Kerry has Rare Meeting With Iran's Foreign Minister
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held a rare meeting Sunday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss issues concerning Tehran's controversial nuclear program.
A senior U.S. State Department official said Kerry reiterated to Zarif the importance of both sides negotiating in good faith and Iran abiding by its commitments under the Joint Plan of Action that came out of an international meeting in November. He also made clear that the United States will continue to enforce existing sanctions.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the Kerry and Zarif one-on-one meeting is "incredibly important" as the international community prepares for further comprehensive talks.
World powers are set to begin another round of negotiations with Iran in Vienna on February 18 in an effort to reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran about its nuclear program.
The U.S. has accused Iran of trying to build a nuclear bomb. Iran has insisted its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful civilian purposes.
Iran reached a landmark preliminary agreement with six world powers in November that at least temporarily brings a halt to Iran's controversial nuclear program and eases economic sanctions. The six-month pact agreed to in November gives negotiators time to design a more comprehensive solution to the decade-long standoff Tehran has had with the West over its nuclear program.
Afghan Presidential Campaign Kicks Off
Campaigning for Afghanistan's presidential election has begun.
The campaign for the successor to Hamid Karzai officially began Sunday for the April 5 poll. Karzai cannot run for a third term under Afghan law.
Analysts cite several strong presidential candidates: former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and the president's elder brother, Qayum Karzai.
The election kickoff comes a day after gunmen killed two of Abdullah's campaign workers in the western city of Herat.
Violence threatens the campaign as the Taliban has vowed to disrupt the poll.
The presidential vote will be a crucial test of whether Afghanistan can ensure a stable political transition as NATO combat forces ready their withdrawal after nearly 13 years of war.
Karzai had been expected to sign a bilateral security agreement late last year, which would allow about 10,000 U.S. troops to be deployed in the country after NATO withdraws by December.
However, the Afghan president refused to sign the deal, and has said his successor might now complete negotiations. The delay in signing the deal has strained relations between the U.S. and Afghanistan.
El Salvador, Costa Rica Vote for New Leaders
Voters are casting ballots in presidential elections in two Central American countries Sunday.
In El Salvador, Vice President Salvador Sanchez Ceren is struggling to keep the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front in power after only one term. The party is facing criticism that it has done little about the sluggish economy and rampant gang violence.
Norman Quijano, the ARENA candidate, is trailing closely behind Sanchez Ceren. The 67-year-old Quijano has been the mayor of San Salvador.
The two are likely to meet in a runoff, as a third candidate is far behind in public opinion polls to replace President Mauricio Funes. El Salvador elects a president for a single five-year term.
In Costa Rica, Johnny Araya, the ruling National Liberation Party's candidate, has sought to distance himself from the corruption allegations of President Laura Chinchilla's government.
Araya's main contender is Jose Maria Villalta, a congressman with the Broad Front Party.
Analysts say a runoff between the two is likely in Costa Rica, where a president is elected for a single four-year term.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
Protesters Disrupt Thailand Election
Although voting is under way in Thailand's tense national elections, anti-government protesters have forced the closure of hundreds of polling stations in the capital, Bangkok.
The main opposition Democrat Party is boycotting the elections, and protesters were reported to still be in the streets of Bangkok as polls opened Sunday. They have obstructed voting by blocking the distribution of ballots and preventing voters from entering polling stations.
Officials say voting is is proceeding unobstructed in other parts of the country.
Dozens of gunshots were reported Saturday in northern Bangkok, with several people wounded. The Bangkok Post reported that the Thai Elections Commission is keeping 158 polling stations in the Lak Si district closed Sunday and that voting there will take place at a later date.
Protests and violence erupted three months ago when the prime minister's ruling Pheu Thai party sought to grant amnesty to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr. Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup, remains very influential in Thailand, even though he was convicted of corruption and lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai.
Bangkok's urban middle class and royalist elite are opposed to the amnesty and have responded to its proposal with calls to oust the government.
Protesters say the vote should not be held before widespread reforms take place, while Prime Minister Yingluck insists the election is the only legitimate way to end the political stalemate.
The election commission had called for the vote to be delayed, citing fears of violence that has killed at least 10 people since November.
The Thai army has increased its presence in the capital to prevent further unrest during the elections and a state of emergency has already been declared.
The military, which has staged 18 coups in the past 81 years, has said it will not interfere in the political situation unless absolutely necessary.
DEPUTY SWORN IN AS ACTING GOVERNOR
His Excellency the Governor Peter Beckingham will represent the Turks and Caicos Islands at two regional events next week, 2-7 Feb 2014.
He will meet with his fellow UK Overseas Territories Governors from Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Montserrat and with officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at the British Consulate in Miami on Monday, 3 February.
From there he is heading to the Creating Climate Wealth Conference in the British Virgin Islands 4-6 February. This conference will examine the ways in which the reduction of carbon by organisations can be accelerated.
Deputy Governor the Hon Anya Williams has been sworn in as Acting Governor for the period of Mr Beckingham’s absence.
CABINET MEETING HELD IN THE CAPITAL ON WEDNESDAY
His Excellency the Governor, Peter Beckingham, chaired the meeting of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ (TCI) Cabinet on Wednesday, 29th January 2014 at 9am at the NJS Francis Building on Grand Turk.
All Ministers were present.
At this meeting Cabinet:
1. Approved, effective 1st April 2014, amendments to the Hotel and Restaurant Tax Ordinance to include independent tourism service providers (such as those offering water sports, diving, event management, boat trips, spa operations and so on.) The Ordinance will be renamed the Hotel and Tourism (Taxation) Ordinance;
2. Approved for public consultation a Tax Rationalisation Plan that has been developed as a result of the consolidated recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission. The consultation will seek to inform the public about the implications of the plan;
3. Approved the draft 2014/15 TCIG budget and directed that the annual appropriation Bill be prepared for consideration by the House of Assembly. In addition Cabinet approved the preparation of a supplementary appropriation Bill to make the necessary adjustments to the appropriated sums for the financial year 2013/14;
4. Approved in principle the long lease of 7.2 acres of Crown Land/Airport Authority Land located at the North side of Grand Turk aerodrome to Marina Aviation Services Ltd for the development of a Fixed Base Operation (FBO) and fire hall to accommodate the aerodrome and domestic fire services. A Memorandum of Understanding will be drafted to facilitate progress of negotiations and security of funds for the development ;
5. Approved amendments to the Dogs Control Ordinance to reflect a review of the Prohibited Breeds List and agreed that the Dogs Control (Amendment) Bill 2014 be introduced at an upcoming meeting of the House of Assembly;
6. Approved the membership of a Medical Tourism Steering Committee. The committee, established for a period of one year, will develop clear policies for the operation of medical tourism activities in the hospitals in Providenciales and Grand Turk;
7. Noted the recommendations of the Procurement Board on the award of the following contracts: Provision of RO plant equipment building on Salt Cay; design, supply and commissioning of RO plant on Salt Cay; well-drilling for Salt Cay water plant; sports track upgrade at Raymond Gardiner High School, North Caicos; purchase of Generator at Police HQ, Providenciales; appointment of consultants to develop a strategic plan for the TCI Tourism Industry; construction of a fish market on West Road, Grand Turk. All contracts were subject to open tendering in accordance with the Procurement Ordinance 2012.
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND HOME AFFAIRS RESPONDS TO RUMORS
In response to recent queries by RTC News about the recruitment practise at HM Prison, The Ministry of Environment and Home Affairs and Her Majesty’s Prison Service would like the general public to know the following:
The Ministry and TCIG work with the Human Resources Management Directorate to ensure that the hiring process is a fair one. Policy dictates that Turks and Caicos Islanders are given first preference in all situations however; individuals who do not meet core competency minimum standards or who fail a police records check are eliminated from the process.
Specifically as it relates to the recruitment of Prison Officers who are entrusted with the care and safety of others, TCIG must ensure that recruits satisfy not only the basic competency but also a level of ethical standards even as HM Prison strives to increase its recruitment of locals.
Our records show that most recent recruits have come from the local population. Since 2006 HM Prison has only recruited a teacher and a Superintendent from overseas. In 2013 another eight officers were hired, of which five were Belongers and three were expatriates married to Belongers. All other appointments made were Belongers and PRC holders.
The following gives a breakdown of the Prison Staff:
• · 40 members of staff are Turks and Caicos Islanders (Local)
• · 10 are Residency / Permanent Residency Holders
• · 15 are foreign nationals of which 13 were employed before 2007
It is the intention of the Ministry and HM Prison Service to continue to: 1) ensure that qualified Belongers are recruited into HM Prison and 2) work with TCIG and the Human Resource Management Directorate to build on the skills and experience of locals to help reduce the reliance on overseas skills and experience across the Public Service.
Departments of Environment and Agriculture leads TCI in Celebration of Wetlands Day 2014
This Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) and the Department of Agriculture will spearhead the commemoration of the 2014 World Wetlands Day, February 2, 2014. The international theme for the day is Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth.
World Wetlands Day marks the signing on the Convention on Wetlands that took place in the Iranian City of Ramsar in 1971 and is used to raise public awareness and appreciation of the significance of wetlands and their contributions to global ecosystems. Wetlands lie at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic habitats and are highly productive communities, providing homes, food and resources for an extensive assortment of species.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are made up of over 50 percent wetlands. The biological diversity found within these wetlands is irreplaceable. In the TCI, there are many types of wetlands; coastal estuaries, mangrove forests, seasonal freshwater ponds and marshes, salinas, pine, palmetto, and buttonwood swamps and salt marshes.
The following activities are scheduled in connection with the World Wetland and World Wildlife Day celebrations:
1) Poster making contest. Theme “Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth”.
2) Digital wildlife photo contest. Focus on endemic plants and animals in TCI.
3) Wetlands and wildlife display at the National Environment Centre (NEC). Endemic plants and animals will be featured.
4) Mangrove planting along Venetian Road, Providenciales – February 3, 2014
5) Bird monitoring in the wetlands (Jan. 14 – Feb. 3, 2013)
Awarding of prizes for the poster making contest and digital wildlife photo contest will be held during the Science Fair in March 2014. Last year, the digital bird photo contest was sponsored by Kite Provo and the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB), now known as BirdsCaribbean.
THE OPPOSITION ON THE RUMORED "PAYROLL TAX"
The People Democratic Party in a release to RTC News informed us there maybe new taxes on the horizon in the form of Payroll Tax.
The release reads:
"Recently, there has begun a public discourse on new taxes to be implemented by the government. Though it has not yet reached the House of Assembly, where it should be taken through the proper channels, we, the Official Opposition wish to address this as it has serious consequences, should there be any truth to the rumor.
We supported the appointment of the Blue Ribbon Commission but we are not in receipt of the final report. Hence, we cannot say whether this is raised in the report. It therefore follows that there has not been an opportunity to debate this in any Forum.
The FSPS required under the Constitution must make reference to the Government's proposed Taxes even before the Budget which must be laid on the Table 6 weeks before Debate and Passage in Parliament.
In opposing VAT, we called for greater compliance and a complete review of the revenue streams with great consultations on seeking new and steady streams of revenue. Aside from this, there must be an aggressive marketing of our country for tourism and investment in order to attract fresh capital. We cannot continue to tax a shrinking base. The Government cannot and should not come to the people of these islands with any additional taxes until it shows where it is addressing the astronomical cost of healthcare. I am sure there are savings to be made, as well as better management to put in place that will provide oversight of the healthcare system. It is simply bleeding this country. The Government must ensure that the audits are done so that we can identify areas of waste.
The Opposition cannot stand in Parliament and support another tax on the people of these islands.
When I began in my profession to market TCI, I was given four points that gave us a competitive edge - the absence of payroll or income tax was one such marketing tool that presented an edge. We need to listen to the cries of the people and also to see what we are doing to our marketing strategy as a country that is in dire need of fresh revenue through new investments.
I will wait to hear that this rumor is dispelled and I will wait to hear the Government address the unaffordable costs of this new healthcare system. I continue to eagerly await its aggressive plan to market these Islands".
RTC News has not heard of proposed introduction to this tax nor was this on the Order paper to be discussed in the House of Assembly, but will put forth these questions to the Premier of the Turks & Caicos on Monday February 3rd,2014.
Google poised to execute long-delayed stock split
Google is finally ready to split its stock for the first time, more than three years after co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin began discussing a move engineered to ensure they remain in control of the Internet's most powerful company.
The split is scheduled to occur April 2. It had been delayed because of staunch resistance from other Google shareholders, who feared the maneuver would unfairly benefit Page and Brin at the expense of just about everyone else.
Google proposed the unorthodox split so that Page and Brin could preserve power in the company they started in a rented garage more than 15 years ago. It addresses concerns that the founders would lose control of Google as the company creates more shares to compensate its employees and buy startups.
To gain clearance for the split, Google settled a shareholders lawsuit and agreed to pay up to US$7.5 billion if the split doesn't pan out the way the Mountain View, California, company envisions.
Google's split will create a new class of "C" stock that carries no voting power. One share of C stock will be distributed for each share of voting Class A stock owned as of March 27. Initially, the value of the current stock will be divided equally between the two types of shares. But they will then trade separately with different ticker symbols. Class C shares will get the company's existing "GOOG" ticker symbol, while Class A will change to "GOOGL."
If the split hadn't been delayed by a legal skirmish, Google's stock probably wouldn't have exceeded US$1,000 for the first time last fall.
Page and Brin primarily own Google's Class B stock, which already gives them 10 times the voting power of each Class A share. Combined, the Google founders control 56 per cent of the shareholder votes, even though they own less than 15 per cent of the stock issued.
Nonetheless, the voting clout of Page and Brin has been gradually shrinking, as Google has used Class A stock to reward employees and finance some of its acquisitions during the past decade.
Distributing a new class of non-voting stock will enable Google to continue doling out shares to its nearly 44,000 workers without further undermining the co-founders' power.
As with any stock split, the division will lower Google's trading price on the Nasdaq Stock Market as investors account for a big increase in shares. The company will be distributing about 277 million shares of Class C stock, based on how many Class A shares had been issued as of late last year.
If Google's shares behave similarly to other two-for-one splits, the stock's price would be cut roughly in half from its current level of more than US$1,100. Google's market value would remain roughly the same at about US$380 billion because it will have nearly double the number of shares issued.
But some shareholders suspect the non-voting status of the Class C stock will cause those shares to trade at a significant discount to the Class A stock once the new stock is issued. The concerns led to a class-action lawsuit in Delaware chancery court filed shortly after Google announced its plans for the split in April 2012.
Google delayed the stock split until the lawsuit was resolved. A trial was averted after Google hammered out a settlement. Court approval came three months ago.
Google will have to pay the Class C shareholders if the average price of their stock is at least one per cent below the Class A shares during the first year after the split. The size of the payments will escalate as the gap widens, with the maximum payout required if the gap between the average prices of the Class C and Class A shares is five per cent or more.
In the most expensive scenario for Google, Class C stockholders will get five per cent of the average trading price of the Class A shares. So if the Class A stock has an average trading price of US$600 during the first year after the split while the Class C stock averages US$565, Google would have to pay US$30 per share in cash or additional stock.
In court documents, Google argued that it's unlikely there will be a big difference between the prices of the Class A and Class C shares, despite their contrasting voting powers.
Source- BBC