Israel PM Netanyahu attacks Orange boss
Israel's Prime Minister has attacked the boss of the French telecom giant Orange for looking to pull out of a deal with an Israeli partner.
On Wednesday, Orange CEO Stephane Richard said he would back out of an agreement with Partner Communications.
Campaign groups say Partner is active in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Benjamin Netanyahu criticised what he called Mr Richard's "miserable statement".
Partner controls close to 28% of Israel's mobile market and while Orange has a licensing deal with Partner, allowing it to use the Orange brand name, it does not have a controlling stake in the company.
On 6 May, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), a Paris-based NGO, said: "Partner is building infrastructure on confiscated Palestinian land and offers services to settlers and the Israeli army."
Jewish settlements on occupied territory are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Neither Israel nor Partner commented on the FIDH report.
The BDS campaign group - that Israel says works to "delegitimise" the state of Israel - had also previously called on Orange to sever its ties with Partner.
At a conference in Cairo on Wednesday, Mr Richard said: "I am ready to abandon this [partnership] tomorrow morning but the point is that I want to secure the legal risk for the company.
"I want to terminate this, once again, but I don't want to expose Orange to a level of risk and of penalties that could be really sizable for the company."
Mr Richard said the decision was made because of Orange's ties to Arab countries. "I know that it is a sensitive issue here in Egypt, but not only in Egypt," he said.
"We want to be one of the trustful partners of all Arab countries."
Mr Richard did not directly cite allegations made by the FIDH and BDS groups.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, called for the French government - that has a 13.45% stake in Orange - to act.
"I call on the French government to distance itself publicly from the miserable statement and the miserable action of a company that is partially owned by the government of France," he said.
"Simultaneously, I call on our friends to say in a clear and loud voice that they object to any kind of boycott against the Jewish state."
The culture minister, Miri Regev, called for Mr Richard to be fired, and the deputy foreign minister, Tzippi Hotovely, in a letter, asked him to clarify his comments.
She said she wanted Mr Richard "to refrain from being party to the industry of lies which unfairly targets Israel".
Throughout Israel, Orange's signs were covered with Israeli flags on Thursday and the terms #BoycottOrange and #Orange trended on Twitter in Israel.
On Thursday, the French company sought to clarify its position, and said it "had not intended, in any way, to engage in a political debate".
A statement (in French) said that Orange no longer wanted to maintain licensing agreements in countries in which it was not the actual operator, and that this was the reason it was looking to withdraw from Israel.
Source-BBC
IMF asks US Federal Reserve to delay rate rise
In an unusual move, the International Monetary Fund urged the US central bank to delay any rise in interest rates until 2016.
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said the Federal Reserve should wait to see "more tangible signs of wage or price inflation".
The IMF believes that "pockets of vulnerability" in the US economy have emerged.
These could cause serious trouble for the wider economy, Ms Lagarde said.
"Deferring rate increases would provide valuable insurance against the risk of disinflation, policy reversal and ending back at zero policy rates," the IMF's report said.
And because of the global implications of a rate rise, communication from the Federal Reserve was vital, it added. The fund suggested monthly press conferences from the central bank. Currently they have six a year.
Many Washington watchers have predicted an interest rate rise this year.
But recent economic reports have been mixed, including data showing that the US economy shrank by an annualised 0.7% in the first quarter.
The IMF said this would "unavoidably pull down 2015 growth, which is now projected at 2.5%". For 2016, the forecast is for 3%.
That is still better than Wednesday's projection from the think-tank, the OECD, which cut its forecast to 2% for this year.
Ms Lagarde also said commented on the US dollar, saying the IMF believes it is moderately overvalued.
That marks a change compared with a previous assessment.
"Continued over appreciation is a potential risk and should not be discounted," she said.
On Greece, she said that she was "confident" that the Greek prime minister would keep his word when he had said "don't worry" about the next payment due on Friday.
The Hobbit first edition fetches £137,000 at auction
A first edition of JRR Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit, with an inscription in Elvish written by the author, had sold at auction in London for £137,000.
The sale smashes the previous record for a sale of The Hobbit, set in 2008 when a first edition sold for £60,000.
Tolkien gave the book to Katherine "Kitty" Kilbride, one of his students at Leeds University in the 1920s.
The Elvish verse is an extract from Tolkien's The Lost Road, part of his 12-volume History of Middle-earth.
The Hobbit introduced the character of Bilbo Baggins and the "one ring" that would feature again in his Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Sotheby's had expected the first edition to fetch up to £70,000 at Thursday's auction of children's books and illustrated works.
Source-BBC
Serena Williams reaches final despite illness
Serena Williams fought back to beat Timea Bacsinszky and reach the French Open final despite struggling with illness.
The top seed took 10 games in a row to win 4-6 6-3 6-0 and set up a final against Lucie Safarova on Saturday.
Williams, 33, has been unwell throughout the tournament and struggled as temperatures soared in Paris.
The American world number one is trying to win her third French Open and 20th Grand Slam singles title.
"I'm not sure how I did it," Williams said on court afterwards. "I just thought I didn't want to lose without a fight."
Earlier on Court Philippe Chatrier, 13th seed Safarova fought back to beat Serbia's Ana Ivanovic and become the first Czech woman to reach a Roland Garros final in 34 years.
Williams claimed her fourth victory in this tournament from a set down, something she has never managed before at a Grand Slam.
She looked down and out for the first set and a half against Bacsinszky, with the Swiss 23rd seed showing no nerves on her major semi-final debut.
Williams, meanwhile, wrapped herself in ice towels at the changeovers, shuffled slowly between points and looked close to breaking down at times.
Bacsinszky, 25, cracked a backhand return winner to go 3-2 up and served out the set, before moving a break up in the second after converting her sixth break point.
Sao Paulo keeper into club record books
Rogerio Ceni has become one of the top 10 all-time goalscorers for Brazilian club Sao Paulo - which is not bad for a goalkeeper.
The 42-year-old - a penalty and free-kick expert - scored his 128th goal to beat Santos 3-2 on Wednesday.
"Today, Ceni reached a difficult mark for any attacker," tweeted the club.
Liverpool's Mario Balotelli, Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor and West Ham's Andy Carroll are just three strikers yet to reach 128 goals.
Ceni got a taste for goalscoring as far back as 1997 but managed a staggering 21 goals in all competitions in 2005 - the same season in which he performed spectacularly as Sao Paulo beat Liverpool in the Club World Cup final.
He plundered 47 goals in three seasons between 2004 and 2007 and, during the spell, broke the record for the most goals ever scored by a goalkeeper.
Ceni, who was in Brazil's World Cup-winning squad of 2002, clearly loves setting records and his trophy cabinet is full - he also holds the greatest number of appearances for a single club, two Copa Libertadores titles and three Brazilian Serie A league wins.
Source-BBC
IRIS STUBBS STUDENTS TAKES A TOUR OF THE PROVO AIRPORT
Students of the South Caicos based Iris Stubbs Primary School have taken a behind-the-scenes tour of Providenciales International Airport on Friday, May 29th 2015. The students traveled by boat to Providenciales to spend the day at the airport and have lunch on island before returning home later that evening.
The tour group consisted of 16 bright and blooming minds from the third grade class and 3 teachers. The focus of the tour was to highlight all of the new additions to the terminal facility and develop the student’s knowledge of aviation.
The students were thrilled to view the Domestic and International Check in Areas, Domestic and International Arrivals and the highlight was the new International Departures area where the students were able to view planes from the outdoor Sky Lounge. Students were very keen on asking questions about the new luggage trolley system and even the new baggage wrap system that is now being offered in the Check-In Hall. The luggage wrap staff was kind and offered a demonstration for the students to see their new machine in action.
‘‘We are so grateful for the staff at Providenciales International Airport to take time out of their busy schedule to show generosity and for the very special opportunity for our students to see the airport up close and even see planes land.’’ said teacher, Tka Francis.
Lavern Reynolds of the TCIAA, commented; ‘‘My team and I take pride in offering tours of our newly renovated facility. It helps persons to experience what we work so hard to accomplish and they get to see some areas that they would never normally see as a passenger such as the Fire Hall and back of house operations areas.”
Airport tours such as this give the students a hands on grasp of aviation and an experience that they would never be able to get inside of a classroom.
China bets on strategic ties with the Caribbean
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says his country is “prepared to deepen its cooperation” with Latin America and the Caribbean “in order to mutually learn from each other and forge together a new path for the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Comprehensive Cooperation Association.”
In a keynote lecture here at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Li Keqiang said China is “prepared to join forces with Latin American and Caribbean countries to contribute in a small but meaningful way to the construction of our happy home and to work together for a more beautiful world.”
Li Keqiang said that the promotion of cooperation between China and the region, in terms of productive capacity, “will boost development in such a way that everyone wins,” according to ECLAC.
He proposed that both parties explore a new “3 x 3 cooperation model,” focused on the joint construction of the three major pathways of logistics, energy and information technology; the virtuous interaction between companies, society and government; and the broadening of three financing channels – funds, credits and insurance.
Li Keqiang urged China and the region to “intensify even more their international collaboration and strengthen their coordination to speak with a common voice on transcendent issues, such as the reform of the international financial structure, the negotiations for a new agreement on carbon emissions, the development of the post-2015 Development Agenda, as well as cyber security.”
In addition, the Chinese Premier reiterated the country’s commitment to keep boosting cultural exchanges between the two sides, as well as broaden cooperation to “maximize the results of the First Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum.”
According to ECLAC’s figures, between 2000 and 2014, bilateral trade between Latin America and the Caribbean and China expanded 22 times over.
China is now the second biggest trading partner of the region and the first of Chile and Brazil.
Source-CMC
St Vincent to use EU visa waiver to lobby Canada
St Vincent and the Grenadines will use the visa-free travel agreement it signed with the European Union last week to re-launch its lobby for the reinstatement of a similar privilege for Vincentian passport holders wishing to travel to Canada, Foreign Minister Camillo Gonsalves has said.
Canada imposed visa restrictions on St Vincent and the Grenadines in 2012.
“They made an erroneous claim that it was due, in some way, to the sanctity of our travel documents, the validity of our passport, and we fought that claim very vigorously,” Gonsalves said.
“And we pointed out, and they conceded, that it was due more to the fact that an inordinate number of Vincentians were applying for refugee status in Canada,” he added.
Gonsalves said that the Schengen visa waiver that island signed with the European Union last Thursday, “is a validation of our claim once again”.
He noted that the waiver allows visa-free access to 26 European nations, a population of 400 million people.
“… and they have done a full analysis of our passport structures, our security, our birth certificate and this decision to grant this status to St Vincent and the Grenadines and other countries in the region is an endorsement of the strength of our travel documents,” he said, adding that he has been instructed to point out this development to Ottawa.
“I have already been mandated by the Honourable Prime Minister to point this fact out to the Canadian Government, that the Schengen zone has deemed our passports certainly sufficient and has placed sufficient trust in the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines to afford them this privilege.”
Gonsalves said that St Vincent and the Grenadines recently signed visa-waiver agreements with Brazil and Uruguay.
“We are going to try, and we have made these heavy investments in our travel documents and in our security, to remove any doubt in the minds of other countries that we threat our travel document in a cavalier manner.
“And, the European decision, we believe, is an endorsement and a validation of the money we have spent and the effort we have put into securing our travel document and identity papers. And we will be pointing this out the Canadians, and, as we have been doing regularly, to respectfully request that the reconsider their decision,” he added.
Source-CMC
Government prepares to repatriate Dominicans of Haitian descent
Haiti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Lener Renauld says the Government is prepared to repatriate Dominicans of Haitian descent once the deadline to “regularize foreigners” expires.
Renauld presented a list of proposals during a recent meeting with officials from the Dominican Republic.
“Some criteria for deportations have been suggested to coordinate the reception of their citizens such as points and departure times. We are prepared to discuss what the Dominican Republic has done to defend human rights and defend immigrants, while enforcing our laws,” said Dominican Foreign Affairs Minister Andres Navarro.
In early May, the Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad held a meeting with Haitian officials about the reparation process of the deported and denationalised citizens, unable to regain their Dominican citizenship.
“Our situation worsens because although there is a law, because the people who’ve been able to get their card and certificate are a minority,” said Elena Lorac, who was born and raised in Dominican Republic to Haitian parents.
Last Monday, Lorac joined the Denationalized People’s Solidarity Committee to urge the Government to use “maximum restraint and precaution to prevent deporting those born in the country of undocumented foreign parents.”
The tentative deadline to register for the National Plan to Regularise Aliens is June 17.
Dominican Haitian advocates are working to extend the deadline to give more people time to apply for citizenship.
Overwhelming debut for Auntie Fannie book & Bradley Handfield
A thrill for the near 200 students at the launch of a new TCI children’s book the Adventures of Auntie Fannie, Mattie and the Talking Potatoes was held in downtown Provo.
Deputy Speaker for the House of Assembly, the Hon Josephine Connolly announced to everyone that they would get a copy of the book written by Bradley Handfield; and that she and her family would buy each child their own book.
Hon Connolly also bought books for Shining Stars and Best Institute schools. One dozen schools were represented a the book signing and launch this morning and also making generous donations were Hon Sean Astwood and his father, Louis Astwood to Enid Capron Primary in Five Cays; HLB’s Drexwell Seymour making a donation of 20 books among the schools he sponsored, Precious Treasures; Carolyn Musgrove who blessed three different organizations with books including Champions for Christ and Church of God of Prophecy in Blue Hills; Dervant Quant of Precious Memories who gave to the Wesley Methodist School; Hon Ruth Blackman who sponsored books for Iris Stubbs Primary in South Caicos and broadcaster, Damian Wilson who gave to his alma mater, Ona Glinton Primary in Grand Turk.
LIME purchased 30 for Oseta Jolly Primary School, Lewellyn Handfield of Lew 1 Shipping gave to Doris Robinson Primary in Middle Caicos; Ianthe Primary School in the Bight, Richmond Hills Preparatory both got donated copies and courtesy of the Assemblies of God Churches – The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, Community Christian Academy received a dozen copies.
D&B Auto was a sponsor; so too was Shanwell Gardiner of Accu Diagnostics who took care of his old school Adelaide Omeler Primary in Bottle Creek, North Caicos and the Premier Hon. Dr.Rufus Ewing also bought books, his purchases ensured children in Salt Cay and at Provo Primary can read the adventure of Auntie Fannie & Mattie by Bradley Handfield.
The event proved an overwhelming success in a season when more and more natives are clamoring for a stronger show of Turks and Caicos culture.
Source-MM