Jamaica, UK sign MOU to continue fight against illicit drug trade
Jamaica and the United Kingdom (UK) have intensified their fight against the transnational drug trade affecting both countries, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding of Cooperation.
Speaking at the signing at the Ministry of National Security’s head office on May 28, 2015, Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting said the “renewal of the MOU is yet another concrete demonstration of the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that continue to exist between Jamaica and the UK,” adding that “their assistance over the years has played an important role in the successes achieved by Jamaica’s law enforcement authorities.”
The MOU will be in effect for three years, and will allow for the sharing of information, and the provision of human resources and equipment by the UK, aimed at combating the illicit drug trade between both countries.
The Minister further emphasised that the signing of the MOU is meant to “send a strong signal to drug dealers, would-be-drug dealers and would-be traffickers that there will no free passage through our ports,” pointing out that since 2010 the police have arrested 1200 Jamaicans at ports of entry, including 1, 136 at the island’s international airports, most of whom were headed to the United Kingdom.
Notwithstanding these successes, Minister Bunting said drug trafficking continues to pose a major challenge, and highlighted that it is partnerships with countries such as the UK, that will help Jamaica to stem this problem effectively.
In his remarks, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, His Excellency David Fitton, said the UK is pleased to enter into another agreement with Jamaica, indicating that the success of the last MOU has led the UK to increase its technical and human resource capacity to assist Jamaica in combating the transnational drug trade.
Source-Jamaica Gleaner
Fiat Chrysler, Honda and BMW expand airbag recall
Three big carmakers have expanded recalls of vehicles with faulty airbags.
The move from Fiat Chrysler, Honda and BMW comes after Takata Corp, the Japanese airbag maker last week said the number of vehicles affected was 53 million globally.
Of that figure, 34 million are in the US, making it the country's largest ever recall of cars.
The faulty airbags, when exposed to too much moisture, can explode.
Regulators have linked the problem to six deaths worldwide, all in Honda vehicles.
Honda has called back about 690,000 cars in the US and Japan.
Since 2008, Honda has recalled about 20 million vehicles around the world with Takata air bag parts.
Fiat Chrysler announced an expansion of its recalls of vehicles with Takata air bags to about 5.22 million worldwide, involving models from 2003 to 2011. About 4.5 million of those vehicles are in the US.
Most of the vehicles have been involved in previous recalls and are from the 2003 to 2011 model years, the car maker said.
BMW in North America is recalling 20 models from 2002 to 2006 that contain Takata driver-side front air bags. Regulators said the air bag module will be replaced.
Source-BBC
Blatter warns of 'more bad news' for tainted FIFA
Beleaguered FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Thursday warned of "more bad news" for football's scandal tainted world body but rejected calls to resign over a widening corruption scandal.
Blatter -- who faces a reelection vote Friday -- opened FIFA's annual congress by saying he could not be blamed for the corruption controversy which even drew Russia's President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister David Cameron into the fray.
But after the arrest of seven top football officials at the FIFA hotel on Wednesday Blatter warned that the storm is not over.
"The next few months will not be easy for FIFA. I am sure more bad news will follow but it is necessary to begin to restore trust in our organisation," the 79-year-old said,
"We cannot allow the reputation of football and FIFA to be dragged through the mud any longer. It has to stop here," he added.
Blatter called the scandals "unprecedented" and said the "actions of individuals bring shame and humiliation on football and demand action and change from us all."
He spoke hours after a showdown with European football chief Michel Platini who called on Blatter to quit.
Platini said he confronted Blatter at an emergency meeting of the heads of the the six regional confederations.
The UEFA president said he was "sickened" and "disgusted" at the arrests and a raid by Swiss police on FIFA headquarters as part of a corruption inquiry into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.
The seven arrested in Zurich are among 14 people accused by US authorities of taking more than $150 million in bribes.
"Today I have come to ask you to quit FIFA, to resign from FIFA, to leave FIFA because its image is bad and we can no longer go on like this," Platini said he told Blatter in front of the other presidents.
Blatter only replied in a private conversation after. "He told me: 'Michel we know each other well, but it's too late. I cannot leave today when the Congress starts this afternoon."
Blatter is remaining defiant despite mounting pressure over the scandals.
Sponsors like credit card giant Visa said it would "reassess" its sponsorship if FIFA does not clean up the sport.
Unless FIFA rebuilds a corporate culture with "strong ethical practices" at its heart, "we have informed them that we will reassess our sponsorship," Visa said.
Coca-Cola, Adidas, McDonald's and Budweiser also spoke out against the corruption scandal.
Even International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said in front of Blatter that FIFA must change.
"I would very much like to encourage you to continue and strengthen your co-operation with the relevant authorities to shed full light on the concerned methods and to take all necessary measures to address such grave allegations," Bach told the FIFA opening ceremony.
Blatter has not been personally implicated in the scandals and Swiss authorities said there were no immediate plans to question him.
Source-AFP
Charges Bring 'Shame, Humiliation' on Sport
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said corruption scandals that rocked the world soccer organization have brought "shame and humiliation" on the sport.
"The next few months will not be easy for FIFA. I am sure more bad news will follow but it is necessary to begin to restore trust," Blatter said, speaking publicly for the first time since U.S. and Swiss officials unveiled major corruption investigations of the organization and seven high-ranking current and former FIFA officials were arrested Wednesday.
Blatter, 79, who spoke at the opening of the FIFA Congress in Zurich, said, "Actions of individuals, if proven, bring shame and humiliation and demand action and change from us all. We cannot allow the reputation of football and FIFA to be dragged through the mud any longer. It has to stop here and now."
"I know many people hold me ultimately responsible for the actions and reputation for the global football community," Blatter said, adding, "I cannot monitor everyone all of the time. If people want to do wrong, they will also try to hide it.
"But it must fall to me to be responsible for the reputation and well-being of our organization and to find a way forward to fix things," he said.
The president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), French football legend Michel Platini, spoke openly about the FIFA scandal and took issue with Blatter's refusal to resign.
"We went to his office and I renewed my advice to him to go and that he should resign," Platini said. "That he should realize the moment was not a good one and to have the courage, honesty and grandeur to realize that it wasn't good.”
According to Platini, Blatter refused, arguing that it was too late, since the electing congress was about to start.
The German Football Association (DFB) has also demanded Blatter's resignation, citing the credibility issue with him.
“It is time for a change, definitely, and that it is not a question of whether Blatter is guilty or not guilty,” DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach said. “It is time for change because we need FIFA as an institution with credibility and that is difficult, maybe impossible without a change at the top,” he added.
Blatter rejected their demands.
Also, sponsors are calling for football's governing body FIFA to make changes while its regional federations debate the future of its often-criticized leader.
Credit card company Visa made the strongest statement after the U.S. Justice Department unveiled an indictment Wednesday charging 14 people with offenses that include racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
Source-VOA
Time Warner Cable in $78.7bn takeover
Charter Communications has agreed to buy media giant Time Warner Cable in a cash and shares deal worth $78.7bn (£52bn).
The cash element is worth $55bn, with the rest covered by Charter shares.
The new company, which will also include Bright House networks, will be a broadband services and technology company serving 23.9 million customers in 41 states.
It aims to compete with US cable market leader Comcast.
Comcast, which has 27 million customers, owns NBCUniversal.
The deal comes a month after Comcast abandoned a plan to buy Time Warner Cable after heavy pressure from regulators.
US cable and internet companies are facing stiff competitive pressure and are trying to cut costs and attract new customers as users increasingly choose to stream viewing content on the internet at a time of their choosing.
Liberty Broadband is expected to own about 20% of the new company.
The deal values Time Warner Cable shares at $195.71.
In pre-market trading, Time Warner Cable's shares were up 11% at $190.5, while Charter Communications was up 3.2% at $181.
David Cameron says he won't 'cave in' on migration target
David Cameron says he will not give up on his immigration target despite net migration to the UK reaching its highest level for a decade.
Net migration rose by 50% to 318,000 last year - with sharp increases from inside and outside the EU.
A total of 641,000 people moved to the UK in 2014, the Office for National Statistics said.
But the PM said he would not "cave in" and abandon his target of reducing net migration below 100,000.
In a speech at the Home Office, he said the Liberal Democrats had held back Conservative attempts to reduce numbers during the last parliament and unveiled a string of measures aimed at curbing illegal working.
Central to these are new plans to seize the wages of illegal workers as proceeds of crime in an attempt to reduce the numbers.
However, the scale of the challenge facing ministers in reducing levels of legal immigration was highlighted again by a net migration rise the size of the population of Coventry.
The figures measure the difference between the numbers of people moving the UK for a year or more and those leaving the UK for a year or more.
They reveal:
641,000 people moved to the UK over the period, with 323,000 going the other way
284,000 people immigrated for work, a 70,000 increase
The number of Romanian and Bulgarians moving to the UK doubled to 46,000 in 2014
Employment of non-British EU nationals in the UK in January to March 2015 was 283,000 higher than the previous year
The Conservatives pledged before the 2010 election to reduce numbers to less than 100,000, a target they acknowledge they have failed to meet.
"There is no good news here for David Cameron," said BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith.
He said ministers were shifting the emphasis of the immigration debate away from numbers towards "blue collar concerns" like jobs, pay and housing.
Source-BBC
Syrian forces trapped civilians, UN says
The United Nations says it has received reports that Syrian forces in Palmyra prevented civilians from leaving, ahead of its fall to Islamic State militants.
The UN, though not present in Palmyra, cited "credible sources".
It said it was "deeply concerned" about the plight of civilians remaining in Palmyra, amid reports of summary executions.
IS has also overrun the World Heritage site adjacent to the modern city, raising concerns about its future.
The militants have previously demolished ancient sites that pre-date Islam.
UN cultural organisation Unesco says its destruction would be "an enormous loss to humanity", but no damage has been reported there yet.
IS has also taken control of a military airbase and a notorious prison near to Palmyra.
The fall of Palmyra comes just days after IS captured the major Iraqi city of Ramadi.
Source-BBC
US Congress Reviews Lessons Learned From Nepal Earthquake
U.S. Congressmen are looking at Nepal's recovery needs after the earthquake that claimed some 8,600 lives last month. Members of a foreign affairs subcommittee had high praise Wednesday for the U.S. government’s rapid response, but also looked at the challenges ahead for the people of Nepal and the international community.
Republican and Democratic members of the committee agreed the U.S. government response to the deadly earthquake April 25 made a significant difference, saving the lives of many in Nepal.
Despite those efforts and the efforts of others, though, panel chairman Matt Salmon, a Republican, said the crisis for Nepal is far from over.
“’Monsoon season is fast approaching. Large numbers of homeless people exposed to the elements during this time would be a dire enough problem in and of itself,” he said.
Salmon said the earthquake and after-quakes also hurt Nepal’s water supply and sanitation system, and will threaten the food supply if people are unable to plant crops.
State Department Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal was on the scene to assess how the United States can help.
“Last week I traveled to Nepal and witnessed first-hand the devastating losses suffered by the Nepalese people, but also the triumph of the human spirit, the resiliency of the affected communities and the courage and the commitment of the relief workers as they all came together to help Nepal to recover from this devastating earthquake,” said Biswal.
Biswal said the U.S. is currently providing large quantities of strong plastic sheeting to build temporary housing, as well as temporary schools and play areas.
Jonathan Stivers of the U.S. Agency for International Development said the U.S. is aware women and children are the most vulnerable.
“Prior to the earthquake, human trafficking was a prevalent problem. And the current disaster puts women and girls at great risk," said Stivers. "USAID is leveraging its anti-human trafficking program to respond to these heightened protection needs.”
The United States is the longest-standing development partner with Nepal, since 1951, and has provided $47 million to date in the wake of the April earthquake.
Source-VOANews
Trey Songz Joins 2015 St. Kitts Music Festival
Award-winning R&B artist and Hollywood film actor Trey Songz will be performing at the 19th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which will take place from Thursday, June 25 to Saturday, June 27, 2015. He joins Bounty Killer, Christopher Martin, Aswad, Roy Cape, T-Vice, Tono Rosario, Ricardo Drue, Kerwin DuBois, Patrice Roberts, Blaxx and Benjai, who will all be performers for the event.
This announcement was made by Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Mr. Lindsay F.P. Grant, who noted that he was thrilled to welcome Trey Songz to St. Kitts for the first time. “Trey Songz is a renowned R&B artist, with international appeal. Having him perform at the St. Kitts Music Festival will certainly reinforce the event’s reputation as a dynamic Caribbean music festival with exhilarating performances and an experience like no other.”
Born Tremaine Aldon Neverson, Trey Songz is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Having been consistently nominated for awards since making his debut on the musical scene, he won a BET Award for Best Male R&B artist 2010 and a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Artist, Male, 2010. That same year, he was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards and won a MuchMusic Video Award for MuchVibe Hip-Hop Video of the Year. He won a second Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Artist, Male, in 2014. In 2013, he appeared in feature roles in the films Texas Chainsaw 3D and Baggage Claim.
Trey Songz is best known for his hits Bottoms Up featuring Nicki Minaj, Say Aah featuring Fabolous, I Need a Girl, Gotta Go, I Invented Sex featuring Drake, Girl Tonite, Can’t Help but Wait, Gotta Make It and Heart Attack. His seventh studio album, Slow Motion, debuted earlier this year.
Now entering its 19th year, the St. Kitts Music Festival attracts both locals and visitors alike. It features a wide range of musical styles on the popular market, including R&B, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Gospel and Contemporary music. Past artists have included such prominent acts as John Legend, Lionel Richie, T-Pain, Michael Bolton, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, UB40’s Ali Campbell, Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Air Supply, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Shaggy, Kelly Rowland, Tessanne Chin, Toni Braxton, Beenie Man, The Commodores, Dionne Warwick, Billy Ocean, Sean Paul, Boyz II Men, King Konris, Stephen Marley, Regina Belle, Maxi Priest, Beres Hammond, Roberta Flack, Biggie Irie, Bunny Wailer and Lord Nelson.
Jamaican are on alert following the outbreak of mosquito-borne Zika virus
Jamaicans are being put on alert following an outbreak of another mosquito-borne illness, the Zika virus.
Following meetings at the World Health Assembly now taking place in Geneva, Switzerland and a warning issued by the Pan American Health Organization regarding an outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil and its potential to spread to other countries, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Kevin Harvey has urged citizens to take the necessary precautions to rid their surroundings of any place mosquitoes could breed.
The Zika virus, also known as ZIKV, is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same mosquito that transmits chikungunya and dengue.
Brazil confirmed its first cases of the Zika virus earlier this month.
“The Ministry of Health is taking this potential threat very seriously. I urge Jamaicans to do their part to prevent mosquito breeding and so help to reduce any possibility of the introduction of the Zika virus into the island. There is no specific vaccine or treatment for the virus and so personal responsibility is key,” Harvey said.
“The Aedes aegypti mosquito which spreads the Zika virus is generally found in and around places where people inhabit. Persons are urged to search for and destroy mosquito breeding sites by getting rid of old tyres and containers in which water can settle, punching holes in tins before disposing, and covering large drums, barrels and tanks holding water.”
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Marion Bullock-DuCasse told The Gleaner newspaper that all the necessary precautions were being taken.
“This is a virus that has never been detected in Jamaica before, and so we are taking all the necessary precautions. As with all new viruses, we will have a large number of the population that are susceptible or will become ill. The challenge is to ensure that if a case is detected, we do very rapid control measures, including urgent vector control, to ensure that we reduce the population of the mosquitoes that can spread the disease,” she said.