Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi Confirms Run for Parliament
Burmese opposition leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi has confirmed that she will run for parliament in the country's highly anticipated April by-elections.
A spokesperson for Aung Sang Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party said Tuesday the Nobel Peace Prize winner will compete for a seat in Kawhmu Township, on the outskirts of her hometown of Rangoon.
Last week, the government approved the NLD to participate in the April 1 elections, marking its return to mainstream politics after two decades. But it had been unclear whether Aung Sang Suu Kyi herself would compete for a seat.
It will mark the first time the pro-democracy leader has run for political office. Her NLD party won a landslide victory in 1990, but the military government prevented it from assuming power. Aung Sang Suu Kyi spent the majority of the years since then under house arrest.
The NLD boycotted general elections in November 2010 because of restrictions that, among other things, would have prevented Aung Sang Suu Kyi from running. That vote installed a nominally civilian government that has made a series of reforms, including beginning a dialogue with opposition groups.
Nicholas Farrelly, a Burma analyst at the Australian National University, told VOA the NLD's decision to compete in the upcoming elections reflects a significant change in Burma's political climate.
“Since the elections that were held back in November 2010, so much has changed in the politics of Burma, and I think we see that so clearly with this recent effort by Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters to become active players once again in the country's mainstream political system.”
Farrelly warns that the outcome of the upcoming elections may not significantly impact government policy. But he says it still represents a symbolic step in Burma's path to democracy.
“To have Aung San Suu Kyi sitting in the National Assembly would be a real turn for the better. For the country, it would perhaps show that some of the vitriol and confrontation and bad blood which has tended to affect the country's politics is starting to be forgotten, and with that, there may be more opportunities for more compromise and for some kind of reconciliation.”
The elections are intended to fill 48 parliamentary seats vacated by those who have since become government ministers. But the number of seats available is not enough to threaten the resounding majority held by the ruling military-backed party.
Bomb Kills 25 in NW Pakistan
Pakistani officials say a bomb blast near the Afghan border has killed at least 25 people and wounded 26 others, making it the deadliest attack of its kind in months.
The explosion hit a market in the Khyber tribal region Tuesday at a site where vehicles being used by pro-government militias were located. Officials say they believe the bomb was likely remote-controlled.
While no one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, this type of attack is a common tactic of Pakistan's militant groups in the country's volatile northwest.
Since 2007, Islamist militants — some with links to al-Qaida — have carried out hundreds of bombings, which have killed thousands. However, there had not been a major Islamist militant attack in the country since a suicide bomber killed at least 31 people at a funeral for a tribal elder opposed to the Pakistani Taliban last September.
Pakistan's army supports the formation of local anti-Taliban militias, known as “lashkars,” and militants have continually attacked militia members and their families over the past few years.
The Pakistani armed forces also have targeted militants in Khyber and the surrounding areas for more than four years.
North Korea to Pardon Prisoners to Mark Kims’ Birthdays
North Korea plans to pardon an unspecified number of convicts next month to mark the upcoming milestone birthdays of its two late leaders, Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung.
The official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday the amnesty would begin on February 1, by order of a parliamentary decree. But it did not say what crimes would be pardoned or how many prisoners would be released.
The amnesty is meant to commemorate the birthdays of former leader Kim Jong Il, who would have turned 70 in February, and his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, whose 100th birthday is in April.
North Korea occasionally releases prisoners on significant anniversaries. South Korea's Unification Ministry says Pyongyang last held a special amnesty in 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
Human rights groups estimate some 200,000 people are held in North Korean prison camps, where torture is believed to be prevalent and living conditions can be deadly.
The Tuesday report in KCNA said the most recent amnesty embodies the “noble, benevolent and all-embracing politics” of the two Kims, whose birthdays are celebrated as national holidays.
North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Un, is thought to have turned 28 or 29 on Sunday, though his birthday is not yet recognized as a holiday. His father, Kim Jong Il, died of a heart attack on December 17.
Syria's Assad blames 'foreign conspiracy'
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has blamed a foreign conspiracy for trying to destabilise Syria.
He said the "external conspiracy is clear to everybody", as protests continue against his rule.
In his first public remarks for months, he said: "Regional and international sides have tried to destabilise the country."
The UN said last month that more than 5,000 civilians have been killed since protests began in March last year.
President Assad's crackdown on the protests has led to international condemnation and sanctions.
A team of 165 monitors from the Arab League has been in Syria since December to monitor implementation of a peace plan that calls for an end to all violence, the removal of heavy weapons from cities and the release of all political prisoners.
The Arab League suspended Syria in November and imposed sanctions.
Criticising the regional grouping, Mr Assad said: "We were surprised Arabs did not stand with Syria".
He said Arab countries that opposed Syria were under outside pressure which was undermining their sovereignty.
But, he added, Syria would not "close its doors" to an Arab solution as long as "it respects Syria's sovereignty".
Mr Assad described the events of the past 10 months as regretful and said they had been a serious test for Syria.
However he ruled out snap reform in response to the unrest.
"We should link what happened before the crisis and post crisis and then embark on reform... We shouldn't build our reforms on this crisis," he said.
TWENTY- EIGHTH (28TH) SITTING OF THE CONSULTATIVE FORUM SET FOR TUESDAY
The Consultative Forum will meet in open session on Tuesday 10th January 2012 from 10:00 a.m. at the NJS Francis building on Grand Turk.
Two Bills referred to the Forum by H.E. the Governor; on Agriculture and Control of Animals, are on the agenda for Members’ consideration.
There are also eighteen questions for oral answers directed to the Chief Executive, the PS in the Ministry of Finance and the Attorney General. Member Ethlyn Gibbs-Williams will also make a presentation.
RTC will air the Forum meeting live commencing at 10a.m.
A copy of the agenda is below for your viewing.
================================================================================================================
TWENTY- EIGHTH (28TH) SITTING OF THE
CONSULTATIVE FORUM OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
TUESDAY 10TH DAY OF JANUARY 2012
IN THE NJS FRANCIS BUILDING
FRONT STREET, GRAND TURK
AT 10:00 O’CLOCK IN THE FORENOON
DRAFT AGENDA
1. PRAYERS – PASTOR MARK CHRISTMAS
2. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE CHAIRPERSON
3. MATTER REFERRED BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR
- AGRICULTURE BILL 2011
- CONTROL OF ANIMALS 2011
4. QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY
1. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by: Dr. Linda Williams
- APPOINTMENT OF PERMANENT SECRETARIES
(i) Will the CEO indicate, kindly, the configuration of the ministries resulting from the Public Sector Reform Initiative? And will he state the expected date for its implementation?
(ii) Can the CEO explain the selection process for the appointment of the Permanent Secretaries (PS) and can he also indicate the next stage in this process?
(iii) Can the CEO explain the selection processes for appointing a Selection Team to vet applications and screen applicants for the position of PS. And will he confirm whether or not the same team of persons is engaged in the exercise from start to finish?
(iv) Will the CEO be kind enough to confirm the total number of Established officers and Non-Established staff who responded to the invitation to inquire into the severance scheme?
2. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by: Dr. Linda Williams
- PREPARATIONS FOR ELECTIONS
(i) Can the CEO provide an update on what has been accomplished to date in community awareness and education on the voting procedures for the next General Elections? Can he also indicate whether or not this awareness program took into consideration the need for bilingual communication?
(ii) Can the CEO confirm whether or not a training program has been implemented to train poll workers and other field workers that facilitate the election process?
(iii) Can the CEO confirm what specific action to date has been taken to promote the message of Integrity in public life and the legal procedures for addressing any breach discovered?
3. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
OUTSTANDING REVENUES (deferred from meeting dated 13th December 2011)
- Over the past few years, questions have been posed regarding outstanding amounts owed through Destination Clubs and from the Investors under Development Agreement who should have been contributing to the National Scholarship Funds? Will the PS in the case of the National Scholarship Fund, be pleased to say the number of developments in default, what amounts have been collected and what amounts remain outstanding?
4. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM (deferred from meeting dated 13th December 2011)
- Will the Chief Executive Officer be pleased to give a Report on the work completed and outstanding by Mr. Stephen Catchpole and his Team? Will he say what is the timeline to complete the work and Departments? Will he say in his report which Ministries and Departments have been identified as oversized and understaffed, the current number of staff and possible job creations for redeployment or new persons. Will he further state other recommendations made in relation to this exercise? Will he be pleased to say the number of expressions of interests received with a break down as to how many are established, non established but monthly paid, and weekly staff?
Will he also say the numbers per Island?
5. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
CEO - NIB and NHIP FUNDS (deferred from meeting dated 13th December 2011)
- Will the Chief Executive Officer be pleased to state the formula used to calculate the total of $10 million dollars said to be owed by NIB for employment related injuries? Will he further state the number of cases this relates to and break the sum down by range in cost; will he say if any payments were made over the years at all and if any, what were the amounts and which years?
6. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
IMMIGRATION SYSTEM AND DRAFTED LEGISLATION
i. A comprehensive Immigration System that captured information of all visitors and workers and shared information with vital departments in Government had been identified some time ago as a major necessary investment for TCI. Will the CEO be pleased to say what is the status of this project?
ii. Will the CEO be pleased to say what has happened with the drafted and proposed Immigration Bill which captured largely the contents of the 2004 Blue Ribbon Commission Report?
7. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
MILESTONES
- Will the CEO be pleased to advise the people of these islands on the progress and work to be done on one each of the milestones set for accomplishment before a return to elected government?
8. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
ADVISORS
- Will the CEO be pleased to say how many UK Advisors has served in TCI since August 2009 and will he further give their names and areas of expertise?
9. TO BE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
SPECIAL SELECTION TEAM FOR PS RECRUITMENT
(a) Will the CEO be pleased to say whether in fact there has been a Special Selection Team for the recruitment of Permanent Secretaries?
(b) Will he say further what are their names and level of expertise?
(c) Will he say what is the role of the PSC in the recruitment of the Permanent Secretaries if any?
10. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
OVERSEAS RECRUITMENT
- Will the CEO be pleased to say what countries was the position of Financial Manager for TCIG’s Treasury advertised and will he give the details of the Advertisement in each country?
11. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
AUDIT MATTERS
i. Will the CEO be pleased to say whether it is the intention of the Interim Administration to carry out detail audits into the events of the past few years: pre the Commission of Inquiry as recommended by Sir Robin Auld and for the period of the Interim Administration thus far?
ii. Under an elected Government there are several oversight bodies established by the Constitution and the HOA’s Standing Orders that review government’s current and past expenditure and policies. Will he say what bodies perform any oversight role similar to a Public Accounts, Expenditure and Administration Committee, if any, into the actions of the Interim Administration?
12. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright - Robinson
TOURISM.
- Will the Chief Executive Officer be pleased to say:
(a) The exact number of stay-over arrivals to date for 2011.
(b) The exact number of cruise passengers - which is actually provided by Carnival Cruise Lines.
(c) And what is the method used to determine the number of stay-over visitors.
13. TO THE PERMANENT SECRETARY OF FINANCE
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
$260M LOAN
- Will the PS Finance be pleased to say how the proceeds of the $260m loan was spent?
14. TO THE HON. ATTORNEY GENERAL
To be asked by Mrs. Sharlene Cartwright – Robinson
LAWSUITS
- Will the AG be pleased to say whether the TCIG has any outstanding lawsuits against it? Will he say the numbers and will he say if any of the complainants are former contract officers of the TCIG?
15. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Ethlyn Gibbs – Williams
- Will the CEO be pleased to state how much was spent on the audit of the scholarships and whether or not the report from KPMG was published?
16. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Ethlyn Gibbs – Williams
- Will the CEO be pleased to explain the processes in conducting a national assessment in order to determine the needs for scholarships?
17. TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
To be asked by Mrs. Ethlyn Gibbs – Williams
- Will the CEO be pleased to say when was the last national needs assessment for scholarships conducted?
18. TO THE PERMANENT SECRETARY OF FINANCE
To be asked by Mrs. Ethlyn Gibbs – Williams
- (a)Will the PS for Finance be pleased to say in which areas of expenditure were the recently found invoices which resulted in the increase of the deficit related?
- (b)Will the P/S for Finance be pleased to state the breakdown for these as per the invoices and the overall summary of the invoices?
5. PRESENTATION BY MRS. ETHLYN GIBBS – WILLIAMS:
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UK AND OBTAINING GOALS
6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
7. ADJOURNMENT
Beyonce’s Baby: Ivy Blue or Blue Ivy?
OK, here’s some more fodder for the Beyonce haters out there.
It seems a lot of folks on Twitter are getting Bey’s baby’s name twisted. Ivy Blue Carter is trending as baby girl’s moniker, but her name is actually Blue Ivy Carter! Apparently, there was some misinformation at the beginning, but now it has been confirmed.
So, does this make a difference as to the meaning of the baby Blue’s name? Here’s how Gather put it:
It does, though only slightly.
Picking the first name Blue isn’t something that many people expected, which is probably why the name was twisted around on Twitter. Ivy sounds like a much more conventional name than Blue. But, now that we know it is Blue, what does it mean?
Unbeknownst to many, Blue is actually a name with a lot of meaning. For one thing, it is linked to Heaven and it also symbolizes the Virgin Mary, spirituality, and sincerity. In addition, you’ve got to consider that the number four is Beyoncé’s favorite number, so it’s fitting that she’d pick a four letter name.
As for Ivy, it also symbolizes four with IV, being the roman numeral for four. Ivy represents new promise and eternal life in the Christian religion, so we have yet another spiritual name. It also means longevity and eternity.
Put together, Blue Ivy Carter sounds like the perfect name for Beyoncé’s first child, and surely Bey and Jay put a lot of time into choosing it.
PETA Goes After Dr. Dre Over Furry Headphones
Hit producer/mogul Dr. Dre is in hot water with PETA over a new limited edition run of Beats by Dre headphones.
Dre, born Andre Young, has teamed with Oscar De La Renta to release a limited-edition line of Beats by Dre earmuff headphones, that are wrapped in fox fur.
Earlier in the week Michelle Cho, a representative for PETA, fired off a letter to Dr. Dre urging him to respect animal rights.
“We wanted to get in touch to urge you to keep fur and exotic-animal skins out of your Beats by Dre designs,” Michelle Cho wrote. “Foxes, minks, rabbits, and other animals—including cats and dogs—are bludgeoned, genitally electrocuted, strangled with wire nooses, drowned, and even skinned alive for their pelts.”
Cho explained to Dr. Dre that most animals are killed for their fur in China, because there are no penalties for animal abuse want for farms.
Cho also provided Dr. Dre with a video featuring Eva Mendes, to educate himself on animal abuse.
Cho urged Dr. Dre to use his influence around the world to make a positive difference in the lives animals.
“You have a tremendous amount of influence on young people,” Cho continued. “Won’t you please consider using your platform to advocate kindness toward animals by pledging never to design with real fur and exotic skins?”
Dr. Dre’s Beats by Dre fox fur earmuff headphones retail for $695.
Will and Jada Sell their Hawaii Home for $20 Million
Will and Jada Pinkett Smith got out of 2011 with a super nice chunk of cash in their pockets. The couple sold their seven-acre Hawaii vacation home for $20 million.
The three-bedroom and three-bathroom home in Kauai was purchased for only $13.5 million in 2009.
So after only two years, they took a $6.5 million profit to the bank.
The mansion includes hardwood floors, solar heating, a swimming pool and a hot tub.
But this is nothing compared to the family’s nine-bedroom estate in Calabasas, Calif., which also includes a basketball and tennis courts, three golf holes, a recording studio and a private lake.
Stevie, Maya, Spike and Mariah to be Praised at ‘BET Honors’
This year’s BET Honors is going to be a night to remember.
Mariah Carey, Dr. Maya Angelou and Stevie Wonder, among others will be recognized and newly engaged diva Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Common are confirmed to take the stage.
Others expected to make an appearance include Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard, along with iconic actress Cicely Tyson.
BET has also announced that the proceeds from ticket sales will go to Metro TeenAIDS.
The event will be hosted by Gabrielle Union and is scheduled to take place on Jan. 14 at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.
The show airs Monday, February 13 at 9pm Eastern on BET.
Introducing Diddy Shampoo in 2012
Diddy is looking to do some big things in 2012.
The already huge player in the Hip Hop game is making his name bigger with a new line of products.
In an interview with Ad Week, he shared his New Year’s resolution:
“My dream was that you would wake up in the morning, your alarm would go off, one of my records would be playing. You’d get in the shower and use my shampoo. Then you would get out and use the beauty products,” he says. “You’d get dressed and put on Sean John [clothing], and then would go to work. And after work, you would go and change into your evening wear to go out to a club on a date and you’d put on Sean John again, spray on another of my fragrances, stop by and have a drink of Ciroc. And then maybe take your young lady out to a movie that I was starring in.”
Diddy also said he recently relocated to L.A. to boost his acting career.