Al-Qaeda commander Abu Yahya al-Libi killed
Senior al-Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan on Monday, US officials say.
US officials said Libi was the target of an attack which hit a volatile tribal area of Pakistan's north-west, killing 15 suspected militants.
There has been no confirmation of his death from sources in Pakistan.
The White House says Libi's death deals a heavy blow to al-Qaeda's operations as he played a critical role in the group's planning against the West.
"There is no-one who even comes close in terms of replacing the expertise al-Qaeda has just lost," one US official said.
The official added that al-Qaeda's leadership "will be hard-pressed to find any one person who can readily step into [Libi's] shoes".Washington believes that following Osama Bin Laden's death last year, Libi, an Islamic scholar from Libya, became al-Qaeda's second-in-command after Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Libi had gravitas as a longstanding member of al-Qaeda's leadership, the official said, and his religious credentials meant he had the authority to issue fatwas and provide guidance to other militants.
Analysts have said that he was in charge of day-to-day operations in Pakistan's tribal areas.
He was believed to be the interface between Pakistan's militant commanders and al-Qaeda operations in Yemen, Iraq and elsewhere.
He was reported killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in 2009, but it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.
Pakistan's frontier tribal region is considered a hub of activity by al-Qaeda and Taliban militants and it is very difficult to verify information from the region.
Reporters are prevented by the authorities from travelling to the area.
There are no further details explaining how US officials are certain that Libi was killed by the drone strike.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said that the intelligence community had information which led them to conclude he had been killed.
"I can't get into details about how his death was brought about but I can tell you he served as Al-Qaeda's general manager," Mr Carney said.
In Monday's strike, two missiles were fired at a suspected militant compound in Hesokhel, east of Miranshah - the main town in the volatile tribal region of North Waziristan.
The first missile struck the compound, killing three militants, Pakistani security officials said.
A second missile then killed 12 more militants who had arrived at the scene, they added.
China and Russia lead group talks focused on security
China and Russia are leading a group summit, with talks focusing on security and development in central Asia.
The stability of Afghanistan is a ''common concern'', said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Leaders of four other countries, Iran, Mongolia, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan are attending the two-day talks in Beijing.
Several meetings on the sidelines are also expected and Mr Putin has had talks with China's President Hu Jintao.
The six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) group including the two economic power-houses, and the central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, was formed in 2001.
Afghanistan has been invited to the meeting as a guest, while Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan and India are observer members.
"Strengthening political cooperation within the framework of the SCO must also strengthen cooperation in the economic sphere," Mr Putin said in an editorial in China's People's Daily newspaper on Tuesday.
The group was formed to curb extremism in the region and enhance border security. It was widely viewed as a countermeasure to curb the influence of western alliances such as Nato.
The SCO then began to develop co-ordinated measures to stabilise their economies and maintain growth in Eurasia through multilateral trade and co-operation.
China said on Tuesday that the group was likely to give the go ahead for a plan to crack down on terrorism.
'Strategic partner'
Nations attending the summit are also expected to further ties on the sides.
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is due to meet Mr Hu, as their countries are expected to announce ''a new strategic level" of relations, Kabul's foreign ministry said earlier.
The group meetings would likely discuss issues of stability and growth in Afghanistan as Nato forces prepare to pull out of the country.
Mr Putin will also meet his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, ahead of talks hosted by Russia to seek diplomatic solutions over Iran's nuclear programme.
On Tuesday, China and Russia reinforced their opposition to foreign intervention in Syria and urged support for UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.
Both countries have twice blocked UN resolutions critical of Damascus.
Beijing currently holds the UN Security Council's rotating presidency, and Russia and China have long resisted pressure to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power amid ongoing unrest.
Beijing and Moscow also signed a series of political and trade agreements.
''China is Russia's strategic partner. We enjoy mutually beneficial, mutually trusting, open cooperation in all fields," Mr Putin told reporters.
Mr Putin had said ahead of the trip that he wanted to further boost booming bilateral trade, which reached $84bn (£55bn) last year.
Diamond Jubilee: Queen 'humbled' by celebrations
The Queen has called her Diamond Jubilee "a humbling experience", saying she had been "touched deeply" by seeing so many people celebrating together.
In a message to the nation, she thanked all those who organised the events.
Festivities culminated in an appearance by the senior royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony in front of huge crowds to watch an RAF flypast.
But the Queen's consort, Prince Philip, was absent from her side as he remains in hospital with a bladder infection.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex visited the Duke of Edinburgh on Tuesday afternoon.
Afterwards, Prince Edward said: "He's feeling better." The countess added: "He's in good spirits; he's on good form."
'Happy atmosphere'
The Queen's message was broadcast on television and radio across the UK and Commonwealth.
"The events that I have attended to mark my Diamond Jubilee have been a humbling experience," she said.
"It has touched me deeply to see so many thousands of families, neighbours and friends celebrating together in such a happy atmosphere.
"But Prince Philip and I want to take this opportunity to offer our special thanks and appreciation to all those who have had a hand in organising these Jubilee celebrations.
"It has been a massive challenge, and I am sure that everyone who has enjoyed these festive occasions realises how much work has been involved."
She added: "I hope that memories of all this year's happy events will brighten our lives for many years to come.
"I will continue to treasure and draw inspiration from the countless kindnesses shown to me in this country and throughout the Commonwealth. Thank you all."
Commonwealth leaders
The Queen will continue to mark her Diamond Jubilee on Wednesday after four days of public celebrations.
She will attend a lunch for the anniversary at Marlborough House in Pall Mall in central London with Commonwealth leaders, including prime ministers, governor generals and high commission representatives.
The Queen had been due to be accompanied at the event by the Duke of Edinburgh.
On Tuesday, the Queen attended a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral where Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams paid tribute to her "lifelong dedication".
"I don't think it's at all fanciful to say that, in all her public engagements, our Queen has shown a quality of joy in the happiness of others," he said.
David Cameron, who gave a reading at the service, called her "a real inspiration".
"We have seen the country come together with a sense of celebration and unity but also tremendous resilience, resilience from people who want to celebrate despite the weather and resilience, of course, from Her Majesty - nothing stops her doing the job she does," the prime minister said.
US President Barack Obama was among those who paid tribute to her "60 extraordinary years".
In a specially recorded message he called the Queen "a steadfast ally, loyal friend and tireless leader" and said she had been "the chief source of resilience" for the unique alliance between his country and the UK throughout her reign.
In other Jubilee events on Tuesday:
- Crowds gathered from early morning to cheer the Queen on her journey from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's
- The congregation at the cathedral included a large representation from the government, military personnel and members of the royal household, alongside diplomats and foreign leaders
- After the service, the Queen attended a reception at nearby Mansion House - the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London
- The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry were at a similar event at the Guildhall
- All of the senior royals then enjoyed a lunch at Westminster Hall before embarking on a carriage procession through packed streets back to the palace
- The day ended in an appearance by the senior royals on the palace balcony to watch a flypast by World War II aircraft and the Red arrows
Other events during the extended Jubilee weekend included a star-studded concert outside Buckingham Palace on Monday night.
At the end the Queen came on to the stage to press a diamond-shaped crystal into a pod, igniting a beacon in The Mall to mark her 60 years on the throne. It was one of more than 4,000 lit across the UK and the Commonwealth.
On Sunday, about a thousand boats took part in the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant, the first of its kind for 350 years.
BBC
153 Dead in Nigerian Plane Crash
Nigerian officials say all 153 people on board a Nigerian passenger aircraft flight were killed when the plane crashed into a building in Lagos.
President Goodluck Jonathan has declared three days of official mourning for the victims and ordered a thorough investigation into the disaster.
Officials from Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority say the Dana Airlines flight was travelling Sunday from Abuja to Lagos when it crashed into a two-story building in a densely populated residential area, setting other buildings on fire.
One-hundred 53 people on board the plane were killed. It is unclear if anyone on the ground was killed.
Dana Airlines is a domestic air carrier that operates a fleet of Boeing MD-83 aircraft for the hour-long flight from Abuja to Lagos.
15 Killed in Reported US Drone Strike in Pakistan
Pakistani officials say a U.S. drone strike in northwestern Pakistan early Monday has killed 15 people.
Security officials say missiles were fired into a village in North Waziristan, along the Afghan border.
The tribal region has become a hub of al-Qaida and Taliban activity.
Monday's reported drone strike would be the third in three days and the seventh in two weeks in Pakistan, despite Pakistani demands to stop them.
On Sunday, a drone fired four missiles into a compound in the South Waziristan tribal district, killing at least 10 militants.
Intelligence officials said the missiles hit a group of people who had gathered to offer condolences to the brother of another militant killed in a drone strike a day earlier.
The drone strategy has become an increasingly contentious issue between Pakistan and the U.S., following a November strike that mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers stationed near the Afghan border.
Washington considers drone strikes to be a vital tool in the war against al-Qaida and the Taliban.
Islamabad says the missile attacks are counter-productive, violate the country's sovereignty, kill civilians and fuel anti-U.S. sentiment.
Pakistan's parliament has demanded an apology for the cross-border attack and an end to drone strikes on Pakistani soil, but Washington has refused, prompting Islamabad to block U.S. and NATO supply routes into Afghanistan. Islamabad has not yet reopened the routes, further straining already tense relations between the two sides.
QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY AND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS CONFIRMED
Turks and Caicos Islands events to mark the Her Majesty the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and Birthday have been announced by His Excellency the Governor today, Monday, 21 May 2012. The TCI events will run in conjunction with celebrations both in other UK Overseas Territories and in Commonwealth nations around the world. The TCI events include the Queen's Birthday Parade, Providenciales on Saturday 2 June which will take place at the Downtown Ball Park behind the Gus Lightbourne Sports Centre. There will be displays from local schools and youth groups starting around 4:00pm, and the main parade will commence at 5.00pm with music provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands
Police band. The Governor will be present for the Parade and will be taking the salute from the uniformed services on parade. * Monday 4 June - With the participation of a number of uniformed services, local schools and youth organisations and music supplied by the police band the parade will commence at 5:00pm
at the Parade Ground, North Back Salina, Grand Turk. * Tuesday 5 June - Diamond Jubilee Beacon Lighting and Beach Party, Grand Turk. Events will be held at Governor's Beach, Grand Turk commencing at 3:00 pm. The Culture Commission
is leading on organising social events and activities through the afternoon, and the police band will be providing musical entertainment. The Beacon will be constructed by local Scouts and will be lit at dusk. Commenting on the planned events the Governor said: "The parade on 2 June is the first official commemoration of the Queen's Birthday on Providenciales for a number of years. "I very much hope that it will attract a good audience, including our tourist visitors who will have an opportunity to see some local culture at first hand. "The addition of a beach party and beacon lighting on Grand Turk on the 5 June is an additional opportunity for the community to celebrate Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, and is planned to be a fun, family centred, afternoon and evening." The public is reminded that both Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 June 2012 are designated as public holidays. The 4 June replaces the public holiday originally planned for 11 June.
2012 TURKS & CAICOS INTERNATIONAL FLAG FESTIVAL
The Providenciales Flag Festival Committee is pleased to announce the 1st Turks & Caicos International Flag Festival. The festival will take place from June 1-4, 2012. The Turks & Caicos Islands is home to nationals from more than 50 countries and this International Flag Festival will bring everyone together for a weekend of fun, cultural exchanges
and will also give each person an opportunity to display their national pride.
President of the Provo Flag Festival Committee Abigail Delancy commented “We realize that we live in a multi cultural society and our neighbors are now closer to us then they were twenty years ago.
The Turks and Caicos share its culture with over 50 different nationalities and this is why we believe we should celebrate together. We recognize that at the end of the day all of us here in TCI
are working towards the same goal, which is to make the Turks and Caicos Islands a better place”.
Flag Fest 2012 will include a kickoff party, a beach picnic and the grand event will be a motorcade & flag party which will also include the Little Miss Flag Fest Pageant at the National Stadium
on Venetian Road. There will be prizes given for the Best Flag Outfit and the Biggest Flag at the parade. A soccer match between Haiti & Jamaica will take place on Sunday June 3rd and a Beach Party & Food Festival will be held on June 4, 2012 at the Kids Park on the Lower Bight Road. Musical guest will include DJ’s from TCI, DR, Jamaica, Trinidad & Haiti and the featured Band will be Lee & the Force from TCI.
Turquoise Morning wins Three Telly Awards
The Telly Awards named Turquoise Morning as a double Silver winner, and a Bronze winner in the 33rd Telly Awards for its shows on the Battle of the Bands, the World Travel Awards and the Haiti Reconstruction Forum.
With nearly 11,000 entries from all 50 United States and numerous countries, this is truly an honour. The local and internet television show was honoured with three awards; two in the People’s Telly category, the third selected by the Telly Awards Judges’ Panel as outstanding content on two major conferences, including the OECD Global Forum held in Bermuda last year.
The Haiti Reconstruction Forum show got the nod in the News or News Segment category. The episode opened the door to a discussion which will prove a game changer for regional relations and can contribute to the redevelopment of earthquake, hurricane and disease stricken Haiti. During the sessions, it was described how companies can access the two billion dollars in grant money coming from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Host of Turquoise Morning, Deandrea Hamilton, conducted heartfelt interviews with IDB executives including: Gustavo Arnavat, Executive Chairman and Eriq Pierre, Senior Counsellor in Haiti.
“We gained and were able to share the tremendous insight and opportunities available in Haiti with our countrymen, the rest of the region including the Americas. It is rare to see Haiti as the land of progress and an investment haven, but the experts and discussions we featured during the show have the power to open the door to a flood of interest for the island nation.”
Turks and Caicos business man, Harold Charles sponsored Magnetic Media’s coverage of the Reconstruction Forum held at the Double Tree Hotel, in Miami, Florida. It was jointly hosted by the City of Miami Dade County and featured Mayor, Carlos Gimenez.
The other shows were given to the people where voting support was solicited by driving friends and fans of Turquoise Morning to the Telly Awards channel on YouTube. Magnetic Media garnered support through e-blasts, texting, social media and news reports.
The Battle of the Bands show led in ‘thumbs up’; it chronicled the preparations and performance of the Bahamas All Stars as the first international marching band to perform at the Florida Classics, held in Orlando, Florida in November 2011. The community based band applied to be among the ten schools showcased, and won the chance, bringing a riveting Caribbean-styled performance that proved a show stopper.
“It was just a month before that we travelled to Montego Bay, Jamaica for the Caribbean leg of the World Travel Awards. It was no surprise to us that our fans loved both the Battle of the Bands and the World Travel Awards glitz and glamour enough to earn them each a Silver Telly Award.”
The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.
A prestigious judging panel of over 500 accomplished industry professionals, each a past winner of a Silver Telly and a member of The Silver Telly Council, judged the competition, upholding the historical standard of excellence that Telly represents. The Silver Council evaluated entries to recognize distinction in creative work and entries do not compete against each other, rather entries are judged against a high standard of merit.
“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, Executive Director of the Telly Awards. “Magnetic Media’s accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”
Magnetic Media will share its prizes with Turquoise Morning show sponsors, including the Bahamas All Stars, Harold Charles, the Government of Bermuda, One Caribbean Television and The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board.
Grace Bay Club to continue taking new reservations
Award-winning Grace Bay Club to continue taking new reservations as of today June 1 Meanwhile, the Grace Bay Club, this country’s first luxury resort, will again begin to take new reservations as of today June 1. Mark Durliat, Chief Operating Officer of the Grace Bay Club, which has won several coveted international awards, including the world’s best beach, had confirmed that like other resorts
on Provo, some of his guests and he had indicated that the Grace Bay Club’s primary concern is to ensure guests’ health and safety, and said that a full sanitization of Grace Bay Club was fully underway to circumvent further symptoms.” In order to fully ensure all guests safety, Grace Bay Club made the decision not to accept new reservations from Wednesday May 23rd until today June 1. During this seven day period,
a few on-property amenities would have been reduced to ensure the property was fully sanitized. Also during this period, Durliat said Grace Bay Club would have been providing hand sanitizers throughout the resort to all guests and staff; and all public spaces, kitchens, restaurants,
plumbing systems and guestrooms were being thoroughly sanitized with bleach according to the safety standards of the Department of Environmental Health. “Grace Bay Resorts values every guest experience and offers its fullest attention and assistance to address concerns immediately and effectively,” Durliat said. He added that Grace Bay Club was also providing medical assistance to affected guests, alerting current and future guests of the situation and offering them the option
to adjust existing reservations without penalty. “Once all guests depart the resort, a more extensive, full-property sanitization will take place,” Durliat said in the wake of the mysterious illness, which has since been confirmed by the Ministry
of Health, as noro-virus – a form of gastro-ente-ritis, adding that the resort will be accepting room reservations on June 1. Grace Bay Club, which rates can go as high as US$5,000 per night, and which sits on 11 acres of prime beach front, is the resort that first lured jet-setters to Turks and Caicos Islands.
Its guests have included Barbadian singing sensation Rihanna, Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, former US Vice President Al Gore, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, actress Gabrielle Union, American songbird Alicia Keyes, superstar actor Denzil Washington, the legendary Stevie Wonder, best-selling novelist John Grisham, American Chef and television celebrity Beau McMillan, Russian tennis star and former world number one tennis player Maria Sharapova and many others.
TOURIST DIED OF HEART ATTACK
An autopsy report has ruled that the death of a tourist at one of the major resorts in Providenciales, was not due to the mystery sickness that has plagued a number of hotels and resorts
on that island. The autopsy report confirmed that the male visitor to the Turks and Caicos Islands, who was found dead in his hotel room at the Grace Bay Club, died of a heart attack and not as a result
of the mysterious sickness of vomiting and diarrhea that has affected at least a dozen hotels in Grace Bay, and over 150 persons on the island of Providenciales. The TCI SUN quoted a reliable source as saying that the visitor, whose name has been given as Steve Ware, suffered from “acute myo-cardial infarction” or a heart attack. “His death had absolutely nothing to do with the virus that has affected several persons on the island. He had 70% left artery blocked and 80% right artery blocked and there were some blood
clots. They did not find signs of diarrhea, and Mrs. Ware never saw him vomiting,” the SUN quoted the reliable source as saying. Ware and his wife were reportedly in the Turks and Caicos Islands celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. His death just happened to coincide with the mysterious illness, characterized
by diarrhea and vomiting, that has sickened over 150 persons (hotel employees and visitors alike) from the various hotels and resorts on Providenciales.