relaunch for Holiday Inn Express include:
Redesigned Brand Signage
An evolution of the iconic script logo, energizing the signature color green and eliminating the current shield shape for a more refreshed and contemporary look.
Warm Welcome
A new signature arrival – including new lighting, landscaping and design features – that creates an energized and branded sense of welcome that is universally recognizable. Customized music and scent selections also engage guests in a complete sensory experience, and a decluttered front desk to promote a more efficient and interactive check-in process.
New Service Promise
A best-in-class service culture – “Stay Real” – to further ensure the team develops the behaviors and skills to best serve guests so they feel like individuals and not numbers. Genuine people delivering real service. Leading the charge will be a newly created position at each hotel – the Guest Experience Champion.
Guests at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Ottawa Airport will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a productive stay while travelling for business or leisure. The hotel’s newly enhanced complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar will feature a full selection of breakfast items including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurts, fruit and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee. The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products. Guests will also enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.
“Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travellers,” said John Merkin, senior vice president, Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands, The Americas. “With more than 1,800 properties worldwide and more than 700 properties in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in markets like Ottawa, providing our guests with an enhanced stay experience at a great value. We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family with the brand new sign and everything it represents.”
Standard Holiday Inn Express hotel guest rooms feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast 100% Arabica coffee. Business travellers will find large desks, ergonomic chairs, free high-speed internet access, free local and toll free phone calls and phones with private voicemail. The new Ottawa property offers a variety of additional amenities including 32” LCD TVs in all guestrooms, a 24 hour business centre, an indoor heated pool, more than 750 square feet of meeting space and a state-of-the-art fitness centre with an LCD flat panel TV. The hotel also offers 19 King Business Class Suites and one Deluxe Jacuzzi Suite, providing a relaxing and pampering oasis with a king bed, living room, fireplace, Jacuzzi and work desk with padded chair. Guests can also take advantage of Park and Fly specials while staying at the hotel.
“Holiday Inn Express hotels are fresh, clean and convenient for travellers,” said Asoka Wikramanayake, General Manager, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Ottawa Airport. “We invested $12 million to build this property with the goal of providing a relaxed atmosphere with all the latest in comfort while offering the tools our guests need to ensure a productive stay, and we’re pleased with the end result.”
Holiday Inn Express hotels participate in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has 40 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on www.priorityclub.com, calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,100 hotels worldwide.
The Holiday Inn Express hotel and Suites Ottawa Airport is owned by Sonny Sohal and managed by 1704951 Ontario Ltd. under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 2881 Gibford Drive, Ottawa, Ontario. Telephone: 613.247.9400.
About Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express hotels are modern hotels for value-oriented travellers. Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travellers. Guests Stay Smart® at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed internet access and free local phone calls (US and Canada only). There are currently more than 1,800 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.
First Holiday Inn Express in Canada's Capital Opens Near Airport
Holiday Inn Express
Ottawa, Ontario – IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced today that Ottawa’s first Holiday Inn Express® hotel has opened near the Ottawa International Airport. The new-build property is the tenth Holiday Inn Express hotel in Canada to showcase the brand’s new sign, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program.
The 91-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites Ottawa Airport is ideally located within minutes from the Ottawa International Airport, golf courses and restaurants, shopping and corporate offices such as IBM. Guests will be within a short driving distance of Ottawa’s downtown core and businesses such as Canada Post, Bank of Canada and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and several government offices. Nearby tourist attractions include Moneys Bay Beach, South Keys Shopping Centre, the Rideau Carleton Race Track & Slots and Nepean Sportsplex, making the Holiday Inn Express hotel a convenient option for both business and leisure travellers alike.
First announced in 2007, the Holiday Inn brand relaunch program was established to create a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom, and guest bath comfort. The global estate of more than 3,200 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010.
Elements of the relaunch for Holiday Inn Express include:
Redesigned Brand Signage
An evolution of the iconic script logo, energizing the signature color green and eliminating the current shield shape for a more refreshed and contemporary look.
Warm Welcome
A new signature arrival – including new lighting, landscaping and design features – that creates an energized and branded sense of welcome that is universally recognizable. Customized music and scent selections also engage guests in a complete sensory experience, and a decluttered front desk to promote a more efficient and interactive check-in process.
New Service Promise
A best-in-class service culture – “Stay Real” – to further ensure the team develops the behaviors and skills to best serve guests so they feel like individuals and not numbers. Genuine people delivering real service. Leading the charge will be a newly created position at each hotel – the Guest Experience Champion.
Guests at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Ottawa Airport will experience a comfortable and smart environment with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a productive stay while travelling for business or leisure. The hotel’s newly enhanced complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar will feature a full selection of breakfast items including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurts, fruit and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee. The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products. Guests will also enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection where they will find new crisp fresh bedding which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.
“Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travellers,” said John Merkin, senior vice president, Brand Management, Holiday Inn Brands, The Americas. “With more than 1,800 properties worldwide and more than 700 properties in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to expand in markets like Ottawa, providing our guests with an enhanced stay experience at a great value. We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family with the brand new sign and everything it represents.”
Standard Holiday Inn Express hotel guest rooms feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast 100% Arabica coffee. Business travellers will find large desks, ergonomic chairs, free high-speed internet access, free local and toll free phone calls and phones with private voicemail. The new Ottawa property offers a variety of additional amenities including 32” LCD TVs in all guestrooms, a 24 hour business centre, an indoor heated pool, more than 750 square feet of meeting space and a state-of-the-art fitness centre with an LCD flat panel TV. The hotel also offers 19 King Business Class Suites and one Deluxe Jacuzzi Suite, providing a relaxing and pampering oasis with a king bed, living room, fireplace, Jacuzzi and work desk with padded chair. Guests can also take advantage of Park and Fly specials while staying at the hotel.
“Holiday Inn Express hotels are fresh, clean and convenient for travellers,” said Asoka Wikramanayake, General Manager, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Ottawa Airport. “We invested $12 million to build this property with the goal of providing a relaxed atmosphere with all the latest in comfort while offering the tools our guests need to ensure a productive stay, and we’re pleased with the end result.”
Holiday Inn Express hotels participate in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has 40 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on www.priorityclub.com, calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,100 hotels worldwide.
The Holiday Inn Express hotel and Suites Ottawa Airport is owned by Sonny Sohal and managed by 1704951 Ontario Ltd. under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at 2881 Gibford Drive, Ottawa, Ontario. Telephone: 613.247.9400.
About Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express hotels are modern hotels for value-oriented travellers. Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travellers. Guests Stay Smart® at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free hot Express Start® Breakfast Bar, free high-speed internet access and free local phone calls (US and Canada only). There are currently more than 1,800 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.hiexpress.com.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations adds Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Gatlinburg, Tenn., to Growing Portfolio of Resorts
19 February 2009
Holiday Inn Club Vacations adds Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Gatlinburg, Tenn., to Growing Portfolio of Resorts
Holiday Inn Hotels
Holiday Inn Club Vacations announced today that it is adding two new destinations to its resort portfolio, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn., bringing the total number of resorts to six. The new resorts will join the three locations currently available to owners and guests – the flagship location, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Fla., and resorts in Lake Geneva, Wis., and Panama City, Fla., – with another location in Ascutney, Vt., scheduled to go live later this month.
Orange Lake Resorts, under an exclusive licensing agreement with IHG to use the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand, has acquired the 256-unit South Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and 109-unit Crown Park Resort – to be renamed Smoky Mountain Resort – in Gatlinburg, Tenn., from Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. Orange Lake will own and operate these resorts as a privately held company.
“The addition of two new resorts to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations portfolio in such a short period of time demonstrates the strength of the alliance and our ability to find strategic opportunities to grow this brand, even during challenging economic times,” said Christian Hempell, vice president, Holiday Inn Club Vacations. “Guests know and trust Holiday Inn, and we’re pleased to offer them even more destinations to experience the brand through timeshare ownership.”
Effective Feb. 13, 2009, Holiday Inn Club Vacations assumed management of operations at both resorts, with a target date for conversion by April 2009. A timeshare sales operation will begin at the South Beach Resort on April 1.
Andrew Tilmont, COO for Burroughs and Chapin Company, Inc. commented on the purchase: “We are happy to have a company like Orange Lake with such a depth of experience and reach in the industry to take ownership of our timeshare resorts, allowing our members and employees to have unparalleled leadership as they look to their future growth.”
Both of the new resort properties offer a host of amenities that Holiday Inn Club members will enjoy:
• Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, Tenn., (formerly Crown Park Resort) is a 109-unit resort situated near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offering spectacular views and the ability to experience the natural wonders of the mountains. The resort was completed in 2006 and offers indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness room and more. The area is also home to many shops, restaurants and family attractions for an estimated 12 million annual visitors.
• South Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., is a 256-unit resort offering indoor and outdoor pools, a lazy river, a video game room, a fitness center and private access to a beautiful stretch of beach located just steps from the resort. This resort, the first units of which were completed in 2003, is ideal for families wanting to take advantage of the many golfing, shopping, dining and entertainment options available in the Myrtle Beach area for an estimated 10 million annual visitors.
“We are thrilled to be adding one of the most prestigious resorts in Myrtle Beach to our resort offering. Myrtle Beach has always been in the top 10 list of most desired locations in our member surveys,” said Don Harrill, President and CEO for Orange Lake Resorts. “Gatlinburg also has a great experience to offer being located so close to the Smoky Mountains National Park.”
Holiday Inn Club members will continue to enjoy access to the flagship Orlando resort, plus Member Resorts in Ascutney, Vt., Lake Geneva, Wis. and Panama City, Fla. They will also have access to Resort Condominium International’s (RCI) network of more than 4,000 resorts.
Holiday Inn Club members will also receive automatic enrollment in the Priority Club® Rewards loyalty program with Gold Elite status and can reserve stays at IHG’s more than 4,150 hotels in nearly 100 countries worldwide. Priority Club Rewards members enjoy features and benefits, such as Reward Nights with no blackout dates and the ability to redeem points for merchandise and special experiences. To learn more about the Priority Club Rewards program, visit www.priorityclub.com.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand its Member Resorts into top North American destination locations, adding more vacation experiences, features and benefits. In addition, Orange Lake also plans to build a flagship Holiday Inn Resort hotel at the Orlando resort and has the potential to develop up to 2,500 more timeshare villas at this location. For more information, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.
About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success. Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder, Kemmons Wilson. A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,412 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas. Other member resort locations include Brownsville, Vermont; Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and Panama City, Florida. Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts in Wisconsin, Vermont and Florida and IHG’s network of more than 4,150 resorts worldwide. Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to destination locations. For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.
About Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc.
A leader in the fields of commercial and residential real estate development, and related operations, Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. has been serving the grand strand for more than 100 years – the company's service to Myrtle Beach and Horry County, South Carolina dates back to 1895.
Burroughs & Chapin’s residential developments include the award-winning Grande Dunes, a 2,200-acre four-star community stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to west across the Intracoastal Waterway. Burroughs & Chapin has also created numerous commercial developments offering national and regional name brand shopping. These include Broadway at the Beach – an award-winning 350-acre festival shopping, entertainment and dining complex; Coastal Grand Mall, a one million square foot regional shopping mall joint ventured with CBL & Associates Properties of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Seaboard Commons; South Strand Commons; Arcadian Shores Commons; the 501 Power Centers and many smaller “jewel box” centers. In addition, Burroughs & Chapin Golf Management offers many of the finest 18-hole championship golf courses in Myrtle Beach.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations adds Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Gatlinburg, Tenn., to Growing Portfolio of Resorts
Holiday Inn Hotels
Holiday Inn Club Vacations announced today that it is adding two new destinations to its resort portfolio, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn., bringing the total number of resorts to six. The new resorts will join the three locations currently available to owners and guests – the flagship location, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Fla., and resorts in Lake Geneva, Wis., and Panama City, Fla., – with another location in Ascutney, Vt., scheduled to go live later this month.
Orange Lake Resorts, under an exclusive licensing agreement with IHG to use the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand, has acquired the 256-unit South Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and 109-unit Crown Park Resort – to be renamed Smoky Mountain Resort – in Gatlinburg, Tenn., from Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. Orange Lake will own and operate these resorts as a privately held company.
“The addition of two new resorts to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations portfolio in such a short period of time demonstrates the strength of the alliance and our ability to find strategic opportunities to grow this brand, even during challenging economic times,” said Christian Hempell, vice president, Holiday Inn Club Vacations. “Guests know and trust Holiday Inn, and we’re pleased to offer them even more destinations to experience the brand through timeshare ownership.”
Effective Feb. 13, 2009, Holiday Inn Club Vacations assumed management of operations at both resorts, with a target date for conversion by April 2009. A timeshare sales operation will begin at the South Beach Resort on April 1.
Andrew Tilmont, COO for Burroughs and Chapin Company, Inc. commented on the purchase: “We are happy to have a company like Orange Lake with such a depth of experience and reach in the industry to take ownership of our timeshare resorts, allowing our members and employees to have unparalleled leadership as they look to their future growth.”
Both of the new resort properties offer a host of amenities that Holiday Inn Club members will enjoy:
• Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, Tenn., (formerly Crown Park Resort) is a 109-unit resort situated near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offering spectacular views and the ability to experience the natural wonders of the mountains. The resort was completed in 2006 and offers indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness room and more. The area is also home to many shops, restaurants and family attractions for an estimated 12 million annual visitors.
• South Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., is a 256-unit resort offering indoor and outdoor pools, a lazy river, a video game room, a fitness center and private access to a beautiful stretch of beach located just steps from the resort. This resort, the first units of which were completed in 2003, is ideal for families wanting to take advantage of the many golfing, shopping, dining and entertainment options available in the Myrtle Beach area for an estimated 10 million annual visitors.
“We are thrilled to be adding one of the most prestigious resorts in Myrtle Beach to our resort offering. Myrtle Beach has always been in the top 10 list of most desired locations in our member surveys,” said Don Harrill, President and CEO for Orange Lake Resorts. “Gatlinburg also has a great experience to offer being located so close to the Smoky Mountains National Park.”
Holiday Inn Club members will continue to enjoy access to the flagship Orlando resort, plus Member Resorts in Ascutney, Vt., Lake Geneva, Wis. and Panama City, Fla. They will also have access to Resort Condominium International’s (RCI) network of more than 4,000 resorts.
Holiday Inn Club members will also receive automatic enrollment in the Priority Club® Rewards loyalty program with Gold Elite status and can reserve stays at IHG’s more than 4,150 hotels in nearly 100 countries worldwide. Priority Club Rewards members enjoy features and benefits, such as Reward Nights with no blackout dates and the ability to redeem points for merchandise and special experiences. To learn more about the Priority Club Rewards program, visit www.priorityclub.com.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand its Member Resorts into top North American destination locations, adding more vacation experiences, features and benefits. In addition, Orange Lake also plans to build a flagship Holiday Inn Resort hotel at the Orlando resort and has the potential to develop up to 2,500 more timeshare villas at this location. For more information, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.
About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success. Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder, Kemmons Wilson. A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,412 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas. Other member resort locations include Brownsville, Vermont; Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and Panama City, Florida. Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts in Wisconsin, Vermont and Florida and IHG’s network of more than 4,150 resorts worldwide. Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to destination locations. For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.
About Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc.
A leader in the fields of commercial and residential real estate development, and related operations, Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. has been serving the grand strand for more than 100 years – the company's service to Myrtle Beach and Horry County, South Carolina dates back to 1895.
Burroughs & Chapin’s residential developments include the award-winning Grande Dunes, a 2,200-acre four-star community stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to west across the Intracoastal Waterway. Burroughs & Chapin has also created numerous commercial developments offering national and regional name brand shopping. These include Broadway at the Beach – an award-winning 350-acre festival shopping, entertainment and dining complex; Coastal Grand Mall, a one million square foot regional shopping mall joint ventured with CBL & Associates Properties of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Seaboard Commons; South Strand Commons; Arcadian Shores Commons; the 501 Power Centers and many smaller “jewel box” centers. In addition, Burroughs & Chapin Golf Management offers many of the finest 18-hole championship golf courses in Myrtle Beach.
Ladbrokes shows resilience to recession
Ladbrokes shows resilience to recession
Thursday, February 19
Reuters Matt Scuffham
Online Sportsbooks
The nation's biggest bookmaker Ladbrokes said its business had shown resilience against the impact of the recession as it reported full-year operating profit slightly ahead of market expectations on Thursday. Skip related content
Ladbrokes, which has 2,100 betting shops in Britain, said operating profit, excluding bets by high stakes gamblers, increased by 0.9 percent to 243.8 million pounds in the year to December 31.
That was just ahead of the market consensus of 240 million pounds, based on a survey of 19 analysts by the company. Shares in Ladbrokes were up 6.5 percent at 193.5 pence at 9:15 a.m.
"We think these results will be well received and with the current trading still not demonstrating any signs of a slowdown we would expect the shares to react positively this morning," said Numis analyst Richard Carter.
Carter, who kept an 'add' recommendation, upgraded his 2009 pretax profit forecast by 16 percent to 181.1 million pounds, and his 2010 forecast by 1 percent to 159.5 million.
Bookmakers are widely regarded as being less vulnerable than other retailers to the recession given the habitual nature of gamblers and because it is a "low ticket" industry, with an average bet of less than 10 pounds.
"All of our businesses are showing remarkable resilience. People still like going to have a few pounds on a bet," Chief Executive Chris Bell told reporters on a conference call.
The industry has also benefited from diversifying into new revenue streams such as gambling machines and online.
"The business is much stronger in depth now. In the last recession (in early 1990s), we didn't have machines, we didn't have different products and we had no web business," said Bell.
Gross win -- total bets minus payouts -- increased by 11.1 percent during the year to 1.14 billion pounds, excluding bets by high stakes gamblers.
However, Ladbrokes said trade in the first six weeks of the current year had been affected by bad weather which led to several horseracing meetings being cancelled and between 200-300 shops being closed as snow stopped staff getting to work.
Bell said there had been twice as many race cancellations than in the previous year over the six week period and the rate of abandonments was three times was than the average for that time of the year.
Gross win since the year end, excluding high rollers, was 1 percent up on the previous year.
High rollers who place five figure sums on individual bets contributed 80.1 million pounds to operating profit during the year. Since the year end, they have contributed 24 million pounds to operating profit.
Ladbrokes maintained its final dividend at 9.05 pence, making a total dividend for the year of 14.15 pence.
The company's biggest rival, William Hill, is due to report full year results on February 27.
Thursday, February 19
Reuters Matt Scuffham
Online Sportsbooks
The nation's biggest bookmaker Ladbrokes said its business had shown resilience against the impact of the recession as it reported full-year operating profit slightly ahead of market expectations on Thursday. Skip related content
Ladbrokes, which has 2,100 betting shops in Britain, said operating profit, excluding bets by high stakes gamblers, increased by 0.9 percent to 243.8 million pounds in the year to December 31.
That was just ahead of the market consensus of 240 million pounds, based on a survey of 19 analysts by the company. Shares in Ladbrokes were up 6.5 percent at 193.5 pence at 9:15 a.m.
"We think these results will be well received and with the current trading still not demonstrating any signs of a slowdown we would expect the shares to react positively this morning," said Numis analyst Richard Carter.
Carter, who kept an 'add' recommendation, upgraded his 2009 pretax profit forecast by 16 percent to 181.1 million pounds, and his 2010 forecast by 1 percent to 159.5 million.
Bookmakers are widely regarded as being less vulnerable than other retailers to the recession given the habitual nature of gamblers and because it is a "low ticket" industry, with an average bet of less than 10 pounds.
"All of our businesses are showing remarkable resilience. People still like going to have a few pounds on a bet," Chief Executive Chris Bell told reporters on a conference call.
The industry has also benefited from diversifying into new revenue streams such as gambling machines and online.
"The business is much stronger in depth now. In the last recession (in early 1990s), we didn't have machines, we didn't have different products and we had no web business," said Bell.
Gross win -- total bets minus payouts -- increased by 11.1 percent during the year to 1.14 billion pounds, excluding bets by high stakes gamblers.
However, Ladbrokes said trade in the first six weeks of the current year had been affected by bad weather which led to several horseracing meetings being cancelled and between 200-300 shops being closed as snow stopped staff getting to work.
Bell said there had been twice as many race cancellations than in the previous year over the six week period and the rate of abandonments was three times was than the average for that time of the year.
Gross win since the year end, excluding high rollers, was 1 percent up on the previous year.
High rollers who place five figure sums on individual bets contributed 80.1 million pounds to operating profit during the year. Since the year end, they have contributed 24 million pounds to operating profit.
Ladbrokes maintained its final dividend at 9.05 pence, making a total dividend for the year of 14.15 pence.
The company's biggest rival, William Hill, is due to report full year results on February 27.
Ladbrokes says betting holding up
Ladbrokes says betting holding up
2009/02/19
Ladbrokes SportsBook
Bookmaker Ladbrokes has seen its annual profits edge up, despite the wider economic slowdown.
Operating profits for the group reached £243.8m in the twelve months to 31 December 2008 - an increase of 0.9% on the previous year.
The firm's chief executive Christopher Bell said a rise in internet gaming had contributed to the company's success.
The results were slightly ahead of market forecasts, sending shares in the firm up 5.7% in early afternoon trade.
Betting is often considered to be more resilient to recessions than other leisure activities, because of the habitual nature of gambling and the fact that most bets are quite small, with the average bet below £10.
"People still like going to have a few pounds on a bet," said Mr Bell.
The amount bet by so called high rollers - those who place five figure sums on individual bets - contributed £80.1m of operating profit to the group.
However, Ladbrokes added that trade in the first six weeks of this year had been adversely affected by bad weather.
Snow caused numerous race cancellations and between two and three hundred shops had to be closed as staff struggled to get to work.
2009/02/19
Ladbrokes SportsBook
Bookmaker Ladbrokes has seen its annual profits edge up, despite the wider economic slowdown.
Operating profits for the group reached £243.8m in the twelve months to 31 December 2008 - an increase of 0.9% on the previous year.
The firm's chief executive Christopher Bell said a rise in internet gaming had contributed to the company's success.
The results were slightly ahead of market forecasts, sending shares in the firm up 5.7% in early afternoon trade.
Betting is often considered to be more resilient to recessions than other leisure activities, because of the habitual nature of gambling and the fact that most bets are quite small, with the average bet below £10.
"People still like going to have a few pounds on a bet," said Mr Bell.
The amount bet by so called high rollers - those who place five figure sums on individual bets - contributed £80.1m of operating profit to the group.
However, Ladbrokes added that trade in the first six weeks of this year had been adversely affected by bad weather.
Snow caused numerous race cancellations and between two and three hundred shops had to be closed as staff struggled to get to work.
Monday, February 9, 2009
World's worst cruise ships revealed in online survey
World's worst cruise ships revealed in online survey
By Kate Schneider
NEWS.com.au
February 09, 2009
Travel Australia
Named and shamed ... cruise ship MSC Musica launched in Italy
THE world's worst-performing cruise ships have been named and shamed in an online survey, with major companies coming under fire.
Two Italian cruise companies fared the worst in the survey, conducted by www.cruises.co.uk.
The independent cruise agent collated the results from more than 12,000 passenger assessments.
Passengers rated their cruise under seven categories – food, entertainment, shore excursions, staff, provision for children, activities and cabins.
Of the major cruise lines, MSC, an Italian company, was voted the worst, achieving an average of 2.83 out of five, with a lack of activities and children’s entertainment the prime offenders in it receiving the title of the worst-performing cruise ship.
Costa Cruises, another Italian company, scored an average rating of 3.25 from 300 reviews with passengers slamming the onboard activities.
In brighter news, Oceania’s Insignia won three awards, while P&O’s family ship Ventura, landed in the top five for best for families.
How they rated (worst to best):
1. MSC Cruises 2.83
2. Costa Cruises 3.25
3. NCL Cruises 3.56
4. Fred Olsen 3.90
5. Celebrity Cruises 3.93
6. P&O Cruises 3.93
7. Thomson Cruises 4.06
8. Princess Cruises 4.08
9. Royal Caribbean 4.15
10. Cunard 4.36
By Kate Schneider
NEWS.com.au
February 09, 2009
Travel Australia
Named and shamed ... cruise ship MSC Musica launched in Italy
THE world's worst-performing cruise ships have been named and shamed in an online survey, with major companies coming under fire.
Two Italian cruise companies fared the worst in the survey, conducted by www.cruises.co.uk.
The independent cruise agent collated the results from more than 12,000 passenger assessments.
Passengers rated their cruise under seven categories – food, entertainment, shore excursions, staff, provision for children, activities and cabins.
Of the major cruise lines, MSC, an Italian company, was voted the worst, achieving an average of 2.83 out of five, with a lack of activities and children’s entertainment the prime offenders in it receiving the title of the worst-performing cruise ship.
Costa Cruises, another Italian company, scored an average rating of 3.25 from 300 reviews with passengers slamming the onboard activities.
In brighter news, Oceania’s Insignia won three awards, while P&O’s family ship Ventura, landed in the top five for best for families.
How they rated (worst to best):
1. MSC Cruises 2.83
2. Costa Cruises 3.25
3. NCL Cruises 3.56
4. Fred Olsen 3.90
5. Celebrity Cruises 3.93
6. P&O Cruises 3.93
7. Thomson Cruises 4.06
8. Princess Cruises 4.08
9. Royal Caribbean 4.15
10. Cunard 4.36
Chris Brown charged with reportedly assaulting Rihanna
Chris Brown charged with reportedly assaulting Rihanna
By Dan Whitcomb
Reuters
February 10, 2009
DVDs Australia
SINGER Chris Brown was yesterday arrested and charged with making criminal threats against a woman widely thought to be his famous girlfriend Rihanna.
The alleged assault came just hours before the pair were due to appear at the Grammy awards.
Both were nominated and scheduled to perform but separately dropped out at the last minute, leaving a huge hole in the awards telecast.
As the show was getting underway, Brown turned himself in for questioning by Los Angeles police.
He was booked on a charge of making criminal threats and released on $US50,000 bail, according to police.
Brown was being investigated for alleged domestic violence felony battery, and additional charges could be filed after officials review the case.
Police said Brown got into an argument with a woman while sitting in a parked car in the LA's Hancock Park at around 12:30am on Sunday.
"After stopping his car, Brown and the woman got out and the argument escalated," the police said.
"The woman suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker."
Police received a 911 call reporting the disturbance and according to the statement, when officers arrived they found the victim, but Brown had already left the scene.
Rihanna cancelled her performance shortly before the Grammys started, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences said.
"We have just been informed that Rihanna will not be attending tonight's 51st Annual Grammy Awards," a spokesperson said.
"We're sorry she is unable to join us."
There was no further explanation for her absence.
Soul legend Al Green performed alongside pop star Justin Timberlake in Rihanna's place.
Grammy officials made no mention of Brown's performance but he did not appear on stage as scheduled.
By Dan Whitcomb
Reuters
February 10, 2009
DVDs Australia
SINGER Chris Brown was yesterday arrested and charged with making criminal threats against a woman widely thought to be his famous girlfriend Rihanna.
The alleged assault came just hours before the pair were due to appear at the Grammy awards.
Both were nominated and scheduled to perform but separately dropped out at the last minute, leaving a huge hole in the awards telecast.
As the show was getting underway, Brown turned himself in for questioning by Los Angeles police.
He was booked on a charge of making criminal threats and released on $US50,000 bail, according to police.
Brown was being investigated for alleged domestic violence felony battery, and additional charges could be filed after officials review the case.
Police said Brown got into an argument with a woman while sitting in a parked car in the LA's Hancock Park at around 12:30am on Sunday.
"After stopping his car, Brown and the woman got out and the argument escalated," the police said.
"The woman suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker."
Police received a 911 call reporting the disturbance and according to the statement, when officers arrived they found the victim, but Brown had already left the scene.
Rihanna cancelled her performance shortly before the Grammys started, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences said.
"We have just been informed that Rihanna will not be attending tonight's 51st Annual Grammy Awards," a spokesperson said.
"We're sorry she is unable to join us."
There was no further explanation for her absence.
Soul legend Al Green performed alongside pop star Justin Timberlake in Rihanna's place.
Grammy officials made no mention of Brown's performance but he did not appear on stage as scheduled.
Stiff response to sex toy mystery as dildos appear on rural road
Stiff response to sex toy mystery as dildos appear on rural road
By Nick CalaCouras
Northern Territory News
February 09, 2009
* 30 sex toys found in front of house
* Residents change name to 'Dildo Boulevard'
Australia Sex Toy
RESIDENTS in a rural area of Darwin have renamed their street "Dildo Boulevard" after 30 sex toys were found lying in front of a house on Friday morning.
Robert Johns and Laurelle Bates discovered the mysterious toys as they left for work in the morning.
"It's a real mystery. We have no idea where they came from," Ms Bates told The Northern Territory News.
"I know they aren't new. They look used."
Mr Johns said he counted the sex toys on Friday morning, and the number had decreased within 24 hours.
"Yeah, some of the bigger ones are gone," he said.
Many of the devices are still lying outside the Osbeck Rd home - most crushed under the wheels of passing cars.
Within hours of the sex toys appearing, a resident replaced the street sign - changing it to "Dildo Boulevard".
"I just cracked up. It was very entertaining," Ms Cappa said.
"I don't know where they came from. This is the strangest thing."
By Nick CalaCouras
Northern Territory News
February 09, 2009
* 30 sex toys found in front of house
* Residents change name to 'Dildo Boulevard'
Australia Sex Toy
RESIDENTS in a rural area of Darwin have renamed their street "Dildo Boulevard" after 30 sex toys were found lying in front of a house on Friday morning.
Robert Johns and Laurelle Bates discovered the mysterious toys as they left for work in the morning.
"It's a real mystery. We have no idea where they came from," Ms Bates told The Northern Territory News.
"I know they aren't new. They look used."
Mr Johns said he counted the sex toys on Friday morning, and the number had decreased within 24 hours.
"Yeah, some of the bigger ones are gone," he said.
Many of the devices are still lying outside the Osbeck Rd home - most crushed under the wheels of passing cars.
Within hours of the sex toys appearing, a resident replaced the street sign - changing it to "Dildo Boulevard".
"I just cracked up. It was very entertaining," Ms Cappa said.
"I don't know where they came from. This is the strangest thing."
Healesville on alert as Victoria's bushfires continue to rage
Healesville on alert as Victoria's bushfires continue to rage
NEWS.com.au
February 10, 2009
Insurance Australia
THE town of Healesville and more than a dozen other communities are on high alert from the raging Victoria fires.
Healesville were told this morning to watch for ember attacks. Fire authorities have urged residents in Yarra Glen, Chum Creek and Toolangi to be on alert, Melbourne's Herald Sun reported.
The communities of Acheron, Connellys Creek, Crystal Creek, Scrubby Creek, Native Dog Creek and Molesworth have been warned they may be directly impacted by the fire. It is also threatening communities in Rubicon, Thornton-Taggerty Rd, Bulls Ln and in Cathedral Ln to the east of Little River.
The fire is also burning near Glenburn and is threatening communities in Kalatha Creek Rd and east of Two Hills Rd near Glenburn.
Earlier, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) says southerly winds are expected to strengthen which will fan the fires that are continuing in the area.
"There's an urgent threat message out to the community there," said a spokesman.
"It's not critical but the fire is spotting around there so the community is asked to be very vigilant as the winds are moving around a bit and there are some strong southerlies coming in later today."
The CFA says residents in the vicinity of Dowd, Romeo, Anderson and Gibbs roads, Juliet Avenue and Donald Street may get heavy ember attack.
Department of Sustainability and Environment spokeswoman Nina Cullen said: "There was a water outage for Healesville residents (late yesterday) but that has since been rectified and water supply is back on.
"There hasn't been any reported losses at this point."
Meanwhile, the Beechworth blaze has burnt 30,000ha and continues to pose some threat to the communities of Dederang, Gundowring, Gundowring Upper, Kergunyah South, Glenn Creek and Running Creek.
Residents in those communities have been asked to enact their fire plans.
"At the Dederang area particularly during the day (yesterday), the fire significantly escalated," Ms Cullen said. "Work has occurred on the north side of that fire, and that activity has gone extremely well.
"There remains a few spot fires but the crews on the ground are working really hard and getting somewhere on that fire. The threat has now been downgraded."
The deadly Churchill-Jeeralang fire in Gippsland, which was threatening the township of Won Wron and remains out of control but has been downgraded.
NEWS.com.au
February 10, 2009
Insurance Australia
THE town of Healesville and more than a dozen other communities are on high alert from the raging Victoria fires.
Healesville were told this morning to watch for ember attacks. Fire authorities have urged residents in Yarra Glen, Chum Creek and Toolangi to be on alert, Melbourne's Herald Sun reported.
The communities of Acheron, Connellys Creek, Crystal Creek, Scrubby Creek, Native Dog Creek and Molesworth have been warned they may be directly impacted by the fire. It is also threatening communities in Rubicon, Thornton-Taggerty Rd, Bulls Ln and in Cathedral Ln to the east of Little River.
The fire is also burning near Glenburn and is threatening communities in Kalatha Creek Rd and east of Two Hills Rd near Glenburn.
Earlier, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) says southerly winds are expected to strengthen which will fan the fires that are continuing in the area.
"There's an urgent threat message out to the community there," said a spokesman.
"It's not critical but the fire is spotting around there so the community is asked to be very vigilant as the winds are moving around a bit and there are some strong southerlies coming in later today."
The CFA says residents in the vicinity of Dowd, Romeo, Anderson and Gibbs roads, Juliet Avenue and Donald Street may get heavy ember attack.
Department of Sustainability and Environment spokeswoman Nina Cullen said: "There was a water outage for Healesville residents (late yesterday) but that has since been rectified and water supply is back on.
"There hasn't been any reported losses at this point."
Meanwhile, the Beechworth blaze has burnt 30,000ha and continues to pose some threat to the communities of Dederang, Gundowring, Gundowring Upper, Kergunyah South, Glenn Creek and Running Creek.
Residents in those communities have been asked to enact their fire plans.
"At the Dederang area particularly during the day (yesterday), the fire significantly escalated," Ms Cullen said. "Work has occurred on the north side of that fire, and that activity has gone extremely well.
"There remains a few spot fires but the crews on the ground are working really hard and getting somewhere on that fire. The threat has now been downgraded."
The deadly Churchill-Jeeralang fire in Gippsland, which was threatening the township of Won Wron and remains out of control but has been downgraded.
Kevin Rudd's $950 payments to be blown on pokies, plasmas, economists warn
Kevin Rudd's $950 payments to be blown on pokies, plasmas, economists warn
By Cathy Alexander and Colin Brinsden
AAP
February 10, 2009
* Economists raise concerns about handouts
* "Will be spent on plasma TVs, pokies"
* Tax cuts or a GST holiday a better idea
Australian Legal Law
ECONOMISTS have raised concerns the Federal Government's cash handouts to millions of people will be blown on pokies and plasma televisions.
The Government wants to give payments of up to $950 to individuals as part of its $42 billion economic rescue package.
But economists have told a Senate inquiry that $42 billion is too much money, and the handouts would be wasted.
Reserve Bank board member Warwick McKibbin called for the payments to be scrapped.
"A cash payment ... only has the potential to temporarily stimulate demand and has no long-run benefits to the economy," Professor McKibbin told the inquiry last night.
He said it would be better to bring forward tax cuts or temporarily cut the GST.
Professor McKibbin, who said his remarks reflected his own views and not those of the Reserve Bank, said the $42 billion package was "too large".
Sinclair Davidson, professor of economics at RMIT, slammed the handouts.
"Do we believe that Australians have not been borrowing and spending enough on alcohol, pokies and tobacco, and that there aren't enough plasma televisions around?" he asked the inquiry.
"This particular package has got a very low bang for buck, and there are certainly (a) substantial amount of bucks involved in the project."
Prof Davidson said tax cuts or a "GST holiday" would be a better way to stimulate the economy.
The opposition will vote against the plan, so the Government needs the support of the Greens and two cross-bench senators to get it through the Senate.
Ominously for the Government, cross-bench senators aired a litany of concerns about the cash hand-outs at the inquiry, which is due to wrap up today.
Family First senator Steve Fielding raised the case of a doctor earning $300,000 a year who did not think his family should reap thousands of dollars from the package.
"There's a lot of people that are contacting me saying they don't actually need the money, they'll take it but they don't need it," Senator Fielding told the inquiry.
"There's something wrong here, there's something horribly wrong".
The Greens took aim at the fact that people earning more than $80,000 would get a payment, saying it seemed like every player would win a prize.
Richard Evans, executive director of the Australian Retailers' Association (ARA), said much of the last round of cash hand-outs was used to pay off debt.
"Indeed, there is something uncomfortable to us about taxpayer funds being used to reduce credit card debt," he told the inquiry.
The ARA is recommending a voucher system, redeemable at retail outlets.
Accountants told the inquiry that bringing forward tax cuts would be a better way to boost consumption.
The Senate inquiry is due to hand down its findings tomorrow night, and the Senate to vote on the stimulus package on Thursday night.
By Cathy Alexander and Colin Brinsden
AAP
February 10, 2009
* Economists raise concerns about handouts
* "Will be spent on plasma TVs, pokies"
* Tax cuts or a GST holiday a better idea
Australian Legal Law
ECONOMISTS have raised concerns the Federal Government's cash handouts to millions of people will be blown on pokies and plasma televisions.
The Government wants to give payments of up to $950 to individuals as part of its $42 billion economic rescue package.
But economists have told a Senate inquiry that $42 billion is too much money, and the handouts would be wasted.
Reserve Bank board member Warwick McKibbin called for the payments to be scrapped.
"A cash payment ... only has the potential to temporarily stimulate demand and has no long-run benefits to the economy," Professor McKibbin told the inquiry last night.
He said it would be better to bring forward tax cuts or temporarily cut the GST.
Professor McKibbin, who said his remarks reflected his own views and not those of the Reserve Bank, said the $42 billion package was "too large".
Sinclair Davidson, professor of economics at RMIT, slammed the handouts.
"Do we believe that Australians have not been borrowing and spending enough on alcohol, pokies and tobacco, and that there aren't enough plasma televisions around?" he asked the inquiry.
"This particular package has got a very low bang for buck, and there are certainly (a) substantial amount of bucks involved in the project."
Prof Davidson said tax cuts or a "GST holiday" would be a better way to stimulate the economy.
The opposition will vote against the plan, so the Government needs the support of the Greens and two cross-bench senators to get it through the Senate.
Ominously for the Government, cross-bench senators aired a litany of concerns about the cash hand-outs at the inquiry, which is due to wrap up today.
Family First senator Steve Fielding raised the case of a doctor earning $300,000 a year who did not think his family should reap thousands of dollars from the package.
"There's a lot of people that are contacting me saying they don't actually need the money, they'll take it but they don't need it," Senator Fielding told the inquiry.
"There's something wrong here, there's something horribly wrong".
The Greens took aim at the fact that people earning more than $80,000 would get a payment, saying it seemed like every player would win a prize.
Richard Evans, executive director of the Australian Retailers' Association (ARA), said much of the last round of cash hand-outs was used to pay off debt.
"Indeed, there is something uncomfortable to us about taxpayer funds being used to reduce credit card debt," he told the inquiry.
The ARA is recommending a voucher system, redeemable at retail outlets.
Accountants told the inquiry that bringing forward tax cuts would be a better way to boost consumption.
The Senate inquiry is due to hand down its findings tomorrow night, and the Senate to vote on the stimulus package on Thursday night.
Police close in on arsonist responsible for Churchill fires in Victoria
Police close in on arsonist responsible for Churchill fires in Victoria
NEWS.com.au
February 10, 2009
Insurance Australia
POLICE are hunting down the arsonist believed to have been responsible for lighting the worst of the Victoria fires.
Police have confirmed that they believe they know the identity of the man who allegedly contributed to the Churchill-Jeeralang blaze in Gippsland. Twenty-one people have died in that region.
But the Country Fire Authority said the firefront could have included towns further north, including Kinglake, St Andrews and Strathewen, where dozens more died in the firestorm.
It's expected police will release an image in the next couple of days of a man sought for questioning over the fires.
"We'll soon be in a position to provide face images of people we believe responsible," Morwell Detective Sergeant Brett Kahan said.
Deputy police commissioner Kieran Walshe has refused to confirm reports police have been given a video tape to help their investigation but she told ABC Television they're confident they're making progress.
Task Force Phoenix has been established to lead the investigation with 100 police looking into all fire-related deaths.
The task force will be headed by Crime Department Assistant Commissioner Dannye Moloney who was involved in similar investigations during the 1983 Ash Wednesday bush fires.
Fire criminologist Dr Damon Muller said more than one arsonist would have been responsible for the Victorian fires.
He said the number of fires burning in the state - up to 400 over the weekend - pointed to multiple arsonists.
"It would be surprising if some of them were not deliberately lit, just by virtue of the significant number," Dr Muller said.
Profiling an arsonist is as difficult as controlling the fires they start, according to psychologists. But in general they are likely to be male, a loner, live outside the community but love to watch their handiwork.
NEWS.com.au
February 10, 2009
Insurance Australia
POLICE are hunting down the arsonist believed to have been responsible for lighting the worst of the Victoria fires.
Police have confirmed that they believe they know the identity of the man who allegedly contributed to the Churchill-Jeeralang blaze in Gippsland. Twenty-one people have died in that region.
But the Country Fire Authority said the firefront could have included towns further north, including Kinglake, St Andrews and Strathewen, where dozens more died in the firestorm.
It's expected police will release an image in the next couple of days of a man sought for questioning over the fires.
"We'll soon be in a position to provide face images of people we believe responsible," Morwell Detective Sergeant Brett Kahan said.
Deputy police commissioner Kieran Walshe has refused to confirm reports police have been given a video tape to help their investigation but she told ABC Television they're confident they're making progress.
Task Force Phoenix has been established to lead the investigation with 100 police looking into all fire-related deaths.
The task force will be headed by Crime Department Assistant Commissioner Dannye Moloney who was involved in similar investigations during the 1983 Ash Wednesday bush fires.
Fire criminologist Dr Damon Muller said more than one arsonist would have been responsible for the Victorian fires.
He said the number of fires burning in the state - up to 400 over the weekend - pointed to multiple arsonists.
"It would be surprising if some of them were not deliberately lit, just by virtue of the significant number," Dr Muller said.
Profiling an arsonist is as difficult as controlling the fires they start, according to psychologists. But in general they are likely to be male, a loner, live outside the community but love to watch their handiwork.
Victoria fires: 173 dead, towns ruined, police chase arsonists
Victoria fires: 173 dead, towns ruined, police chase arsonists
By staff writers
NEWS.com.au
February 10, 2009
Magazines Subscription
POLICE are hunting down the arsonist believed to be responsible for lighting one of the worst of the Victoria fires.
Police have confirmed that they believe they know the identity of the man who allegedly contributed to the Churchill-Jeeralang blaze in Gippsland. Twenty-one people have died in that region.
But the Country Fire Authority said the firefront could have included towns further north, including Kinglake, St Andrews and Strathewen, where dozens more died in the firestorm.
The fires killed 173 people according to the last official death toll. The death toll from the bushfires was certain to rise further.
Police said they could release a photo of the suspect in the next couple of days. Yesterday, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd likened lighting the blazes to mass murder.
Twenty-four fires were still burning and towns remained under threat as authorities moved deeper into the ruins of more than 700 homes which were lost.
Bushfire relief funds were receiving $1 million in donations per hour yesterday, with $15 million pledged by last night.
Victorian Premier John Brumby has vowed to rebuild the razed communities, but as the toll mounts the grim fates of many residents are becoming clearer. Thirty-five people died in Kinglake alone, while 22 deaths had been confirmed in St Andrews out of a population of just 1500.
Strathewen, with only 200 people prior to the bushfires, had lost 30 residents in the last official count. Firefighters dubbed the tiny town the "Valley of Death". A bridge out of town was damaged, leaving those still there as the firestorm swept through with little chance of survival.
Three bodies were found crowded in a bath. The victims may have hoped the water would save them but instead it would have boiled in the intense heat.
Further north, in Flowerdale, residents consider themselves the forgotten town. While authorities have been working their way into other towns, Flowerdale's survivors have been left to cope on their own.
"It's like we got left off the map. A lot of the locals are really upset. It kind of felt very lonely, as if we didn't f---ing exist," one angry resident told The Australian, whose reporters were the first into the town since Saturday night.
Morgue
A temporary morgue was set up at Victoria's State Coronial Services Centre to accommodate the mounting toll of victims. Coroner Jennifer Coate said 101 victims had already been received into the facility.
She said the makeshift morgue was similar to the one set up during the London terrorist bombings. "We at the State Coronial Services Centre have an enormous and complex task ahead of us."
Concerned relatives were using the Herald Sun's bushfire message board to post pleas for information about the whereabouts of loved ones. Some had been reunited, while for others the agonising wait for news remained.
Tough work
Specialist teams used in the aftermath of the Bali bombings were continuing the gruesome task of identifying victims as hundreds of reinforcement firefighters were heading from interstate to relieve crews which had been working nearly non-stop since the emergency began.
The army now has more than 460 defence force personnel working alongside emergency services.
An additional 170 are playing a search role.
"They face the task of finding dead bodies and that's happening on a regular basis," Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said.
"One reservists came across six bodies last evening.
"This is really challenging work. These are civilian volunteers and it's a reminder to the broader community of the important role our reservists play in the Australian Defence Force," he said.
Bushfire policy
Mr Brumby said yesterday a royal commission would be held into the fires and the bushfire policy that promoted either leaving early or staying to defend your property.
"I think our policy has served us well in what I call normal conditions," Mr Brumby said last night.
"These are unbelievable circumstances."
In Marysville, Mr Brumby said it looked as though a bomb had gone off in the once picturesque town.
"I have never seen anything like this in my life. It is a mixture of fire, hurricane and cyclone - houses, trees just snapped in half."
For the first time, Mr Brumby linked the fires to global warming: "There's clear evidence now that the climate is becoming more extreme."
- With the Herald Sun and wires
By staff writers
NEWS.com.au
February 10, 2009
Magazines Subscription
POLICE are hunting down the arsonist believed to be responsible for lighting one of the worst of the Victoria fires.
Police have confirmed that they believe they know the identity of the man who allegedly contributed to the Churchill-Jeeralang blaze in Gippsland. Twenty-one people have died in that region.
But the Country Fire Authority said the firefront could have included towns further north, including Kinglake, St Andrews and Strathewen, where dozens more died in the firestorm.
The fires killed 173 people according to the last official death toll. The death toll from the bushfires was certain to rise further.
Police said they could release a photo of the suspect in the next couple of days. Yesterday, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd likened lighting the blazes to mass murder.
Twenty-four fires were still burning and towns remained under threat as authorities moved deeper into the ruins of more than 700 homes which were lost.
Bushfire relief funds were receiving $1 million in donations per hour yesterday, with $15 million pledged by last night.
Victorian Premier John Brumby has vowed to rebuild the razed communities, but as the toll mounts the grim fates of many residents are becoming clearer. Thirty-five people died in Kinglake alone, while 22 deaths had been confirmed in St Andrews out of a population of just 1500.
Strathewen, with only 200 people prior to the bushfires, had lost 30 residents in the last official count. Firefighters dubbed the tiny town the "Valley of Death". A bridge out of town was damaged, leaving those still there as the firestorm swept through with little chance of survival.
Three bodies were found crowded in a bath. The victims may have hoped the water would save them but instead it would have boiled in the intense heat.
Further north, in Flowerdale, residents consider themselves the forgotten town. While authorities have been working their way into other towns, Flowerdale's survivors have been left to cope on their own.
"It's like we got left off the map. A lot of the locals are really upset. It kind of felt very lonely, as if we didn't f---ing exist," one angry resident told The Australian, whose reporters were the first into the town since Saturday night.
Morgue
A temporary morgue was set up at Victoria's State Coronial Services Centre to accommodate the mounting toll of victims. Coroner Jennifer Coate said 101 victims had already been received into the facility.
She said the makeshift morgue was similar to the one set up during the London terrorist bombings. "We at the State Coronial Services Centre have an enormous and complex task ahead of us."
Concerned relatives were using the Herald Sun's bushfire message board to post pleas for information about the whereabouts of loved ones. Some had been reunited, while for others the agonising wait for news remained.
Tough work
Specialist teams used in the aftermath of the Bali bombings were continuing the gruesome task of identifying victims as hundreds of reinforcement firefighters were heading from interstate to relieve crews which had been working nearly non-stop since the emergency began.
The army now has more than 460 defence force personnel working alongside emergency services.
An additional 170 are playing a search role.
"They face the task of finding dead bodies and that's happening on a regular basis," Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said.
"One reservists came across six bodies last evening.
"This is really challenging work. These are civilian volunteers and it's a reminder to the broader community of the important role our reservists play in the Australian Defence Force," he said.
Bushfire policy
Mr Brumby said yesterday a royal commission would be held into the fires and the bushfire policy that promoted either leaving early or staying to defend your property.
"I think our policy has served us well in what I call normal conditions," Mr Brumby said last night.
"These are unbelievable circumstances."
In Marysville, Mr Brumby said it looked as though a bomb had gone off in the once picturesque town.
"I have never seen anything like this in my life. It is a mixture of fire, hurricane and cyclone - houses, trees just snapped in half."
For the first time, Mr Brumby linked the fires to global warming: "There's clear evidence now that the climate is becoming more extreme."
- With the Herald Sun and wires
Paddy Power to open 80 shops
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Paddy Power to open 80 shops
By Geoff Percival
BOOKMAKER chain Paddy Power has announced plans to open more than 80 outlets in Britain in the next two years, as part of a major high-street expansion drive, costing nearly €23 million.
The development will largely be focused on Scotland — three shops are opening in Glasgow almost immediately — and will bring to 150 the number of British-based retail outlets run by the firm.
According to Paddy Power chief executive Patrick Kennedy the decision to launch a visible high street retail presence in the Scottish market was made on the back of the previous success of the company’s telephone and online betting channels in that region.
"Scottish punters have already experienced significant exposure to the unique brand offering of Paddy Power through our phone and online betting services. This move to ground and complement our brand with a bricks and mortar presence is very exciting," he said.
The new Scottish investment — worth between £16m and £20m (€18m- €23m) — will create more than 400 jobs when fully complete.
The first new shop, on Glasgow’s Cambridge Street, opened yesterday and two more are due to open in the city centre in the next few weeks.
With regard to the remainder of the shops, most will be in Scotland, some will be in England (with Manchester a planned destination), while none are planned for Ireland.
Paddy Power to open 80 shops
By Geoff Percival
BOOKMAKER chain Paddy Power has announced plans to open more than 80 outlets in Britain in the next two years, as part of a major high-street expansion drive, costing nearly €23 million.
The development will largely be focused on Scotland — three shops are opening in Glasgow almost immediately — and will bring to 150 the number of British-based retail outlets run by the firm.
According to Paddy Power chief executive Patrick Kennedy the decision to launch a visible high street retail presence in the Scottish market was made on the back of the previous success of the company’s telephone and online betting channels in that region.
"Scottish punters have already experienced significant exposure to the unique brand offering of Paddy Power through our phone and online betting services. This move to ground and complement our brand with a bricks and mortar presence is very exciting," he said.
The new Scottish investment — worth between £16m and £20m (€18m- €23m) — will create more than 400 jobs when fully complete.
The first new shop, on Glasgow’s Cambridge Street, opened yesterday and two more are due to open in the city centre in the next few weeks.
With regard to the remainder of the shops, most will be in Scotland, some will be in England (with Manchester a planned destination), while none are planned for Ireland.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Florida Lotto jackpot rises to $6 million
Florida Lotto jackpot rises to $6 million
Posted By: Jim Peppard
Lotto Strategies
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- The jackpot in the Florida Lotto game has grown to $6 million after no one matched the six winning numbers in the latest drawing, lottery officials said Thursday.
A total of 70 tickets matched five numbers to win $3,463 each; 4,292 tickets matched four numbers for $45.50 each; and 75,652 tickets matched three numbers for $3.50 each.
The winning Florida Lotto numbers selected Wednesday: 2-9-11-17-23-49.
Posted By: Jim Peppard
Lotto Strategies
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- The jackpot in the Florida Lotto game has grown to $6 million after no one matched the six winning numbers in the latest drawing, lottery officials said Thursday.
A total of 70 tickets matched five numbers to win $3,463 each; 4,292 tickets matched four numbers for $45.50 each; and 75,652 tickets matched three numbers for $3.50 each.
The winning Florida Lotto numbers selected Wednesday: 2-9-11-17-23-49.
Ontario may need to consider banning lotto retailers from playing, says watchdog
Ontario may need to consider banning lotto retailers from playing, says watchdog
Thu Feb 5
By Maria Babbage, The Canadian Press
Lotto Strategies
TORONTO - Ontario may have to consider banning all retailers and other lottery insiders from playing unless "rampant fraud" is purged from the system within six months, provincial watchdog Andre Marin warned Thursday.
If the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. can't show that the problem is under control by that time, the outspoken ombudsman said he will ask the corporation and the provincial government to stop ticket sellers and their families from playing altogether.
"Playing the lottery is not a God-given right in Ontario; it is a privilege," he said.
"If retailers and insiders can't control their itchy fingers that demonstrate they're not responsible lottery players, then it's not worth the tens of millions of dollars to police them. We should just ban them outright."
His comments follow a sweeping forensic audit Wednesday that revealed lottery insiders in Ontario hit jackpots totalling $198 million over the past 13 years.
Marin said he was stunned by the "astronomical" sum and said the corporation still has a problem with dishonest lottery insiders that must be addressed.
"The insiders right now are in the purgatory - they've got one last chance to get their act together," he said.
"If insiders, retailers prove that they're an ungovernable lot, then we should ban them from playing the lottery."
The agency has been trying to rebuild consumer confidence and enhance security since Marin accused unscrupulous retailers of collecting tens of millions of dollars in "dishonest" winnings - and the lottery corporation of letting them get away with it.
At the time of his 2007 report, Marin praised the corporation for its co-operation in providing him information to investigate insider wins.
Now it seems clear, he said Thursday, the organization was not as open as it could have been.
Many of the senior managers have since been replaced, which has put the agency on the "right track," Marin said.
A ban on insiders is one tool that has always been available to the corporation and an option it won't rule out now, said chief executive officer Kelly McDougald.
"We're seeing great progress in terms of some of the controls we've implemented," she said.
"But if that's not working, of course we'll consider that."
The forensic audit by Deloitte and Touche found that $198 million in prizes claimed by lottery insiders made up 3.4 per cent of the total prizes claimed at prize offices from 1995 until 2008.
Jackpots of more than $990 have to be claimed at the prize offices instead of retail locations. Before November 2003 that amount was $300.
The auditors couldn't say whether insiders had a disproportionately high number of wins.
The Ontario Convenience Stores Association is calling on the lottery corporation to immediately remove terminals and tickets from retailers who are found to have cheated customers or the corporation.
"The majority of lottery retailers are honest," association president Dave Bryans said in a statement.
"But the fact that more retailers than we thought may have defrauded the system is disturbing news and frankly makes the tens of thousands of honest, hard-working people in our industry angry."
Thu Feb 5
By Maria Babbage, The Canadian Press
Lotto Strategies
TORONTO - Ontario may have to consider banning all retailers and other lottery insiders from playing unless "rampant fraud" is purged from the system within six months, provincial watchdog Andre Marin warned Thursday.
If the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. can't show that the problem is under control by that time, the outspoken ombudsman said he will ask the corporation and the provincial government to stop ticket sellers and their families from playing altogether.
"Playing the lottery is not a God-given right in Ontario; it is a privilege," he said.
"If retailers and insiders can't control their itchy fingers that demonstrate they're not responsible lottery players, then it's not worth the tens of millions of dollars to police them. We should just ban them outright."
His comments follow a sweeping forensic audit Wednesday that revealed lottery insiders in Ontario hit jackpots totalling $198 million over the past 13 years.
Marin said he was stunned by the "astronomical" sum and said the corporation still has a problem with dishonest lottery insiders that must be addressed.
"The insiders right now are in the purgatory - they've got one last chance to get their act together," he said.
"If insiders, retailers prove that they're an ungovernable lot, then we should ban them from playing the lottery."
The agency has been trying to rebuild consumer confidence and enhance security since Marin accused unscrupulous retailers of collecting tens of millions of dollars in "dishonest" winnings - and the lottery corporation of letting them get away with it.
At the time of his 2007 report, Marin praised the corporation for its co-operation in providing him information to investigate insider wins.
Now it seems clear, he said Thursday, the organization was not as open as it could have been.
Many of the senior managers have since been replaced, which has put the agency on the "right track," Marin said.
A ban on insiders is one tool that has always been available to the corporation and an option it won't rule out now, said chief executive officer Kelly McDougald.
"We're seeing great progress in terms of some of the controls we've implemented," she said.
"But if that's not working, of course we'll consider that."
The forensic audit by Deloitte and Touche found that $198 million in prizes claimed by lottery insiders made up 3.4 per cent of the total prizes claimed at prize offices from 1995 until 2008.
Jackpots of more than $990 have to be claimed at the prize offices instead of retail locations. Before November 2003 that amount was $300.
The auditors couldn't say whether insiders had a disproportionately high number of wins.
The Ontario Convenience Stores Association is calling on the lottery corporation to immediately remove terminals and tickets from retailers who are found to have cheated customers or the corporation.
"The majority of lottery retailers are honest," association president Dave Bryans said in a statement.
"But the fact that more retailers than we thought may have defrauded the system is disturbing news and frankly makes the tens of thousands of honest, hard-working people in our industry angry."
No Lotto jackpot winner; 22 tickets win $371
No Lotto jackpot winner; 22 tickets win $371
Associated Press - February 5, 2009
Lotto Strategies
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) - The Lotto jackpot will grow to an estimated $4.2 million for Saturday since last night's drawing went off without a grand prize winner.
The winning numbers Wednesday were 2-3-7-17-20-26.
Colorado Lottery officials say 22 tickets matched five numbers to win the $371 second prize, while 868 tickets matched four numbers to win $35 each.
Another 12,699 tickets matched three numbers for $3 apiece.
Drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Associated Press - February 5, 2009
Lotto Strategies
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) - The Lotto jackpot will grow to an estimated $4.2 million for Saturday since last night's drawing went off without a grand prize winner.
The winning numbers Wednesday were 2-3-7-17-20-26.
Colorado Lottery officials say 22 tickets matched five numbers to win the $371 second prize, while 868 tickets matched four numbers to win $35 each.
Another 12,699 tickets matched three numbers for $3 apiece.
Drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Now, a 'once-a-day' impotence pill
Now, a 'once-a-day' impotence pill
4 Feb 2009
Drugstores Online
A new once-a-day impotence pill that allows men to have sex whenever they want has been launched
Impotence pill
Now, a new 'once-a-day' impotence pill (Getty images)
in Britain.
Cialis ‘Once-a-Day’ enables men to perform whenever the mood takes them. Unlike Viagra or standard Cialis, men do not have to take it half an hour before having sex. It boosts blood flow to a man’s private parts — but is effective only after he is sexually stimulated, reports the Telegraph.
The manufacturers, Eli Lilly, claims that the new way of taking the drug removes the forward planning needed with other impotence pills, like Viagra. Cialis, also called tadalafil, is already available in the more traditional form but have now been turned into an "everyday" version.
Privately, the drug will cost 54.99 pounds a month, for 28 tablets. There are also a number of side effects, including a headache or an upset stomach.
4 Feb 2009
Drugstores Online
A new once-a-day impotence pill that allows men to have sex whenever they want has been launched
Impotence pill
Now, a new 'once-a-day' impotence pill (Getty images)
in Britain.
Cialis ‘Once-a-Day’ enables men to perform whenever the mood takes them. Unlike Viagra or standard Cialis, men do not have to take it half an hour before having sex. It boosts blood flow to a man’s private parts — but is effective only after he is sexually stimulated, reports the Telegraph.
The manufacturers, Eli Lilly, claims that the new way of taking the drug removes the forward planning needed with other impotence pills, like Viagra. Cialis, also called tadalafil, is already available in the more traditional form but have now been turned into an "everyday" version.
Privately, the drug will cost 54.99 pounds a month, for 28 tablets. There are also a number of side effects, including a headache or an upset stomach.
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