Trinidad frees men accused in PM assassination plot
Authorities in Trinidad & Tobago have released 16 men who were detained in an alleged plot to assassinate the country’s prime minister and members of her government.
Police information officer Sgt Wayne Mystar says there was not enough evidence to prosecute them. Their release came late yesterday, just before the expiration of a state of national emergency that allowed the government to detain them without charges.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar disclosed the alleged plot November 24 but gave few details. She blamed gangs opposed to the state of emergency and efforts to crack down on crime.
Selwyn Alexis, a local businessman detained in the plot, told reporters outside the jail that there never was an assassination plot.
Jamaican ObserverPORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — Authorities in Trinidad & Tobago have released 16 men who were detained in an alleged plot to assassinate the country’s prime minister and members of her government.
Police information officer Sgt Wayne Mystar says there was not enough evidence to prosecute them. Their release came late yesterday, just before the expiration of a state of national emergency that allowed the government to detain them without charges.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar disclosed the alleged plot November 24 but gave few details. She blamed gangs opposed to the state of emergency and efforts to crack down on crime.
Selwyn Alexis, a local businessman detained in the plot, told reporters outside the jail that there never was an assassination plot.
Jamaican Observer
CARICOM- Cuba Day
This year marks the 39th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations of Cuba with Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, which took place on December 8th, 1972.
The Heads of State and of Government of Cuba and CARICOM who met in their First Summit in Havana on December 2002, decided to establish that December 8th will be observed as the CARICOM-Cuba Day and in commemoration to this date, Summit meetings will be held every three years.
CARICOM-Cuba Summit Meetings have allowed to systematize meetings at the highest level between our countries, in a climate of friendship and cooperation between Cuba and member countries.
Cuba has worked together with its Caribbean brothers and sisters with the purpose of ensuring the success of the 4th CARICOM-Cuba Summit, that will held on December 8, in Trinidad and Tobago.
Cuba maintains close and excellent relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation with CARICOM member countries in different fields. Cooperation has been implemented in the fields of education, training of human resources, health, energy, agriculture and others.
Cuba has the political will to expand and further strengthen the links with the Caribbean.
The Caribbean region faces political, economic, social and natural challenges, which require a united attention.
Currently, 1 665 Cuban cooperators render services in the Caribbean, of whom 1 405 (84%) are from the health sector.
One of CARICOM member states, Haiti ranks fourth among the main recipient of our cooperation worldwide.
More than 4 thousand 072 Caribbean youths have graduated in our country, of whom one thousand 705 are medical doctors.
Presently, 2 926 Caribbean youths study in Cuba, of whom 2 279 are being trained in Medical Sciences degree courses.
Throughout these years of cooperation in solidarity with Caribbean nations, our doctors have made 26 million 195 thousand 929 consultations, performed 497 thousand 652 surgeries, assisted in 171 thousand 692 deliveries, vaccinated 1 million 850 thousand 734 persons and saved 425 thousand 601 lives.
Eight Ophthalmology Centers have been set up in the Caribbean with free use of the equipment and Cuban human resources.
Under Operation Miracle, 98 thousand 551 surgeries have been performed to persons from 15 Caribbean nations, which represents 1 surgery per every 158 inhabitants of the region.
As part of the Program for the Reconstruction and Strengthening of Haiti’s Health System, 23 Community Reference Hospitals, 30 Rehabilitation Wards and 12 Health Centers render services, among other health facilities.
Cuba offered 124 medical scholarships to Caribbean countries for the 2011-2012 academic year.
With the Yes, I Can Cuban literacy program, 219 thousand 852 persons from Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Grenada have been taught how to read and write and presently 50 thousand persons pursue studies in those countries. Most of them are citizens from the sister Republic of Haiti.
Cuba highly appreciates that CARICOM countries share a clear position against the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba and openly express themselves publicly in this regard.
Out of the 19 countries of the region that expressed their rejection against the blockade in their speeches at the 66 session of the United Nations General Assembly, 10 are members of CARICOM, including Dominica.
Cuban Embassy
APD rates stand
The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Tuesday said it is “deeply disappointed and surprised” by the British government’s decision to continue discriminating against the Caribbean as it relates to the controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD) system.
In a 26-page document published Tuesday, London said that APD rates to Caribbean destinations will continue to be considerably higher than those to some competitor destinations.
The detailed tax tables published to coincide with the Chancellor’s statement show that the tax on economy long-haul flights of more than 6,000 miles will rise from £85 (US$132) to £92 (US$143) per person.
“Furthermore, the fact that Premium Economy passengers will continue to be charged the same APD as First Class passengers is a blow for those customers wanting to upgrade,” the CTO said in a statement, adding that “over a period of three years, the Caribbean and its community in the UK have consistently sought to raise the issue of APD at all levels of the British government and with the UK parliament”.
CTO chairman Ricky Skerrit said the British announcement on the APD “is a slap in the face for all Caribbean people.
“It dismisses all of the research and information CTO has provided to the British government over the past three years, and it contradicts the message sent by the UK Chancellor, George Osborne MP, in March 2011 when he cited the discrepancy between the USA and Caribbean APD rates as one of the reasons for holding a consultation on reform of UK APD.
“The Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region of the world and the British government’s decision totally ignores the negative effect that APD is having on our economies and the Caribbean’s business partners in the UK travel industry,” said Skerrit, who is also the Minister of Tourism in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Last week, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) also expressed its “disappointed’ at the decision of the British government.
CHTA president Josef Forstmayr said data suggest that APD increases in the past two years have contributed significantly to falling arrivals from the UK, a prime source market for visitors for many Caribbean destinations.
“Any failure by the British government to address the discriminatory nature of the banding system will be deeply concerning and will justify the strongest possible condemnation by Caribbean governments,” Forstmayr said.
British media reports last Friday said that more than seven million people who have already booked flights departing after April 1 next year will be hit retrospectively by the rise, with the hikes set to catch 74million people in total over the year.
CTO said that while the Caribbean understands the challenge faced by the UK in respect of revenue raising, “the Caribbean does not believe that APD should be imposed at the expense of the Caribbean economy or its community in the UK”.
CTO recalled that the Caribbean made a formal response to the APD consultation in June, making it clear “we require parity in banding with the US” and that “a move to a two band system would address the Caribbean’s requirement if this resulted in equal treatment of all long haul destinations”.
The region said that no other option set out in the consultation addresses the concerns of the Caribbean.
Nation News
Eurozone crisis: New EU treaty 'may not be needed'
Tougher rules to tackle the eurozone debt crisis can be achieved without changing EU treaties, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy says.
In a leaked report for a crucial EU summit beginning on Thursday, he offers a fast-track "fiscal compact" that does not need lengthy ratification by parliaments or national referendums.
Germany and France are pushing for a new EU treaty by March, saying stricter rules should be enshrined there.
The US has backed their plans.
But Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the US Federal Reserve had no plans to give money to the International Monetary Fund to boost the eurozone's bailout fund.
Mr Geithner, who is meeting all major eurozone leaders during his three-day visit of Europe, stressed that more action was needed to boost economic growth in Europe, alongside the longer-term reforms. He meets President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on Wednesday.
Mr Van Rompuy will be chairing the two-day summit, and all the signs are that it could be a bruising affair, the BBC's European affairs correspondent Chris Morris reports.
In the interim report, details of which have been obtained by the media, Mr Van Rompuy proposes a plan aimed at agreeing a "new fiscal compact" without holding a referendum or ratification by the parliaments of each eurozone country.
The draft says that tougher fiscal reforms can be adopted simply by amending a protocol - a procedure that needs national consensus but does not require substantial changes to the EU treaties.
This, Mr Van Rompuy argues, would speed up the implementation of reforms and remove any potential political complications.
The interim report contains the following key provisions:
- Each eurozone member's budget deficit should be below 3% of GDP and national debt under 60%
- A "golden rule" should be enshrined into national legislation to guarantee a balanced budget in the medium-term
- The eurozone bailout fund to be given a banking licence to borrow directly from the European Central Bank
- The European Commission to have the power to impose austerity measures automatically on countries which require bailouts
However, Mr Van Rompuy acknowledges that more far-reaching reforms would eventually require a change in EU treaties.
Some of the report's proposals tally with the Franco-German plan how to tackle the crisis, but some do not.
Paris and Berlin appear to be pushing through more radical measures, our correspondent says, and if all 27 EU members cannot agree, then they are prepared to work towards a new treaty involving the eurozone bloc and any other country that wants to join.
Such a move could leave Britain - a non-eurozone EU member - feeling more isolated, he says.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will not sign a new treaty without safeguards for to protect financial interests of the City of London and Britain's role in the European single market.
But such is the depth of the crisis surrounding the eurozone that the main focus is not on the EU solidarity but on restoring market confidence in whatever way proves possible, our correspondent says.
Earlier this week, Standard & Poor's put all eurozone nations on credit watch "with negative implications".
India confirms suspension of retail reform
India's parliament has resumed after the government confirmed that it was suspending a plan to open up the retail market to global supermarkets.
The decision has been suspended "till a consensus is developed through consultation among various stakeholders", a statement said.
The parliamentary session was deadlocked for two weeks after the opposition parties protested the move.
The decision to allow foreign chains into India has been fiercely opposed.
Critics say the move will destroy millions of jobs and businesses in the small retail sector.
Supporters say it will widen consumer choice, reduce waste and improve security for farmers.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the parliament on Wednesday that the government would "take a decision [on retail reform] after a consensus is developed after consultations with all stakeholders".
The stakeholders include chief ministers of states and all the political parties, he said.
Mr Mukherjee hoped that the parliament would begin functioning "as only 10 days are left for the session to end".
'Virtual rollback'
Earlier on Wednesday, the government confirmed at an all-party meeting that the controversial retail reform was being put on hold.
"It is a virtual rollback. It is a victory for democratic forces," said Gurudas Dasgupta of the Communist Party of India (CPI) who attended the meeting.
However, Minister of Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said a decision on retail reform had only been suspended, and there had "been no rollback".
Analysts say the decision is a blow to the government's image, and wonder why it did not evolve a consensus before announcing the move.
"The prime minister's image and the government's image will be definitely dented," said Neerja Chowdhury, a senior journalist.
Business leaders have criticised the opposition to retail reform.
In an open letter, former Hindustan Unilever chairman Ashok Ganguly and Deepak Parekh, chairman of the Housing Development Finance Corporation, said opposing the reform was "to the detriment of the vast majority".
The government announced on 24 November it would allow 51% foreign ownership of multi-brand retail stores, allowing groups like Wal-Mart and Tesco to open stores.
Currently, foreign-owned multi-brand retail operators can only sell wholesale in India, not directly to customers.
Citigroup to cut 4,500 jobs worldwide
US banking giant, Citigroup, has said it is to cut 4,500 jobs around the world in an effort to reduce its costs.
The group has put aside $400m (£250m) to pay for the cuts, according to its chief executive Vikram Pandit.
The money will be written down in the company's fourth quarter results.
It is the latest in a string of global banks to announce cuts as the slowdown in the world economy and the European sovereign debt crisis has increased pressure on banks to limit costs.
They include Citygroup rivals such as HSBC, Bank of America and UK-based Lloyds.
Speaking at the Financial Services Conference hosted by Goldman Sachs in New York, Mr Pandit said his bank had saved more than $1.4bn so far this year.
China Rescues 178 Children in Massive Child Trafficking Case
Chinese police say they have rescued 178 children and arrested 608 suspects in a crackdown on suspected human trafficking gangs.
China's public security ministry said Wednesday that over 5,000 police officers made the arrests last month during a joint operation in 10 different provinces across China.
Police first uncovered a child trafficking group in the southwestern province of Sichuan while investigating a traffic accident in May. Authorities later found a similar group in the southeastern province of Fujian.
China has a thriving black market in children and women. Observers say China's one-child policy and lax adoption rules help set the stage for a rampant child market, mostly involving buyers who want more children or who want them as slave labor.
The state-run news agency Xinhua says national police have broken up over 7,000 human trafficking groups since 2009, involving more than 18,000 children and 34,000 women.
India Suspends Plan to Allow Foreign Retailers
India's government has suspended a plan to open the country's retail sector to foreign companies, following weeks of protests that have brought parliament to a halt.
The government said Wednesday the plan will remain on hold until the stakeholders can reach a consensus.
Opponents say allowing foreign retail chains, such as Walmart, will threaten the survival of millions of small shop owners in the country. Shopkeepers held a one-day strike last week to protest the plan.
Industry leaders share the government's view that modernizing India's retail sector will benefit farmers and consumers, while creating millions of jobs.
India's $450-billion domestic retail market is dominated by family-run stores, and global retail companies have waited for years for India to allow them to operate in the country.
The government plan called for allowing foreign firms to own up to 51 percent of so-called multi-brand retail companies in India, such as supermarkets. Companies could also own up to 100 percent of stores that sell just one brand of a product.
The stores would be allowed in cities with a population of at least 1 million people.
Obama in Kansas slams Republicans over inequality
US President Barack Obama has drawn a clear distinction between Democratic and Republican economic arguments in a rare address in the state of Kansas.
In Osawatomie, he echoed President Theodore Roosevelt, who spoke there in 1910, saying the US faced a "make-or-break moment for the middle class".
Mr Obama's remarks come less than month before the first Republican vote to choose a presidential nominee, in Iowa.
A Republican spokeswoman said Mr Obama was "desperately trying new slogans".
While Mr Obama has spent recent months touring the US calling for the passage of his American Jobs Act, the Kansas speech saw him depart from the specifics of that legislative plan
Instead the president offered a broader critique of key Republican ideas on how the economy can be revitalised.
"Their philosophy is simple: we are better off when everyone is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules. Well, I'm here to say they are wrong," Mr Obama said.
'Gaping inequality'
Making his first visit as president to Kansas - a solidly Republican state in recent presidential elections - Mr Obama slipped up right at the start of his remarks.
"It's great to be back in the state of Texas," he said, before correcting himself and using the first part of his speech to focus on his own family's Kansas roots.
While he did renew his call for Congress to pass an extension of a payroll tax cut due to expire at the end of 2011, the speech also focused on growing levels of income inequality in the US.
"This kind of gaping inequality gives lie to the promise at the very heart of America: that this is the place where you can make it if you try," Mr Obama said.
Such inequality "distorts our democracy", he told those listening at a local high school.
In a nod to the language of the Occupy Wall Street movement - if not to its argument - Mr Obama told Kansas supporters that sharing responsibilities for the economy's success were not "1% values or 99% values".
"Most of the Republicans in Washington have refused, under any circumstances, to ask the wealthiest Americans to go to the same tax rates they were paying when Bill Clinton was president," he said.
Mr Obama did not limit his criticism solely to current economic debates, reaching back to the "trickle-down" theory that has long been used to rationalise tax cuts for the wealthy.
He described the idea as fundamentally flawed.
"It doesn't work. It's never worked. It didn't work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression," Mr Obama said, "It's not what led to the incredible post-war boom of the 50s and 60s. And it didn't work when we tried it during the last decade."
Republicans criticised Mr Obama on his attempts to tie the speech back to Theodore Roosevelt, saying that the 1910 speech was also about failed promises in politics and Mr Obama had failed to rebuild the economy.
In addition to his indictment of Republican economic principles, Mr Obama called for legislation that would create stronger penalties for financial firms that repeatedly violate anti-fraud laws.
Chinese, US Defense Officials Meet in Beijing for Annual Talks
U.S. and Chinese defense officials are meeting in Beijing for the first high-level talks since bilateral relations were strained by an American arms sale to Taiwan and the announcement of a U.S. plan to deploy troops in Australia.
U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michel Flournoy opened the annual talks Wednesday with China's deputy chief of the army's general staff, Ma Xiaotian.
They are the first ministry-level talks since September, when the U.S. angered China by announcing a $5.85 billion upgrade to Taiwan's Air Force.
In November, U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to deploy up to 2,500 troops in Australia to boost regional security and counter Chinese regional influence – a move China has suggested is “inappropriate.”
This is the 12th round of the U.S.-China Defense Consultative Talks, which usually provide an indication of the health of relations between the two countries. China routinely breaks military relations with the U.S. to protest policies it dislikes.
Analysts says China's decision to proceed with this year's talks, even after the Taiwan arms deal, may indicate that it views a suspension of military ties as unprofitable to its interests.
China considers Taiwan a renegade province, and has warned of possible military force against the island if it formally declares independence.
The United States is obligated by law to provide Taiwan with weapons for its defense.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency says the talks will cover bilateral military relations, the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, as well as various regional issues.
In opening remarks for the one-day summit, Xinhua reports that Ma said he hopes both sides will be able to “expand common ground, keep risks under control and avoid misjudgment.”