Ontario Solar Network to Host Event Focused on Finance & Taxation Strategies for FIT Solar Projects at Toronto Board of

July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

TORONTO, Jul 12 (MARKET WIRE) —
On Thursday, July 15, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, Ontario Solar Network will
host a special networking event at the Toronto Board of Trade on “Finance
& Taxation Strategies for FIT Solar Projects.” Panellists will focus on
opportunities, challenges, and creative strategies for structuring solar
investments in Ontario. Solar developers and investors, as well as
finance and tax specialists, will gather for an open discussion and
networking session.

The panellists — David Oxtoby, CEO of CarbonFree Technology, David
Rozin, Senior Account Manager of RBC’s Cleantech Banking Group, and
Franco Hasou, Ernst & Young’s GTA Cleantech Industry Group Leader — will
share insights on equity and debt financing, as well as taxation issues
for commercial, industrial, and utility-scale solar projects under the
Ontario Power Authority’s feed-in tariff (“FIT”) program.

Jacob Travis, Chairman of Ontario Solar Network, assembled this group of
experts to address the critical issues of financing a FIT solar project.
According to Travis, “Equity investors are ready for quality solar
projects; Oxtoby knows this from years of experience in the US market.
But Canadian banks are hesitant to give loans; Rozin will explain why
that is so.” He adds, “The key to a successful investment is proper tax
structuring; Ernst & Young’s Hasou brings a depth of experience in doing
just that.”

A pre-event seminar will take place from 4:30-6:00 pm on “Ontario Solar
Projects & Tax Laws: What You Need To Know.” The seminar is sponsored by
Ontario Solar Academy, in collaboration with Ernst & Young, LLP.

Advance registration is required for both events at
ontariosolarfinance.eventbrite.com. For further information, please
contact Marta Michalek at marta@ontariosolarnetwork.com or call
647-977-7567.

Ontario Solar Network’s next event, in collaboration with Aird & Berlis
LLP, is a breakfast presentation on “Developing Ontario’s Solar
Generation: A Legal Road Map.” This program is scheduled for July 29,
7:30-9:30 am, followed by an optional Ontario Solar Academy Seminar: “Key
Issues in Negotiating Solar Leases: What You Need To Know,” from
10:00-11:30 am. For more information and to register, visit
ontariosolarlaw.eventbrite.com.

Contact:
Marta Michalek
marta@ontariosolarnetwork.com
647-977-7567

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Medusa Mining Limited: Appointment of Non-Executive Chairman

July 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

COMO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, Jul 09 (MARKET WIRE) —
The Directors of Medusa Mining Limited (TSX: MLL)(ASX: MML)(AIM: MML) are
pleased to announce the appointment of Peter R Jones as Non-Executive
Chairman of the Board effective immediately.

Mr Jones is a retired Canadian mining engineer with over 40 years of
experience in a variety of mining executive positions including
operational, consulting and project management. More recently in 2004, as
CEO of Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co. Limited (“HBMS”), a wholly
owned subsidiary of Anglo American plc., Peter was instrumental in the
purchase of HBMS by HudBay Minerals Inc.

Mr Jones is a former Chairman of the Mining Association of Canada and in
2006 was named Canadian Prairie Region Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst
& Young LLP. He has been actively involved with the Canadian Mining
Association in investigating and understanding key worldwide issues
facing mining companies and is a proponent of good corporate governance
practice.

In addition to being Non-Executive Chairman, Peter will also serve as a
member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees.

Mr Peter Hepburn-Brown, who served as Acting Chairman prior to the
appointment of Mr Jones, will now revert to his previous position of
Non-Executive Director.

Geoffrey Davis, Managing Director of Medusa, commented:

“The Company is very fortunate to be able to attract a person of Peter’s
calibre to assume the role of Non-Executive Chairman and we welcome him
to the Board. His appointment will greatly enhance the Company’s presence
in the Canadian market.

Peter’s technical expertise, particularly in underground mining and
management, and experience of being actively involved in the corporate
governance of public companies will prove beneficial and will complement
the views of the current Board members.

Medusa’s prospects are considerable and we look forward to Peter’s
valuable contribution as the Company embarks towards further expansion
and growth.”

ABN: 60 099 377 849

Contacts:
Australia
Medusa Mining Limited
Geoffrey Davis
Managing Director
+61 8 9367 0601

Medusa Mining Limited
Roy Daniel
Finance Director
+61 8 9367 0601
+61 8 9367 0602 (FAX)
admin@medusamining.com.au
www.medusamining.com.au

United Kingdom
Fairfax I.S. PLC
Nominated Adviser/Joint Broker
Ewan Leggat
+44 (0)20 7598 5368

Lothbury Financial Services
Michael Padley/Libby Moss
+44 (0)20 7868 2010

Canada
Nicholas Sayce
Investor Relations
+1 416 822 4404

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PRESS DIGEST – Bulgaria – June 25

June 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

June 25 (Reuters) – These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Basic Materials

GENERAL AND POLITICS

- The restructuring of the hospitals which is part of the long-delayed healthcare reform will finish by the end of the year, Health Minister Anna-Maria Borisova said (Dnevnik, Sega, Trud, Standart, Klasa).

ECONOMY

- Bulgaria expects to fetch 1 billion levs ($630.9 million) from the export of grains from the 2010 crop, Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naidenov said (Trud, Standart, Monitor).

- Bulgaria’s economy will most likely contract by one percent in 2010 as a result of the drop in consumption, an Ernst & Young report said (Dnevnik, Trud, Standart, Klasa, Duma, Pari).

BUSINESS

DNEVNIK – Chemicals producer Solvay Sodi, controlled by Belgian chemicals and plastics maker Solvay (SOLB.BR), posted a net profit of 12.2 million levs for 2009, down 54.5 percent on the year.

STANDART – The Bulgarian refinery of Russian oil company LUKOIL (LKOH.MM) in the Black Sea city of Burgas posted a loss of 176 million levs for 2009.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Triple Threats of Our Coming Water Crisis

June 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I know that talking about infrastructure isn’t a sexy blog topic. It’s about as exciting as doing laundry. But here’s the thing: We have to do it.

According to a recent report from the Urban Land Institute and Ernst & Young, there is no greater infrastructure challenge facing the country today than water.

We’ve got a triple whammy going on.

First whammy: The U.S. uses the most water per capita in the world — more than 656,000 gallons annually. That’s very close to the amount of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Compare that to China, which uses less than 186,000 gallons per person each year.

The report calls for increased water conservation. But here’s the consumer truth: Water conservation just isn’t high on their priority lists. In Eco Pulse 2010, fewer than 20 percent said they’d installed low-flow toilets or showerheads. Only 6 percent said they’d installed low-water landscaping. The most popular water-conserving behavior? Taking shorter showers, but fewer than half said they were doing that.

Second whammy: Our dilapidated infrastructure is leaking about 1.25 trillion gallons of water every year — that’s about the same amount of water residents of L.A., Miami and Chicago use, combined. Political turf wars, lack of funding for improvements and low water bills that don’t cover the true costs of treating and delivering water stand in the way of repairing the country’s leaky old pipes.

Third whammy: The population is still growing in water-constrained parts of the country — putting even more pressure on limited water supplies. The report says that the U.S. is expected to add more than 120 million additional residents in the next 40 years, despite current water shortages. “We are starting to see the limits of where people can live,” stated the report. “Water profligacy is an American way of life.”

As marketers, there’s not much we can do in the political arena or to control population growth and migration. But what we can do is attack the first whammy — conservation — by producing more water-saving devices. By helping everyday Americans become more aware of the problem and offering affordable, practical, attractive solutions. By saving more water in our offices, factories and job sites. By making water conservation the next big topic of conversation.

How will you start your customers talking about saving water?

As Director of Insight for Shelton Group, Karen Barnes serves as the voice of the consumer for the firm. The original version of her post was published on the Shelton Group blog and is reprinted with permission.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ZAGG CEO Robert G. Pedersen II Named Ernst & Young`s 2010 Entrepreneur Of The Year

June 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SALT LAKE CITY–(Business Wire)–
Robert G. Pedersen II, President and CEO of ZAGG Inc. (NASDAQ: ZAGG)
(www.ZAGG.com), has won the Utah Region Ernst & Young 2010 Entrepreneur Of The
Year for emerging markets, presented June 2, 2010. ZAGG is a leading producer of
electronics accessories for protecting and enhancing the mobile experience,
including the popular invisibleSHIELD, ZAGGbuds, and ZAGGsparq brands.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and
leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through
regional, national and global awards programs. Mr. Pedersen was a regional
finalist last year before winning the award this year.

“It`s an honor to win the 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award,
which is significant and prestigious acknowledgment of ZAGG`s enormous growth
and long-term sustainability,” said Mr. Pedersen. “We have seen phenomenal
success since opening our doors only five years ago, which I attribute to our
innovative product offering and an amazing team that continues to execute. To be
recognized from the hundreds of companies that Ernst & Young evaluates is a
great honor and a milestone in our continuing efforts as a leader in the growing
mobile accessories industry.”

Mr. Pedersen is now eligible for consideration in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur
Of The Year national award. Categories and winners of the national award will be
announced at ceremonies in November in Palm Springs, CA as a part of the Ernst &
Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation`s most prestigious gathering of
high-growth, market-leading companies.

For more information about ZAGG or any of their products, please visit ZAGG.com.

About ZAGG Inc.:

ZAGG is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the mobile experience. ZAGG
designs, manufactures, and distributes protective clear coverings and
accessories for consumer electronic and hand-held devices, worldwide under the
brand names invisibleSHIELD, ZAGGbuds, and ZAGGsparq. ZAGG has also introduced
appSpace, a powerful recommendation engine for the fast-growing mobile app
market, combined with the networking power of social media. The invisibleSHIELD
is a protective, high-tech patented film covering, designed for iPods, laptops,
cell phones, digital cameras, PDAs, watch faces, GPS systems, gaming devices,
and other items. The patent-pending invisibleSHIELD application of clear
protective film covering a device is the first scratch protection solution of
its kind on the market, and has sold millions of units. Currently, ZAGG offers
over 4,000 precision pre-cut designs with a lifetime replacement warranty
through ZAGG.com, major retailers like Best Buy, Radio Shack, and Cricket,
resellers, college bookstores, Mac stores, mall kiosks, and other online
retailers. The company continues to increase its product lines to offer
additional electronic accessories and services to its tech-savvy customer base,
including upcoming technologies like ZAGGbox, introduced at CES 2010, and HzO, a
breakthrough gadget waterproofing technology. For more product or investor
information please visit the company’s web site at www.ZAGG.com.

Safe Harbor Statement:

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations,
plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may,”
“future,” “plan” or “planned,” “will” or “should,” “expected,” “anticipates,”
“draft,” “eventually” or “projected.” You are cautioned that such statements are
subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future
circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in
the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may
differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a
result of various factors, and other risks identified in filings made by the
company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Media:
ZAGG Inc.
Nathan Nelson, 801-263-0699 ext. 107
nnelson@zagg.com
or
Investor Relations:
Genesis Select Corp.
Kim Rogers-Carrete, 303-415-0200
krogersc@genesisselect.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

HEZ stakeholders urged to unite

March 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New South Wales Planning Minister Tony Kelly has called a meeting this week to ensure the future of the troubled HEZ industrial park in the Hunter Valley.

Ernst and Young were last month appointed receivers to the industrial park at Kurri Kurri, which was expected to create thousands of jobs, but has only attracted a handful of businesses.

The State Government and Cessnock council have both been blamed for making the approvals process too complicated, but Cessnock MP Kerry Hickey says all stakeholders now need to work together.

“We’re very keen to get jobs in the region and that’s what it’s about, trying to ensure that we diversify the economy to allow greater outcomes, and anyone who knows the Cessnock community will know it’s had high unemployment for a long time and we need to address the problems.”

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lehmans accused of disguising insolvency

March 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A report on the collapse of the American investment bank, Lehman Brothers, has found that it disguised its true financial position before it filed for bankruptcy in September 2008.

A court-appointed examiner has declared that the company had been insolvent for weeks beforehand.

The collapse of Lehman Brothers helped trigger the global financial crisis.

The report says that there could be the basis for financial claims against some Lehman executives, including the former chief executive Richard Fuld, who the report says was at least grossly negligent.

It says there could also be claims against its auditors, Ernst and Young, who could be accused of professional malpractice.

The report was prepared by a leading lawyer for a bankruptcy court, which is trying to recover the maximum amount possible for Lehman’s creditors.

- BBC

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,