Oscar Pistorius to be Moved to House Arrest
Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, jailed for killing his girlfriend, has been freed from prison to house arrest today, a South African parole board says.
He was sentenced to five years in prison in 2014 after being found guilty of culpable homicide, or manslaughter. He shot Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door but said he thought she was an intruder.
The prosecution has appealed, saying he should instead be convicted of murder. That case is expected to be heard on 3 November.
LeBron James Likely to Sit Out Remainder of Cavs' Preseason
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James will likely miss the remainder of the preseason, ESPN reports.
James, who has been battling a sore back, received an anti-inflammatory injection in his back earlier this week, David Griffin, the general manager of the Cavs, told ESPN.
Cleveland is set to kick off the regular season against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 27. Before then, the Cavs have two exhibition games: Oct. 18 against the Toronto Raptors and Oct. 19 versus the Dallas Mavericks.
Johnny Manziel 911 Call Released
The 911 call has been released from when Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was pulled over last week during an argument with his girlfriend.
According to ABC News affiliate WEWS-TV, Manziel and his Texas Christian University girlfriend, Colleen Elizabeth Crowley, were originally pulled over because of a domestic dispute.
WEWS-TV reports the 911 call had Manziel in the background yelling "Baby please!" And later, "I'm trying to take her home! I'm sober! Please!"
The 911 caller told WEWS-TV that Manziel sounded "very physically upset," but they didn't sound like they were physically fighting.
Iran Nuclear Deal Advances
The international agreement on Iran's nuclear program moved forward Monday with the first meeting of the Joint Commission responsible for monitoring how both sides implement their parts of the deal, amid some optimism that the plan could roll out by the end of the year.
Monday's session brought high ranking officials from Iran and the group that includes the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia, Germany and the European Union back to Vienna, the city where they agreed in July to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for needed sanctions relief.
It follows Sunday's so-called Adoption Day when the sides took their first formal steps to implement the deal.
US, Russia Set to Sign Memo on Air Safety in Syria
Russia and the United States likely will sign Tuesday a memorandum of understanding on air safety over Syrian skies, according to the Pentagon.
"It's just simply a question now of wording in the document and having the document signed, so we're very close," Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters Monday.
Davis stressed the air guidelines established with Russia are not part of a broader agreement on how the two countries could operate in Syria. They are aimed merely at preventing U.S. and Russian aircraft from colliding over Syria, where both countries are conducting bombing missions.
Justin Trudeau to Become New Canadian PM
Justin Trudeau will become Canada's next prime minister after leading his Liberal Party to a commanding victory in Tuesday's parliamentary elections.
The Canadian Broadcasting Company is projecting the Liberals will win more than 180 seats in the 338-seat Parliament, with outgoing Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party winning 104 seats and the left-leaning New Democratic Party finishing a distant third with 36 seats.
Trudeau claimed victory before a crowd of cheering supporters in Montreal late Monday night, saying the campaign proved "this is what positive politics can do" and that he hoped it will serve as "an inspiration to like-minded people to step up and pitch in.”
Moments before, Harper congratulated Trudeau in a concession speech in Calgary late Monday, saying "while tonight's results are not one we had hoped for, the people are never wrong." The Conservative Party later announced that Harper will step down from his post as its leader.
Adventists Rally to Boost Police Morale
Police stations and posts across the island will benefit from a community service project organised by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as part of its 125th anniversary of Adventism in Jamaica celebrations.
The aim of the project, which begins on October 25, is to improve the working conditions of members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and to provide stress management intervention and counselling where there is a need.
"We have over 738 congregations in Jamaica. We want the over 300,000 members to identify with the JCF and to create a favourable environment so that the men and women who serve us can have a more conducive place of work," said Pastor Everett Brown, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica.
The project acknowledges the difficulties the police face as they seek to maintain law and order, and is part of the Adventist contribution to the fight against crime.
Pastor Wenford Henry, director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency -- Jamaica, outlined how the project will roll out: "First we are going to visit the stations and talk to those in charge...and they will outline to us their various needs. Then, based on what [we] can afford to do, [we will] go ahead and address it. Also, we don't want this to be a one-time action, we want to establish a relationship because we are in the community and we are a church of the community. On the 25th, we will begin the work, which won't necessarily end on that day."
Adventists islandwide will pool their resources, including finances and skills, to make the project possible.
3 day workshop for DDME
The DDME is currently hosting another workshop, this time in Providenciales.
The 3 day workshop started yesterday at the Blue Haven resort and will conclude on the 21st October.
The training is sponsored by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Over 20 persons took part in yesterday's excerise from departments such as Public Works Dept, Planning Dept, the Police force, Red Cross, GIS and other volunteers.
Director of DDME Dr. Virgina Clerveaux explained that the aim of the training is to exposes trainers to the role, designs and functions of the EOC and their relationships as components towards a multi agency system.
Footsteps4Good TCI Charity Walk
The Footsteps4Good TCI charity walk got off to a great start in Grand Turk on Friday, 16 October, with over 600 children taking part.
Beginning at the Grand Turk lighthouse, students from the Community College, stretched their legs and walked to meet most of the students at the H J Robinson High School. Then on from there it was off to the Ona Clinton Primary school, and thirty minutes later the whole group arrived outside the House of Assembly, where the Premier came out to meet the children.
From the House, they journeyed to the Methodist school, where the new group set off, with the Eliza Simmons South School taking on the last leg, but by no means least, on the route around Grand Turk.
Footsteps founder and organiser, Jill Beckingham, and two of her friends from England, also took part in the Walk and was graced with the participation of the European Union Ambassador, Mrs Paola Amadei, her husband and son, who travelled especially from Jamaica to take part.
Commenting on the start of this year’s event, Governor Peter Beckingham said:“I cannot remember seeing such an enthusiastic and cheerful group of schoolchildren in Grand Turk! For almost the entire population of children to turn out for this event to raise money for the schools was a remarkable achievement. Grand Turk and its schools, citizens and children should be justifiably proud of themselves. They have set the bar very high for the other islands over the next week.” added H.E.
South Caicos Residents Stranded
One irate customer at the counter of the Inter Caribbean expressed the unfair treatment to RTC News of passengers having to travel from South Caicos to Grand Turk, return.
She said that there is blantant disregard for passengers, there welfare and family. Why do we have to pay extra to travel from Grand Turk to Provo before travelling to home to South Caicos, she asked!
She lamented not only is travelling an inconvenience but that the airlines rate has spiraled out of control to the amounts $160.
This passenger says she is demanding justice for the people of South Caicos and wants to know when will this debattle be resolved, she added that a public apology should come from the airline and a justifiable reason for this backward plan by Inter-Caribbean should be given.
Just last week the representative for South Caicos, the Hon. Norman Saunders was late in arriving to the House of Assembly for the sitting sessions due to the change in flight schedule be re-routed through Provo.
RTC news contacted InterCaribbean yesterday and was told by the overseas agent that the flights into South were discontinued 2 weeks ago. I then asked was there any promotion or notification carried out and why is this info not on the web, to which he replied, the website will be updated in a weeks time notifying the public of the change.
Residents are calling on Government to intervene to which the Premier replied in the House last week that he is aware and is working on it.