Libya unrest: State TV shows Col Gaddafi footage
Libya's state TV has shown footage of Col Muammar Gaddafi meeting tribal leaders in Tripoli - his first public appearance in nearly two weeks.
Libyan officials said the video was shot in the capital on Wednesday. This has not been independently verified.
Col Gaddafi has not been seen since 30 April - when a Nato strike killed his youngest son and three grandchildren.
Earlier, Libyan rebels said they had seized Misrata airport in the west, driving back pro-Gaddafi troops.
Government forces have been pounding the western city, which remains largely under rebel control, for weeks.
Meanwhile, fresh explosions were reported in Tripoli on Wednesday.
Nato said earlier that its planes had carried out 6,000 missions over Libya since it assumed command of military operations there at the end of March.
The air strikes have helped secure rebels in their strongholds in eastern Libya, but observers say it remains unclear to what extent they have loosened Col Gaddafi's grip on the west of the country.
Col Gaddafi was dressed in his trademark brown robes, dark sunglasses and black hat. He appeared to be in good health.
"We tell the world, 'those are the representatives of the Libyan tribes,'" Col Gaddafi said, pointing to his visitors.
A man then was seen telling him: "You will be victorious."
On Wednesday, eyewitnesses said Misrata airport fell after hours of fighting between rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces.
The bodies of pro-government forces could be seen lying in the street as the rebels celebrated their victory, correspondents said. A dozen rebels were said to have been wounded in the fighting.
Col Ahmed Bani, a spokesmen for the rebel leadership in the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, told the BBC that as well as taking the airport, "revolutionary forces" now controlled Misrata.
As well as burning government tanks, the rebels had captured other weaponry from the regime troops, he said.
Libya's third-largest city, Misrata is the only significant western rebel holdout and is strategically important because of its deep-sea port, which has become a lifeline for supplying civilians and for evacuating wounded people fleeing the fighting.
Though the rebels are said to be better organised than those in eastern Libya and have, for example, set up a network of makeshift arms factories, their campaign is still widely seen as an improvised affair.
Following a wave of revolutions across the region, Libya's uprising was sparked by February's arrest of a human rights campaigner in Benghazi, and rapidly spread to other cities.
Authorities used aircraft to attack protesters, prompting the resignation of many Libyan diplomats as rebel forces called on Col Gaddafi to relinquish his five-decade rule and open Libya up to a more democratic rule.
The EU has frozen the assets of Col Gaddafi and members of his family, and banned the supply of arms, ammunition and any equipment that could be used for "internal repression".
India’s Supreme Court Rejects Harsher Bhopal Charges
India's Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a government appeal to reinstate harsher charges against seven men convicted of negligence in the 1984 Bhopal gas leak that killed thousands of people.
The government had petitioned to try the men on charges of culpable homicide, which carries a jail sentence of 10 years. But a five-judge bench of the court refused the appeal, saying the government had not given sufficient reason to build a case of culpable homicide.
The judges also questioned why the government waited 14 years to seek stronger charges against the former managers at the now-defunct Union Carbide Company.
Last year, the court sentenced the defendants to two years in prison and a fine of about $2,200. The ruling triggered public outrage.
Bhopal victims and activists expressed deep disappointment with the verdict. They said the seven men got away with light sentences because a 1996 court ruling reduced the charges against them to the relatively minor one of death by negligence.
The activists and campaigners have promised to carry on their fight. The government said it is doing its best to see that justice is done and filed a petition in the Supreme Court to seek higher compensation for the victims from Dow Chemical Company, which bought Union Carbide in 2001.
Under the original compensation package brokered in 1989, Union Carbide agreed to pay the Indian government $470 million in damages.
The Indian government says 3,500 people were killed when toxic gases leaked from Union Carbide's pesticide plant in Madhya Pradesh's state capital of Bhopal. Activists put the death toll at more than 20,000, with tens of thousands more struggling with the consequences of what is widely called the world's worst industrial disaster.
Southern US Cities Brace for Historic Flooding
Floodwaters along the Mississippi River moved south Wednesday, as some areas in the southern U.S. braced for record flooding in the coming days.
Thousands of residents in several states have evacuated their homes along the river and its tributaries as flooding — triggered by rain and melting snow — has reached levels not seen in decades.
A National Weather Service spokesman told VOA that forecasters are especially watching the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, where the water level is expected to hit 17.5 meters next week, exceeding a record set during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in Mississippi and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the flooding.
Throughout the region, authorities worked Wednesday to reinforce levees, while farmers built their own in an effort to protect their crops.
The river crested Tuesday in Memphis, the largest city in the state of Tennessee. The crest reached 14.6 meters, just short of its all-time record more than 70 years ago.
Mr. Obama declared a major disaster in Tennessee on Monday, ordering federal aid to help state and local recovery efforts in the area. The state also was struck by severe storms and tornadoes last month.
The president has signed emergency or disaster declarations for other states hit by flooding and bad weather, including Louisiana, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri.
The Mississippi River is North America's largest river system. It spans more than 3,700 kilometers from the northern United States to the Gulf of Mexico.
Tarrus to release new album
Popular reggae artiste Tarrus Riley, who is gearing up to release a new album later this year, has a new single called 'Love Scars' which is to be serviced to radio later this month.
The song was produced by Roshaun 'Bay C' Clarke from Bombrush Records. Clarke had previously worked with Riley on the 'Shaka Zulu Pickney' track.
Riley's 'Never Leave I' single which was produced by Jordan McClure of Chimney Records, is currently creating waves across the Caribbean. It is presently number one on the reggae chart in Aruba.
Also, Tarrus Riley's 'Never Leave I' single which was produced by Jordan McClure of Chimney Records, is currently creating waves across the Caribbean. It is presently number one on the reggae chart in Aruba.
Riley has joined the lineup of Best of the Best concert 2011 in Miami performers which includes some of the hottest names in reggae, dancehall and hip hop.
"I am looking forward to entertaining and pleasing the fans," Riley said in a statement to the media.
Bolt set for standout season
Even if he is a few weeks late, Usain Bolt has the same old message: Catch me if you can.
There was no sign of the World and Olympic champion in the early-season races he usually runs back home in Jamaica. And sure enough, there were fears he was late with training, or worse, not fully recovered from last year's back injury.
Not so, said agent Ricky Simms.
"Everything has gone very, very well over the winter," Simms said. "We are looking forward to his first race in Rome" on May 26, the third of the season's Diamond League events.
The reason for the belated start to the season is simple. The August 27-September 4 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, will start almost two weeks later than in Berlin two years ago and Bolt doesn't want to peak early.
Also, since the defending champion does not have to qualify for the Worlds through the national trials at the end of June, there is no need to peak twice in one season.
And with Jamaican sprinting as strong as it is, even Bolt would not be able to make the team by just cruising through qualifying.
blake impressed
During the JN Jamaica International Invitational on the weekend, Bolt's training partner, Yohan Blake, impressed by clocking 9.80 seconds in the 100 metres. If it wasn't for the slightly excessive 2.2 metres-per-second back wind, it would easily have topped the year's fastest mark.
"He trains with those guys every day. So he sees where they are at, where he's at," Simms said in a telephone interview. "He's happy where he is at the moment."
Still, the triple Olympic and World champion is far from his best at this moment.
"Of course, if someone runs 9.80, he is not going to be 10 metres ahead of him," Simms said.
He'll probably be happy to be just a nose ahead of his next competitor when he has his first race in Rome. Bolt will take on compatriot and former world record-holder Asafa Powell and European champion Christophe Lemaitre in his first race in Italy.
While Bolt can race Powell all he wants, what most people are really looking forward to is a duel with American Tyson Gay.
can be beaten
In August last year, Gay produced a great 100 to beat Bolt in Stockholm to end the Jamaican's two-year unbeaten streak and prove to everyone that, on any given day, even the greatest sprinter of his time can be beaten.
Simms refers to that 100 as little more than "the race where he a had a problem with his back".
Bolt ended his season after the loss, got treatment and started winter training in October.
A loss in a European meet is only a blip in a career laden with Olympic gold, World titles and World records.
"What happened last year has had zero effect on him. He won every race except one," Simms said. "He is not someone who looks at the statistics or reads the reports. He just does his thing. He is the only one that can put pressure on himself and he doesn't do that."
And don't bet on Bolt and Gay facing off before Daegu.
Bolt already set his schedule, with races in Ostrava and Oslo following Rome. Many meets would not have the money to attract both stars.
It is not necessarily a bad thing, said Simms.
"You don't want Federer-Nadal the week before Wimbledon. You don't really want to play Manchester United-Barcelona this week if they also play the Champions League final," Simms said.
Bulls pull away late, take 3-2 lead
After the Bulls' uninspired loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, many in NBA circles speculated that their youth was finally catching up to them. It was supposedly a classic case of inexperience wilting under pressure, a young team failing to live up to its high expectations.
Chicago silenced those thoughts, at least temporarily, on Tuesday. The Bulls pulled away from Atlanta for a 95-83 victory, taking a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is Thursday in Atlanta.
Behind the tandem of Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, Chicago never trailed by more than a point and demonstrated the resolve of the team that went 21-2 to end the year and claim the East's top seed.
"You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I thought we stayed together, made some timely baskets and then we got some stops."
They also displayed the ability to close, something that was lacking early in the postseason. They struggled with a scrappy Pacers team in the first four games of the first round before thumping it in Game 5. They allowed Atlanta to respond to a 99-82 Game 3 blowout loss with a decisive win of its own, swelling the inconsistent Hawks' confidence.
Now the Bulls have responded. And they're a mere one game away from their first post-Jordan era trip to the Eastern Conference finals.
It starts with the MVP. Rose punished Atlanta for 33 points and nine assists, including a devastating 11 points in the fourth quarter, when Chicago outscored Atlanta 26-15. He proved to be virtually unguardable, making multiple circus-type layups that have become his calling card.
"He's so fast and explosive that no one man can guard him," Atlanta guard Jeff Teague said. "It takes a collective effort."
Rose was a mainstay in the paint. Fifteen of 22 shots came from inside five feet, and more important, he was efficient, shooting just shy of 46 percent (11-of-24). He also drew 13 trips to the free-throw line.
"It forces the defense to collapse, creates easy opportunities for others and leads to some second shots," Thibodeau said. "I thought it was huge."
The Bulls should be wary of automatically deferring to Rose, though, as Chicago tends to become one-dimensional. Rose accounts for 31.3 percent of the team's playoff scoring, a marked increase from his 25.1 percent clip in the regular season. He's also taken 242 postseason shots -- the most in the NBA.
"I think you guys measure his shots all the time," Thibodeau said. "Tonight, we needed him to shoot like that for us to win."
Deng was phenomenal, bouncing back from a subpar Game 4 for 23 points in 46 minutes. He scored the team's first seven points, setting the tone early and countering any momentum Atlanta had gathered after its series-evening win on Sunday.
The Bulls also benefited from some unlikely production. Keith Bogans went on a personal 8-0 run in the first quarter, burying two three-pointers and a reverse layup in just over a minute, and Taj Gibson was dominant in the fourth, going 5-of-5 from the field. Gibson and Omer Asik both received key minutes down the stretch, a result of their on-court chemistry with Deng and Rose.
"They had a good rhythm with their bench guys," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "If role players are going to get the job done, leave them in there and let 'em play."
Perhaps most significant was the continued re-emergence of Carlos Boozer. After awakening from his turf toe-induced slumber for 18 points in Game 4, he produced 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in Game 5, showing signs of the All-Star the Bulls desired upon his acquisition. At full strength, he transforms the Bulls into a completely different team.
"He has the most playoff experience, and very successful playoff experience, on our team," Thibodeau said. "As he continues to get healthier, he'll play better and better."
The Hawks, for their part, showed impressive toughness in defeat. They answered each Chicago run with one of their own, battling back from a 32-21 first-quarter deficit to gain the lead by the early fourth. The enigmatic Josh Smith followed his terrific Game 4 with a 16-point showing, and Al Horford had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Atlanta also received an unlikely 13 points from Zaza Pachulia, a drastic upgrade over his postseason average of 2.8.
The biggest threat for Atlanta was again Teague, though, as he kept the game close with a barrage of driving layups. He finished with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, upping his series field-goal percentage to 55.7. He even resembled Rose in spurts, including a coast-to-coast layup with 7:23 in the third quarter, showcasing quickness and attacking ability that injured starter Kirk Hinrich lacks.
"He's just playing with a ton of confidence and a ton of energy," Smith said of the second-year guard. "He's been giving us his best effort every night."
Youth is to the Bulls what chemistry is to the Heat, or age is to the Celtics: the issue that may derail a championship run. The Bulls, it has been said, are still one year away from a title.
Rose would disagree. After suffering heartbreak in the epic seven-game series with the Celtics two years ago and a humbling beatdown by the Cavaliers in last season's playoffs, Rose is ready for his team to live up to its championship potential.
"The next game," Rose said, "is the biggest game of our life."
TCI and regional Olint investors may have longer wait
Investors in the Turks and Caicos Islands and other Caribbean countries who were taken in by the failed David Smith-run Olint ponzi scheme and lost in some cases millions and their lifetime savings have been dealt a severe blow by the US Federal governement.
That's because the federal government has ruled that those persons in the United States who were swindled are to be priority one.
Smith pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and 18 counts of money laundering on March 20, 2011, as part of a plea agreement in the Federal District Court of Orlando, Florida. Sentencing is set for June 16, 2011.
Known widely in Jamaica as unregistered financial organisations (UFOs), the investment arrangement, eventually discovered to be a Ponzi scheme, duped even religious organisations, two of the most well-known being LEWFAM and Faith International Investment.
Thriving alternative investment schemes offering upwards of 10 percent interest per month suddenly crashed in mid-2008, following local and international action that resulted in the freezing of investment funds estimated to run into billions of dollars.
The biggest trader to be hit was Olint TCI operated by Smith. But the fall of that outfit dragged down many feeder agents who had been collecting money from “members” and investing it with Olint. Smith and his wife Tracy were arrested by detectives from the Financial Crimes Unit, who slapped a slew of charges against them, including theft and money laundering. He later pleaded guilty to four of the charges in a plea deal agreement, which saw his wife walking free, but he was sentenced to six and a half years in jail.
However, after spending about two months at her Majesty’s Prison in Grand Turk, Smith was taken by US Marshalls to the United States where he also pleaded guilty to a litany of charges, including wire fraud. Federal government announced that it was extending the deadline for Olint investors to submit claims for recovery of their funds, portions of which are frozen.
A new deadline has not yet been indicated by the US Attorney’s Office handling the matter but victim-witness specialist Elizabeth Medina, who is receiving claims, said investigators needed more time to review the information and for her office to properly advise the court regarding victims’ status.
Carnival Breeze coming to Grand Turk next summer
As Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship, the Carnival Magic, debuted last week, the company announced that the Magic’s sister ship, the Carnival Breeze, will be completed in June 2012 and will be based in Miami.
Both 130,000-ton ships will spend their inaugural summer in Europe, then reposition to the United States.
New on this ship —the line’s 23rd — are the RedFrog Pub, with its own private label beer; Cucina del Capitano, a family-style Italian restaurant; and an outdoor fitness area and ropes course.
Carnival Breeze, now under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, will spend next summer sailing 12-day Mediterranean cruises out of Barcelona, then move to Miami in November for year-round Caribbean cruises of six or eight days including the Grand Turk Port. The ship will have a slightly larger capacity, 3,690 passengers, and the same new features as the Magic.
This means more visitors to the nation's capital and economic possibilities for hundreds who make their living by the visitor activity at the port.
Carnival Magic, which is currently on a Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Barcelona, will move to Galveston, Texas in October for Caribbean cruises. It has a capacity of 3,646 passengers.
FirstCaribbean Revolutionizes Mobile Banking Once More with Bill & Third Party Payments
Just one year after FirstCaribbean International Bank revolutionized the regional financial sector with mobile banking, the Bank has made yet another decisive step ahead of the competition by expanding the functionality of its mobile banking product.
For the first time anywhere in the Caribbean, mobile phones can be used to pay bills and transfer funds between third party beneficiaries, i.e. from one mobile banking customer to another. These mobile banking options are being offered exclusively through FirstCaribbean’s Mobile Banking Bill Pay and Third Party Payment services.
In effect, customers at FirstCaribbean can meet utility, hire purchase and other monthly financial commitments, as well as transfer funds to other FirstCaribbean mobile banking customers, any time, any where, using any type of mobile phone. Customers can register an unlimited number of third party beneficiaries and billers to their mobile banking account, as long as they are listed on FirstCaribbean’s Internet Banking service.
These new services are available with immediate effect, in addition to the original capabilities of mobile banking, including the ability to make balance inquiries, transfer funds between accounts and set alerts to inform users when their accounts have reached minimum or maximum cash balances. FirstCaribbean customers continue to enjoy mobile banking free of cost, with the only prerequisite being that they must be enrolled in the Bank’s Internet Banking service, which is also available without charge.
Chief Administrative Officer, Mahes Wickramasinghe, in expressing his satisfaction with the new offer stated, “We are truly excited about these two new additional features to our Mobile Banking service. We believe that we have an excellent product that will help our customers save time by enabling them to “bank on the go”.
Country Head, Sherma Hercules, also expressed confidence that their customers would appreciate these new mobile banking options and anticipated that the added value would lead to an increase in the adoption rates for the mobile banking product. “These new payment features will be a boon for our customers in the Turks and Caicos. One of the key benefits of our Mobile Banking service is that you don’t need to have a smart phone to use it as it is text message-based. We expect that a number of persons keen on this added convenience of banking on the go will gravitate to FirstCaribbean’s mobile banking as the leader in the market.”
Apart from being convenient and easy to use, FirstCaribbean’s Mobile Banking service is safe with stringent security measures in place to protect their customers’ financial information and details from third parties. Text messages will only be sent to the mobile phone number that is registered with the bank by the customer, who must verify his/ her identity at the time of registration. Moreover, account numbers are never sent to the mobile phone.
FirstCaribbean’s Mobile Banking service is free, however, SMS charges will be the same as what any customer would pay their cellular service provider for text messages via long and/ or short codes. For further information visit www.firstcaribbeanbank.com or contact 1-800-744-3249.
INTERHEALTH CELEBRATES NURSES WEEK
Does your child have a disability?
If so, help is on its way.
InterHealth Canada has joined forces with the Ministry of Health and NHIP to develop a specialist therapy service in the TCI for youngsters with disabilities.
So far, pediatrician Dr Helen Leonard, has identified more than 50 children who need support across the country. But with the new service being planned, she is today urgently appealing for others to come forward.
Dr Leonard explained: “We are obviously aware of a lot of children who need help but I am concerned there may be youngsters out there that we do not yet know about.
“There is a great deal of work being put into this new service and so obviously we don’t want to start and then find out there are children we have missed.
“For this reason I would urge any parents and guardians who know their children have physical disabilities or very slow speech development to get in touch so that we can allow for them in our planning.”
In a bid to help parents and guardians recognise the signs of severe learning difficulties, Dr Leonard issued the following advice.
“”There are a number of things to consider”, she explained. “For instance, one thing we are interested in is children severe learning difficulties.
“By severe learning difficulties I mean is your child way behind his or her years? An eight-year-old working at a five-year-old’s pace?
“If the answer to any of these questions is yes then I would ask parents and guardians to contact me as soon as they can.”
The new service comes following a recent pilot scheme held at the Cheshire Hall and Cockburn Town Medical Centres.
This featured visiting therapists from Canada and the United States and as hailed a ‘huge success’ by all in involved.
Dr Leonard added: “That pilot scheme was a fantastic success with more than 30 children taking part. Without exception these youngsters and their parents benefited greatly and are looking forward to the regular sessions we are now planning.
“And that’s what this service is all about – helping young people to overcome their difficulties and improve their and their loved ones’ lives.
“The achievements of those who took part in the pilot scheme were simply amazing and I look forward to hearing from anyone who wishes to take advantage of this brand new service.”
Dr Leonard is based at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Provo and can be contacted by email at hleonard@interhealthcanadatc
Alternatively more information is available by calling InterHealth Canada TC on 941 2800