DayDra Holdings and Handels Securities Belize Project

Handels Securities and DayDra Holdings Group Announce Partnership to Form Saber Ultra Precision Ammunition

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Handels Securities and DayDra Holdings Group announced today a partnership to form Saber Ultra Precision Ammunition (SUPA) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Saber Ultra Precision Ammunition will introduce the highest-quality ammunition in the industry, at high production levels, and at relatively low costs. Using a new purpose-built automated manufacturing and inspection facility, proprietary advanced technology high-speed robotic inspection systems, rigorous quality standards, and the highest-quality components, SUPA will straddle both precision and standard supply markets. The new multi-million dollar facility will have a high production capacity to complete government contracts as well as anticipated consumer demand.

“We have been working closely with the state of Nevada Governor’s Office as well as the Nevada Development Authority (NDA) in 2012. Saber Ultra Precision Ammunition will create more than 500 jobs over the next 3 years and provide veterans in particular with important career opportunities starting in 2013.”

A study of the projected economic result of SUPA’s business activities, conducted by Nevada Governor Sandoval's office, values SUPA’s potential in excess of $165 million in economic stimulation to state and local communities. SUPA is part of a Nevada state program of economic diversification.
SUPA will incorporate sophisticated tactical training facilities and a shooting range to host various state and federal law enforcement training exercises and programs, as well as private and corporate tactical training programs. SUPA will largely be comprised of former military personnel. Lord Neil B. Gibson of Handels Securities explained, “We have been working closely with the state of Nevada Governor’s Office as well as the Nevada Development Authority (NDA) in 2012. Saber Ultra Precision Ammunition will create more than 500 jobs over the next 3 years and provide veterans in particular with important career opportunities starting in 2013.”
Philip Pritchard, Chairman of DayDra Holdings Group, added, “We are cooperating with the ‘Hiring Our Heroes’ program of the United States Department of Commerce, as well as the HirePatriots.com organization, in preparation of hiring US Veterans with the skills SUPA will need. We’re looking forward to offering our people outstanding career growth opportunities.”
Saber Ultra Precision Ammunition is one of several new partnerships between Handels Securities and the DayDra Holdings Group that will offer U.S. Veterans outstanding career opportunities.
About Handels Securities Ltd
Handels Securities Ltd., led by Lord Neil Gibson since its inception in 2010, is a registered Belize International Business company licensed by the International Financial Services Commission (IFCS) to transact and practice in three primary areas of banking services. Handels Securities Ltd. participates with financial commodity-based derivative instruments and other securities, International Money Transmission, and Safe Custody Services. It is overseen by the Belize IFCS and is a licensed Swiss trust company. Handels Securities’ expertise strengthens interactions with investors through its client relationships and capital markets platforms. For additional information, please visit Handels Securities’ website at www.handelssecurities.com.
About DayDra Holdings Group LLC
DayDra Holdings Group is a privately held US-based company that operates domestically and overseas in global markets. We create, develop, own, and manage our projects, programs, and acquisitions as well as provide contract management expertise and advisory services.
DayDra straddles synergistic business sectors to achieve superior financial results while improving the economic and natural environments as well as community safety and security. DayDra projects span several sectors including construction and civil revitalization; environmentally responsible and sustainable energy generation; Internet services; security and tactical systems, technology and services; as well as other commercial enterprises. For more information, visit www.daydraholdingsgroup.com.

Contacts

Handels Securities Ltd.
Daniel Pearlson, 310-929-7322
danielpearlson@gmail.com

Lord Neil Gibson Asks, Has Nevada gone blue?

Rest easy, Nevada. We’re still a battleground state.
At least so say political operatives on both sides of the aisle.
Admittedly, they may have a bit of a vested interest in saying so. Presidential battleground status opens the spigot to tens of millions of advertising dollars.
By the last count compiled by The Washington Post, $54 million was spent on Nevada airwaves to influence the presidential election here this year — that’s about $53 per vote cast here.
But some are questioning whether Tuesday’s results support the claim that Nevada’s six electoral votes are worth fighting over anymore.
President Barack Obama last week won Nevada convincingly for the second time. In fact, his margins in 2008 and 2012 far exceeded former President George W. Bush’s Nevada margins in 2000 and 2004.
Democrats have 90,000 more registered voters than Republicans. They have a well-financed party structure in place — an organization noticeably absent on the Republican side. And they have control of the state Legislature.
Some might say that doesn’t sound like the metrics of a true swing state.
Indeed, it’s starting to sound a lot like New Mexico — previously a battleground state before turning convincingly blue beginning about four years ago and disappearing from the presidential campaign radar screen.
Is Nevada in danger of becoming the dreaded flyover state that the presidential contenders pass by in between campaign stops in Colorado and fundraising stops in California?
Republicans, with a tinge of apprehension in their voices, say: Not yet.
“This is the bluest purple state in the country,” said Mac Abrams, U.S. Sen. Dean Heller’s campaign manager. “But we’re still a purple state.”
Perhaps Heller’s victory is an indication of that. The Republican barely defeated Democrat Shelley Berkley, whose campaign was hamstrung from the beginning by a House ethics investigation.
But Republicans also point to the fact that Nevada’s most popular politician, Gov. Brian Sandoval, is a Republican. The party represents half of Nevada’s congressional delegation. And although the GOP narrowly lost an attempted takeover of the state Senate, the number of voters statewide backing a Republican candidate for the Legislature almost equaled the number of voters backing a Democratic candidate.
“Yes, we’re still a battleground state,” Republican strategist Robert Uithoven said. “However, we need to do significant work within the Republican Party to keep it a battleground state.”
And that’s where the argument becomes more than just how much battleground status increases the bottom lines for television station owners.
If Republican presidential contenders cede Nevada, they’re pretty much handing it over to the Democrats. And that’s not necessarily good for Republican candidates down ticket.
“At this point, it’s the Republicans' responsibility to keep us a battleground state,” Uithoven reiterated.
Democrats aren’t about to take Nevada for granted, either.
“Clearly it’s more Democratic than it used to be,” one Democratic operative said. “I think you can call it a Democratic-leaning state, but I personally feel less confident about calling it a solidly blue state.
“I don’t think we’re there yet. And Democrats have to be careful not to go down the same flawed path Nevada Republicans went down.”
Just a decade ago, Republicans were the powerful party in Nevada. Democrats had no party structure to rely on, held only one statewide office and seemed unable to wrest control of the state Senate away from the Republicans.
The story is a cautionary indication that the political balance of power in Nevada can easily execute an about-face.
So will Nevada voters have the same level of television ads, robo-calls and door knocks to complain about again in four years?
“I think they will,” the Democratic operative said. “If either side takes Nevada for granted, I think they do it at their own peril.”

www.lordneilbgibson.mobi

US election 2012: Mitt Romney must carry Colorado to win the presidency

Glamorous Las Vegas may not seem like the place where American politics would be a hot issue, but beyond the historic strip of five-star luxury resorts high unemployment, rampant home foreclosures, and economic hardship have made it a battleground state – where President Barack Obama and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney are fighting hard for the six electoral votes that could secure a win for either candidate.

The latest polls out of Nevada are inconclusive – some showing Mr Obama in a slight lead, others showing the duo in a dead heat. So while Nevada can seem overshadowed by the battleground eastern states – like Ohio and Florida – it is no less a critical win for either candidate.

Colorado in the Rockies was considered to be a Republican stronghold until President Barack Obama won its nine electoral votes in 2008.

Mitt Romney "needs to be carrying Colorado" to have any chance of winning the White House, Dr Boys said.

Clark Kent tipped to become blogger as Superman quits the day job

When you’re faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive, it’s hard to stay quiet when your boss starts complaining. And after at least 40 years at the Daily Planet, Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent has finally had enough.

Call of duty: Superman will have more time to foil the forces of evil after going freelance (Picture: DC Comics)

The latest issue of the superhero’s comic series sees him resign – after editor Perry White berates him for not writing enough Superman stories.
‘News should be about news,’ Kent rants.
He’s welcome at Metro to work on our hard-hitting page three stories about (ahem) human scarecrows, talking whales and singing mice.
But the man behind the new episode – out today in print and online – thinks he’ll more likely start his own blog.
‘Superman is arguably the most powerful person on the planet,’ writer Scott Lobdell said.
‘How long can he sit at his desk with someone breathing down his neck?’

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/915867-clark-kent-tipped-to-become-blogger-as-superman-quits-the-day-job#ixzz2AW78LNaf

Panama leader tells Germany he wants to adopt euro

BERLIN (Reuters) - Panama would like to introduce the euro as legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar, President Ricardo Martinelli told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday during a visit to Europe.

"In Panama the currency in free circulation is the American dollar and I told the chancellor we are looking for ways for the euro to become another currency of legal circulation and to be accepted in the Panamanian market," President Ricardo Martinelli told a joint news conference with Merkel in Berlin.

Martinelli provided no details about the switch but he expressed "full confidence" in the German and European economies and said he expected the euro zone debt crisis would soon pass.

Seventeen of the European Union's 27 member states are in the euro zone but euros are also in circulation in a number of non-EU countries, including Kosovo and Montenegro in the Balkans as well as tiny Monaco and Andorra, and in overseas territories.

Panama's dollarized economy - almost 10,000 kilometres from mainland Europe - is one of the fastest growing in Latin America, expanding 10.6 percent last year with help from heavy infrastructure spending including the expansion of the Panama Canal.

Financial markets' fears of a possible meltdown of the common currency have eased since the European Central Bank said it was ready to buy unlimited quantities of sovereign debt to reduce borrowing costs of vulnerable countries such as Spain.

But Merkel, head of the currency bloc's largest economy, has said Europe needs to persevere with tough austerity measures and move towards closer banking, fiscal and political union in order to secure the euro's future.

(Reporting by Stephen Brown; Editing by Gareth Jones and Patrick Graham)

Bringing Relief to Iraq

Lord Neil Gibson:

In our highly politicized age, it’s difficult to talk about Iraq in bipartisan terms. Everyone has strong feelings about the state of affairs in that country, and of the United States’ involvement in it, especially. What many of us are inclined to say is that, regardless of the strategy and political maneuvering that went into the military endeavors in that country, the Iraq we see before us today is one that desperately needs to be rebuilt—rebuilt into a peaceful and prosperous nation. But of course, the ravages of war and the nature of politics being what they are, this is easier said than done. It takes real leadership, and clear ideas, to enact positive change in that nation.
And these, of course, are a couple of characteristics that Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson has in great abundance. Indeed, we have already spoken at some length about the different ways in which this man has brought about positive change in nations across the world, and how he has done so through a combination of diplomacy, practicality, and alliances with both heads of state and corporate giants. That’s certainly the way we could view his collaborations with the royal family in Lesotho, or even his partnership with Firestone in bringing relief to West Africa. And that’s also the way we can view Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson’sinvolvement in Iraq.
A big part of Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson’s humanitarian work is centered on rebuilding economic infrastructures in crumbling nations, and Iraq certainly fits that bill. But how can one man rebuild the entire financial system of a nation in chaos? The answer, of course, is through an ingenious partnership with a major financial investment firm, specifically Wontert Capital AG, whose involvement in Iraq is critical to the success of Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson’s endeavors.
And these allies are not just rebuilding the financial system. No, they are also building new hospitals in areas of the nation that desperately need them, offering further evidence of just the kind of positive change a man like Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson can bring to a needy country!

‘Queen of Versailles’ serves as an indictment of years of false prosperity

Along with a lot of misery, the 2008 financial crisis and the resulting Great Recession have produced excellent films, both dramatic and documentary. In the former category, “Margin Call” took us inside a failing Wall Street firm that, though fictionalized, was clearly based on the events of 2008, exposing us to the anguish and ignorance of the collapse. “Inside Job” was an investigative documentary into the causes of the crisis.
But the best film yet may be “Queen of Versailles,” a documentary made by the celebrated photographer Lauren Greenfield about a family building the largest house in America before it all collapses — figuratively, if not quite literally — under the weight of folly. Real estate speculators and subprime lenders and borrowers in Southern Nevada played a more-than-minor role in causing the financial crisis, so it’s fitting that a significant part of the film takes place in Las Vegas, specifically in the troubled Westgate time share project adjacent to Planet Hollywood. The film is currently playing at the Suncoast.
The film begins in 2007, as David and Jackie Siegel have begun construction on an Orlando house said to be modeled after Versailles, which ordinarily might serve as a metaphor for waste and arrogance, but not so in this case. They’ve made hundreds of millions in the time share business, and the Westgate Tower in Las Vegas is a crown jewel.
As much as we laugh a bit at their reality show-style hijinks — Jackie is at an airport Hertz counter and seems baffled that she won’t have her own driver — it’s hard not to like them. They come from modest upbringings, and David is mostly sheepish about his success while Jackie is unpretentious and a loving, if not entirely attentive, mother of seven children.
David concedes that his middle-class time share customers rely on financing, which means he relies on cheap and easy credit from the banks to keep his business growing and thriving.
Once the credit markets freeze in the fall of 2008, the story takes a sudden turn because Westgate customers can no longer get financing. Suddenly, we’re in the Tom Wolfe novel, “Man in Full,” when the rich commercial developer who is overextended is getting a “workout” from the banks, squeezing him for everything he worked a lifetime to build.
David Siegel fights the banks to keep them from seizing the Westgate. Construction on the faux Versailles stops. Its half-finished skeleton, familiar to anyone who drives around here and sees similarly unfinished buildings, is a crass symbol of economic collapse. The kids are sent to public schools. The huge household staff is trimmed. If we can’t exactly feel sorry for them, we can see ourselves in them, largely because of the arresting and largely sympathetic portrait painted by Greenfield. (David apparently disagrees with that assessment — he’s suing Greenfield.)
Still, intentionally or not, the movie for me serves as an indictment of those years of false prosperity, when everyone had a house or a time share or a time share building he couldn’t afford, when the financing was cheap and easy, and when all was too good to be true.

Lord Sugar names new Apprentice

Ex-wrestler Ricky Martin has been named Lord Sugar's latest Apprentice after winning the BBC business contest.

Martin, 27, a recruitment manager from Portsmouth, won a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar, who will now become his partner in a new business venture.

Martin impressed Lord Sugar with his plan for a niche recruitment company specialising in the science industry.

He won despite being branded an "arrogant fool" by Lord Sugar's advisers in Sunday's final.

The four finalists were grilled by Lord Sugar's associates during interviews in the last episode.

Viglen chairman Claude Littner told Martin parts of his personal statement, in which he likened himself to the Norse God Thor, were "completely ludicrous".
'Infantile'
It was "probably the most crass, obnoxious and infantile personal statement that I've had the, not really a pleasure, I've had the opportunity of reading", he added.

But Martin, who has an Honours degree in Biochemistry, persuaded Lord Sugar he had learnt a lot during the series and won him over with his business plan.

He beat fellow finalists Jade Nash, Nick Holzherr and Tom Gearing in the final, which ended the eighth series of the business reality show.

And Martin, who took part in amateur wrestling bouts in his spare time before entering the contest, said he would now swap the wrestling world for the boardroom.

"I've now retired from the wrestling ring," he said. "I'm hanging up my boots and my Lycra and that's it now for me."

Fitting Start to Queens Jubilee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

West expels envoys over massacre of Syrian children

By Joseph Logan

BEIRUT | Tue May 29, 2012 8:03pm BST

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western powers expelled Syria's envoys on Tuesday in outrage at a massacre of 108 people, almost half of them children, and peace envoy Kofi Annan urged President Bashar al-Assad to take bold steps to halt the bloodshed as "a tipping point" had been reached.The killings in the town of Houla drew a chorus of condemnation from around the world, with the United Nations saying entire families were killed in their homes on Friday, some by army tanks and others probably by pro-Assad militia.
"Bashar al-Assad is the murderer of his people," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Le Monde. "He must relinquish power. The sooner the better." His Australian counterpart Bob Carr said: "This massacre of more than 100 men, women and children in Houla was a hideous and brutal crime."
U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, whose monitors are in Syria, contradicted the Assad's government assertion that the killings were carried out by terrorist gangs.
"Part of the victims had been killed by artillery shells, now that points ever so clearly to the responsibility of the government. Only the government has heavy weapons, has tanks, has howitzers," Ladsous told reporters, adding:
"But there are also victims from individual weapons, victims from knife wounds and that of course is less clear but probably points the way to the (pro-Assad) shabbihas, the local militia."
The United States, France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and Bulgaria gave Syria's envoys hours or days to leave their capitals in a coordinated move meant to isolate Assad further diplomatically.
Some had already expelled ambassadors or downgraded ties and so, like Washington, ordered out less senior charges d'affaires.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called the Houla attack "the most unambiguous indictment to date" of Damascus's refusal to implement U.N. resolutions.
"We hold the Syrian government responsible for this slaughter of innocent lives," she said.
Western countries that have called for Assad to step down hope the Houla killings will tip global opinion, notably that of Syria's main protector Russia, towards more effective action against Damascus, perhaps in the form of U.N. sanctions.
"WE ARE AT A TIPPING POINT"
While Western and Arab countries have unilaterally imposed economic sanctions on Syria, Russia and China have blocked any similar move at the United Nations.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said Paris wanted the option of U.N. sanctions to be looked at seriously, adding: "We are talking to everyone, and especially Russia."
But Moscow, which on Sunday backed a non-binding U.N. Security Council text criticising the use of artillery and tanks in Houla, but has twice vetoed tougher resolutions, showed no sign of changing its stance.
Annan, in Damascus to try to save a six-week-old peace plan that has failed to stem Syria's bloodshed, told Assad of the "grave concern of the international community".
"We are at a tipping point," he told a news conference in Damascus. "The Syrian people do not want the future to be one of bloodshed and division. Yet the killings continue and the abuses are still with us today."
He urged the armed opposition to cease violence but appealed first to the government, as the stronger party, to take "bold steps now - not tomorrow, now" by stopping all military operations and showing "maximum restraint".
However, Assad's government denied having anything to do with the deaths, or even having heavy weapons in the area, despite the contrary evidence found by United Nations monitors.
Assad himself repeated to Annan Syria's line that "terrorist groups" - Syria's term for the rebels - were stepping up killings and kidnappings across the country.
The estimated number of internally displaced Syrians has more than doubled to 500,000 since an April 12 ceasefire and the flow of refugees abroad has gathered pace again, U.N. officials said on Tuesday.
SPENT SHELLS AND TANK TRACKS
U.N. monitors found spent shells and fresh tank tracks in Houla, evidence of weaponry that Syria's lightly-armed rebels do not have in their arsenal.
But the U.N. human rights office in Geneva said the bulk of the 108 mostly civilian dead in Houla had been executed at close range. Survivors told U.N. investigators that the killers were pro-Assad "shabbiha" militiamen, who in the past have assaulted and intimidated hotbeds of opposition to Assad.
"What is very clear is that this was an absolutely abominable event that took place in Houla, and at least a substantial part of it were summary executions of civilians - women and children," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. human rights office in Geneva.
He said 49 children and 32 women were among the victims. "At this point, it looks like entire families were shot in their houses."
The report was at odds with a note sent by Syria to the Security Council that said: "Not a single tank entered the region and the Syrian army was in a state of self-defence ...
"The terrorist armed groups ... entered with the purpose of killing and the best proof of that is the killing by knives, which is the signature of terrorist groups who massacre according to the Islamist way."
Gruesome video footage distributed by opposition activists has helped to shake world opinion out of growing indifference to a conflict in which more than 10,000 have been killed.
Opposition sources said rebels had killed 20 soldiers in heavy fighting close to the border with Turkey.
They said six civilians and six rebels, including two commanders, had also been killed over the past 24 hours in fighting that began when the army launched an offensive with tanks and helicopters to retake the region around Atareb.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Annan in a telephone call that "all sides" must end the violence, a statement said.
MOSCOW'S INTERESTS
Moscow long saw Assad's late father as the best defender of its interests in the region, and leases a major naval base in Syria. It has suggested that foreign countries are undermining Annan's plan by supporting the opposition.
"We are alarmed that some countries ... are starting to use this event as an excuse to put forth demands of the need for military action in an attempt to put pressure on the U.N. Security Council," Lavrov told journalists in Moscow.
"We are troubled by the ceaseless attempts to frustrate Kofi Annan's peace plan."
The plan calls for the government to withdraw all heavy weapons from towns and cities, followed by a cessation of fighting and dialogue with the opposition, but has stalled at the first hurdle.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told reporters: "Syria has not committed a single violation of Annan's plan or the initial understanding between Syria and the United Nations.
"At the same time, the other party has not committed to a single point. This means that there is a decision by the armed groups and the opposition not to implement Annan's plan and to make it fail."
Sunni Muslim Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and Qatar favour arming the mostly-Sunni rebels fighting Assad, whose ruling cadre are mostly Alawites - members of an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
A military presence is required in Syria to guarantee a potential ceasefire and to protect observers and aid workers, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said on Tuesday.
"Without asking for intervention like in Libya a real military presence to assure the ceasefire, protect U.N. observers and protect those who want to do humanitarian work is indispensible," Reynders told reporters.
(Writing by Kevin Liffey, editing by Peter Millership)

Is Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson stepping in to save the Ferris Wheel in Las Vegas?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lord Gibson under fire?

INDEPENDENT PRESS WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITION

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

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

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

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

Jaqueline Cordot

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

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Related Stories

• Battling to win economy argument
• PM: Euro to 'make-up or break-up'
• Bank warns of euro crisis 'storm'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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“Start Quote

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

End Quote

Nick Robinson Political editor

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• Read more from Nick
• Greece names caretaker cabinet
• France questions EU fiscal pact

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 March 2012 Last updated at 20:40 GMT

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Diamond Jubilee: Prince Harry visits Mayan ruins in Belize

Prince Harry climbed the highest pyramid at Xunantunich

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The Diamond Jubilee

• Harry names royal road in Belize
• First Diamond Jubilee bell cast
• Queen observes 60-year reign
• PM lauds 'magnificent' Queen

Prince Harry has visited the ruins of a Mayan city in Belize on the second day of his jubilee visit to the former British colony on behalf of the Queen.

The prince toured Xunantunich, a city of stone pyramids, palaces and temples that was abandoned in AD 950-1000.

He climbed the site's highest pyramid, El Castillo, as part of a private tour.

Over seven days, Prince Harry will visit the Bahamas and Jamaica as part of his jubilee tour. He will also go to Brazil for his charity, Sentebale.

Members of the Royal Family are visiting the 15 countries other than the UK where the Queen is head of state, along with some other Commonwealth nations, as part of this year's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Queen Elizabeth II Boulevard
Arriving in Belize City, Prince Harry was greeted by a guard of honour and his grandmother's representative in the country, Governor General Sir Colville Young.

He then travelled to Belize's capital, Belmopan, where he officially named a new road Queen Elizabeth II Boulevard after his grandmother and took part in a street party.

Other engagements during his time in the country include laying a wreath at the memorial to British soldiers who have died in the country over the years.

The trip to Brazil is in support of the government and his charity Sentebale, which supports orphans and vulnerable children in the southern African country of Lesotho.

Other royal tours as part of the Jubilee celebrations include a visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the Far East and the Pacific.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will visit Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, the Duke of York will travel to India and the Princess Royal is set to visit Mozambique and Zambia.

The host countries are likely to hold a range of events for the visiting royals, from official banquets and public celebrations to events that showcase the individual nations.

The Diamond Jubilee will also see the Queen, 85, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 90, travel as widely as possible across the UK to mark the occasion.

Feb 22, 2012

PM says Superbond is Jack Boot on throat of Belizeans

Dean Barrow

The super bond slid into the election campaign when the prime minister announced the date for early general elections. He said he was going back to the people for instructions to do something about the super bond. The result was a prompt downgrade to junk territory of Belize’s credit ratings from agencies such as Standard and Poor and Moody’s. If he was floating that idea, today, at the launch of the U.D.P. Manifesto, Prime Minister Barrow was more provocative. He said he was not concerned at all about the Belize’s credit ratings and that bond holders would have to sit around the table with a future U.D.P. government to re-negotiate the five hundred and sixty-five million dollar bond. The February payment has been made but another is due past the elections in August, which according to the PM’s bravado, he won’t pay at eight and half percent interest rates.
Dean Barrow
“I was deliberate in announcing the date of the election, deliberate in saying that the U.D.P. was asking for a new mandate to among other things, do something about the super bond. Now, that really set the cat among the pigeons. And you say that the so called rating agencies fell all over themselves to say’ oh wi di downgrade Belize bonds. Explain to mi how Mr. Man downgrading the Belize bonds hurts the Belizean people? The Belize Bonds are the bonds that are owned out there by all those that loaned the People’s United Party this one point one billion dollars for which there is nothing to show. And if you downgrade the bonds so that the bonds have less value, I say that that strikes me something like poetic justice, because while the greatest blame for the share of saddling this country with the super bond must lie with the P.U.P., the creditors, the bond holders, the commercial entities, agreed to that super bond, knowing full well that the kind of burden it was placing on the Belizean people is absolutely unconscionable, merciless; those people also have a share of the blame. Therefore, this eight and a half percent that we have to begin to pay as of August of this year, which means ninety-four million dollars of our re-current revenue that ought properly speaking to be spent on you the people of this country. This eight and half percent interest rate, we will not suffer. Belize is a country that is a country of honor; we do not easily renege on commitments but if there are commitments that in effect represent a jack boot on the throat of the Belizean people, then unless those that are applying that jack-boot are prepared to re-negotiate, they will see that the Belizean people are not going to take it. We won’t lie down so that anybody could tek chance on us and the bottom line is, ‘Mr. Bond holder, Mr. Bad creditor, come to the table and renegotiate with Belizeans. You are obliged to give us a fairer deal.”

So what will be the impact of the prime minister’s statement? Well, it is likely that there could be a further erosion of investor’s confidence and that the economy could continue to languish. At the launch of the People’s United party manifesto on Tuesday, Francis Fonseca, called on the PM to whining about the super bond and put the economy back to work. The super bond is a consolidation of government loans that was negotiated in 2006 and concluded in 2007. It also includes loans made by former U.D.P. administrations.

Prince Harry needs tact in Belize on first solo Royal tour

He is known as the party prince, but Prince Harry will need to show tact, maturity and diplomacy when he arrives in the Caribbean today for his first solo Royal tour.

Prince Harry will begin his tour in Belize today Photo: Getty Images

By Gordon Rayner, in Belize

10:03AM GMT 02 Mar 2012

One of the key engagements being undertaken by the 27-year-old will be a meeting with Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, who said in January that she intended to remove the Queen as head of state to turn the country into a republic.

Rumours in Jamaica that the Prince’s itinerary was changed as a result of Mrs Simpson Miller’s forthright comments have been strenuously denied by St James’s Palace, which arranged the tour at the request of the Queen as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The Prince will begin his tour in Belize today, where he will meet the country’s prime minister before a visit tomorrow to the Mayan pyramid of Xunantunich.

He will also visit the Bahamas, moving on to Jamaica, where he will meet the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, before undertaking a trade mission to Brazil.

Royal aides are alert to the possibility that the visit to Brazil could be hijacked by protestors from neighbouring Argentina following increased tension over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

Belize Housing Project Plan

Belize Eco-Village Housing Program

Overview

Ecovillages are people-based initiatives to model sustainable, low-impact, human settlements. They are applicable to both rural and urban settings and accessible to all. Eco-villagers utilize green energy technology, ecological building techniques, and human-scale design to reduce exploitation of natural resources, facilitate community self-reliance, and improve quality of life. Medical clinics will be included in the development of each village. These medical clinics can assist in the care management of other local villages and expand the Belize Healthcare footprint.

They are about the creation of new settlements as well as retrofitting existing villages and urban areas. An ecovillage is designed in harmony with its bioregion instead of the landscape being unduly engineered to fit construction plans. By thinking in terms of bioregions, sustainable settlements are planned considering water availability, the ability to grow food, and accessibility.

Many projects use the principles of permaculture for creating integrated, interactive and efficient systems for structural planning, food production and social needs in their community. Ecovillages are human scale, (somewhere where you can feel you know the others in your community), fully featured settlements, (comprising housing, businesses, agriculture, culture, etc. as appropriate to the local setting), in which human activity is integrated harmlessly into the natural world, supports human development and can be continued into the indefinite future.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of ecovillages around the world that have been living true to their values, even if it means not quite meeting the building codes or zoning laws according to their local government. Global Ecovillage Network defines ecovillages as“Alternative experimentation laboratories, with food production, ecological buildings, a resources center, a reception place, or artistic workshops. The aim is to create, together, a convivial and fair way of life, with a minimal ecological trace becoming more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable.”

There are examples of Ecovillage Zoning and Sustainable Development Testing Sites in Taos, NM, Portland, OR, Eugene, OR and British Columbia. There are many more with pending legislation across the globe.

Modular in design and scalability.

There are a number of benefits in using ISBUs– inter-model steel building units – for home building or residential projects. Otherwise known as shipping container houses, these sturdy, steel structures are a captivating idea.

Shipping containers are made from special steel in order to be strong enough to withstand rough conditions at seas and long exposure to outside elements while being able to protect the goods stored inside. They are made to a standard set of measurements in order to be stackable the world over. There are three sizes – 20 feet long or 40 & 53 feet long. Each shipping container has a width of 8 feet and a height of 8 feet 6 inches or 9.6 in high cube versions.

Because of their uniform size, large number, and the fact that they were built to last, it became important to consider alternative uses for containers that began to stack up in back lots and shipping docks. Years ago, the military explored their potential for portable operation centers. It wasn’t too long, however, before their low cost and ready availability attracted the attention of architects and builders with a unique need – safe, fast, inexpensive construction for hospitals, office space, apartments, and homes.

Besides the obvious quality of building material, there are several eco advantages to the use of this component. Globally these containers are discarded after their service life is finished. They are then used for artificial reefs, thrown in landfills or melted for scrap. The availability of these containers globally reduces our need to manufacture from virgin materials which are precious resources for the future of the world.

Benefits

The benefits of using ISBUs for home building are hard to ignore:

· Environmentally friendly approach to building as you make use of existing materials rather than require additional trees to be cut down for building lumber.

· Less expensive than wood construction– particularly if you use used shipping containers.

· Faster build times as containers are pre-fabricated.

· Easily expandable – often compared to building with Legos because the containers can be stacked on top of each other or side by side. One or more walls of a container can be removed to increase a home’s interior space.

· Fire resistant

· Mold resistant

· Resistant to insect damage

· Ability to stand up to strong winds and heavy storms and have been tested category 5

The thought of living in a shipping container home evokes images of cold, tight quarters in ugly, metal boxes but the finished product is usually anything but ugly. Add other elements such as stone and glass and complete the outside with special paints or coverings and you easily end up with sleek, sophisticated, styling and crisp lines.

All of our projected use containers will be painted with an exterior ceramic particle paint which blocks UV rays and deflects 94% of all heat from the sun. The interior will be painted with a similar paint which will have greater anti-microbial shielding from all forms of bacteria and fungus growth. This micro coating will help maintain comfortable temperatures inside the homes.

The placement of the containers can be performed in several ways to accommodate local surroundings and to reduce the impact on its precious flora and fauna. The units can be placed on top of pre-stressed concrete pillars, poured foundation, on top of a block foundation or on a wooden platform with walk around decking.

Unit Features

Large sqft of interior space

Reclaimed water containment

L.E.D. Low impact 12v lighting

Kitchen with cook top, sink, storage and refrigerator

1-5 bed rooms

1-3 bath rooms

Sliding glass doors and Hurricane Shutters

Community provided hot water

Community provided potable water

Community provided purified water

Community provided electricity

Community provided Biogas

Direct community sewer access

Community Provided Services

Geo Thermal hot and cold water

Geo Thermal heating and cooling

Methane Digester for human, animal and community waste

Methane processor for converting waste into bio gas, fertilizer and fuels

Recycling center for breakdown and separation of all materials

Food production and farming facilities

Medical care facility and village wellness center to assist other villages locally

Job training and educational center for visitors and residents

Eco Village management training center

Property and Housing location

This is prime real-estate located very close to the capital city of Belmopan. This will be used for the pilot project. The village phase 1 will be the main entrance from the Western Hgwy. This facility will be cleared for staging of materials and the setting of foundations for the first houses to be placed. The first phase of the project will encompass the following core utilities ;

Medical Clinic Community Methane Digester Geo Thermal heating/cooling

Power generation center Fresh and waste water processing

Summary

A model village of this type of construction has been utilized in over 70 countries for everything from public and student housing, to office buildings and schools. The idea is not new; it has been accomplished since the 1960’s when military engineers first deployed entire hospitals in interlocking suites. Since then, the shipping container has been servicing all forms of housing for millions of people globally.

The village becomes a training facility which enables other local groups to be trained to perform certain aspects of the construction where jobs will be created. The strategy of expanding the villages to remote areas is very possible with the help of surplus military transporters which are designed to carry these units across most terrain. Once a village is proposed, a team will be trained in all aspects of maintaining, constructing and delivering these homes.

SEED Foundation will provide a complete package of all that is needed to build our model village including a list of donors and special tax forms for US and EU donors.

Below is a container hospital and clinic which is fully operational in Sudan, the concept is proven and the project’s success weighs on the acceptance of change.