Romney Wins Arizona, Michigan
U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney claimed victories in two primary contests Tuesday, easily winning Arizona and pulling ahead in the tough battle in his native northern state of Michigan.
Romney thanked cheering supporters Tuesday night for what he described as a “great victory” in the two states.
“And thank you Michigan. What a win. This is a big night. Thanks, you guys. You know, a week ago, it was just a week ago, the pundits and the pollsters, they were ready to count us out. But…I was confident that we could come together today and take a giant step toward a brighter future. So tonight, their efforts have brought our cause a great victory, and we celebrate with people across these states. Thank you.”
He criticized the policies of President Barack Obama, while pledging to create jobs, get the economy back on track, and reduce debt and the size of government.
Romney fought hard in Michigan to fend off main challenger Rick Santorum, who has surged in the polls and had a three-state victory earlier this month in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri. The two were virtually tied in opinion polls going into Tuesday's contest.
Romney once held a commanding lead in Michigan, the state where he was born and where his father was a popular governor. He won the state's 2008 Republican primary.
Santorum thanked supporters Tuesday night, saying they had helped propel him to the front ranks of the nominating contest.
“A month ago, they didn't know who we are. But they do now…You know, we came into the back yard of one of my opponents in a race that everyone said, well just ignore, you have really no chance here. And the people of Michigan looked into the hearts of the candidates, and all I have to say is, 'I love you back.'”
He also criticized the policies of President Obama and talked about the economy, cutting federal spending, and decreasing dependency on foreign oil.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is having difficulty gaining support from social conservatives, who are rallying behind Santorum.
Texas Representative Ron Paul and former House speaker Newt Gingrich are far behind in the polls. Gingrich turned his campaign efforts Tuesday to Georgia, a state he represented in Congress for two decades. Paul held an evening rally in the eastern state of Virginia.
The primaries come a week before the much-anticipated “Super Tuesday,” when 10 states hold presidential nominating contests to pick a Republican candidate to face President Obama, a Democrat, in the November election.
UN: Assad’s Crackdown Has Killed ‘Well Over 7,500′ People
A senior U.N. official says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's deadly crackdown on an opposition uprising has killed “well over 7,500″ people, an increase of 2,100 from the death toll provided by the world body last month.
U.N. political chief Lynn Pascoe said Tuesday he has “credible reports” from Syria of more than 100 civilians being killed every day, “including many women and children.”
In a briefing to the U.N. Security Council, Pascoe also said the Syrian conflict has sent 25,000 refugees into neighboring countries and caused the internal displacement of 100,000 to 200,000 people.
Syrian officials blame the nearly year-long uprising on foreign-backed armed “terrorists” whom the government says have killed more than 2,000 security personnel. The revolt against Mr. Assad's autocratic rule has become increasingly militarized in recent months with Syrian army defectors joining a loosely-organized rebel force.
France said Tuesday diplomats have begun drafting a Security Council resolution calling for an immediate end to violence in Syria so that humanitarian aid can be delivered to communities under weeks of government assault.
Russia and China have twice vetoed Western- and Arab-backed Council resolutions that would have condemned Damascus for its deadly crackdown. Diplomats say Western powers and their Arab partners hope that focusing a new resolution on Syria's humanitarian situation will make it difficult for Moscow and Beijing to cast a third veto.
VOA's U.N. correspondent said there was no confirmation that a draft text had been finalized by Tuesday afternoon.
U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay said a humanitarian cease-fire must be declared in Syria immediately to stop “serious rights abuses” by security forces against civilians. She made the plea at a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva. Syrian envoy Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui walked out of the session in protest.
Syrian rights activists said government troops killed at least 41 civilians on Tuesday in opposition hubs throughout Syria.
Witnesses say pro-Assad forces have bombarded Baba Amr on a daily basis for more than three weeks, killing hundreds of people and leaving residents desperately short of food, water and medical supplies.
In other developments, Syrian rebels smuggled wounded British photographer Paul Conroy out of Baba Amr into Lebanon on Tuesday. Global activist group Avaaz said it helped to organize the operation. It also said 13 Syrians were killed during the evacuation — three while helping Conroy escape and 10 others as they tried to bring aid into the area.
French daily Le Figaro told VOA the newspaper's wounded reporter, Edith Bouvier, remains trapped in Baba Amr with two other Western journalists. It said their lives are in “serious danger.” Bouvier and Conroy were wounded in a February 22 shelling attack that killed two other Western journalists as they sheltered in a makeshift media center.
Meanwhile, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki told the French-language daily La Presse he is ready to offer asylum to Mr. Assad and his associates as part of a negotiated solution to the Syrian crisis.
EU Pulls Ambassadors Out of Belarus
European Union members are pulling all their ambassadors from Belarus after its the authoritarian government ordered the Polish and EU ambassadors out of the country.
Belarus ordered the envoys to leave in reaction to new EU sanctions imposed against Belarusian officials because of that country's poor human rights record.
A Belarusian foreign ministry spokesman says the country will not cave in under pressure and will continue to defend its interests.
German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle calls Belarus Europe's last dictatorship. He says President Alexander Lukashenko only fools himself if he thinks he can divide the EU.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner says the United States it deeply regrets Belarus' decision to expel the Polish and EU ambassadors. He says such moves only deepen Belarus' self-isolation.
The EU and United States increased sanctions on Belarus after the violent crackdown on the opposition following the December 2010 presidential election. Hundreds were arrested including a number of opposition candidates.
Human rights groups say many of those arrested are still in jail.
Mr. Lukashenko won reelection in a vote many opposition members say was fraudulent.
GOVERNOR DECLINES CONSUMER ELECTRICITY PRICE RISE
Consumers and most businesses across the Turks and Caicos Islands will not face electricity price rises for the next 12 months following discussions with Fortis TCI involving His Excellency, Governor Ric Todd, and TCI Government staff, it was announced today, Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012.
The Electricity Commissioner and Governor Todd declined Fortis TCI’s request in August 2011 to raise prices for residential consumers, businesses, small and medium hotels. This move will see commercial rates on South Caicos reduced too.
Electricity price rises will be limited to large hotels, defined as those using more than 4.2 million kWh per year, who will have their rates increased to 21.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). Medium hotels will be reclassified as those consuming more than 300,000 kWh per year. All hotels in this category will see their rates unchanged.
“I have listened to the feedback of the people of the TCI who have made it clear to me that an increase in their utility charges will not be welcomed as they continue to adjust to the new taxation measures introduced late last year,” said Governor Todd.
“As I said at my six recent public meetings, I appreciate that the taxation system here in the TCI is regressive in that as consumption taxes they hit lower income households proportionally more. Future TCI taxation policy is clearly a matter for the next elected government, not the Interim Administration.
“However, the taxes were necessary as the Government seeks to cut its costs and raise its income as it works towards returning to a budget surplus which will allow it to better prioritise its spending and begin to pay off its $189m national debt.”
In addition, Governor Todd agreed to extend Fortis TCI’s service coverage to the smaller Cays between Providenciales and North Caicos and to East Caicos, the company will eventually extend the power grid to connect to South Caicos and thereby improve the resilience of the power supply across the service area and improve the operational efficiency and service reliability.
One further aspect of the agreement with Fortis TCI is the standardisation of electricity tariffs across the Fortis TCI service territory. This will be achieved in a two step process. Initially, commercial electricity rates on South Caicos will fall from 31.6 cents to 28 cents per kWh; by next year residential rates will be aligned across the service territory to 26 cents per kWh. This is the rate currently charged on the other islands. At that time, commercial rates on South Caicos will be further reduced from 28 cents to 27 cents per kWh. This rate rebalancing is designed to help to stimulate economic growth and development on the island of South Caicos.
The tariff changes will come into effect on 1st April 2012.
PRISON OFFICERS RECIEVE FIRST AID ACCREDITATION
To better equip officers at Her Majesty’s Prison with additional skills and provide further assistance to inmates during their incarceration, twelve officers successfully completed First Aid Training on Thursday, February 9th, 2012.
The training was organized through the TCI Red Cross and facilitated by Mr. Kevin Garland, Assistant Divisional Fire Officer and Philippa Lake, from the Red Cross.
The certification covered aspects of general first aid recovery and resuscitation procedures, such as heart attacks and minor injuries.
Senior Officers Jennings and Jackson and Officers Chase, Lewis, Coleman, Monize, Gordon, King, Andrews, Turenne, Thompson and Eze all received first aid certification. The training was received extremely well and further training is planned for March 2012.
Superintendent, Ian Sargent noted that, ‘Prison staff work in an environment that face daily challenges. To be able to equip staff with the training and tools to deal with incidents is crucial. It is also rewarding to know that staff trained in first aid can take their skill into the community. My gratitude is conveyed to tutors Mr. Garland and Ms. Lake for making this training possible.’
AA DIRECT NEW YORK FLIGHT GONE
American Airlines will be cancelling its direct flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Providenciales in April.
Starting April 3, travelers to the Turks and Caicos Islands will only be able to fly direct from JFK with JetBlue airlines, which began its direct service to Providenciales last year.
“We continue to operate two daily flights from Miami and one flight one time per week from Dallas-Fort Worth,” said American Airlines Director of Corporate Communications Martha Pantín.
The news comes at a time when arrivals to the destination are at an all-time high. Visitor arrivals were up 12.3 percent in 2011 reaching, 1,009,720 visitors for the year. While the majority were cruise ship arrivals, the month of December saw a 23-percent increase in stay-over visitors arriving by air.
The Tourist Board revealed this month that a whopping 354,223 visitors hit the beaches of the TCI, an increase of 26 percent over 2010 and a record number for the country.
The United States continues to be the major source market for the destination, with Canada in second place. The Tourist Board said it expects the Canadian market to grow even more in 2012 with the addition of the new in-season flight from Halifax.
Air Canada landed its first direct flight from Halifax on Feb. 16 at 5:05 p.m. Air Canada’s service from Halifax (YHZ), the largest city in Atlantic Canada, will be weekly using A319 aircraft. The flights will operate seasonally until April 26.
COLLECTIVE STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR AND THE RETAIL BANKING INDUSTRY
The Governor convened a Summit on 23 February 2012 of the heads of the retail banks operating in the Turks and Caicos Islands to discuss practical support for the small business community across the islands. The meeting was hosted by the Bankers Association of the TCI and was also attended by Lillian Misick, Chair of the Consultative Forum.
The Summit concluded that there is already considerable support available to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the TCI. This includes advice, training and support from the TCIG Small Business Unit and the strong determination of the retail banks to support and lend to sound small businesses. The Summit also concluded that there could be better coordination and mutual support between TCIG and the retail banks, working with the Banker’s Association.
The agreement to put in place a mechanism to enhance coordination between the TCIG Small Business Unit and the retail banks aims to provide active assistance to small businesses in preparing them to meet requirements for seeking financial support from local banking institutions. This new system will include specialist representatives of the Banker’s Association; officers from the TCIG Small Business Unit; and representatives from the Governor’s Office. The key objective of the mechanism is to provide practical support in the form of training, mentoring and advice to existing and prospective business people. By providing such additional support it is hoped to enhance the capabilities of the small business sector; improve the professionalism of their business planning and modelling; and, ultimately, make small enterprises across the TCI more attractive, credit worthy propositions for the banks.
The Summit agreed to meet again in June to assess progress and review the situation.
Speaking at the conclusion of the meeting the Governor said: “I felt it was important to issue this joint statement from the government and the banking industry to reassure small business operators and entrepreneurs considering entering the commercial world that there are sympathetic people in the local banking industry ready and willing to assist them in developing their businesses and achieving their goals.”
President of the Banker’s Association Anton Faessler added: “The banking industry welcomes the Governor’s initiative and is delighted to confirm that retail banking operations across the islands are able to offer a range of services specifically designed for small businesses and start-ups. These include tailored loans, lines of credit, business banking and financial advice. We welcome customers old and new to contact us to discuss their particular requirements in more detail.”
Police gives updates on crime in the TCI
During the past forty-eight (48) hours, Police in Providenciales responded to eight reports of a serious nature.
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Five Burglaries— Blue Hills, Cooper Jack Bay & 3 Kew Town
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One Attempted Burglary—Kew Town
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One Robbery—Five Cays
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One Wounding-- Airport Road
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Two males were arrested on suspicion of Burglary
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A male was arrested on suspicion of Burglary in connection with a report made on 20th February 2012
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Two males were arrested on suspicion of Robbery in connection with a report made on 24th February 2012.
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Two males were arrested on suspicion of Wounding in connection with a report made on 25th February 2012.
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A male was charged for Burglary in connection with a report made on 29th January 2012.
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Two males were charged for Burglary in connection with a report made on 16th February 2012.
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A male was charged for Possession of Cannabis.
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A male was charged for Assault on a Police Officer, Malicious Damage to Property and Resisting Arrest.
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A female was charged for Malicious Damage to Property, she was later released on Police Bail with a surety to appear in the Providenciales Magistrate’s Court # 2 on 6th March 2012 to answer to the charge.
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The Turks and Caicos Islands recorded its second road fatality for the year 2012 which occurred on South Dock Road Providenciales on Sunday evening 26th February 2012.Nichelle Farrington a 24 year old female succumbed to injuries received in a two vehicle collision on South Dock Road involving a white Kia Reo and a black Nissan Terrano.The late Ms.Farrington was the driver of the Kia.The driver of the black Nissan received serious non-life threatening injuries while the passenger a male received non-life threatening injuries. Both vehicles received extensive damages. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Traffic Enforcement Unit in Providenciales are continuing investigations into the cause of this vehicular collision.
North Caicos
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One Burglary--Kew
Grand Turk
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Burglary— Saunders Pond
New Public Relations Officer for Royal Turks and Caicos Islands
Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police have named a new Public Relations Officer (Special Constable appointment).
Paul Baker, who is currently working in a similar role at InterHealth Canada, will take up the post on March 1.
The 45-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked in public relations and journalism for more than 25 years.
Commissioner Colin Farquhar described the appointment as a “positive and progressive step” for the police.
He explained: “Police work is newsworthy and so it is essential that we communicate what we do, both accurately and effectively. Good public relations are crucial to any organisation but particularly so in the police service where openness and transparency are key.
“From dealing with serious crime to educating young people, our officers and staff are involved in many different projects and so we have plenty of important and positive things to say.
“Working with the community is at the heart of what we do and both the public and the media play significant roles in helping to solve crime and promote our islands as safe and pleasant places to live, work and visit.
“We are delighted to welcome Paul to the service and his extensive knowledge and experience will further help boost public confidence in the Royal Turks and Caicos Police and the work we do.
“We see this as a positive and progressive step and look forward to a long and successful association.”
Baker, who is married with two young children, began his career working on regional daily newspapers in England. He has since held a number of editorships and has written for national newspapers, television and radio.
He boasts extensive public relations and communications skills and has worked as a consultant to InterHealth Canada since the new hospitals opened in Provo and Grand Turk in April 2010.
“It’s a challenging role”, he said, “but one I am very much looking forward to. There is a great deal of good work being done by the police that goes unnoticed and it’s vital that we share these positive stories.
“There are many similarities between the police service and the hospital in terms of the need for honesty, openness and accountability and ensuring that the community has confidence in the service provided and those delivering it.
The public are the police service’s biggest asset when it comes to solving and preventing crime and so excellent communication between the two is paramount.”
South Base Refurbishment on Stream: Health Concerns Addressed by experts
Government employees may once again be working from the refurbished government offices at South base as soon as April this year, the Ministry of Works has announced.
The Engineering and Maintenance Services (EMS) in the Ministry of Works is currently carrying out the refurbishment of the buildings which were extensively damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008. The refurbishment will give additional office space for government departments and help TCIG meet its stated objective of significantly reducing high expenditure on rental accommodation.
The first phase of the renovations will bring the former Customs building back on stream by April and will give a saving of some $380 thousand per annum on rental expenditure. The other building, which formerly housed the Immigration Department, is slated for completion by August 2012.
South Base is an ex US Military base some 50 years old but the Ministry found that the damage sustained by Hurricane Ike was repairable at a reasonable cost. Special emphasis was placed on the health protection of workers and customers who will use the buildings. In that regard, the Ministry moved to address the concerns raised in some quarters about the presence of asbestos in the buildings. It called in various experts to test the materials used in the buildings and all reports show that no free asbestos was found in any of them.
The Ministry said a very different material, asbestos cement, was used as exterior cladding on the buildings at South Base. In normal use, this is a totally safe material and no special handling of the material is required as the asbestos is held tightly within the structure of the cement, the Ministry said. Asbestos cement in the form of water pipes, roofing and cladding is accepted all over the world and is still in use in a very many countries. Only when it is sawn, drilled or damaged, then subsequently inhaled, could it be a health hazard. The cladding on the buildings in South Base is painted which mitigates against this situation, the Ministry added.
Despite the acceptance of asbestos cement elsewhere, the Ministry decided to remove the asbestos cement cladding within the current refurbishment works. There will therefore be no asbestos, either free or captive within those building once the renovations are complete.