PNP to confirm Phillips as president Sunday
THE Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is set to hold a special delegates conference on Sunday where it is expected to confirm Dr Peter Phillips as the new president of the 78-year-old movement.
Phillips was the only candidate nominated for the post.
The conference, which will be held at the National Arena in Kingston, is set for 10:00 am.
General secretary of the party, Julian Robinson, told journalists at a press briefing at the party’s headquarters in St Andrew yesterday that the conference is to afford delegates the opportunity to select Phillips “via acclamation”.
Former party president P J Patterson, outgoing President Portia Simpson Miller and President-designate Phillips are among those scheduled to speak.
Source-Observer
New airplane electronics rules stem from ISIS-associated threat
New aviation security measures restricting electronic devices on flights from certain overseas airports were prompted by new threat intelligence obtained earlier this year indicating that ISIS associates were working on smuggling explosives-laden electronics onto U.S.-bound flights, ABC News has learned.
The U.S. government has deemed the threat information “substantiated” and “credible,” according to one source familiar with the intelligence.
Sources said that the airports -- in eight Middle Eastern and African countries -- affected by the restrictions were not directly named in the most recent threat intelligence gathered by authorities, but determined through intelligence analysis paired with other government information.
The Department of Homeland Security banned all electronics bigger than a cellphone from the cabins of some direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in eight Muslim-majority countries.
During an interview Tuesday, ABC News' Pierre Thomas asked a member of the House Intelligence Committee about the new DHS measures.
“I’ve spoken a couple times in the last week with the Department of Homeland Security about a new aviation threat," explained Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California. "We know that our adversaries, terrorist groups in the United States and outside the United States, seek to bring down a U.S.-bound airliner. That’s one of their highest value targets. And we’re doing everything we can right now to prevent that from happening.
Source-ABC
Uncommitted Republicans put Obamacare overhaul in jeopardy
At least 22 Republicans in the U.S. House oppose or remain undecided on the American Health Care Act, enough to jeopardize the fate of the sweeping bill when it is slated to come for a vote on Thursday evening, according to an ABC News count.
House GOP leaders need 216 votes to pass the bill, which allows for 21 Republican "no" votes, assuming every Democratic member in the chamber also votes "no." Still, the count remains fluid as the lobbying efforts on both sides continue.
Several conservative members of the Republican caucus say the bill, aimed at repealing and replacing Obamacare, doesn't go far enough. GOP leaders made tweaks to the bill today in order to try to bring those members on board.
"No" votes from the 22 Republicans would kill the bill in the House. Regardless, the fate of the bill in the Senate, where only three Republican defections would kill the bill, is uncertain.
The White House says President Trump is enthusiastic about the bill and is all-in in the efforts to get it passed. He has been personally and intensively engaged over the past few weeks, warning Republican lawmakers Tuesday in a meeting not to be "fools" and kill the legislation, according to some attendees.
"We had a great meeting and I think we’re going to get a winner vote," Trump told reporters after leaving the meeting. "It was a great meeting, we have terrific people and they want a tremendous healthcare plan -- and that’s what we have. And there are going to be adjustments, but I think we’ll get the vote on Thursday."
Over the next 48 hours, Trump is expected to keep working the phones and meeting face-to-face with lawmakers at the White House. Tomorrow he will host another gathering of members to pitch the bill, following his meeting with the GOP conference Tuesday.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer warned Republicans who oppose the proposed health care bill to expect to “pay a price at home” in the event the bill fails.
"I think there's going to be a price to be paid,” Spicer said to ABC News' Jon Karl at Tuesday's White House press briefing.
"It will be with their own voters. They'll have to go back and explain why they made a commitment to them and then didn't follow through," Spicer said.
Asked if the president would consider campaigning against those who oppose the American Health Care Act, Spicer didn’t rule it out.
Source-ABC
Students participate in Youth Centre 2017 Black History Month Essay Competition
TEN STUDENTS between the ages of 11 and 15 from three high schools in Providenciales participated in the Edward Gartland Youth Centre's 2017 Black History Month Essay Competition.
The competition opened to members of the Youth Centre and high schools in Providenciales during the first week of February and closed off on February 24, 2017.
The topic was: 'What does Black History Month mean to me and why is it celebrated in February'.
Although February is a month filled with activities such as sports and Valentine's Day themed activities, these students still managed to take the necessary time to conduct research on the topic given and construct essays that allowed them to take a moment and reflect on the true significance of Black History Month.
Keana Burrows from the Clement Howell High impressed the judges with her passion and understanding of Black History Month, making her the winner of the competition.
Daquant Duncanson of Maranatha Academy came in second place and Thamara Pierre of Maranatha Academy placed third.
Jeannia Prosper, assistant program coordinator with the Edward Gartland Youth Centre explained the selection process to this publication, stating that the students aged 11 and 12 were graded together, while the 13-year-olds to 15-year-olds jointly.
"Of course we checked for plagiarism and grammar. We also thoroughly read through to make sure that the students had a clear understanding of what Black History Month is and the struggle that many had to endure for a lot of us to live the comfortable lives that we live today."
Representatives from the EGYC will visit the schools of the winning students on March 17, 2017 to award them with their certificates and prizes.
The assistant program coordinator said that with the enthusiasm that was shown in all of the essays, she was confidently expecting Black History Month 2018 to be even greater.
She said: "Thanks to all of the participants for all of their efforts and also the teachers that assisted them because it would have not been possible without the teachers. We appreciate all the support that we get for all that we do and we look forward to doing more initiatives with the students for more years to come."
Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora.
Black History Month was observed in February in the United States.
Desarrollos Hotel Group tightlipped on Ritz Carlton hotel going forward
THE DEVELOPERS for the proposed Ritz Carlton resort in Gracebay has refused to say what progress they have made, if any, with the current government regarding the new development going forward.
When this publication contacted the TCI point person for the group, real estate agent Walter Gardiner, he would only say that they have "nothing to say at this time" and that the matter is still engaging the attention of the courts.
However, Gardiner's statement is not quite accurate as the most recent court matter in which Dessarollos was named as an interested party has since been resolved, paving the way for the planning process for the resort to be restarted.
That process had been halted since the court became involved.
Strata Corporation, under which the Venetian and Tuscany hotels fall, had started the court matter in 2015, and earlier this month the Appellate Court had pounded the proverbial nail in their coffin with a dismissal of the hotel's last appeal.
But there is one last ditch effort the hotels can pursue, that of an appeal to Her Majesty's Privy Council.
When contacted on Thursday, legal eagle for Strata, Conrad Griffiths indicated that his client is still awaiting the court's written judgement, which will contain their reasons for denying the appeal.
Griffiths had previously told the media that his client will made a decision on whether they will move to the Privy Council after they have reviewed the appellate court's reasons.
But while Dessarollos remains quiet on their progress, Premier Sharlene Cartwright told the press two weeks ago, that her government has already met with the Group's officials to find out what direction they would like to go.
She had indicated that the developers are eager to go forward, but she had also stated that while her government is willing to go forward with any development, they are only prepared to go ahead with ones that benefit the people of the TCI.
She had also denied allegations by the Opposition that the PDM Government is not in favour of the project.
The Premier's cautious attitude to the Ritz Carlton project has stirred speculation that the government does not intend to follow through on the project.
Her position is the polar opposite of the former government's, which was eager to bring in the Dessarollos Group over the past four years they were in office.
The group had first proposed to construct the JW Marriot Hotel in the TCI, but shortly after announced that they would instead be switching to the Ritz-Calton brand.
The Marriot was to have been a nine-story hotel, scheduled to open in early 2016, to be built on an11-acre site along the Grace Bay beach in Providenciales.
After Dessarollos switched the brand, in April 2015, the Rufus Ewing government signed a development agreement with them to build a $224 million Ritz Carlton hotel, resort, casino and spa in the Grace Bay area.
That development is expected to consist of 124 luxury hotel guest rooms, penthouses, resort residences and associated facilities.
Wyclef Jean speaks out on being handcuffed
Wyclef Jean is speaking out about the incident early Tuesday morning in which he was handcuffed by L.A. sheriff's deputies who mistook him for a robbery suspect. Clef is upset about the incident, but not because he has a problem with the police.
"As a person who has law enforcement in their family -- I mean I ran for president of a country -- I understand law and order," he tells ABC Radio.
Part of the incident was captured on video, but he says the really scary part was not.
"When I got out the car, the part that y'all did not see...is the quick roll-up on me, and the guns drawn," he tells ABC Radio. "Your mind is going 360 miles an hour..I'm being pulled over. Now I'm being handcuffed. My bandana is being pulled off my head. I still don't know why."
Clef says he identified himself and urged the deputies to Google him, but that didn't happen quickly enough for him. He's upset at the lack of communication, and how his behavior was described in a statement by the sheriff's department.
"They said I went to the back of the trunk. And this is not true," he tells ABC Radio. He also says they characterized him as being hostile.
"I'm not here to incite a race war here," he explains. "I'm here to address an issue where I feel like it's abuse of power, and information is tampered with from the side of the citizen. And for me, this is not right."
What's also upsetting is that he always instructed his daughter how to behave if she's ever pulled over by the cops, and now she sees that doesn't work in real life.
"She...goes, "Dad, you did all of this like you told me what to do. They still put you in cuffs in the back of a car.' Now what?"
Justin Bieber accuses Australian fans of "acting like animals"
When you’re as famous as Justin Bieber, eating lunch in peace isn’t really an option. The Bieb was bombarded by fans recently as he dined at Chargrill Charlie’s restaurant in Sydney, Australia.
As seen in photos and video captured on social media, fans crowded the singer and snapped photos as he ate, then chased him to his car. In one video, Justin is heard telling the crowd, “The more you guys scream and act like animals, the less we can have a conversation.”
Over the past year, Justin has tried to distance himself from fans to a certain extent. He stopped doing meet and greets at his shows and also stopped taking photos with people.
Last May he wrote on Instagram, “If you happen to see me out somewhere know that I’m not gonna take a picture. I’m done taking pictures. It has gotten to the point that people won't even say hi to me or recognize me as a human, I feel like a zoo animal, and I wanna be able to keep my sanity."
Chuck Berry's final studio album to be released in June
Chuck Berry, who with his indelible guitar licks, brash self-confidence and memorable songs about cars, girls and wild dance parties did as much as anyone to define rock ’n’ roll’s potential and attitude in its early years, died on Saturday at his home near Wentzville, Mo.
The St. Charles County Police Department confirmed his death on its Facebook page. The department said that it responded to a medical emergency at the home, about 45 miles west of St. Louis, and that lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.
While Elvis Presley was rock’s first pop star and teenage heartthrob, Mr. Berry was its master theorist and conceptual genius, the songwriter who understood what the kids wanted before they knew themselves. With songs like “Johnny B. Goode” and “Roll Over Beethoven,” he gave his listeners more than they knew they were getting from jukebox entertainment.
His guitar lines wired the lean twang of country and the bite of the blues into phrases with both a streamlined trajectory and a long memory. And tucked into the lighthearted, telegraphic narratives that he sang with such clear enunciation was a sly defiance, upending convention to claim the pleasures of the moment.
Chuck Berry's final studio album will be released on June 16.
The album, titled "CHUCK," was announced in October, five months before the rock pioneer's death on Saturday at the age of 90.
"CHUCK" is Berry's first album since 1979's "Rock It." Dualtone Records says eight of the 10 new recordings were written by Berry, who worked on the album until 2014. Dualtone says he continued to oversee production and enlisted his family and a friend to help complete it.
In addition to Berry's children and grandson, the album features performances by Nathaniel Rateliff and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello.
The album includes a track titled "Lady B. Goode," described as a spiritual sequel to one of Berry's biggest hits, "Johnny B. Goode."
Source-ABC
Tom Brady's Super Bowl jersey resurfaces in new photo
ABC News has obtained a photo of Tom Brady's missing jersey from his Super Bowl LI victory, courtesy of the Mexican Attorney General.
The jersey still bears green turf stains along the area of the right shoulder.
A former Mexican newspaper executive is accused of taking Tom Brady's Super Bowl jersey from his locker, league officials said.
The jersey went missing after the New England Patriots' Super Bowl 51 victory. It had an estimated value of $500,000, according to a complaint filed with the Houston Police Department in February.
"Through the cooperation of the NFL and New England Patriots’ security teams, the FBI and other law enforcement authorities, the Super Bowl LI jersey worn last month by MVP Tom Brady has been recovered," an NFL spokesperson told ABC News.
The suspect, Mauricio Ortega, is the former director of the tabloid La Prensa, according to the company that owns the paper, OEM, as well as the Mexican Attorney General's office. The AG's office said that he has not been detained because no charges have been filed.
OEM said Ortega resigned on March 14, citing "personal reasons" and the resignation was accepted, according to a company statement. But the company said it was surprised to learn about the allegations, saying Ortega "took advantage of his position and used La Prensa to obtain a media credential to access the field, press conferences and other areas of the NRG stadium."
A source told ESPN that footage from Fox showed Ortega going into the locker room, allegedly reaching into Brady's bag and taking the jersey. The source said officials reviewed 20,000 credentials, leading them to Ortega as a person of interest.
The NFL, which did not name the suspect, said the jersey was part of a larger haul that was in the possession of a credentialed member of the press.
"Also retrieved during the ongoing investigation was the jersey Brady wore in the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015," the spokesperson said. "The items were found in the possession of a credentialed member of the international media. Due to the ongoing investigation, we would refer any additional questions to the FBI."
In a statement Monday, Brady said he was happy that the case had come to a resolution.
“I am happy my jerseys from SB 49 and SB 51 have been recovered, and I want to thank all of the law enforcement agencies involved," he said. "I know they worked hard on this case – and it is very much appreciated. Hopefully when I get the jerseys back I can make something very positive come from this experience."
Source-ABC
Soccer player in South Africa thanks wife, girlfriend in an interview
A soccer player in South Africa has become a viral sensation, but not for anything he did on the field.
Mohammed Anas of the Free State Stars is backtracking after a post game interview last Friday. The Independent reports that Anas was named "man of the match" after a game last Friday and in a post-game interview with South African television, he offered thanks for the honor.
"I appreciate my fans, also my wife and my girlfriend, I mean my wife," he said. "Sorry to say, I'm so sorry, my wife...I love you so much!"
After the interview went viral in South Africa, Anas was quick to backtrack telling the BBC that by "girlfriend" he meant his daughter.
"My family knows that I call my daughter my girlfriend," he told the BBC. "That's what I was talking about. I don't have a girlfriend."
The video of the interview quickly earned more than a quarter of a million views on YouTube, reports the BBC.
"I'm famous now," Anas told the BBC. "People around the world know me."
Source-BBC