Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Weather Service (NWS) urge Americans to take actions to prepare for a wide array of hazards by developing a family communication plan and downloading alerts and learning about local hazards. FEMA is encouraging people to take these actions in conjunction with America's PrepareAthon!SM, a grassroots, community-based campaign for action designed to increase preparedness and resilience.
America's PrepareAthon! provides an important opportunity for individuals, organizations and communities to take action to prepare for specific hazards through group discussions, drills and exercises. Visit the America's PrepareAthon! website, ready.gov/prepare, to register your participation, for more information, and to sign up.
“Some disasters come with warning and others with little or no warning,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Families, businesses and organizations need to prepare today - know your hazards, assemble supplies and practice what to do in case a disaster strikes.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7770531-fema-national-prepareathon/
Madworld is an imaginative third-person action game exclusively for Wii and was produced by Atsushi Inaba. MadWorld has a unique black and white style depicting an incredibly sharp backdrop that straddles graphic novels and 3D worlds. As players battle opponents, they must master the use of various weapons and items found within their environment, such as chainsaws and street signs, while entertaining sports commentary adds to the third-person gameplay. With its irreverent humor and over-the-top violence, MadWorld will deliver a unique core gaming experience currently missing on the Wii system.
Today, Suzhou Tourism launched its first-ever campaign to directly target North American travelers – the “Experience Suzhou: The Venice of China and the City of Scholars” sweepstakes, open for entries now through October 23, 2015 at www.TraveltoSuzhou.com/Sweepstakes. Available to residents of the Continental United States and Canada, the online promotion will award 18 travelers (nine winners plus one guest each) a six-day visit to Suzhou between November 2015 and January 2016.
Situated just west of Shanghai, Suzhou is deeply rooted in culture and heritage as one of the oldest cities in the Yangtze Basin dating back more than 2,500 years. With its narrow streets and winding waterways, Suzhou truly lives up to its nickname as “Venice of China.” Taking advantage of this hidden gem location, sweepstakes winners and their guests will enjoy a six-day package inclusive of round-trip coach airfare, accommodations at one of the city’s top hotels, three meals daily, and a guided trip through the city each day. The trip itinerary will offer a quintessential Suzhou experience featuring visits to a selection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lingering Garden, as well as Tiger Hill, Suzhou Museum, Pinjiang Road, Silk Museum, Tongli, and authentic experiences at iconic restaurants such as Songhelou and Deyuelou. The trip is the ultimate vacation adventure for anyone who wants to visit China and experience true Chinese culture.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7584351-suzhou-tourism-sweepstakes/
As storage volumes increase by up to 40 percent a year, most enterprises are not prepared to deal with the influx. To control costs and ensure accessibility, enterprises need to adopt new ways to make their storage more efficient.
Frost & Sullivan recently published a whitepaper, The Coming Storage Armageddon: What Your Database Administrator Isn’t Telling You, correlating the business risks to a hands off approach. Additionally, the whitepaper identifies easy and cost-effective solutions that can have a high impact on improving the storage environment.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/frostsullivan/50242/
Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno, FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino, Fire Department (FDNY) Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, Police Department (NYPD) Assistant Chief Harry J. Wedin, The Advertising Council Campaign Manager Jessica Dahl, American Red Cross in Greater New York Chief Administrative Officer Richard Kane, and Counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Jason Otaño today kicked off National Preparedness Month by encouraging New Yorkers to audition for an upcoming TV public service advertisement (PSA).
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/45752/
In response to the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is joining the Ad Council to launch a national public awareness campaign. The campaign encourages Americans to spread awareness of the crisis, support the humanitarian organizations conducting the relief operations, and learn more about the solutions through President Obama’s Feed the Future initiative. The campaign is titled FWD, or famine, war and drought, which is an acronym for the three crises affecting the Horn. USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah is unveiling the campaign at the White House this afternoon during a live-streamed roundtable discussion.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52861-ad-council-usaid-horn-of-africa-fwd-famine-war-drought-relief-psa
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today joined National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland and Safe Kids President and CEO Kate Carr for the kick-off of Child Passenger Safety Week to remind parents and caregivers to make sure that they are properly using and installing their child safety seats. A new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey shows that parents are making five significant mistakes when using car seats and booster seats. It also found that one in five parents do not read any instructions when installing seats.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/57925-nhtsa-child-passenger-safety-week-2012
QROPS - Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes were introduced in 2006 as part of a major overhaul of Britain\'s pension framework, aimed at simplifying pension transfers to another country. New legislation was passed by the UK tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), in order to comply with an EU directive that pensions be free to move across Europe\'s borders. This ruling means that individuals, wishing to retire to countries such as France, Spain and Portugal can effectively take their UK pension funds with them: http://www.axis-finance.com/what-are-qrops.php
Who can apply for a QROPS?
A QROPS is specifically designed to allow anyone, not intending to retire in the UK, to transfer existing and frozen UK pension plans into a more appropriate retirement vehicle.
Individuals who are, or have been members of a UK registered pension fund and are currently living outside of the UK, or intending to leave the UK on a permanent basis, can consider transferring their retirement fund into a QROPS: http://www.axis-finance.com/qrops-living-in-France
Transfers to QROPS
The UK Government allows transfers to QROPS to be made free of UK tax. Their aim is to simplify the affairs of individuals leaving the UK on a permanent basis and to encourage them to continue saving in order to provide an income when they retire. There is no official limit to the amount of funds that may be transferred to a QROPS: http://www.axis-finance.com/qrops-France-pension-transfers
QROPS - HMRC Rules
What makes a scheme a QROPS?
In order to transfer your UK pension into a QROPS, it is necessary for the overseas pension scheme to be accepted by HMRC. The criteria outlined by HMRC for an overseas scheme to qualify as a QROPS include:
- The pension scheme must be established outside of the UK
- It must be recognised for tax purposes in the country where it is located
- It must be regulated in the country in which it is established
Age that benefits can be taken from a QROPS
The QROPS regime mirrors that of a regulated pension scheme in the UK. Benefits, including lump sum payments, from the transferred funds may not be distributed earlier than the normal retirement age of 55, if an individual has been a non-UK resident for less than five complete tax years: http://www.axis-finance.com/qrops-living-in-France-HMRC-Rules
QROPS Reporting requirements
HMRC should be notified if a payment is made within the first five tax years of a member becoming non-UK tax resident. Any benefits paid before five complete tax years of non-UK residency and not in accordance with UK Pension rules will be deemed an unauthorised payment.
The scheme manager does not have to notify HMRC if the payment is made 10 or more years after the day of the transfer that created the QROPS fund for the \'relevant member\', provided that the person is non UK resident for the duration of this period. This 10 year \'bracket\' for reporting payments took effect as of 6 April 2012.
QROPS List
When transferring your UK pension to a scheme overseas, it is important to check that the scheme meets the conditions to be a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme (QROPS). Not all transfers to overseas or offshore schemes are QROPS transfers; it is therefore essential to verify that the scheme receiving your UK benefits is on the QROPS list published by HMRC, otherwise a transfer will be treated as a transfer to a non-qualifying overseas scheme and substantial penalties may be applied by HMRC at the time of transfer: http://www.axis-finance.com/qrops-list-living-in-France
How do I know if it is a legitimate QROPS scheme?
QROPS approved plans that agree to have their details published are listed on the HMRC website. A UK Pension administrator will confirm a QROPS listing before agreeing to a transfer. If not listed, the administrator will contact HMRC
In response to the devastation wrought by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the Ad Council joined the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr. Rajiv Shah, and the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) to launch a series of television, radio, print and Web public service advertisements (PSAs) encouraging Americans to make financial contributions to disaster relief efforts. The PSAs direct audiences to visit PhilippinesRelief.AdCouncil.org, where they can contribute to support the short and long-term recovery operations, providing supplies and services to those affected by the typhoon.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/64502-ad-council-usaid-cidi-encourage-support-typhoon-relief-philippines
More than 40 U.S. states have some potential for earthquakes. To increase earthquake preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encourages all Americans to participate in the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill happening on Thursday, October 15, at 10:15 a.m. local time.
“Residents in California aren't the only ones threatened by the potential of a catastrophic earthquake,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “From the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest to the New Madrid seismic zone in the South and Midwest, millions of Americans live and travel to areas that can be impacted by a major earthquake. All of us - regardless of where we live - should be prepared by knowing what to do: drop, cover, and hold on.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607931-fema-national-prepareathon/
As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council announced today their first national public service campaign designed to prevent underage drinking and driving. Following the success of iconic campaigns including “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” and “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving,” the new public service ads (PSAs) were unveiled this morning by Mark Rosekind, Administrator for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), at the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) Teen Safe Driving Summit in Washington, DC.
“One teenage death from drinking and driving is too many,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. “Our goal with this campaign is to raise awareness among teenagers that drinking and driving is one of the worst mistakes they can ever make, with deadly consequences that can’t be undone.”
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens in America, and almost half of teens killed in crashes are the drivers themselves. Despite a minimum legal drinking age of 21 in all 50 states, almost one-quarter of young drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes had alcohol in their systems according to data from NHTSA.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7662551-ad-council-ultimate-party-foul/
In this new video from EisnerAmper, one of the nation's leading providers of employee benefit plan audits, Denise Finney provides easy to implement tips on how the plan administrator, the plan auditor and the third party administrator (the "Employee Benefit Plan Team") can work together to obtain plan audit information it needs to remain on schedule to issue plan financial statements and meet the Form 5500 filing deadline.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7461932-eisneramper-employee-benefits/
