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Kilkenny drivers pay second lowest car insurance premiums in country

by Tracy J. Chu

A new study has revealed that Kilkenny drivers pay the second lowest car insurance premiums in the country.

The study also highlights that there can be more than €200 in the difference for the average cost of an insurance premium, depending on the county you live in. 

While many are struggling to cope with the cost of living crisis, car insurance is a necessary spend, however, the pricing differs depending on a combination of factors. 

Insurers analyse a number of points and one of these is where you live. With this in mind, insurance experts Chill, have revealed the counties in Ireland with the most expensive car insurance. 

Topping the list as the Irish county with the highest car insurance costs is Longford where the average cost of a policy is €783.

Louth residents also pay an average of over €700 a year and Limerick completes the top three with a cost of €678.

Paying just €549 on average, Waterford is the county in Ireland with the lowest car insurance costs.

Kilkenny comes in second with a slightly higher price of €554, Wicklow and Wexford complete the top three, both having an average of €571 for car insurance. 

Car insurance premiums take your location into account as living in a city where there is a greater risk of crime and increased traffic, this consequently means an accident or theft is more likely, so as a result, your car insurance premium goes up. Similarly, in Ireland, some rural counties have higher insurance premiums than others because of the higher rates of claims.

Average prices are shown from new business & renewal sales between July 2022 – January 2023, including any fees.

Founded in 2007, Chill is an Irish-based insurer that searches and compares 14 different insurers to help customers

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TRAVELLING

Adyen Broadens Partnership with FREE NOW to Power New Visa Corporate Travel Cards

by Tracy J. Chu

Adyen Broadens Partnership with FREE NOW to Power New Visa Corporate Travel Cards

Adyen, the global financial technology platform of choice for leading businesses, announces that it has broadened its partnership with FREE NOW, Europe’s leading mobility platform, to offer card issuing for mobility. This financial services addition builds on Adyen and FREE NOW’s long-standing relationship, which previously spanned global payments. With Adyen’s issuing capabilities joining FREE NOW’s toolbelt, the company aims to streamline mobility benefits on behalf of its enterprise customers, who will be able to provide corporate cards to employees as an all-encompassing transport benefit. By expanding its mobility offering beyond its own ride-sharing app to include diverse transit methods, FREE NOW is equipped and determined to create the ultimate enterprise travel card.

“Today, companies spanning all verticals are thinking bigger about the services they offer their customers,” says Adyen CCO, Roelant Prins. “Differentiation is no longer just nice to have – the companies who meet more customer needs are the ones poised to succeed. Adyen can enable this competitive advantage with our suite of financial services. As embodied in our growing FREE NOW partnership, we make it possible to unlock entirely new experiences and efficiencies that drive new revenue streams and cater to end customers.”

FREE NOW has a portfolio of enterprise customers utilizing its Mobility Super App as an employee mobility benefit. Even though the app offers ride-hailing, carsharing and micro-mobility options, these are just a few forms of transport employees need. In reality, the breadth of travel methods used includes public transport buses and metros, train travel, ferries and beyond. This diversity of expenses results in companies facing a lack of transaction oversight and control, complex contract set-ups, and labour-intensive invoice management. Through Adyen’s card-issuing solution, FREE NOW has identified an innovative way

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TOUR

Tanzania Tour Operators Association rolls out plan for startups

by Tracy J. Chu

The key driver of Tanzania’s tourism industry has unveiled its most ambitious plan of supporting local entrepreneurs to venture into tourism.

The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) has so far assisted 17 out of 50 targeted entrants into the tourism industry in its latest efforts to create new employers and taxpayers.

Handing over the document for the first batch of entrepreneurs, TATO CEO, Mr. Sirili Akko, said his organization is keen to support startups to navigate through the intricate and costly process of formalizing their businesses.

“Minimum, it costs $86,500 to comply with registration and formalization of a tour company,” said Mr. Akko, explaining that $80,000 is for a tourist converted vehicle and $6,500 for regulatory bodies licenses fees, provisional tax, website, and lawyer’s charges.

These costs, he said, are prohibitive by any standards because a person with interest to venture into the tourism industry is faced with having to raise such an amount even before doing business. “And this is after the government trim-down [of] a compulsory number of vehicles for a new entrant into [the] tourism industry from three to one at the moment,” Mr. Akko noted.

Mosses Anderson, Godlisten William, and Charles Minja are the grateful pioneer beneficiaries of the TATO project.

“I’ve been craving to own my own tour company for 15 good years, but owing to the costs, I couldn’t.”

“I’m more than happy for TATO’s generous support that enabled me to realize my dream,” said Mr. Minja who vowed to work extremely hard to create employment for young professionals.   

Meanwhile, TATO Chairman, Mr. Wilbard Chambulo, has pleaded with the government to create a conducive business environment in order to boost tourist numbers, as well as extend length of stay and revenues.

Mr.

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TRAVELLING

Imran Khan’s travel costs from residence to office 5 times higher than expenditure of shelter homes

by Tracy J. Chu

Documents show that Imran Khan’s travel costs from his residence (Banigala) to the Prime Minister House are over five times higher than the total expenditure of Panahgahs (shelter homes) which were projected as trademark project to show how much he cares for the poor, The News International newspaper reported.
According to The News International, as per documents, a total of 39 Ehsas Panahgahs were established across the country under the supervision of Pakistan Baitul Maal (PBM). The programme was mainly focused on quality service delivery to the shelter-less persons, by taking care of multiple aspects, including healthcare, safe/secure living environment, hygienic food, etc, in a respectable manner.
A total of 39 Ehsaas Panahgahs have been functional since the programme’s inception. So far, an amount of Rs183.015 million has been utilised up to March FY2022. Moreover, the PBM procured food vehicles to deliver the food to donors. Since the inception of the “Ehsas Koi Bhooka na Soye” Programme (EKBNS), 40 food vehicles were functional.

According to official documents, an amount of Rs161.088 million has been utilised till March FY2022. Compared to the expenditure incurred for the welfare of the poor, Imran Khan’s travelling to and from his residence to office cost Rs984 million to the national exchequer. After coming into power, the PDM government released the details of Imran Khan’s helicopter expenditure, according to The Express Tribune.
Documents released by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb in April 2022 showed that the travelling expenses of former prime minister Imran Khan amounted to Rs472.36 million. Whereas, the maintenance of the helicopter had cost more than the travel expenses, Rs511.995 million.
Khan’s travel expenditure from August 2018 to December 2018, according to documents, was Rs37.93 million. Similarly, Khan’s travelling cost Rs131.94 million in 2019, Rs143.55 million in 2020, Rs123.8 million in

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TOUR

Jason Aldean Unveils Plans for 2023 Highway Desperado Tour

by Tracy J. Chu

Jason Aldean will ride again in 2023: The star just announced his upcoming Highway Desperado Tour, which is set to kick off in mid-July in Bethel, N.Y.

The jaunt will extend through October, wrapping in Tampa, Fla. at the end of that month.

Joining Aldean on tour are Mitchell Tenpenny, country newcomer Corey Kent and Dee Jay Silver, the latter of whom is a regular guest act on Aldean’s headlining tours. Tickets for the 41 dates on the tour go on sale to the general public starting Friday (Feb. 17), with special VIP packages — including admission to pre-show Q&As and acoustic performances — also available.

The Highway Desperado Tour follows Aldean’s 2022 Rock N’ Roll Cowboy Tour, which kept the star busy for the bulk of 2022. In between those two headlining tours, the singer has played several festivals and one-off dates.

Aldean’s latest musical release is his double album, Macon, Georgia, which he put out over the course of 2021 and 2022. The front half of the project, Macon, arrived in November 2021, and Georgia completed the project the following April. Altogether, the project — which was Aldean’s 10th studio album — was an homage to his hometown.

There’s no word yet on whether or not the singer plans to release a new album to  go along with his 2023 tour plans.

Jason Aldean’s 2023 Highway Desperado Tour Dates:

July 14 — Bethel, N.Y. @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
July 15 — Hartford, Conn. @ Xfinity Theatre
July 16 — Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
July 20  — Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio @ Blossom Music Center
July 21 — Cincinnati, Ohio @ Riverbend Music Center
July 27 — Columbia, Md. @ Merriweather Post Pavilion^
July 28 — Hershey, Pa. @ Hersheypark Stadium
July

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VACATION

Cincinnati more than doubles paid parental leave for city workers

by Tracy J. Chu

City of Cincinnati employees can now take 12 weeks of fully-paid parental leave, more than double the previous policy.

The former policy offered four weeks of leave paid at 70% salary plus two weeks where the employee could either use other accrued leave (like vacation) or go unpaid.

City Manager Sheryl Long announced the change Friday, along with other expansions to the family leave policy. Now, workers can use the leave for fostering or taking legal guardianship of a child.

“Previously, it was only birth and adoptive parents,” Long said. “That’s ridiculous, right? We as a government, it’s very important for us to understand that families are very diverse and different. And we want to make sure that we’re a place to encourage that difference.”

Long says this was one of her first priorities after being chosen as city manager last September. She says this speaks to the importance of having women in leadership positions.

“For my first child, I had to take two weeks [leave] and then I had to return back to work because I got the notice that hey, you’re not going to receive a paycheck after two weeks,” she said.

The expansion also adds 20 hours of paid prenatal or pre-adoption leave for appointments, and allows employees on parental leave to get regular holiday pay (which didn’t happen in all circumstances under the previous policy).

Mayor Aftab Pureval, who took two weeks of parental leave near the beginning of his term, praised the decision.

“This comprehensive new policy is exactly what doing right by employees looks like,” Pureval said in a statement. “As we compete to attract the best and the brightest to serve our City, strong parental leave and a commitment to supporting workers is a must.”

Long says the cost to the city

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VACATION

FBI Director Christopher Wray left congressional hearing to go on vacation

by Tracy J. Chu

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray acknowledged Thursday that he left a congressional hearing over the summer in order to go on a personal vacation in the Adirondacks.

Mr. Wray said he had told senators before the August hearing that he had limited time, so they shouldn’t have been surprised he didn’t stick around for a second round of questions from Republicans.

He also defended his use of a Gulfstream aircraft to make the flight, saying he is required by law to fly that way when he travels.

“You left an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, required by statute, so you can vacation with your family. I find that unbelievable and indefensible,” Sen. Josh Hawley told the director.

Mr. Hawley, Missouri Republican, pointed out that since Mr. Wray flies on a plane controlled by the bureau, he could have made it wait.

“I had to leave when I said I was going to leave,” Mr. Wray replied during Thursday’s hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

He said he reimburses the FBI for use of the plane and said he would turn over receipts for the travel.

The exchange came as Republicans are increasingly finding reasons to chide the bureau.

Sen. Ron Johnson challenged Mr. Wray over the Wisconsin Republican’s claim that the FBI “set me up” by arranging a suspicious briefing in 2020 where he was told he might be a target of Russian disinformation, then seeing the briefing’s contents leaked in 2021.

“Why won’t you tell us who directed that briefing?” Mr. Johnson demanded.

The leaked information became an issue in Mr. Johnson’s reelection race, with his Democratic opponent citing it. Mr. Johnson won reelection last week.

“Somebody leaked that FBI briefing,” he said. “That is election interference.”

Mr. Wray said he couldn’t identify

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TOUR

Tourism entrepreneurs in Nepalgunj to unveil tour packages – myRepublica

by Tracy J. Chu

NEPALGUNJ, Nov 3: Tourism entrepreneurs of three provinces have decided to work together and introduce tour packages for promotion of tourism.

The Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), Banke Chapter made the announcement after organizing a four-day ‘Tour Product Development and Ticketing’ training.  The training is being organized in collaboration with the NATTA Center and Livelihood Revival Project for Sustainable Tourism. 

Central Secretary of NATTA, Yuvika Bhandari, said that the training will be fruitful in preparing skilled human resources in the field of tourism, as shortage of skilled human resources in the field of tourism has increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that such training has been started in different places of the country under the plan of Nepal Tourism Board to address the shortage of human resource in the tourism sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor of Birgunj Prashant Bista said that tourism can become a strong and permanent base for the country’s economy. He expressed the confidence that there will be uniformity in the tour package developed by the tourism entrepreneurs of the three provinces after the training.

President of NATTA Banke Chapter Ram Sigdel mentioned that the training organized for the first time in Western Nepal will enable tourism businesspersons to create travel packages from identifying the destination to manage the necessary tickets for tourists going to destinations around the world.

Altogether 30 tour and travel operators from Lumbini, Kanrali and Sudurpaschim provinces are participating in the training.

(RSS)

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VACATION

You Don’t Have To Leave North America To See The Northern Lights

by Tracy J. Chu

Have you ever wanted to go see the northern lights? Planning an adventure to see one of nature’s most awesome spectacles might feel a bit out of reach. The countries often associated with the best views of the aurora borealis, such as Finland, Norway and Sweden, require U.S. travelers to head overseas.

But for those who want to stick a little closer to home, North America actually has numerous locations where the northern lights occasionally put on a fantastic celestial show.

The northern lights occur when charged particles from the sun collide with the earth’s magnetic field, according to NASA. A similar phenomenon happens in the Southern Hemisphere, where it’s known as the aurora australis, or southern lights.

The northern lights happen year-round. However, each year from late fall through the winter months, the aurora borealis hits its peak visibility thanks to darker and longer nights. To get the best views of the aurora effects, you’ll need to be a night owl. They hit their peak usually between 11 p.m. and midnight in many places.

Whether you want to stay within the U.S. or venture north into Canada, here are five top spots to see the northern lights in North America.

Northern lights over Fairbanks, Alaska
Adobe

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Head to the upper peninsula of Michigan and you just might catch some of the colors in the sky. The U.P., as the locals call it, has notoriously dark skies due to minimal light pollution — the region has a low population density. This makes for prime viewing conditions.

In Mackinaw City, Headlands International Dark Sky Park offers visitors the chance to bring blankets to watch the night sky and get a glimpse of the northern lights. It can be hard to predict when they will happen, but the park’s official website offers

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TRAVELLING

Bulls’ decision on starting power forward will go down to wire

by Tracy J. Chu

If the Bulls already have decided on their starting power forward, coach Billy Donovan is doing a heck of an acting job.

All week long, Donovan insisted the competition would go on through the weekend and into the two practices next week before the Bulls fly down to South Beach and prepare to tip off the regular season against the Heat.

‘‘Certainly, the rest of this week and going into next week, we’ll do that,’’ Donovan said when he was asked about experimenting with different looks and combinations.

But the only thing really being evaluated is whether Patrick Williams is better suited to develop with the starting unit or with the reserves.

Derrick Jones Jr. got one start at power forward during the preseason, but the competition basically is down to Williams and Javonte Green. And don’t expect Donovan to reveal his decision much before Wednesday.

Green started twice against the Heat last season and wasn’t much of a factor in two losses. Donovan went small in the last game between the teams last season, starting Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, Ayo Dosunmu, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, but that was even less successful. Caruso went scoreless, and the Bulls were blown out by 18 points.

Donovan has said several times that the competition at power forward likely will remain fluid. Whoever gets the nod against the Heat might not necessarily start Friday at the Wizards.

Whether the starter will be performance-based or matchup-based is a question that remains unanswered.

Terry feeling good

Rookie Dalen Terry has shown he’s rarely short on confidence, but he admitted his 11-point performance in 18 minutes in the preseason opener against the Pelicans was huge in justifying that he belongs at this level and that his high-energy playing style has

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