PDM DEPUTY LEADER AND FIVES CAYS MP BRINGS CRITICAL HOUSE MOTION
PRIVATE MEMBER’S MOTION NO. /2014
Moved By Hon Representative for Five Cays
Seconded By Hon Leader of the Opposition
WHEREAS there are a number of young persons born to foreign nationals who have been resident in these Islands all of their lives;
AND WHEREAS the Turks and Caicos Government has invested in their education at primary and secondary level which many have completed;
AND WHEREAS these young persons do not have any form of legal TCI status;
AND WHEREAS many are finding it difficult to obtain employment due to the fact that they are unable to obtain a work permit or permanent resident certificate;
AND WHEREAS this is an urgent matter that we had hoped by now would have been discussed and debated in the new Immigration Bill and FURTHER that we are not certain that it is included in the Bill;
AND WHEREAS many of these young people regard TCI as their home and will like to be fully assimilated;
BE IT RESOLVED that this Honorable House advise and recommend to the Government that a special category and special conditions be established and be required to be met in a policy and law to address these young people as a matter of urgency.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Agrees to Renounce Power
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has agreed to renounce power, telling the Iraqi people he will give up his post to his replacement, moderate Shi'ite Haider al-Abadi.
Appearing on state television late Thursday flanked by Abadi and other Shi'ite politicians, Maliki said he was withdrawing his candidacy in favor of Abadi in order to "ease the movement of the political process and the formation of the new government."
Maliki had faced enormous pressure at home and abroad to step aside, dropping his bid for a third term as prime minister of Iraq and ending a legal challenge to Abadi’s nomination by Iraqi President Fouad Massoum, which took place on Monday.
The White House praised the development, saying Maliki's backing of nominee Abadi marks "another major step forward in uniting the country." National Security Adviser Susan Rice noted statements of global support for Abadi, a member of Maliki’s Shi’ite Islamist Dawa party.
Maliki had been struggling for weeks to stay on as prime minister amid an attempt by opponents to push him out. They have accused him of monopolizing power and pursuing a narrowly pro-Shi'ite agenda that has alienated Iraq's Sunni and Kurdish minorities.
The Maliki resignation comes just three days after he took to the airwaves to announce he would not accept the Abadi nomination. Maliki and his backers argued that he was entitled to the nomination for a third term by law because his political bloc is the largest in parliament.
Western governments and Iran, along with Iraq's Sunni and Kurdish parliamentary factions, have for days urged Maliki to resign.
Source-VOA
Luis Suarez ban upheld, but he's allowed to train
Luis Suarez's four-month ban for biting an opponent has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
But the Uruguay striker, 27, can now train and play in friendly matches, with new club Barcelona confirming: "He will join the first team's training session, scheduled for Friday.
"The public presentation of Suarez as a new Barcelona player will be held on Monday at the Camp Nou."
It is not known if he will play in Monday's game with Mexico's Club Leon.
A full explanation of the Cas ruling, which still prevents him from playing "organised" matches but now allows him to take part in all "football-related activities", will be published at a later date.
Coca-Cola buys 16.7% stake in Monster Beverage
US drinks giant Coca-Cola has bought a 16.7% stake in Monster Beverage in a cash deal, as it looks for growth away from fizzy drinks.
In the $2.15bn (£1.3bn) deal, Coca-Cola will transfer its worldwide energy business to Monster.
In exchange, Monster will transfer its non-energy business, which includes Peace Tea and Hansen's Natural Sodas, to Coca-Cola.
The deal gives Monster access to Coca-Cola's global distribution system.
For Coca-Cola, the partnership will give it the opportunity to increase its market share in the fast-growing energy drinks market.
In a statement, Muhtar Kent, chairman at Coca-Cola said: "The Coca-Cola Company continues to identify innovative approaches to partnerships that enable us to stay at the forefront of consumer trends in the beverage industry."
Mr Kent added that "investment in Monster is a capital efficient way to bolster our participation in the fast-growing and attractive global energy drinks category".
Also in the same statement, Monster chairman Rodney C. Sacks said the deal gives the company "enhanced access to the Coca-Cola Company's distribution system, the most powerful and extensive system in the world. At the same time, we become The Coca-Cola Company's exclusive energy play".
The deal is subject to regulatory approvals, and both companies hope the transaction will close by early next year.
Monster shares surged 22% in after-hours trading on the news, while Coca-Cola shares rose 1.2%.
Coca-Cola is the world's largest beverage company, with more than 500 brands to its name, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Minute Maid.
Source-BBC
Magistrate Insists Vybz Kartel Conspiracy Trial to Start October 29
A magistrate today insisted that the conspiracy trial of popular entertainers Vybz Kartel and Gaza Slim will start on October 29, after failed efforts to do so this week.
Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer and Gaza Slim, whose given name is Vanessa Saddler, are charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Andre Henry, alias 'Pim Pim’ is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The trial was initially scheduled to start on Monday in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court but could not because of the late serving of documents and unsettled legal representation for Henry.
Today when the case came before Resident Magistrate Simone Wolfe-Reece a new mention date of August 29 was set.
She insisted that the trial will start in the week of October 29.
The magistrate has given Henry until that time to settle his legal representation.
This after Peter Champagnie, withdrew as his lawyer.
Meanwhile, both Henry and Saddler had their bail extended, while Kartel, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams, was further remanded.
It is alleged that Kartel and Gaza Slim were part of a plot to undermine the police’s investigation into Williams’ death.
Gaza Slim allegedly turned up at the police station to report that the deceased Clive 'Lizard' Williams had robbed her, in a move to side-track the police who were investigating his murder at the time.
Source-Jamaica Gleaner
Warrant issued for former Haiti president Aristide accused of corruption
An investigating judge has issued an arrest warrant for former president Jean Bertrand Aristide after he failed to comply with a summons to appear at the magistrate’s office.
Aristide was due to appear before Judge Lamarre Belizaire to answer charges relating to acts of corruption, money laundering, misappropriation of public funds, criminal conspiracy, among other accusations.
Aristide and several of his former colleagues have been accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars from the State through his organisation, Aristide for Democracy Foundation and other organisations.
“The judge was at his office waiting for Mr. Aristide to appear, he never saw him, while other allies of the former President have been commenting about the content of the warrant on the air, which means, they are in possession of the document,” an official at the Judicial palace told the Port au Prince based Haitian Caribbean News Network (HCNN).
Aristide, a former Roman Catholic priest, and his colleagues including Mirlande Liberus, Yvon Neptune, Jean Nesty Lucien and Gustave Faubert, have also been banned from leaving the country.
Judge Belizaire has refused to comment on the case for “legal and ethical reasons”.
According to Associated Press (AP), Supporters of Aristide clashed with U.N. peacekeepers yesterday as the popular former leader faced possible arrest for not providing court-ordered testimony in a criminal investigation.
About 150 Haitians had erected barricades of stones and burning tires outside Aristide’s home in Port-au-Prince to prevent any attempt to arrest him, keeping traffic at bay along the busy street largely without incident much of the day.
But some demonstrators pelted an SUV carrying U.N. personnel with stones, forcing the occupants to flee into a nearby home. They were subsequently rescued by peacekeeping troops, who then cleared the protesters and their barricades using tear gas and armored vehicles.
The source of the tension was a summons issued by investigating magistrate Lamarre Belizaire for testimony from Aristide, whose ouster in February 2004 amid a violent rebellion triggered the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force that has been in the country ever since.
Belizaire issued the summons ordering Aristide to appear in court Wednesday. A copy of the order obtained by The Associated Press says the case involves allegations of laundering drug money but does not provide details.
Aristide lawyer Mario Joseph said the former president never received the summons at his home, where he has largely lived a secluded life behind high walls since he returned in March 2011 from exile in South Africa. The lawyer showed up at the court at the appointed time after hearing media reports about the hearing and brought a letter explaining why the summons should not be considered properly served.
The judge himself did not show up at the hearing and he could not be reached for comment. Under Haitian law, the judge could issue an order requiring police to take Aristide into custody for questioning, but it was not known whether he did so.
Joseph said he had been unable to reach the judge to clarify the situation. The lawyer said the summons was not properly served on the former president and thus he could not be legally taken into custody as a result.
Aristide remains a polarizing figure in Haiti. He is popular among a large segment of the population and his supporters allege that the criminal investigation is part of a campaign to keep the party that he founded, Fanmi Lavalas, from trying to build support ahead of legislative elections expected by the end of the year.
“The judge is a political judge,” Joseph said. “He is an opponent of Fanmi Lavalas. All this is an act to block Fanmi Lavalas from taking part in the election.”
Source-CMC
OECS exports to US in June show slight increase
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) exported goods and services totaling US$8.4 million to the United states during the month of June, according to figures released by the US Census Bureau.
The figures showed that St. Kitts-Nevis led the way among the nine-member sub-regional grouping with exports totaling US$4.7 million, compared to US$4.2 million for the corresponding period last year.
St. Lucia was the only other OECS country to surpass the one million dollar mark in exports, with revenue of US$1.3 million as against US$1.2 million in 2013.
St. Kitts-Nevis is also leading the way in exports to the United States during the first six months of the year, with revenue pegged at US$29.9 million compared to US$27.4 million last year.
Most of the OECS countries registered slight increases in export revenue with the US Census Bureau indicating that St .Lucia receiving US$11 million compared with US$7.9 million last year. Grenada was the enxt OECS countries with improved exports to the United states, registering a figure of US$6.8 million as against US$5.9 million for the corresponding period last year.
St. Kitts and Nevis exports mainly electrical and industrial equipment to the United States.
Source-Caribbean Media Corporation
Margaritaville surpasses sales target in TCI
Margaritaville Turks & Caicos (TCI) surpassed its US$6-million revenue target for its financial year.
Growth in sales helped boost the tourist attractions earnings to over US$720,000, which was 21 per cent higher than the year before.
The restaurant caters mainly to cruise ship tourists who seek a bar experience in the Caribbean island while visiting.
Ian Dear, who controls the Caribbean franchise for Margaritaville, previously told the Jamaica Observer that revenues were expected to rise from US$4.5 million last year to US$6 million in 2014. That projection was based on Carnival Corporation plans to increase the number of cruise passengers it carried to the island from 750,000 to one million annually.
Grand Turk is a relatively new cruise destination, which experienced five per cent annual average growth over the last three years.
Margaritaville raised US$2 million ($216 million) from its initial public offering (IPO) in Jamaica in April. It became the second US dollar equity listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange following Proven Investments.
Part proceeds of the IPO is supposed to finance construction of a new bar and grill at the existing location. The premises comprise approximately 16,000 square feet, including a thatched roof restaurant that can seat 500 customers.
The TCI location employs a mix of local and Jamaican staff since it began operations in 2006.
It joins a chain of regional restaurants within the Margaritaville Caribbean Group of companies.
In 2001, the group joined forces with US entertainer Jimmy Buffett and became the Caribbean franchise holder for the Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurant concept.
The Caribbean franchise has eight operations spread across Jamaica, Turks and Cayman. The company is eyeing four more territories in the Caribbean, starting with the island of St Thomas.
Source-JO
Clippers have new owner
Steve Ballmer officially became the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers today for a record $2 billion.
The team said the sale closed after a California court confirmed the authority of Shelly Sterling, on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust, to sell the franchise to the former Microsoft CEO. Her estranged husband, Donald Sterling, had unsuccessfully fought the sale of the team he owned since 1981 in court.
The NBA Board of Governors had previously approved the sale.
“Really excited – in a pretty hardcore way – to continue the path to making the Clippers a better and better basketball team, and a better and better citizen of the Los Angeles community,” Ballmer told The Associated Pressin a phone interview.
Adam Streisand, Ballmer’s attorney, said today that Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas signed the order authorising the sale even if Donald Sterling’s attorneys filed an appeal.
Source-AP
“We were ready,” Streisand said. “Within minutes, the deal was signed, sealed and delivered.”
He said even if Donald Sterling seeks an emergency order directing the judge to vacate his order, the attorney is confident an appellate court would agree that Levanas made the correct decision.
Donald Sterling’s attorneys weren’t immediately available to comment.
The sale ends some troubling concerns that had surrounded the team in recent months.
Doc Rivers would possibly have quit as coach if Sterling remained the owner, interim CEO Richard Parsons had testified. All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who also is president of the Players Association, might have sat out and convinced other players to join him. Sponsors who already started to flee after a recording of Donald Sterling making racist comments was released might have stayed away for good.
None of that appears to be a problem with Ballmer taking over what could be a powerhouse team next season. By agreeing to the record purchase price, he’s already proven he’s willing to spend in contrast to the famously frugal Sterling.
“The topic of conversation with Doc earlier was to focus in on what does it take and how can I help support him in achieving our mutual mission and in a pretty intense way continue to improve, be tenacious,” Ballmer said. “If we do all that, good things will come our way.”
Ballmer was nearly an NBA owner last year before owners chose to keep the Kings in Sacramento, rather than allow them to be sold to a group that included Ballmer and moved to Seattle.
Now he’s got his own team to share with his wife and three sons.
“We're a family that likes basketball,” he told the AP.
Ballmer said he fell in love with the sport as a seventh-grader in his hometown of Detroit. He was manager of his high school team, which included keeping statistics.
Two of his sons have played the game, while the youngest has been a statistician for his high school team in the Seattle area, where the family lives.
Ballmer said he hopes to attend a lot of Clippers games next season. He said Parsons has agreed to stay on as CEO for the interim.
“That gives me a chance to figure this all out," he said.
The transaction ends Donald Sterling’s run as the longest-tenured owner in the NBA after 33 years. After buying the Clippers in 1981, he moved the franchise from San Diego to Los Angeles three years later.
The 80-year-old real estate mogul has been in probate court fighting his wife’s proposed deal to sell. At issue was whether Donald Sterling killed the deal by revoking the trust after his wife removed him as a trustee. Shelly Sterling acted after doctors found Donald had symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
The drama began in April when the recording surfaced of Donald Sterling dressing down his girlfriend for bringing black men to Clippers games. The audio spurred the NBA to ban Sterling for life and fine him $2.5 million.
His wife of 58 years then took control of a family trust and negotiated the $2 billion sale of the team to Ballmer. Shelly Sterling said she was initially given her husband’s blessing to sell the team and he praised the deal she reached.
Celine Dion cancels tour
Celine Dion has cleared her calendar of all performances, saying she needs to focus on her health, her husband’s health and raising their three young children.
The superstar vocalist is cancelling shows that were slated through March 22, 2015, including a tour of Asia planned for the fall and regular shows atThe Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Dion’s husband, Rene Angelil, had a cancerous tumour removed in December, and she said in a statement today that the struggle with the disease has taken a toll on her family.
Show organisers say the singer also has not recovered from an illness that has inflamed her throat muscles and prevented performances in Las Vegas since July 29.
Fans who bought tickets for future shows are eligible for refunds.
Source- AP