CARICOM's Chair met in Martinique for CARICOM Discussions on Climate Issues
Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie (centre) met French President Francois Hollande (left), and addressed a meeting on climate change on Saturday morning, May 9, in Martinique in his capacity as CARICOM Chair.
The meeting comprised discussions with the French President to advance the policy position of CARICOM on climate change, ahead of the “Paris 2015” 21st Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change scheduled for Paris during November and December of this year, which will seek a new international agreement on climate.
CARIBBEAN-FRANCE REGIONAL SUMMIT ON PREPARATION AND MOBILISATION FOR THE 21ST SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)
OPENING Remarks BY Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie Prime Minister of The Bahamas and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM
Salutations
It is my pleasure to address the opening session and participate in this Regional Summit on Climate Change.
Mr President, I am in the pleasurable position of being able to welcome you on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to the Region even as you are in France.
Let me thank our hosts here in Martinique for the excellent arrangements they have put in place on this beautiful island to create an atmosphere conducive to productive discussions.
Mr President
Small island developing states have championed the phrase “1.5 to Stay Alive”! On the basis of scientific evidence many have called for a reduction in the level of greenhouse gases so that mean global temperatures will not to exceed 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
The evidence of the impact of climate change in our region is evident.
Grenada saw a three hundred percent loss of GDP as a result of one storm! We see on average across CARICOM a 2-5% loss of growth in the region due to the responses to hurricanes and tropical processes which occur annually.
For The Bahamas which has eighty percent of its land mass within one meter of mean sea level, climate change is an existential threat to our land mass. Indeed that is the story across the region.
Mr President France will serve as the President of the Conference of The Parties (COP21) when it convenes in Paris in the winter.
Today’s gathering is a good idea. We have met with your counterparts from the United States and China. We found a strong commitment on their part to a successful outcome in Paris. This meeting also deepens relations between France and the Caribbean.
Mr President
The Caribbean Community reiterates to you as the incoming President of COP 21, the urgent need to close the gap between the mitigation pledges by major emitters and the level of effort required to decrease the global average temperature.
Any Paris outcome must include the following essential elements:
clarity on ambitious targets for developed countries, including a long-term goal for significant emission reductions by these countries;
clarity on the adaptation measures and resources required to facilitate and enhance the sustainable development plans and programmes in small developing countries and thereby significantly reduce the level of poverty in our developing countries;
clarity on measures and mechanisms to address the development challenges associated with climate change, sea level rise and loss and damage for small islands and low-lying coastal developing states
clarity on how the financial and technological support both for mitigation and adaptation will be generated and disbursed to small developing countries.
Further it must be recognised that the existing widespread practice of using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita as the primary basis for access to resources, simply does not address the reality of the vulnerability of our countries.
We take particular note of the agreements with the Green Climate Fund in line with meeting the pledge of securing US$100 billion per year by 2020.
In seeking to find ways to live up to the financial obligations, we stress however that the most vulnerable countries must not be penalized through tax systems which would further impact our services based economies. The particular references to taxing international maritime and air transport we find particularly troubling.
I invite to you to continue to give this climate change issue and the wider financial issues the highest priority and to lend your nation’s considerable international clout, and the personal prestige of your office and its clout to conclude a satisfactory and binding agreement in Paris in the fall. History will not judge us kindly if we fail.
As a result of the impacts of climate change, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre which spearheads the technical work for CARICOM on this issue estimates the cost of global inaction in the sub-region to be approximately US$ 10.7 billion per year by 2025 and that this figure could double by 2050.
Mr President we through you, urge Parties that have made pledges towards the initial capitalization of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to enter into their contribution agreements with the GCF as soon as possible and scale up their contributions in line with the pledge for US$100 billion per year by 2020.
For the region, climate change magnifies the growing concerns regarding food security, water scarcity, energy security and the resource requirements for protection from natural disaster.
Another significant threat is linked to the projected impact of climate change on public health, through an increase in the presence of vectors of tropical diseases, such as malaria and dengue, and the prevalence of respiratory illnesses.
These diseases will affect the well-being and productivity of the workforce of the sub-region and compromise the economic growth, competitiveness and development potential of the Caribbean Community. Heat Stress is also an issue Mr President that France can identify with as a result of the unprecedented heat wave which had an enormous adverse social, economic and environmental effect such as the death of thousands of vulnerable elderly people across Europe in 2003.
Mr. President the region is not fully able to adapt to or mitigate the loss and damages associated with climate change induced processes.
Our situation is rendered especially urgent in the face of information that ocean acidification, sea surface temperatures and sea levels are already rising. These processes particularly sea-level rise will therefore irreversibly change the geography and ecology of many coastal states and territories. It has been projected that responding to these factors can have particularly disastrous consequences causing a perpetual recession in each of the CARICOM Member States for a significant period as our infrastructure, built environment, settlements and economic well-being are concentrated in coastal areas prone to flooding and inundation.
The region’s challenge associated with the on-going Climate Change negotiations is that even if the goal to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2°C is achieved, the Caribbean will experience severe adverse impacts for which stronger programmes of adaptation would have to be implemented.
We most strongly advance the view that in this current situation the global architecture on Climate Change needs to be redesigned to also facilitate and promote the development of developing countries. As a Region of small developing countries, regional policy makers have generally acknowledged the significant role of multilateralism. On that basis the Region is prepared to work for and is optimistic that, at the COP21, the appropriate actions would be taken to establish a new framework for global cooperation on Climate Change. At the very least, such a framework should address the basic requirements for the survival of the Small Island and Low-Lying Coastal Developing States (SIDS).
The ongoing collaboration between one of our Member States, Dominica and France to advance a project in the area of geothermal energy can be replicated. The application of French technology to our natural assets could form the basis for growth of a renewable energy sector in the region. This would bolster our energy security, cut the high energy costs and assist in the global battle against greenhouse gas emissions.
The Bahamas does not have the benefit of geothermal capacity, but we have advanced a National Energy Policy that calls for a minimum of 30% of our energy generation comprising renewable energy by 2033. We have passed legislation this year making grid-tie connection for solar and wind legal. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Carbon War Room which will allow for 20 mega-watts of utility scale solar power throughout our archipelago of islands.
We have also launched a net billing programme for residential and commercial customers, which if maximized will allow an additional 25 mega –watts of solar and /or wind being connected to our grids. Storage technology for solar is critically important to us. The application of French technology in this area would benefit Caribbean countries like The Bahamas and Bermuda.
Mr President, France can be a vibrant development partner to our Community. Such a development would be most welcome, even more so if spurred by a sector that benefits the global family as much as it does our region.
It is my hope that this day will be the one that history will record as the new beginning of a strengthened relationship between France and the Caribbean.
France's Hollande Begins Historic Visit to Cuba
French President Francois Hollande arrived in Cuba late Sunday night, becoming the first French head of state to visit the communist nation.
"I arrive here in Cuba this evening with a lot of excitement," Hollande said after he was greeted at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport by Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra and other high-ranking Cuban officials. He plans to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro Monday upon the Cuban leader's return from Italy, which included a visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Hollande is the first Western leader to visit Cuba since Castro and President Barack Obama announced last December that they would seek to end more than five decades of Cold War-related bitterness. But, unlike the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba, Paris and Havana have long-established financial ties, with two-way trade worth nearly $400 million.
Hollande's stopover in Cuba is the last stop on a five-nation tour of the Caribbean.
Source-VOA
Caribbean economic growth expected to decline again
Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to decline for a fifth consecutive year, dipping below one percent in 2015, the IMF said in its latest regional forecast.
The IMF’s recently released Regional Economic Outlook for the Western Hemisphere projects growth in Latin America and the Caribbean at 0.9 percent in 2015, down from 1.3 percent last year.
Near-term prospects remain fairly dim for South America, with output contractions projected in three of the largest economies for 2015—Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela—while only Chile and Peru would see a pick-up in growth.
In contrast, growth is projected to be steady in Central America and the Caribbean, and strengthen in Mexico, thanks to lower oil bills for importers and robust economic recovery in the United States.
For 2016, growth in the region is expected to make a modest recovery to two percent.
The IMF said Central America’s economies are expected to benefit from the current external environment, particularly from the U.S. recovery. Growth in 2015 is projected at a solid 4.25 percent, close to last year’s number.
Economic recovery is also expected to continue in the Caribbean, although external, fiscal, and financial vulnerabilities remain high in several economies. In the tourism-dependent Caribbean, growth is projected to improve to two percent, in 2015.
The IMF called on policymakers in the region to ensure sound public finances, especially since downside risks to growth remain prominent. Financial sector vulnerabilities will also need to be monitored carefully given that weaker earnings, tighter funding conditions, and a stronger U.S. dollar are testing borrowers’ resilience.
A key priority for governments is to tackle long-standing structural problems to raise investment, productivity, and potential growth. Improvements in business environments, infrastructure, and education will help to foster more diversified, resilient, and prosperous economies.
Airstrikes Continue in Yemen Ahead of Cease-fire
Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition continued airstrikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen Monday, a day before a humanitarian cease-fire is due to go into effect.
The jets bombed the Saada region near the Saudi border, as well as Taiz in southwestern Yemen and the oil-producing Marib province in the east.
Saudi and U.S. officials announced the cease-fire proposal last week to allow badly needed food, fuel and medicine to reach civilians in Yemen. The Houthis said Sunday they had accepted the plan, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Morocco's military said Monday it was investigating what happened to one of its F-16 jets that disappeared while taking part in the Saudi-led air campaign.
In a statement carried by the state media, the military said the jet was last seen Sunday evening and that a pilot from another jet in the same squadron did not see the pilot eject.
Source-VOA
The Chancellor Urges More Russian Action to Halt Ukraine Fighting
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Russia Sunday to do more to urge pro-Russian separatists to abide by a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and end fighting with Kyiv's forces.
"Unfortunately we still do not have a cease-fire today," the German leader said after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. She was in Moscow to pay tribute to Russian troops killed in World War Two, the only prominent European leader to visit over the weekend to mark the 70th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany.
Merkel said that in Ukraine there have been "a lot of violations (of the cease-fire) on the part of the separatists." She called Moscow's annexation last year of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula a "severe setback" to German-Russian relations and described it as "a violation of the basis of the common peaceful order of Europe."
Putin said Kyiv's forces were as much to blame for violations of the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine as the separatists. But he said, "Despite all the problems in eastern Ukraine it has become calmer."
The Russian leader said Russia would "bring to bear all the influence we have" on the separatists to end the fighting, which has now extended more than a year and killed more than 6,100 people.
Earlier this month, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk urged Russia to fulfill its commitments under the Minsk agreement, which calls for a political solution to the conflict in Ukraine and a de-escalation of military involvement.
The Minsk agreement calls for the withdrawal of all heavy weapons and foreign fighters from eastern Ukraine, the release of all prisoners in Russian custody, and allowing Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe election monitors to begin preparations for local elections.
Source-VOA
Typhoon Noul levels Coastal Areas in the Philippines
Heavy rains and strong winds flattened houses on coastal areas as typhoon Noul crashed into the northeastern tip of the Philippines, killing two people and prompting more than 3,000 residents to move to shelters.
The typhoon weakened slightly after hitting land, with winds of 160 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 195 kilometers per hour as of Monday. It is expected to move north at 19 kilometers per hour and head to southern Japan by Tuesday, the weather bureau said.
British-based Tropical Storm Risk downgraded Noul on Monday to a category four typhoon from category five.
Noul made landfall on Sunday in the rice- and corn-producing province of Cagayan about 400 kilometers north of the capital, Manila, toppling trees and cutting power in wide areas of the province. It is now hovering 185 kilometers north of the town of Aparri in Cagayan.
"The typhoon has moved away, but our problem so far is how to fix what was destroyed. The small houses of our poor townmates in coastal areas were badly hit," Darwin Tobias, mayor of Santa Ana town in Cagayan, said in a radio interview.
The national disaster agency said two men died from electrocution as they were strapping down a tin roof on a house during the height of the typhoon in Aparri.
More than 3,400 residents from Cagayan and Isabela provinces were moved to evacuation centers in schools, gymnasiums and town halls before the typhoon, officials said.
Tobias said some residents from his town started returning to their homes early on Monday when the rains stopped. Despite the destruction wrought by Noul, it also brought much needed rains to rice and corn farms that had been hit by intense summer heat.
"The rains brought by Dodong (local name of Noul) helped our farmers greatly," said James Geronimo, public information officer of Isabela, the country's top corn producer and the second biggest rice-growing province.
An average of 20 typhoons cross the Philippines annually, with the storms becoming fiercer in recent years. More than 8,000 people died or went missing and about a million were made homeless by Haiyan, another category 5 typhoon that struck the central Philippines in 2013, bringing 5-meter high storm surges.
Source-VOA
Beyonce Signs Three Aspiring Singers for $1.5M
Beyonce Knowles has signed three aspiring singers to her Parkwood Entertainment company. According to the New York Post, the diva offered sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey, 17 and 15 years old respectively, a $1 million recording deal after her manager found their viral cover of "Pretty Hurts" on YouTube.
The 33-year-old songbird has requested approval of the deals from a Manhattan judge because the girls are minors. The Bailey sisters' contract covers up to six albums over five years, with Beyonce taking 15 percent of their gross earnings.
"We cannot think of a better person to help guide the girls," the girls' father Douglas said in court documents, adding that his daughters "worship" the former Destiny's Child member.
Another lucky young star Bey has signed to her Parkwood Entertainment is Sophie Beem, a 14-year-old girl from New York. Finishing in the top 40 on "The X Factor (US)" in 2012, she's inked a $560,000 deal.
Source-AceShowbiz
Sam Smith Cancels More Tour Dates
Sam Smith has axed more dates on his tour because of his illness. After canceling a handful of Australian shows last week due to a hemorrhage on his vocal chords, the British singer wrote in an Instagram post sent out on Monday, April 5 that concerts scheduled to take place in Japan and the Philippines wouldn't be happening either.
In the post, he also told his fans that he's seeking treatment in the U.S. "Very upset about Japan and Manilla dates. I've just left Australia and I'm on my way to the states to see a specialist to see what to do from there... This is f**king horrid," he said, captioning a photo of him sitting against a view of the sea.
When announcing the cancellation of his Australian tour last Tuesday, Smith said that he made the decision on doctor's orders to prevent his condition from getting worse. "The doctors have told me I need to fully rest until my vocal chords have healed otherwise this could become a long-term issue," he explained in an Instagram post before adding in another post the affected shows had all been rescheduled for December.
A few days later, he took to the photo-sharing site again to assure fans he was okay. "I am insanely relaxed and am somewhere in the middle of Australia with no phone, no laptop and I haven't spoken a word in three days," he wrote.
"Trying my absolute best to be back on my feet and singing for next week. So amazing to have this time to turn off, but it does make me realize how much I love what I do, and how much I miss you all when I'm not on stage," he added.
Mariah Carey Added to Line-Up of Performers for 2015 Billboard Music Awards
Mariah Carey is another name announced as a performer for the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. Between her shows at Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, the diva will be taking the BMA stage at the MGM Grand on May 17.
This will be Carey's first time to appear at the annual event in 17 years. She joins previously-announced performers including Britney Spears, Iggy Azalea, Ed Sheeran, Meghan Trainor, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Wiz Khalifa and Sam Smith.
Carey's residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace starts on May 6 and will run through July 26. "#1 to Infinity", a compilation album to accompany her shows, is coming out on May 18 via Epic Records.
The set includes her 18 singles that have all hit No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100. There'll also be an original song called "Infinity" which was debuted last month and has been rumored to be a diss aimed at her soon-to-be-ex-husband Nick Cannon.
However, the 45-year-old songbird has explained that it's actually a song about "loving yourself first." She recently told EXTRA, "There's a section of the song where it's like a chant - 'You're leaving, you're leaving, you're out the door infinity loving me more and more' - meaning you have to love yourself first, it can't be all about somebody else's thing or their issues, it has to be you and then you can deal with the rest of the things in your life."
Source-AceShowbiz
Manny Pacquiao and Promoters Hit With $5 Million-Plus Lawsuit
Manny Pacquiao is hit with $5 million-plus consumer fraud lawsuit filed by two watchers of May 2 fight between the Filipino boxer against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. The plaintiffs also name the event's promoters that included Top Rank, the boxer's adviser Michael Koncz, promoter Robert Arum and Todd Duboef in the suit.
The plaintiffs, Stephane Vanel and Kami Rahbaran, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, May 5 in U.S. District Court in Nevada. In the lawsuit, they claim that the defendants didn't disclose shoulder injury suffered by the boxer in a pre-fight questionnaire on May 1.
"Upon information and belief Pacquiao and other(s) assisting him checked 'No' on the NAC (Nevada Athletic Commission) questionnaire, which asked if he had a shoulder injury," so the suit reads. It is also mentioned in the lawsuit that "all members of the class relied upon the misrepresentations and the non-disclosures in purchasing tickets; purchasing pay per view showings; and in making wagers on the event."
Vanel and Rahbaran now are seeking for $5 million in the name of "potentially hundreds of thousands of ticket purchasers; pay per view purchasers and persons who wagered on the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight... which were victimized by Defendants' failure to disclose and to cover up the injuries of Defendant Pacquiao."
Nevada authorities are now investigating the case. It is said that Pacquiao has been scheduled to have shoulder surgery some time this week to decide whether the claim is valid or not. If the claim is proven to be true, the defendants can be hit with perjury charges or other legal issues.
"Disclosure is a big thing for us, and honesty," Cisco Aguilar, the NAC chairman, said of the claim. "The commission at some point will have to discuss (Pacquiao's medical questionnaire). I've got to run through the process with the (Nevada) Attorney General (Adam Laxalt). But they do sign that document under the penalty of perjury."
Source-AceShowbiz