Gas pipeline from ‘T&T’ up the islands resurfaces
The proposal of a gas pipeline from T&T to the Eastern Caribbean is “under discussion” and has engaged the attention of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, says Foreign Affairs Minister Suruj Rambachan. “I'm sure in a short while from now there will be some statement on that matter, but it has engaged the attention of the Prime Minister,” Rambachan added, speaking just before yesterday's (THUR) opening ceremony of the 32nd Caricom Summit here in St Kitts. Rambachan did not specify whether the pipeline plan - first raised by the Manning PNM administration - will be among topics discussed by regional leaders during the four day Summit, or if the hinted “statement” on the initiative will be made at the summit.
But he did confirm that two other plans by the previous PNM Government were completely off the table - southern Caribbean political union and sharing of T&T's radar system with neighbouring southern states. The T&T delegation led by Rambachan arrived yesterday morning. Prime Minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar arrives at the St Kitts summit this morning at the conclusion of the Women’s Conference in T&T yesterday. The summit is expected to demonstrate the PM's commitment to the regional integration process in light of perceptions created by her comments at last year's summit when she took a strong line against the possibility of T&T being stuck in “godfather” status for the region.
The summit was launched last night with addresses from new regional leaders including from Haiti, Suriname, Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Former longstanding Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington, now with the T&T Government, was also honoured. Carrington is part of T&T's delegation to the summit. Leaders’ agenda is expected to review progress on assistance for earthquake ravaged Haiti since international help has been “tardy” in arriving. They are also expected to consider a short list of names of people who have been interviewed for the post of Caricom Secretary General. Lolita Applewhaite is currently acting. Rambachan said Persad-Bissessar will reaffirm T&T's commitment to Caricom and regional integration:’
“She will also reaffirm the fact that T&T realises its responsibility to Caricom and the people of the region. She’s very concerned about youth development and sustainable jobs for youths and she’s concerned about children. She hopes to make early childhood education a Caribbean vision.” “She's relating what she's doing at home to regional needs,” Rambachan added. He said: “A lot is always expected of T&T as an energy-gas economy and the Prime Minister understands that. She always says T&T is aware of its responsibility to its neighbours and will always maintain this. If one country is weak, all states will be weak.” He said Persad- Bissessar will raise regional food security with leaders in view of some countries decision not to export certain foods such as grain. This will have a significant impact on the Caribbean region.
He added: “We’ll suffer regarding prices and availability, so she wishes to have consensus on this and will raise the issue of food security at the summit.” Rambachan said indebtedness of certain states will also be discussed. Rambachan referred questions on the REDjet issue—involving Jamaica and Barbados - to Transport Minister Devant Maharaj. He said current availability of air transport will make discussions on this aspect inevitable. Persad-Bissessar will also participate in climate change discussions. However, Rambachan said a southern state political union—such as was suggested by the Manning administration —is out and it was also unlikely that the T&T-based radar system proposed by the PNM for southern states like Grenada, was also off the table.
Rambachan noted that the US has invested $75m (US) in security systems for the southern Caribbean.
Trade Minister Stephen Cadiz said some issues from Caricom's 2010 summit pertaining to T&T/Jamaica manufacturing sectors remain unresolved. He said there have been some new appointments in the Jamaica Government and T&T's point persons were no longer there. He said T&T may have to renegotiate some issues. Last year Jamaican businessmen had accused T&T of giving local businessmen an advantage with subsidised fuel prices—a concession which they did not have.
The issue caused tensions to rise. Cadiz said some headway had been made on the issue, but it has not yet been resolved.
He said other issues including an impending cement dispute and Jamaican trade into T&T is being dealt with. Cadiz also said Caricom had to be prepared at this point to change and decide where it wants to go to be competitive with nearby regions: “Caricom has to rethink its position and see if it can take advantage of its much wider market.” Cadiz said the CA/Air Jamaica arrangement could also serve the region in that regard. He noted that travellers sometimes leave one island and take a day to reach another. He said discussions on a fast ferry into the southern Caribbean islands is an “excellent idea and can work.” He said it was on the agenda of a recent conference and Caricom needed to examine it.
More Air Jamaica job cuts
Another set of Air Jamaica workers are expected to be jobless as of today.
This as Caribbean Airlines takes over all operations at the airline.
The positions likely to go include ground handlers, information technology, flight operations and stores.
The airline’s reservations department is also being relocated to Trinidad and Tobago.
Up to news time, it was unclear as to how many persons would be out of a job.
The latest round of job cuts follows the termination of 54 positions in May and a long list of dismissals since Caribbean Airlines took over a year ago and promised a leaner operation.
Highly placed sources at the airline told our news center that the takeover has seen the majority of customer service staff having their positions downgraded to part-time.
At the same time, they have had to accept a cut of 50 per cent in salary.
Those who were retained from the previous cut were given two-month contracts which reportedly expired on Wednesday.
Those who signed Caribbean Airline contracts in May were given six-months’ probation, but it is not clear what is their current fate.
However, those kept on staff after today will now have to wear uniforms bearing the name Caribbean Airlines.
Meanwhile, the National Workers Union (NWU) which represents air Jamaica employees said the latest job cuts is unfortunate.
NWU Vice President Granville Valentine is also outraged at the salary cuts.
Valentine urged Labour Minister Pearnel Charles to intervene and ensure that a commitment given by him to protect Jamaican jobs is not jeopardised
Lil Wayne, Eminem Go Into Guinness World Records on Social Media Day
World famous rappers Lil Wayne and Eminem have made the Guinness World Records, the company announced today (June 30th), to coincide with Social Media Day.
According to Guinness, Lil Wayne's Facebook page has the Most "Likes" on a Facebook Item.
The rapper's fans posted 668,198 comments, in response to a post made on February 15, 2011, challenging the previous record set by Oreo cookies.
Lil Wayne's fans took the award away from the iconic cookie brand by posting over a half-a-million comments, in less than 24 hours.
Eminem's official page is in the Top 5 pages on Facebook, with 42.5 million "Likes," alongside major brands like Facebook's own page, YouTube.com, Zynga and pop artist, Lady Gaga.
While these records were impressive Guinness world records is community manager Dan Barrett said that more records would be broken over the next five years.
"There's still a world of possibility in the social media space for new records as services emerge and existing ones increase their penetration," Barrett told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "There are a few landmark figures which will surely be passed in the next few years, who will be the first Twitter user to amass 100 million followers? Which Facebook page will be the first to reach 100 million likes? Whoever it is, you can be sure that Guinness World Records will be there to recognise all of these milestone achievements."
To check out more records, http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com.
Police On High Alert For Rick Ross Show In A.C. This Weekend
A Fourth of July weekend celebration featuring rapper Rick Ross is making headlines in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Hundreds of security guards and police officers have been hired to handle security for the Summerfest 2011 concert, which is expected to draw over 7,000 people at Sandcastle Stadium on July 2nd.
Promoters cleared the concert with high-ranking Atlantic City police officers, who will be monitoring the event.
In addition to Ross, opening acts for the concert include Meek Mill, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana of rap group The Diplomats.
“We’re well aware of everything involving these guys,” Atlantic City Deputy Police Chief Henry White told the Press of Atlantic City. “We don’t anticipate any problems. If something does happen, we will be prepared.”
According to Deputy Chief Ernest Jubilee, the police officers are taking the same types of precautions for the Rick Ross concert that they employed last week for a Dave Matthews band concert - which drew over 70,000 people.
“People are nervous,” Officer Jubilee told the press of Atlantic City. “But it’s not with the lineup. Whenever you have a whole lot of people gathered in one spot, there are those concerns whether it’s a hip-hop concert or Dave Matthews.”
Doors to the five-hour concert are scheduled to open at 5:00 PM.
One of Eddie Long’s Accusers Arrested on Drug, Gun Charges
One of the four men who accused Bishop Eddie Long of sexual misconduct was arrested this week in Florida on suspicion of being a drug dealer, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Jamal Parris, 24, was driving a white 2011 BMW in Miami Beach Tuesday evening when a Florida Highway Patrol officer noticed that it had no tags. Sgt. Seth Dubinsky stopped the car. When he approached it, he smelled marijuana, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday.
Dubinsky searched the car and said he found 181 grams of marijuana, which is worth about $1,000 on the street. He said he also found 50 clear plastic baggies and a Taurus semiautomatic handgun. He said Parris also was carrying $1,250 in cash.
The gear was “indicative of a drug dealer,” Dubinsky said. Parris was arrested and jailed. He was charged with two felony counts: possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm while committing a felony. He also was charged with operating a motor vehicle with no registration, a misdemeanor. It was unclear late Thursday whether he was still in custody.
The car was seized, and passenger Jeremy Jouvanni Gordon, 20, of Miami was arrested on a drug paraphernalia charge.
Parris and three other men sued Long, the Longfellows Youth Academy and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church of Lithonia, accusing the bishop of using his influence, trips, gifts and jobs to coerce them into sexual relations. The parties settled the case in May without disclosing the terms.
Parris, who is still using his Stockbridge address, immediately demanded a lawyer, but still said a few things to Dubinsky according to the paper.
“He kept telling me he bought that BMW with the settlement money,” Dubinsky said. Parris also told the cop he’d been accepted to Miami-Dade College. “He said, ‘you guys are getting the wrong impression of me.’”
Amber Rose Explains the Naked Pics Leak
After those peek-a-boo pictures got out, she was supposedly distraught that her goodies made it to the big time without her consent. So she got on Twitter and screamed her outrage at bloggers and rumor starters. Then she showed how happy she is with her boo, Wiz Khalifa. Then the other night she opened up about the photos and how they got out.
“I trusted someone that worked 4 me & allowed them to use my laptop a million times, I caught this person sending my pics to themselves and I fired this person immediately Wiz & I & both of our families have known about this for 2 months now. We tried to prepare ourselves for this day. Those pictures r 2 1/2 years old just sitting in my computer. I’m really hurt & embarrassed because I have so many young girls that look up to me. I would never put those pics out of myself,” she said.
She said the leak affected her cash flow.
She continued, “The company that I was working with no longer wants to work with me because of these pics and that prevents me from getting money to take care of my family. Its a messed up situation when someone so evil comes into ur life and tries to destroy it. I know I’m not the only girl in the world that has taken pics like that but they were very private. I’m sorry for letting my young Rosebuds down. Pls understand this was a result of trusting a person that didn’t deserve my trust. I have cried for the past 2 days but I know this to shall pass. Thank u for all of ur support.”
John Legend Targets High School Dropouts in P&G Promotion
As part of his support of education reform, John Legend will headline a Procter & Gamble Co. promotion to benefit dropout prevention.
The crooner has filmed commercials that will air ahead of P&G coupon insert booklets with him on the cover alongside schoolchildren that will be in Sunday newspapers on July 31. The promotion by the Cincinnati-based consumer products giant will include Facebook and other online efforts to raise money for the Communities in Schools organization’s efforts to keep children in school.
Legend has focused much of his charitable work on improving education, which he calls “a civil rights issue for our time.” He said there’s a dropout crisis in some impoverished communities, making it harder to break the cycle of poverty. He’s also concerned about what he sees as politically motivated efforts to weaken teachers’ unions in his native Ohio and other states.
“I believe that making sure that every kid has a quality education is the key to making sure that every kid has the opportunity to pursue the American dream,” Legend told The Associated Press.
P&G’s Jim Leish, director of U.S. operations, said Legend is a good choice for the promotion. “At the end of the day, he has a history of helping this cause,” Leish said. “We’re more focused with his ability to drive awareness of what we can do to keep millions of kids in school.”
BIS warns low rates may create 'financial distortions'
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has warned that low interest rates across the globe are a threat to world financial stability.
The BIS warned low cost of borrowing had resulted in a credit and property price boom that was fuelling inflation, especially in emerging economies.
Central banks across the globe have cut interest rates in an attempt to boost growth after the 2008 financial crisis.
However, BIS warned that the policy may prove to be counterproductive.
"The prolonged period of very low interest rates entails the risk of creating serious financial distortions, misallocations of resources and delay in the necessary deleveraging in those advanced countries most affected by the crisis," the bank said in its annual report.
'Inflation fighting credibility'
While loose monetary policies and availability of easy credit have triggered growth, there has been a flip side to it as well.
Emerging economies, especially in Asia, have had to deal with rising prices for food and other essential commodities.
This has pushed up the cost of living and has threatened to derail growth in many developing nations.
The BIS warned that the central banks needed to change their policies in order to deal with the situation.
"Tighter global monetary policy is needed in order to contain inflation pressures and ward off financial stability risks," it said.
"It is also crucial if central banks are to preserve their hard-won inflation fighting credibility," the bank added.
One of the biggest concerns that economists and analysts have about low interest rates is the formation of asset bubbles.
They have warned that availability of easy credit and low interest rates are driving up property prices to unsustainable levels.
"Property prices in a number of emerging market economies are advancing at staggeringly rapid rates, and private sector indebtedness is rising fast," the BIS said.
It also warned that the trend was very similar to that triggered the global financial crisis.
"Emerging market economies managed to escape the worst of the crisis, but many now run the risk of building up imbalances very similar to those seen in advanced economies in the lead-up to the crisis," the bank said.
The BIS warned that the surge in property prices had resulted in over development in the real estate market, leaving large numbers of properties unsold.
"It will take years to absorb this overhang," the bank said.
The bank warned that if not addressed immediately, a crash in the property market may derail economic growth in emerging economies.
"All financial crises, especially those generated by a credit-fuelled property price boom, leave long-lasting wreckage," the bank said.
China's PM Wen Jiabao set to sign £1bn UK trade deal
British business hope to sign deals worth more than £1bn when the Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao meets David Cameron at Downing Street later.
Mr Wen, who is on a three-day visit to the UK, has already said he wants to welcome more UK products to China.
On Sunday he visited the Longbridge MG car plant, where he faced a small human rights protest.
Downing Street said there was potential to create more jobs and investment opportunities for British businesses.
The two leaders are expected to sign an agreement to help UK companies work with China's regional cities, in architecture, civil engineering and research and development.
British poultry farmers are being allowed to export to China and the visit is expected to see agreements reached for the supply of pigs.
'Rapid rise'
Chancellor George Osborne and Foreign Secretary William Hague are due to join Mr Cameron for the talks and Mr Wen is accompanied by other senior members of the Chinese government.
They are also likely to discuss improving cultural and educational relationships between China and the UK and global issues such as international security and climate change.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "China's rapid economic rise is good news for the UK. It means more money flowing into our economies and has the potential to create more jobs and investment opportunities for British business at home and in China.
"The summit will be an opportunity to tap that potential and to continue to work closely with China to find global solutions to a range of issues from climate change to global security."
It follows Mr Wen's visit to Longbridge and to Stratford-Upon-Avon - the Chinese premier is a lifelong fan of William Shakespeare.
He is also believed to be leading a Chinese bid for work on the HS2 high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham.
'Partners for growth'
The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says Downing Street sees the summit as an opportunity to cement UK-China relations as "partners for growth."
He says the target is £1bn worth of bilateral trade by 2015.
The deals set to be announced on Monday will go some small way towards narrowing the trade gap with China.
British exports have increased by 20% since Mr Cameron was in Beijing last November.
Our correspondent says Mr Cameron hopes to see an agreement to enable British business to branch out beyond Beijing and Shanghai into fast-growing regional cities.
There are also plans to establish a new "people-to-people dialogue" on a broad range of cultural matters.
But concerns about human rights in China will inevitably come up too, with Britain stressing that respect for human rights under the rule of law is an essential pre-requisite for China's long-term prosperity and stability.
Canadian firm gets US$97 mill for stake of east coast block
A Canadian oil company has earned US$97 million from the sale of its 25 per cent stake in an exploration block off the east coast. Sonde Resources Corp, closed the sale of its 25 per cent stake in Block 5(C), to another Canadian company, Niko Resources, last week. Niko Resources was fined US$9.6 million and given three years’ probation after it pleaded guilty to charges that it bribed a Bangladeshi official. The charges stemmed from providing a car worth C$191,000 and a C$5,000 trip to Canada and the United States to A.K.M. Mosharraf Hossain, a junior energy minister responsible for assessing compensation after Niko well blowout in the country in early 2005.
According to Canadian newspaper reports, Sonde Resources sold its stake in the block as it wanted to focus on drilling in Western Canada, after the closing of a $97-million US deal to give up its stake in an offshore exploration block in Trinidad and Tobago. The Calgary Herald quoted Sonde CEO Jack Schanck as saying that the company will pay down debt and have US$62.7 million left for exploration. The sale of the stake in the block, which is being operated by British Gas International, came six months after the company first announced its intention to sell. Schanck was reported by the Calgary newspaper as saying that the sale was held up by a drawnout regulatory approval process from the island nation’s government.
Previously called Canadian Superior Energy Inc., Sonde was renamed after emerging from creditor protection last year. The firm’s “strategic focus” is on horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracturing in what Schanck called the “prolific” Kaybob and Drumheller area of Alberta. The company will also target other liquids-rich formations. An oil well Sonde drilled and tested earlier this year with its Libyan and Tunisian partners won’t see any of the sale proceeds, due to sanctions from Ottawa related to the civil war in Libya. “We are precluded from doing any business with Joint Oil until such sanctions are removed,” Schanck said.