eNewsWire

Budget airline Iceland Express is sponsoring a monumental project to reassemble one of Reykjavik’s best-loved cultural institutions at the Frieze Art Fair in London.

Sirkus was a tiny ramshackle shed of a bar. It had a unique odour, was often overcrowded and was kitted out with the strangest collection of fittings and furnishings since Fifth Cousin Donald passed away and left you his First World War trench mop collection and his favourite stuffed emu.

The house itself was decorated by two large puffins and had the word ‘Sirkus’ on top in big light-bulb-covered letters—most of which never worked. It had a unique odour, was often overcrowded and was kitted out with the strangest collection of fittings and furnishings since Gertrude – one of those “family friends” you were always forced to call Auntie against your will – passed away and left you her wicker owls and gold-plated dentures.

Despite, or possibly because of, its many flaws, Sirkus was the premier drinking venue of almost everyone who makes Reykjavik life so vibrant, fun and creative. Bjork even shot a video in there.

As the days tick down to the building’s total destruction, the hardcore Sirkus devotees still hope for a miracle reopening. It ain’t gonna happen, but a collective of Icelandic artists, Kling og Bang, is trying to do the next-best-thing.

Kling og Bang will pay tribute to Sirkus, the Reykjavik bar, landmark, and hub of the alternative arts scene, by saving its facade and interior and re-erecting it at the Frieze Art Fair – “like a circus moving to another town”, the event’s website states. “A zany nomadic act reflecting the drive of Icelandic art, producing a situation of one circus within another for artists to respond to.”

The Frieze Art Fair happens each autumn in London’s Regent’s Park and has become one of the biggest contemporary art events in Europe. This year’s fair is from 16th to 19th October and around 30,000-40,000 people are expected to attend on each of the four days.

The Sirkus project will generate huge attention for Icelandic art – both in Iceland and abroad – and Iceland Express have decided to sponsor the project with 90,000 kroner worth of flight credits.

Iceland Express is a budget airline offering cheap flights to Reykjavik from 14 other major European cities.

Visit the Iceland Express website for more information or to book cheap flights to Iceland.

Glitnir Bank, the leading provider of financing and advisory services to the global seafood industry, advised Seattle-based American Seafoods Group on the acquisition of the Alaskan pollock assets of Yardarm Knot, Inc.

The acquisition of these assets by American Seafoods Group (ASG) will enable it to further its position in the dynamic and growing global seafood industry.

Glitnir’s seafood team in New York acted as exclusive financial advisor to ASG whilst also participating in the financing of the acquisition.

Executive Vice President, International banking, Magnus Bjarnason, commented, “We are delighted to have advised ASG on this milestone transaction, which will increase the efficiency of the seafood sector in Alaska. Our industry team in New York again successfully acted as the lead advisor on a significant industry transaction, and our debt financing unit played a key role.”

Glitnir has a long-standing relationship with ASG, its shareholders and management team, and has supported the company in several of its most critical transactions. According to Bernt Bodal, CEO of ASG, Glitnir has been “a valuable and trusted partner delivering results both as a financial backer and as an advisor throughout the transaction processes.”
Magnus Bjarnason added, “Glitnir is proud to be indirectly supporting the economic improvement of the Alaskan communities, given their ownership in ASG.”
A regional fund and fishermen’s association, which together represent around 10,000 Alaskans, supply valuable fisheries quotas to ASG and own a significant share in the company.

Glitnir focuses on banking in the seafood industry as one of three global market niches. The bank, with its routes in Iceland and Norway, offers universal financial solutions, specific to the needs of its seafood clients.

Visit Glitnir’s corporate website for more information on its financial services for the seafood industry.

As one of the main sponsors of the annual Iceland Airwaves music festival, Icelandair is offering package deals to the annual event from 877 USD or 299 GBP per person.

It’s 4am. You’ve seen ten great bands from ten countries, been to five cool clubs, made 15 new friends and fallen in love 20 times.

You’re tired. You’re wired. You’re ready to find a bed. You’re ready to find an after-party. You can’t believe you’re here. You’re already making plans to come back next year. And guess what? It’s still only Day One.

Since the first festival held in 1999 (in an aeroplane hangar), Iceland Airwaves has become one of the premier showcases for new music – Icelandic and otherwise – in the world.

More than simply music, Iceland Airwaves is imbibed with the personality of its surroundings. Reykjavik is possibly the perfect festival city: small enough to be welcoming, yet sophisticated enough to offer cultural, historical and nightlife diversions to rival cities ten times its size. Maybe even 20.

But the fun doesn’t just stop at the city limits – roll out of bed, hose the party remains out of your hair and hop on a bus. Before you can remember what you did the night before, you’re looking at geysers, waterfalls, lava fields – all the best a volcanic island has to offer.

The world-renowned Blue Lagoon spa is the biggest highlight though, and just happens to host Iceland Airwaves’ very own private hangover party.

Getting neck-deep in one of the hottest, coolest music festivals anywhere is almost just a little too easy. With Icelandair inclusive package deals from major international cities starting at less than you might expect to pay for flights to Iceland alone, there’s no excuse not to.

Icelandair currently has a special offer package from $877 or 299 GBP per person which includes transatlantic flights from an Icelandair gateway, two nights hotel accommodation, breakfast and an Airwaves Festival Pass.

Icelandair connects Iceland to 24 of the top destinations in Europe and North America. As the biggest Icelandic airline, Icelandair also offers flights between Europe and North America using Iceland as a stopover.

Icelandair is the founder and one of the main sponsors of Iceland Airwaves which takes place between 15-19 October 2008.

Visit the Icelandair website for more information on Icelandair’s Iceland Airwaves special offer package.

On Sept 28th 2008, renowned performing arts organisation, Theatretrain, present their most ambitious show to date in the magnificent surroundings of The Royal Albert Hall.

Theatretrain are one of the UK’s leading youth performing arts companies with over 80 schools around the country offering high quality training and the unique opportunity to perform in local and national theatres. Backed by patrons including Catherine Tate and Derek Jacobi, they have been inspiring young people between the ages 6 and 18 to express their emotions, hopes and dreams through the art of performance for over 16 years.

Their latest production “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” is one of the biggest and most ambitious performances the UK has seen, bringing together 24 different Theatretrain centres to create an exhilarating show with more than 1400 performers. Unlike any of the other performing arts schools providing this form of education, Theatretrain are unique in that they create large scale experiences for ALL of their pupils whatever their ability and give them the opportunity to perform at the best theatres in the country. When it comes to the sheer scale of performance and the quality of venue Theatretrain are steaming ahead.

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Babelgum adds footage of the major news stories since 1929

Babelgum the independent, TV quality internet platform last week announced a deal with AP Archive allowing users to re-live history and see 70 hours of footage of the people and events that have shaped the world we live in.

AP Archive is the film and video archive of the Associated Press, the world’s oldest news agency. The collection itself is one of the largest and most important historical archives in the world with 700,000 clips on topics ranging from war and conflict to social history, the environment and science and technology.

“Babelgum offers its users a high quality viewing experience with free access to valuable professional content and we wanted to be part of that. By making some of the major highlights of our collection available through Babelgum, we hope that Babelgum’s users across the world will benefit from the easy access,” said Alan Bradshaw, Business Development Manager (UK and Ireland) for AP Archive.

“Our mission is to give our users a vast library of content around areas of interest,” says Valerio Zingarelli, CEO at Babelgum. “The AP Archive is a treasure trove of such content which will be interesting viewing for everyone from school pupils to amateur historians.”

For more information on Babelgum internet TV, visit www.babelgum.com

Contact:
Nicky Savage
Mantra PR
Tel: +44(0)20 7438 4910
Email: nsavage@mantra-pr.com

About Babelgum

A free internet TV platform supported by advertising, Babelgum combines the full-screen video quality of traditional television with the interactive capabilities of the internet, offering professionally produced programming on-demand to a global audience.

Babelgum’s editorial focus is on independent film and festivals, adventure sports, nature and travel, supported by the launch of a series of thematic communities in those areas.

As the name suggests, Babelgum’s goal is to act as an international ‘social glue’, bringing a huge range of content to a global audience – like a modern-day Tower of Babel. The bubble logo is a fun visual pun on the company name, but also reflects Babelgum’s commitment to a green, global future.

Using proprietary software, the Babelgum player provides content owners with a secure platform on which to distribute their programming worldwide and a unique business model that allows them to monetise their assets.

Babelgum’s content partners include the Associated Press, Reuters, PBS, BBC, 3DD, Shine Limited, Gong Anime, IMG, Off the Fence and international film festivals such as Seattle, DC Independent and Encounters. The list of advertisers includes globally renowned brands such as Vodafone and Benetton Group.

Founded in 2005, Babelgum is an independent and privately held company with around 100 employees and offices in the U.K., Ireland, France, Italy and the US.

No sooner are the school summer holidays over then the October half term break is upon us! Keep your kids minds active during the break by taking a family trip with The Adventure Company.

There are a number of exciting trips departing at different times in October to cater for the varying school holiday dates. Adventurous trips include felucca boats and snorkelling in the Red Sea in Egypt, the Pyramids and Petra in Jordan, camel riding and desert camping in Tunisia and an activity week in Turkey. The family trips all have educational elements to them and will keep kids minds lively during the break from school.

There are several trips departing on October 17th, 19th and 24th 2008. These are Feluccas & Pharaohs in Egypt; the Pyramids & Petra family holiday in Jordan and Egypt; an Active Turkey family holiday for teenagers and Tunisian Voyager family holiday. All of the destinations are outside the Euro zone, which helps keep the cost of a family holiday down.

Feluccas & Pharaohs in Egypt includes visits to the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum where Tutankhamun’s gold mask can be seen. Both visits are great for sparking the imagination of children. As well as this there is also the opportunity to sail on a traditional Felucca boat. More information about this trip can be found at http://www.adventurecompany.co.uk/trip-details.aspx?productid=34601. This 10-day trip departs on October 17th and costs £999 for adults and £919 for children; the price includes flights, accommodation, transport in Egypt, some meals and activities.

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Coinciding with Icelandair’s special fall flight offers, USA Today has rated Iceland one of its Top 5 bargain destinations.

Big savings are currently being offered by Icelandair from its six North American gateways to Reykjavik, the cosmopolitan capital of Iceland.

One of the main reasons for such a steep fall in prices in Iceland is the twenty-two percent drop in value of the Icelandic krona against the euro this year.

Travelling to Iceland during the fall offers the added advantage of seeing the Northern Lights, less tourists and a mild climate, not to mention a low season fares capable of enticing even the most budget-minded of travellers.

Black sand beaches, pulsing geysers and crashing waterfalls are just a few of the exotic offerings that keep visitors busy on this cosmopolitan island. Most touring packages from Icelandair also include a daily Scandinavian breakfast and round-trip airport/hotel transfers, meaning a smaller vacation budget is easily achievable.

Icelandair is offering $120 off per person for September departures of its Glaciers, Geysers and Waterfalls package, which includes airfare, accommodations, most meals, and sightseeing from $1,869 before the discount. Its Iceland Airwaves special includes airfare, two nights’ accommodations, and passes to the major music festival taking place between October 15 and 19, from $877 per person.

The Icelandic national carrier operates flights to Europe through Reykjavik, Iceland from Boston, Orlando, Minneapolis, New York, Halifax and Toronto.
Passengers travelling on to Europe can break their transatlantic journey with a free 7 night stop-over in Iceland, giving enough time for a quick dip in the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa or a longer stay on the magical island.
Visit the Icelandair website to find out more about Icelandair’s vacation destinations and to book flights to Iceland and Europe.

Long gone are the days when Ibiza was the place for hedonistic holidays in the sun.

While its wild nightlife is by no means a thing of the past, this beautiful Balearic island is re-inventing itself as a sophisticated holiday destination, offering more than bars, bass and booze to the millions of sunseekers hitting Ibizan shores every year.

Made infamous by the ‘Ibiza Uncovered’ reality TV series of the ’90s, the island’s reputation for lairy young Brits bingeing to excess in its clubs has led Ibizan authorities to re-brand the island, publicising it as a cosmopolitan centre – much quieter and more cultured than in its previous years. Placing stricter limits on nightclub opening hours and higher standards on new-build hotels, Ibiza is looking for a different kind of holidaymaker.

And with ecotourism, agrotourism, cyclotourism and even nautical tourism available on the island, the days of ‘Alternative Ibiza‘ are dawning. There’s so much more to do on a Balearic break now; holistic therapies, Ashtanga yoga and triathlon training camps mean you can balance out all the beer-drinking by looking after your body instead. Whether you explore the island by foot, bike or boat, the rugged natural landscape and great weather makes Ibiza the perfect place to get to grips with nature – hiking, cycling and sailing trips offer an even more exciting way to see the sights.

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Egypt is an increasingly popular holiday destination, one that holiday company Freedom Direct can verify, as well as increasing popularity Egypt is becoming even more ‘tourist friendly’, as the Egyptican Government invests in tourist friendly areas.

The Egyptian Government is working on a three phase project to make the Pyramid Plateau, approximately 30km south of Cairo, more friendly to tourists and more secure.

The Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni has recently opened the first stage of the $26 million project.

The first stage includes a perimeter fence to improve security, CCTV and motion detectors have also been installed, it may sound strict however the aim is not only to improve security but tourists experience and enjoyment of one of Egypt’s many astounding historical sites.

“It was a zoo,” Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s chief archaeologist, said of the usual free-for-all at the pyramids. “Now we are protecting both the tourists and the ancient monuments.”

According to officials the two other stages of the project for developing the area feature an improved lighting system, more road maintenance and parking management and a general upgrade of the area, including an information centre, a services complex as well as souvenir stores.

Overall there will be more facilities and less hassle for tourists wanting to see the pyramids and temples, particularly as the over-bearing peddlers are being better controlled, so a great wonder of the world can be seen in a more organised, secure and enjoyable way. The modern improvements and features will be subtly integrated to support the site for all and not distract from the archaeological prominence.

It’s not just any day you see the majestic pyramids, temples and fascinating culture Egypt has to offer, with improvements to the tourist experience it’s clear why Egypt undoubtedly makes a great Holiday, and Freedom Direct can make it a great cheap holiday to Egypt including Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor, Hurghada and Taba.

Glitnir strengthens its global network of expertise within the seafood industry by appointing two new business directors for Chile and Peru to be based in Santiago and Lima respectively.

Glitnir is applying for representative office licenses in Chile and Peru in order to follow up on the bank’s success in Latin America, and to provide better service for customers. Wilfredo Caceres is Glitnir’s new representative in Peru, while Vicente Perez joins Glitnir in Chile with responsibility for Glitnir’s operations in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.

“To have people of their calibre joining the bank is another statement of Glitnir’s strength. This will not only build new opportunities for our business in South America, but also create opportunities in other regions seeking targets for European, US and Asian companies in South America”, says Jon Gardar Gudmundsson, Glitnir’s Managing Director for Asia & Latin America.

Fish meal and fish oil production is a growing industry in Peru, a country which has a long history as a fishing nation. Peru has experienced tremendous economic growth in the past few years, with more than a doubling of its GDP between 2003 and 2007. Glitnir assisted Peruvian company Copeinica with listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange in January 2007.

Peru also has a great potential for geothermal energy, which is another of Glitnir’s main areas of expertise. Although Glitnir’s main focus in the region in the near future remains on the seafood sector, there are also plans to tap into the geothermal sector.

Magnus Bjarnason, Executive Vice President of Glitnir, said that, “As a part of aligning Glitnir’s strategy, we feel it is important to have people on the ground in strategic markets. Our two new business directors are great assets to Glitnir’s international strategy and we welcome them on board the Glitnir team.”

Visit the Glitnir corporate website for further information on finance and the seafood industry.

Heart Health Resources will guide you through the many different factors that affect the health and vitality of your heart and body.

James McCreary, the owner of the site, provides useful information related to the human body with helpful resources to address declining health. Educating people about heart health and suggesting solutions to improve their health is the service provided by the site.

Coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the arteries that carry blood to the heart. As the artery walls thicken, the passageway for blood narrows. Sometimes platelets gather at the narrowing, forming a clot that decreases or prevents blood flow to the region of the heart supplied by the artery. Heart Health Resources provides detailed information on the issues pertaining to the heart and circulation and suggests suitable measures to tackle the problems of heart disease and poor circulation.

Coronary heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, both men and women. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a major cause of some serious disabilities. Healthy eating habits can help to reduce heart risks but it is equally important to know other ways that can help you to improve the condition of your heart.

Your heart beats 100,000 times a day—that’s more than 36 million times a year. The more knowledge you have about heart disease and suggestions of how to avoid or correct it, the better your chances are of having a healthy heart.

For more information, visit – http://www.heart-health-resources.com/

From: Heart Health Resources

4330 Casgrain Drive

Windsor, ON N9G 2B1

CA

Ph: 5199668441

Email: jmccreary@cogeco.ca

Web: http://www.heart-health-resources.com/