Fight against crime in St Kitts-Nevis to continue in 2012
The fight against crime in St Kitts and Nevis will continue in 2012. Prime Minister and Minister with responsibility for the Police and the Defence Force, Dr Denzil Douglas, said progress is being made in the fight against crime.
Commending Commissioner of Police C.G. Walwyn and the entire police force for their determined effort to take the streets back, Douglas said the efforts of the Defence Force and law enforcement agencies including the Customs Department have helped considerably in the fight against crime.
“Of course, that battle against crime is still ongoing and law enforcement agencies will continue to intensify their activities in fighting crime. The government, through the Anti-crime Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister will continue to support the work of the security forces by providing the appropriate legal and policy framework for the effective discharge of their crime fighting functions,” said Douglas.
He said there is the need to continue to train the security forces and to empower them to carry out their very challenging functions.
During 2011, some 40 police and defence force officers benefitted from training in crime scene management provided by the United States Embassy Force Detachment Program and the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service. In addition, four officers from the Financial Intelligence Unit received training from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the United States government in financial investigation, money laundering and intelligence gathering.
Douglas said work will continue to improve the physical facilities of the security forces.
The new Dieppe Police Station that was constructed through the assistance of the government of Mexico, was handed over in November, to serve the people living in communities from Harris to St Paul’s and ground has already broken in respect of a new police station in Tabernacle to serve the people living in communities from Lodge to Belle Vue.
British Virgin Islands to grant Taiwan visa-free entry
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) will be the 125th country or region to grant visa-free entry or landing visas to Taiwan passport holders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Taipei said on Wednesday.
The details and when the privilege will take effect, however, will be announced after negotiations with the BVI government, the MOFA said in a press statement.
The statement noted that the visa-waiver program will follow the one adopted by the British government in March 2009.
The BVI is the sixth British overseas territory -- after Bermuda, Gibraltar, Turks and Caicos, St Helena, and Falkland Islands -- to establish such an agreement with Taiwan, it said.
The visa-free entry scheme should boost bilateral ties, increase cultural exchanges and encourage tourism, it added.
Although the BVI consists of a small population of 25,000, its tourism and financial service industries have made it one of the most thriving economic areas in the Caribbean, according to the MOFA.
Without Wade, Heat rout Pacers 118-83 behind James
The Miami Heat hardly missed Dwyane Wade on Wednesday night. LeBron James had a lot to do with that.
Now, the Heat can only hope both superstars won't be on the bench Thursday in Atlanta.
James had 33 points and 13 assists, Chris Bosh added 22 points and Miami routed the Indiana Pacers 118-83 on Wednesday even without Wade.
James also grabbed eight rebounds and the Heat turned up the defensive intensity minus their All-Star guard. Wade sat out with a sore left foot, and his status for Thursday's game at Atlanta is uncertain.
Wade, a six-time All-Star, injured his foot in the second quarter at Charlotte on Dec. 28. He missed the first 10 minutes of the third period but played regular minutes the rest of the game and in the two that followed. He skipped Wednesday's shootaround, though.
The Heat had a scare late in the third quarter when James went down underneath the basket with a left ankle injury. He also is questionable for Thursday.
"It's been better, but it feels OK right now," James said. "We'll see how I feel in the morning."
James appeared to step on the foot of Indiana's Paul George while attempting a fast-break layup. After staying on the court for a few seconds James got to his feet, prompting applause from the sellout crowd, and resumed breaking down the Pacers.
Still, the Heat could be without two of their three big stars in Atlanta.
"We will have to see," coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked if James would play Thursday. "He has sprained that same ankle every year, he says at least one time a year."
Roy Hibbert had 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pacers. Tyler Hansbrough scored 14.
Indiana, a fashionable pick to be one of the surprise teams in the East, had a miserable second quarter, going 1 for 15 from the field and committing 10 turnovers that Miami turned into 10 points.
"Lack of execution, missed open shots and their defense - it was a combination of everything," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "A perfect storm."
Miami took a 62-39 halftime lead thanks to a 25-6 run to close the second quarter.
Indiana's main problem, however, was that it couldn't slow Miami's transition offense. And because the Pacers shot so poorly and committed so many turnovers, all the Heat had to do was grab the ball and start running, and they did it quite successfully.
The Pacers trailed 29-27 after the first quarter. But in the second half, they never got closer than 12 points and the lead eventually ballooned to 36.
Indiana's Danny Granger scored only six points on 2-for-13 shooting. He missed six of his seven shots in the first half and committed three turnovers.
The Pacers ended up shooting 34.8 percent from the field. They committed 23 turnovers that Miami turned into 28 points.
This was Indiana's biggest test of the season after beating Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland and New Jersey.
Randolph tears knee ligament, expected to miss 6-8 weeks
The Memphis Grizzlies were the surprise of the NBA last summer, riding Zach Randolph's broad shoulders to within one win of the Western Conference finals.
If they hope to build on that momentum this season, they'll have to do it without their burly power forward and unquestioned leader for the next two months.
Randolph is expected to miss six to eight weeks after tearing a ligament in his right knee, the team announced Wednesday.
"That's life," coach Lionel Hollins said. "You have to go and play. He's not going to be here. We can't worry about what ifs and what we should do to get him back. This is where we are."
LOWE: Grizzlies lose Randolph and their identity
The 6-foot-9, 255-pound Randolph tore his right MCL in the first quarter of the Grizzlies' 104-64 loss at Chicago on Sunday. Randolph had an MRI on Tuesday, and the team learned of the prognosis Wednesday afternoon before they played at Minnesota.
It's a crushing blow to the Grizzlies, who had never made it out of the first round of the playoffs in their nine seasons before last year's remarkable run, the deepest a No. 8 seed has ever gone.
Randolph scored at least 30 points and grabbed at least 10 rebounds four times in the playoffs last season, and he also provided some toughness on defense.
The 29-year-old Randolph led the Grizzlies in scoring through the first four games of the season with an average of 14.8 points and had pulled down 7.5 rebounds per game. More importantly, they lose their emotional core and the player whose maturity and evolving game elevated one of the league's moribund franchises to a contender in the powerful West.
He was injured when he knocked knees with guard O.J. Mayo, and the Grizzlies are 1-1 since he went down, with a 40-point loss to Chicago and a victory over Sacramento on Tuesday night in which the team still managed to score 72 points in the paint.
"The way we play and attack, hopefully we'll continue that way," Hollins said.
An 11-year NBA veteran, Randolph was selected to the 2010-11 All-NBA third team after leading Memphis to the semifinals and averaging 20.1 points and a career-high and franchise-record 12.2 rebounds during the regular season.
He teamed with emerging star center Marc Gasol to give the Grizzlies one of the most formidable front courts in the league, a bruising tandem that dominated the boards and racked up the points in the paint.
"It doesn't matter what happens, we've got to (move on)," Gasol said. "Our reality is that he's not here. The truth is he's not here and we've got to play and we've got to win."
Now, with forward Darrell Arthur already out for the season with an Achilles injury, the Grizzlies will likely have to turn to Dante Cunningham and the newly acquired Marreese Speights, who came over in a trade from Philadelphia on Wednesday to fill in up front. The Grizzlies sent guard Xavier Henry to New Orleans and a second-round pick to Philadelphia as part of the three-team trade.
The 6-10 Speights has averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in four seasons.
Greek prime minister warns of March default
Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has said Greece may default on its debts in March unless unions accept further cuts to salaries.
Mr Papademos said more cuts were needed to avoid exiting the eurozone.
Analysts say the warning is to prepare Greece for more austerity measures.
European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank inspectors, known as the troika, arrive to assess Greece's progress in cutting its deficit on 15 January.
They will decide whether to provide further bailout funds to the country.
"Without an agreement with the troika and further funding, Greece in March faces an immediate risk of an uncontrolled default," Mr Papademos said.
However, analysts said the risks of not providing the funding were too great.
"Without a firewall in place to stem contagion from a Greek default to other European banks, it is very unlikely the troika will decide to deny Greece the funds and cut the country loose," Megan Greene at Roubini Global Economics told the BBC.
"However, even if the troika does transfer the next tranche of funds to Greece, the country risks a hard default, unless a deal is agreed on private sector involvement before March."
Second bailout
Greece owes a large part of its debt to private sector investors and the majority of these loans must be refinanced by March 12.
The country is currently negotiating with the troika about a second bailout of 130bn euros ($169.5bn, £108.7bn), which was agreed in principle in October 2011, provided the country takes further steps to cut its deficit and restructure its economy.
"If we want to secure our most significant achievements - participation in the euro and avoidance of a massive, vertical income devaluation that a disorderly bankruptcy and exit from the euro would lead to... then we must accept a short-term income reduction," said Mr Papademos at a meeting with union leaders and employers' federations.
Union resistance
Union leaders, however, appeared ready to fight further cuts to their members' salaries.
"On the minimum wage of the poor worker, we are not willing to make any step back. We are not discussing [cuts] in the 13th and 14th month salary or the minimum wage," said Yannis Panagopoulos, head of the GSEE private sector union.
In Greece and some other European countries, workers are paid additional months' salaries as part of their annual pay package.
Some Greek economists maintain that the situation can be resolved through concerted efforts.
"It is possible to exit this vicious circle, but unambiguous actions are required by all in the next three months," Nikos Vettas, professor at the Athens University of Economics, told the BBC.
"Private creditors have to agree swiftly on the haircut procedures, the EU partners to deliver the support needed, the citizens to actively support a reform agenda and the politicians to reach the minimum consensus required for such reforms."
Top China airlines to ignore EU carbon tax, body says
China's biggest airlines will not pay a new European Union tax aimed at cutting carbon emissions, their trade body has said.
On 1 January, the EU brought airlines under its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which levies a charge on flights based on their carbon emissions.
The tax has been criticised by China, India, the US and Canada.
Chai Haibo of the China Air Transport Association said that its members would not cooperate with the ETS.
The China Air Transport Association (CATA) represents companies including Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines.
Airlines which do not comply with the new EU tax can be fined and even prohibited from flying into the region.
Last year, it was claimed the plan could cost Chinese airlines 95m euros ($124m, £79m) in extra costs.
"The CATA, on behalf of Chinese airlines, is strongly against the EU's improper practice of unilaterally forcing international airlines into its ETS," Mr Chai said on Thursday.
Kodak shares tumble 28% amid fears about its future
Shares in Eastman Kodak have fallen 28% on speculation the photography firm was preparing to file for bankruptcy protection in the US.
Shares dropped 18 cents to a record low of 47 cents on Wednesday.
The sell-off was triggered by a report in the Wall Street Journal alleging Kodak was preparing a Chapter 11 filing after struggling to sell key assets.
A Kodak spokesman said that the company did not comment on market rumour or speculation.
In November, Kodak said that it needed to raise cash in order to continue operating in 2012.
The company said it was going to explore selling or licensing around 1,100 of its digital imaging patents - roughly 10% of its total library.
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, Kodak has now started to look at a number of options to ensure its survival, including filing for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
It is also in talks with banks about raising $1bn (£640m) in financing to keep it afloat during Chapter 11 proceedings, the newspaper said, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
Kodak may file for Chapter 11 either this month or in early February, the WSJ claimed, adding that the company would continue to pay its bills and operate normally if went in bankruptcy protection.
It would also continue trying to find a buyer for the patents.
Kodak was one of the most famous global photography brands, but the company has been overtaken by rivals who reacted more quickly to the arrival of digital techniques.
The 131-year-old firm has been squeezed by weaker sales of consumer products and the heavy cost base of its operations and employees around the globe.
In the third quarter of 2011, the company reported a three-month loss of $222m, its ninth quarterly loss in three years.
However, despite the problems, Kodak does have assets that could point to a more viable future.
Analysts said the patents could fetch between $2bn and $3bn if the company can find the right buyer.
At the same time, the firm has been keen to stress that its inkjet printer and inks unit is performing well. Third-quarter sales rose by 44% from the same period a year earlier.
British Lawmakers Urge Ruling on Lethal Force Against Pirates
British lawmakers are urging the government to clearly define when lethal force can legally be used against pirates.
The request is part of a report released Thursday by parliament's foreign affairs committee, which welcomed the government's decision last year to permit armed guards on British ships in dangerous waters.
The committee says captains still need specific instructions on what they can do if threatened by pirates.
Britain says a limited number of its ships have been attacked but, piracy continues to threaten the country's economy through its banking, insurance and shipping industries.
The report says Somali pirates have been paid more than $300 million over the past four years, but little is known about where the extorted money ends up.
The legislators say multi-national naval operations have had limited impact on piracy.
The report says even when pirates are detained, about 90 percent are released without being charged.
The committee says the government should consider trying pirates captured on British vessels in a national court unless they are prosecuted by another country.
Britain will convene an international conference in London next month on the threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia, including in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.
LA Arson Suspect Charged, on Suicide Watch
Authorities have charged a German citizen with 37 counts of arson in connection with dozens of fires set across Los Angeles over the New Year's weekend.
Harry Burkhart made a brief court appearance on Wednesday, appearing disoriented at times.Burkhart is accused of going on a four-day arson rampage, setting more than 50 fires across the Los Angeles area that caused about $3 million in damage.
The judge ordered him to remain in jail on $2.85 million bail and that his passport be surrendered. The 24-year-old's arraignment was postponed until January 24.
Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley says Burkhart deserves a long sentence for the terror he caused to the people of Los Angeles.
“Very simply the amount of harm he did to psyche of the citizens of these particular communities and all of Los Angeles county, I think it merits a life term. And the potential danger that he presented to certain individuals who were sleeping in their beds at night, who could have been unaware of the fires, hearing problems, didn't smell the smoke, no smoke detectors,was almost an act of attempted murder.''
Authorities said on Wednesday that Burkhart has been on suicide watch since his arrest on Monday.
Cooley says its believed that Burkhart actions were triggered by the arrest of his mother.
“A sense that this particular individual was set off by the incarceration of his mother, with whom he appears to be quite close, and he had latent anti-American views.”
The first of the blazes broke out Friday, the day after 53-year-old Dorothee Burkhart appeared in court. During his mother's hearing, Burkhart went off on an obscenity-laced rant against the United States.
Mr. Burkhart was arrested under an international warrant, and is facing 19 counts of fraud and embezzlement.
In her own court appearance on Tuesday, Ms. Burkhart asked why her son was not present, apparently unaware he had been arrested. She told the federal judge her son was mentally ill. She also speculated that the Nazis had discovered their address.
Prosecutors in his native Germany say Burkhart also is under investigation for suspected arson of his family's home in a town near Frankfurt .
Most of the arson attacks targeted cars parked either outside homes or in parking structures. No one was killed or seriously injured in the arson spree. Authorities are looking into whether other suspects were involved.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Makes Historic Visit to Burma
British Foreign Secretary William Hague says he will press Burma to release its political prisoners during his first official visit to the southeast Asian country.
Hague's historic visit to Burma begins in the capital, Naypyidaw, where he will meet president Thein Sein. He is then scheduled to travel to Rangoon to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Before departing London, Hague said he is visiting the country to encourage the Burmese government to continue on its path of reform and to see what Britain can do to help the support this process.
But he said his country is particularly interested in seeing the release of all remaining political prisoners, free and fair by-elections and humanitarian access in conflict areas.
Hague is the first British foreign secretary to visit Burma in more than 50 years. In November, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the first top diplomat from a Western nation to respond to recent reforms by the Burmese government with a visit.
Western leaders have commended Burma's new government, which took over in March, for making steps toward a democratic reform. The new nominally civilian government also has modified election laws to enable longtime political prisoner and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to re-register her National League for Democracy as a political party and run in parliamentary by-elections due in April.
President Thein Sein, a former general, has surprised both the United States and the opposition with steps toward democracy and initiating dialogue with ethnic minorities. But many say a lot more needs to be done. Numerous governments and rights groups say Burma is still holding about 1,000 or more political prisoners who they say must be released and permitted to participate in the political process.