Henry Bellingham visits the Turks and Caicos Islands
UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Henry Bellingham arrived in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) this afternoon at the start of his second visit to the British Overseas Territory.
The Minister’s visit comes after the making of the new TCI Constitution Order in the Privy Council yesterday (13 July). The text of the Constitution was finalised at meetings in London with a TCI delegation in June. The new Constitution Order is an important achievement towards meeting the first milestone and will be a key element of the Minister’s messages this week. The Minister will also note good progress against other milestones, and the need for further work to reach remaining milestones to enable elections to take place in 2012.
During the visit, the Minister will also reiterate the support of the UK Government for the TCI and his hopes for economic growth in the territory following the UK Government’s loan guarantee of up to US $260 million. The visit will begin with a televised keynote speech at 1515 local time, broadcast on 88 Jamz Radio (Provo), RTC (territory wide), WIV and PTV. Over the coming days, the Minister will meet with members of the Advisory Council, Consultative Forum and the two political parties. He will also meet representatives from civil society groups and the business community.
In addition to spending time in Providenciales, the Minister will visit Grand Turk, and for the first time, Salt Cay and North Caicos.
Kate Winslet drama Mildred Pierce leads Emmy pack
Kate Winslet's TV drama Mildred Pierce leads this year's race for the US Emmy awards, with 21 nominations.
The Oscar-winning actress is up against Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern and Jean Marsh in the best actress in a mini-series category.
Advertising drama Mad Men has 19 nominations, while prohibition-era drama Boardwalk Empire has 18.
British actor Idris Elba is nominated for BBC show Luther; BBC One's Sherlock is in the running for special effects.
Reprised role
Writer Steven Moffat is also nominated for the show, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
In HBO's Mildred Pierce, Winslet, 36, plays a divorced single mum who decides to open a restaurant business during 1930s Depression-era California.
The role was famously played by Joan Crawford in a 1945 film noir.
Marsh, 77, has earned a nomination for her reprised role as parlour maid Rose Buck in Upstairs, Downstairs.
She first starred in the same role more than 40 years ago and was nominated for an Emmy in 1974, 75 and 76.
Mad Men star Jon Hamm received his fourth lead acting nomination - but this year the star who has denied him the award three times has not been included in the category.
Bryan Cranston, of Breaking Bad, was not eligible for this year's awards because the series took a break between seasons.
In his final series as bungling boss Michael Scott in The Office, Steve Carell has earned a best comedy actor nomination.
Former Friends star Matt LeBlanc also received a lead comedy actor nod for playing a screen version of himself in the BBC Two show Episodes, which also starred Tamsin Greig.
Hollywood film actress Gwyneth Paltrow picked up her first Emmy nomination in the guest actress in a comedy series category.
The Shakespeare In Love star appeared played a substitute teacher in several episodes of the US teen show Glee.
Modern Family, last year's top comedy series, was the most-nominated sitcom with 17 bids.
Other leading nominees include Saturday Night Live with 16, and 13 nominations apiece for Game of Thrones and 30 Rock.
Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries to Marry Next Month
Kim Kardashian and her fiance Kris Humphries, who began dating last November, have announced that August 20 will be their wedding day.
E! cameras for her reality series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” will likely film the event for a future episode. Also, Vera Wang looks to be designing the dress, as the socialite has already gone to two appointments at Vera’s NY and L.A. stores.
Meanwhile, Kim’s sister Khloe — who will reportedly act as Maid of Honor with Kourtney — is currently planning the bachelorette party, telling People she plans to “go all out and embarrass her, because it’s just fun.”
The Big Analytical: Shaq Joins TNT as NBA Analyst
Retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal had his choice of networks clamoring to nab him as a commentator, but TNT’s “Inside the NBA” studio show had been O’Neal’s favorite as a player, so today’s announcement was a foregone conclusion.
According to the AP, O’Neal agreed Thursday to a multiyear deal with Turner Sports to become an analyst on its NBA coverage, where he will take the fourth chair on the TNT set alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.
“I’m just going to try to make it more fun than it already is,” O’Neal said during a conference call.
O’Neal will also contribute to NBA TV and NBA.com, and his agreement includes a development deal with Turner’s entertainment and animation networks.
O’Neal said he had offers from ABC/ESPN and others upon retiring last month, but quickly chose the Turner offer, saying he wasn’t interested in creating a bidding war for his services.
“The addition of ‘The Big Analytical’ will be terrific,” Smith said in a statement. “I can’t wait to make verbal passes to the most dominant center of our time.”
O’Neal will be part of TNT’s coverage of All-Star weekend — scheduled next season for Orlando, his first NBA home — and the playoffs. He doesn’t think it will be difficult having to criticize Kobe Bryant, whom he feuded with as Lakers teammates, or any other players.
“I have the ability and the backing to give fair criticism. The only time I have trouble with people giving criticism is when they haven’t walked that walk,” O’Neal said. “I’ve walked many walks in my 19-year career, so I think any criticism that I give should be fair.”
YouTube blocks Lady Gaga channel
Lady Gaga's official YouTube channel has been suspended by the video sharing website.
People who click on it expecting to see material posted by the Born This Way singer are greeted with a simple message. "This account has been suspended due to multiple or severe violations of YouTube's Copyright Policy," it reads.
Several online reports say it's because of a disagreement between the star and a Japanese media company.
Copyright violation
Lady Gaga recently appeared on SMAP X SMAP, a weekly TV show in Japan, to promote her new album.
During her ten minute set she performed a medley of songs featuring Born This Way, You & I and The Edge of Glory.
Footage of that performance has since been removed from other websites as well as YouTube.
On one it says the copyright violation claim is from Media Interactive Inc.
Google, which owns YouTube, said it does not comment on individual videos or accounts.
Lady Gaga is one of the most popular artists on the internet.
Her Bad Romance video has been watched nearly 400 million times on YouTube.
She also has more than 11 million followers on Twitter.
Ted Danson to join CSI in autumn
Cheers star Ted Danson is to join hit US forensic drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, it has been announced.
The 63-year-old will star as the new team supervisor when the 12th series begins this autumn, broadcaster CBS said.
He replaces Laurence Fishburne who played former pathologist Dr Raymond Langston on the show for two years, but decided not to renew his contract.
US fans will see Danson's first appearance on the show on 21 September.
His character comes to the team as it is still dealing with the professional and personal fall-out from last season's pursuit of serial killer Nate Haskell.
"We're very excited Ted Danson came along," said executive producer Carol Mendelsohn.
"You can create a new character on the page, but until the perfect actor comes along and breathes life into it, it's just words."
Danson will still continue to appear on HBO comedy Bored to Death, opposite Jason Schwartzman and Zach Galifianakis.
The veteran actor is best known for starring as Sam Malone on the 1980s sitcom Cheers, and other comedy roles.
However his career was revived thanks to his critically-acclaimed run on the legal thriller, Damages, for which he received three consecutive Emmy nominations.
OAS presents new report on the progress of drug control in the Americas
The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Thursday published its latest report on the progress of drug control in the region, containing 350 recommendations for countries facing this problem, of which 38 percent involve control measures, 28 percent demand reduction, 24 percent supply reduction, and 17 the strengthening of institutions.
The report recommends countries to strengthen their anti-drug policies in the following areas: controlling illicit traffic, pharmaceutical products, money laundering, and ratifying international conventions recommended by the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM); the implementation of programs of prevention and drug abuse, in addition to evaluating and expanding coverage of existing programs.
Furthermore, member states are advised to establish national registries of public officials formally accused and sentenced for illicitly trafficking in drugs.
“This new MEM report and above all the recommendations contained in it are an essential reference for all those involved in designing drug policies in our Hemisphere,” OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza said.
“The inter-pares evaluation mechanism gives force and legitimacy to the MEM, and constitutes an excellent example of how the OAS decisively contributes to finding substantive meeting points for countries to solve the problems they face and that are of concern to our people, and specifically in this phenomenon that causes so much harm to countries of the region,” the head of the hemispheric organization added.
The OAS secretary for multidimensional security, Adam Blackwell, who oversees the workings of the CICAD, highlighted that “the Commission’s report highlights the need to face one of the weakest points in most of the countries of the region, and that is controlling the sale of drugs through the Internet.”
Blackwell added on this important point that the CICAD recommends “the implementation of research and training activities related to the prevention and control of illicit trafficking in pharmaceutical products and other drugs on the Internet that allow for the identification of the national needs at the normative and operative levels.”
The document also highlights that, according to epidemiological studies conducted by 33 countries between 2006 and 2009, marihuana is, after alcohol and tobacco, the drug of highest consumption in the Hemisphere by the population in general, and particularly the young population.
Regarding supply reduction, the report indicates that during 2006 to 2008, “the total number of illegal drug laboratories rises to 37,900, of which more than 27,000 correspond to drugs of organic origin (mainly cocaine) and more than 10,000 correspond to synthetic drugs (mainly methamphetamines).”
The MEM is an instrument for measuring the activities against drugs conducted in the 34 Member States of the CICAD. This measure is conducted through the elaboration of national and hemispheric evaluation reports on drug control.
The reports produced within the MEM process are written by government experts named by the member states. Each country is entitled to a head expert and alternate experts; each country has one voice and experts don’t participate in evaluating their own country.
Venezuela's Chavez expects further cancer therapy
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has acknowledged that he expects to have radiotherapy or chemotherapy in his ongoing cancer treatment.
But he still did not say what type of cancer he has, in a telephone interview with state TV.
Mr Chavez had surgery in Cuba last month to remove a cancerous tumour.
Since his return home on 4 July, the 56-year-old president has cut his workload on doctor's orders.
President Chavez said it was a major operation and lasted about six hours.
"I had a big, big tumour," he said. "When I saw that image, I said, 'My God, it's a baseball."'
"I'm in the second stage of the disease, [going through] an organ-by-organ assessment and other factors. I mustn't give more details."
Mr Chavez managed to get back to Caracas in time for the nation's 200th independence anniversary, though he was conspicuous by his absence from the celebrations.
Officially, his plans remain unchanged to run for re-election in late 2012.
President Chavez has been actively posting messages on Twitter.
He has appeared on television in the past several days addressing troops, doing stretching exercises and leading a Cabinet meeting.
Nevertheless his battle with cancer has raised questions over his ability to carry on as leader. He has no obvious successor.
He attended Mass on Tuesday night at the military academy in Caracas, joining friends and aides in praying for his recovery.
Once an altar boy, President Chavez has fallen out with some Venezuelan Roman Catholic leaders. But he remains a Christian, believing Jesus stood for principles similar to socialism.
Haiti law firm protests Martelly’s PM pick
A Haitian law firm is urging the legislature to investigate President Michel Martelly's new pick for prime minister over allegations he committed crimes as a justice minister.
The International Bureau of Lawyers says it has filed a petition with lawmakers asking them to investigate nominee Bernard Gousse.
Human rights groups have accused Gousse of persecuting supporters of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
They allege he is guilty of false imprisonment and being an accomplice to murder during his time as justice minister in the interim government that took office after a violent rebellion in 2004 drove Aristide out of Haiti.
The law firm announced its appeal to lawmakers yesterday.
New body to improve prison conditions in Caribbean
Rajkumar Ramroop was appointed to serve as Public Relations Officer of the newly formed Caribbean Association of Corrections (CAC) at a meeting at the Blue Horizon Hotel in Barbados, July 4 –8. Ramroop is also the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Officers Association.The new association had its start in 2007 and 2008 in Nassau, Bahamas, where the first Caribbean Corrections Summit was held. Ramroop was then elected to serve as the interim PRO.
Last week’s meeting ratified the regional body with member states signing off on the CAC constitution.
There were three days of intense discussions on the constitution. Countries that participated included British Virgin Island, Barbados, Bahamas, Dominica, Jamaica, St Lucia, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
The association’s motto is “a stronger voice towards greater co-operation in corrections by pursuing excellence through discipline, dedication and hard work.” The CAC will serve as a regional and international lobby group, speaking with one voice on the welfare and the development of member states.
One of the aims is to unite all Caribbean correctional/prison officers regardless of race, sex, and age, religious or political affiliation into a common body. Another aim is to make representations and recommendations to governments and other appropriate bodies on matters affecting Caribbean correctional/prison officers and to advise and seek advice on the formulation and review of Caribbean correctional/prison officers’ programmes and policies. Finally, the association will also seek to promote the advancement of training and development and to harmonize entry level standards for Caribbean correctional/ prison officers.
members of the executive include:
President - Kenneth Elliot (Jamaica)
1st Vice President - Donald Connell (Barbados)
2nd Vice President - James Seaman (British Virgin Island)
Secretary General - Alfreda Skinner-Rolle (Bahamas)
Assistant Secretary - Vanrea Armaly (Bahamas)
Treasurer – Leslie Campbell (Jamaica)
Assistant Treasurer - Jeffery Sherman (Bahamas)
Public Relations Officer - Rajkumar Ramroop (Trinidad)
Assistant Public Relations Officer - Chris Felix (St. Lucia)
Training and Development Officer - Ryan Phillips (Barbados)
Assistant Training Officer - Joseph Douglas (British Virgin Island)
Assistant Training Officer – Jeffrey Edmond (Dominica)
Sergeant of Arms - Kevin Browne (Guyana)