Dominica to appoint an honorary council in South Korea
Dominica will soon appoint an honorary council to represent its interest in South Korea.
Environment Minister Dr. Kenneth Darroux who represented government at the First High Level Forum on Korea Caribbean Partnership in the Capital City of Seoul says plans are being finalized in that regard.
He says a number of candidates have already been identified and the appointment will pave the way for further development in Dominica.
“One of the key things that we have to do as a country is appointing an honorary council to represent our interest in South Korea. We have already identified a number of possible candidates and we soon should be bringing closure to that. We are hoping that the first level high forum will continue annually. We are also hoping that it will set the paste for good things to come and not just talk,” he explained.
Meantime Dr. Darroux says the South Korean government has indicated its interest in assisting several sectors of the Dominican economy.
“We discussed areas that we think the South Korean government can help. We spoke about capacity building and technology transfer to include training in Korea in terms of university scholarships, assistance in disaster preparedness and renewable energy efficiency. We know that we have our ongoing geothermal project and we are looking for ways to take this project to completion,” he added.
Dominica established diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1979.
Source-Dominica Vibes News
New Haitian government starts work after inauguration
Haiti’s new prime minister, Garry Conille, and his 16 ministers started work on Wednesday after an inauguration ceremony in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Conille received the approval of the Haitian Parliament, which had rejected the two previous candidates nominated by President Michel Martelly.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti congratulated the country’s new prime minister and his cabinet and urged all actors to work together to rebuild a strong and democratic nation.
In a news release issued Tuesday night, the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) said it hopes that the Executive, the Parliament and other forces will “continue to work together to strengthen democratic institutions, promote the rule of law and facilitate an environment conducive to social and economic development.”
Last week the Security Council extended MINUSTAH’s mandate for another year, until October 2012, and called on the international community to work closely with the mission to assist the impoverished nation on education, health, reconstruction and security matters.
With the new government now in place, MINUSTAH called on all parties to unite to carry out the necessary measures to rebuild a new Haiti, fully respectful of democratic values.
The mission pledged the continued support of the entire UN family to support the Haitian people and government as they take on the challenges facing the country, which has been torn by instability, afflicted by hurricanes, floods and landslides, and is still struggling to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed over 200,000 people and displaced 2.3 million more.
Last week the Security Council extended MINUSTAH’s mandate for another year, until October 2012, and called on the international community to work closely with the mission to assist the impoverished nation on education, health, reconstruction and security matters.
Meanwhile, the mission’s human rights section, along with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is partnering with a local organization known as the Support Centre for Women Victims of Sexual Abuse (CAFVAS) in combating gender-based violence.
The organization last week officially opened its new premises in the Martissant section of Port-au-Prince in an effort to provide medical, psychological and legal assistance to victims of violence, including sexual abuse.
Source-Caribbean News Now
Regional airline to utilise new satellite tracking and communication systems
The Caribbean’s newest low fare airline, REDjet, will use a fleet management and automated flight tracking satellite system provided by Blue Sky Network.
REDjet’s aircraft [MD-82s] currently fly to Barbados, Trinidad, and Guyana and will service Jamaica and Antigua from November (with new routes being added regularly). It will use Blue Sky Network’s Iridium-based solutions to track every flight over the Caribbean Sea, as well as to maintain constant contact with pilots and operators.
“When our existing communication system proved to be obsolete, the search began for a replacement that was competitively priced, had all the functionality, and wouldn’t require major modifications on our aircraft,” said REDjet’s chief operations officer, Kevin Dudley. “Blue Sky worked with our engineering department to come up with an installation plan; the end result has been one very satisfied customer. As part of REDjet’s unwavering commitment to the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft, we conducted extensive searches for the appropriate technology and are confident that Blue Sky is the right fit.”
The solution being used across REDjet’s fleet is Blue Sky Network’s FAA-approved D1000C tracking unit with the ACH1000 (the latter enables voice and text messages to be sent via the Iridium network). Tracking data will be viewed on SkyRouter, Blue Sky Network’s pioneering, web-based tracking portal.
“We’re thrilled to have REDjet on board,” said Blue Sky Network CEO and founder, Jon Gilbert. “The D1000C with ACH is an ideal fit both for the REDjet planes and, as importantly, for where REDjet flies, a part of the world where satellite tracking solutions like ours are the only way to track and communicate with aircraft, and help ensure people’s safety and asset security.”
Source-Caribbean News Now
Poisoned avocados in Trinidad stolen from estate
POLICE are advising members of the public to exercise extreme caution in purchasing avocados after a batch of poison-laced fruit was stolen from an estate in Tunapuna.
Investigators said the 60-year-old caretaker of the estate reported to them that he injected nearly 2,000 fruits with the weedicide Cypro to teach a lesson to thieves who were raiding his estate.
According to police, the caretaker of the Madoo Hill Estate, Tunapuna, went to the Tunapuna Police Station yesterday afternoon to report the theft of the poisoned crops.
The man showed up at the police station with the syringe he used and a container of the weedicide. He told police he was fed up of thieves making off with his fruits.
Officers at the Tunapuna Police Station visited the estate around 5.30 p.m. yesterday.
Cpl Sheldon Peterson is investigating.
Conrad Murray 'responsible' for Michael Jackson's death
Michael Jackson's doctor made 17 flagrant violations when administering propofol to the star, an expert on the potent anaesthetic has told the court.
Dr Steven Shafer said the drug should never be used to treat insomnia and Dr Conrad Murray's negligence was directly responsible for Jackson's death.
The expert called Dr Murray "clueless" about the drug that contributed to the 50-year-old singer's June 2009 death.
Dr Murray denies involuntary manslaughter of the star.
Dr Shafer, who helped write the guidance on every bottle of propofol, told the Los Angeles court that Dr Murray did not know how to respond when the star stopped breathing.
He said of Dr Murray's delay in calling 911: "I almost don't know what to say. That is so completely and utterly inexcusable."
The Columbia University professor said propofol should never be taken as a sleeping aid.
"We are in pharmacological never-never land here, something that was done to Michael Jackson and no one else in history to my knowledge," he told the jury.
The expert in anaesthesiology also said Dr Murray had acted like the pop star's obedient "employee" and not his doctor, who should have refused the star's requests for propofol.
"Saying 'yes' is not what doctors do," said Dr Shafer. "A competent doctor would know you do not do this."
Dr Shafer testified that Dr Murray should have taken minute-by-minute notes of Jackson's condition while he was under the influence of propofol.
He said Dr Murray's lack of record keeping had been a denial of Jackson's rights.
Dr Shafer also criticised Dr Murray for talking on the phone in the hours before Jackson's death.
The anaesthesiology expert said doctors should never multi-task while monitoring a sedated patient.
"A patient who is about to die does not look all that different from a patient who is OK," he said.
Dr Shafer is expected to be the prosecution's final witness, and his testimony will continue on Thursday.
Lindsay Lohan handcuffed in LA court probation hearing
Lindsay Lohan was taken into custody in handcuffs after a US judge revoked the terms of her probation.
The actress was escorted from a hearing after it was revealed she'd been kicked off a community service assignment at a women's shelter.
It is the latest legal problem for the 25-year-old, who was given probation for a 2007 drink-drive case and a theft this year.
Bail was set at $100,000 (£63,000) which was posted immediately.
"There has been violation after violation," superior court judge Stephanie Sautner told Lindsay Lohan.
A city prosecutor recommended jail time but the judge set a hearing for 2 November to decide whether the star should serve more time behind bars.
'Blown off'
She has already spent four short spells in jail but has been released early on each occasion because of jail overcrowding.
"We're dealing with someone on probation," said Lohan's attorney, Shawn Holley. "Most people on probation don't always do things perfectly."
The actress, who has appeared in Mean Girls and TV series Ugly Betty, was meant to serve 360 hours at the Downtown Women's Centre in April, an agency that helps homeless women.
The judge said nine of Lindsay Lohan's appointments at the centre were "blown off" and she "showed up once and left after an hour".
The actress was criticised for failing to show up for her four-hour appointments at the women's centre and taking six months to complete a court-ordered Shoplifters Anonymous course.
Lohan has since started working with the American Red Cross, but judge Stephanie Sautner said that would not count because it was not part of her sentence.
Violation
The judge also asked how Lohan could have complied with her weekly psychological counselling when she was travelling in Europe between 9 September and 5 October.
"I don't know how she did that in person every week," said Sautner, who suggested Lohan complete a minimum of 16 hours of her community service at the county morgue before her hearing in November.
Previously the star violated her probation in a 2007 drink-drive case and was sentenced her to jail and rehab.
She was released early and was sent to the Betty Ford Centre, where she got in an altercation with a rehab worker, who later sued her for damages.
Weeks after being let out of the Betty Ford Centre, Lohan was accused of taking a $2,500 (£1,500) necklace without permission from a jewellery store near her home in Los Angeles.
That was seen as a probation violation and Lohan was ordered to undergo psychological counselling and perform 480 hours of community service, with 120 hours to be spent at the morgue.
Lohan later pleaded no contest to a theft charge and served 35 days of a four-month sentence under house arrest.
Rihanna drops new single– We Found Love
Bajan pop princess Rihanna premieres the video for her highly anticipated single “We Found Love,” off her upcoming album Talk That Talk.
The Melina Matsoukas-directed clip sees Rihanna and her star British boxer/model Dudley O’ Shaughnessy being high on love and other drugs. The video was shot in Northern Ireland and begins with an Irish woman Narration.
“It’s like you’re screaming but no one can hear. You almost feel ashamed that someone could that be that important, that without them you feel like nothing. No one will ever understand how much it hurts. You feel hopeless like nothing can save you. And when it’s over and it’s gone, you almost wish that you could have all that bad stuff back so you could have the good.”
Do you think the use of O’ Shaughnessy is a reminiscence of Rihanna’s ex, Chris Brown, especially when they were arguing in the car?
Source-Urban Island
Academy calls for release of Iranian film-makers
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has led Hollywood industry organisations in calling for the release of jailed Iranian film-makers.
Six independent documentary makers whose films have appeared on BBC Persian TV were arrested in September.
Actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been imprisoned and sentenced to 60 lashes for being in a film critical of Iran.
The groups have also condemned the continued house arrest of Jafar Panahi for making a film about Iranian unrest.
BBC Persian TV, which can be accessed through satellite TV, is aimed at Farsi speakers, mainly in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Broadcasts from BBC Persian TV have been jammed in Iran amid criticisms of the BBC by the country's government.
Hadi Afarideh, Shahnam Bazdar, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Naser Saffarian, Katayoun Shahabi and Mohsen Shahrnazdar were arrested last month for providing the BBC with material deemed damaging to Iran.
Saffarian and Shahrnazdar have since been released.
In a statement, the Academy said that, before the release of these two, all six had been denied access to their lawyers and families "who were forced to remain silent".
"These film-makers - and others - are artists, not political combatants," it went on.
"We join our colleagues around the world in calling unequivocally for these film-makers' safety, release and return to film-making."
It said they deserved the same "full freedom of expression" as any other film-maker, "no matter where they are from, no matter where they work, no matter what their beliefs".
Social commentary
Last week Panahi, a vocal critic of Iran's strict Islamic law and government system, lost an appeal against a six-year prison sentence.
He was convicted in December for trying to make a documentary about unrest following the bitterly disputed 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and has since been under house arrest.
Panahi, whose films are known for their social commentary, was also banned from making films for 20 years as well as from leaving Iran.
The director, whose film Offisde won the Silver Bear award at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival, has made a documentary which shows him under house arrest in his apartment in Tehran.
This Is Not A Film, which was smuggled out of Iran, was co-directed by Mojtaba Mirtahmasb - one of the six arrested in September.
The documentary, which was shown at Cannes this year, has just been screened at the London Film Festival.
Actress Marzieh Vafamehr, meanwhile, was sentenced earlier this month for criticising conditions in her country.
She appeared in 2009 Australian movie My Tehran for Sale, a film that is banned in Iran that tells of an actress whose stage work is banned.
The Directors Guild of America, one of the co-signatories of the joint statement, said creative freedom was "an essential building block of liberty, culture, civil and human rights".
"We hope the Iranian government will release these film-makers and recognise that their creative works can only strengthen and enrich Iranian society," it added.
The Screen Actors Guild urged Iran "to refrain from stifling the artistic expression of its citizens and to let their unique and valuable voices be heard once again".
The Producers Guild of America, the Writers Guilds of America and the International Documentary Association are also among the bodies calling for an end to the film-makers' detention.
Source-BBC
John Singleton sues Paramount over Hustle and Flow deal
John Singleton is taking legal action against Paramount Pictures over claims it reneged on an agreement made over the 2005 film Hustle and Flow.
The Hollywood director sold the movie to Paramount because the studio agreed to finance two future films of his choice, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Singleton, who produced the film, told the paper Paramount "kept thwarting my efforts to make any of the movies".
A Paramount spokesperson said the agreement came to an end in 2010.
Hustle and Flow, starring Terrence Howard as a drug dealer who embarks on a musical career, was a big hit at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win an Oscar for best song.
"I'd always had a great relationship with Paramount, going back to being an intern on the lot when I was at USC," Singleton said.
"But a deal's a deal and they didn't honour the deal.
"I could have sold Hustle and Flow for more money to someone else, but Paramount promised something special - giving me the ability to make two low-budget films with young filmmakers and great talent.
"All I've ever done is make money for Paramount. I've lived up to all the deals I've signed and it should work both ways."
Singleton said he tried several times to pitch "a number of projects" to the studio but they were all rejected.
In a statement, Paramount said it had "fulfilled all of its obligations" and that Singleton's claims had "absolutely no merit."
Singleton is best known for his groundbreaking 1991 debut film Boyz N' the Hood, for which he was nominated for two Academy Awards.
Since then he has directed Shaft (2000), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and recent release Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner.
Sony postpones product launches due to Thailand floods
Japanese electronics maker Sony has postponed launches of various products after flooding in Thailand disrupted production at its factories.
Sony said it was delaying the launch of products including its NEX-7 camera and the Reflex Alpha 65 indefinitely.
The move comes after the floods forced Sony to shut production at two of its three units in Thailand.
Sony's output was also hit earlier this year due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
'Unprecedented'
The world's two biggest makers of hard drives - Seagate and Western Digital - have also warned of delays due to the floods.
Western Digital said it expected to be affected more than its rivals as it makes 60% of its hard drives in Thailand, and it will take several quarters to recover.
"This is a disaster of an unprecedented scale," said chief executive John Coyne.
Toshiba has also suspended its Thailand hard disk manufacturing as all computer makers brace for the aftermath of the floods.
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook on Tuesday said he was "virtually certain there will be an overall industry shortage of disk drives".
Sony said it was working towards restoring its production facilities.
"It is difficult for us to say at this time when production will re-start in Thailand," George Boyd, a spokesman for Sony, told the BBC.
"However, we are taking measures to move production to our third factory in Thailand which is operational and also to other sites," he added.
The products were supposed to go on sale in November.
Source-BBC