Australia Firefighters Battle Hot, Windy Conditions
Authorities warned residents in Australia's most populous state to flee their homes as firefighters battle dozens of wildfires in what are expected to be dangerously hot and windy conditions Wednesday.
Since late last week, the fires burning across the mountainous bushlands in New South Wales have destroyed more than 200 homes and damaged dozens of others. So far, one person has been killed.
Conditions are set to worsen Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius as winds gust up to 100 kilometers per hour.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said that although the conditions could be "as bad as it gets," so far the fires have not worsened.
"For every hour that we get through today without any outbreak, without any serious run of fire, that's an indication we've got every prospect of keeping fires that little bit further away from people, from homes and communities that might find themselves in the path of developing large fires," said Fitzsimmons.
Officials say 59 fires are burning in the state, 19 of which are out of control. In some cases, fire crews are merging the blazes in an attempt to make them more manageable and steer them away from more populated areas.
Many area schools and nursing homes have been closed and residents have been told to evacuate their homes before conditions get worse. Local media reports say that some residents have decided to leave.
The blazes, which have a massive perimeter of 1,600 kilometers, have been extraordinarily intense and early in an annual fire season that peaks during the southern hemisphere's summer, which begins in December.
Greek Parliament Defunds Neo-Nazi Party
Greek lawmakers voted late Tuesday for an indefinite suspension of state aid to political parties accused of criminal activities, in a move targeting the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party.
The measure was adopted by a 235-0 vote, when members of Golden Dawn walked out of the chamber after debate on the proposal.
The vote comes just weeks after five Golden Dawn parliamentarians and 10 other party members were arrested in the aftermath of the killing of a leftist musician.
The party's leader and at least two lawmakers remain jailed in pre-trial custody, facing charges of belonging to a criminal organization. Ten others have been stripped of prosecutorial immunity to face similar charges.
None of the party leadership has been charged with any direct connection to the September 18 killing of rap singer Pavlos Fissas, and the party claims the prosecution of its members is politically motivated. The attack has been blamed on a party volunteer, who faces murder charges.
The killing triggered protests in Athens by thousands of Greeks, and calls for an outright public ban on Golden Dawn, whose party emblem resembles a Nazi swastika.
But some analysts have called for restraint, citing similar scenarios elsewhere in Europe where far-right parties facing outright bans have simply vanished, before reappearing later under different names.
Founded in 1985, Golden Dawn entered parliament in June 2012 and currently has 18 deputies. Its popularity has surged ahead of last year's polls, as the Greek economy remained in shambles and the party mounted an anti-immigrant electoral campaign.
37 Boko Haram Militants Killed in Military Strikes
Nigeria's military says it killed 37 suspected Boko Haram militants in a ground and air attack that began late Monday on an encampment in a remote area of the country's embattled northeast.
A military spokesman said the assault occurred in Borno state. He said arms and ammunition were recovered at the site, and that several vehicles and motorcycles belonging to the Islamist group were destroyed.
The military strike came two days after witnesses said heavily armed Boko Haram fighters dressed as Nigerian soldiers ambushed and killed 19 people at a fake checkpoint in a nearby village near the Cameroon border. Witnesses and survivors told Western news agencies that most of the victims were hacked to death.
Boko Haram Islamists have been fighting since 2009 to impose a strict form of Islamic law in Nigeria's Muslim-majority north.
The militants have been blamed for thousands of deaths, and they continue to launch attacks in the region despite an all-out military offensive ordered by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in May.
Analysts say the government offensive has driven the militants deep into the countryside, where they appear to be regaining strength.
Pakistani PM Urges US to Stop Drone Strikes
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has reiterated his country's demand for an end to U.S. drone strikes inside Pakistan.
In an address at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington Tuesday, Mr. Sharif said he wants to see U.S.-Pakistan relations improve "but the issue of drones has become a major irritant in our bilateral relationship."
"The use of drones is not only a continual violation of our territorial integrity but also detrimental to our resolve and efforts at eliminating terrorism from our country.”
His comments came as the Britain-based rights group Amnesty International called on the U.S. to end the secrecy surrounding its drone campaign in Pakistan.
In a report released Tuesday, Amnesty said the U.S. "appears to have committed very serious" human rights violations that might even amount to war crimes.
White House Spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. strongly disagrees with claims that the drone strikes violate international law.
"U.S. counterterrorism operations are precise, they are lawful, and they are effective, and the United States does not take lethal strikes when we or our partners have the ability to capture individual terrorists."
Amnesty's report outlines 45 missile strikes by pilotless planes in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal territory from January 2012 to August 2013. It says in one case, a 68-year-old grandmother was killed while in a field picking vegetables. In another, it said, 18 laborers died by a drone strike as they prepared to eat their evening meal.
Pakistani leaders say they strongly oppose the drone strikes, but some critics believe the operations aimed at suspected al-Qaida and Taliban operatives are part of a secret agreement under which Pakistan tacitly approves the U.S. strikes.
Amnesty International is calling on the United States and Pakistan to publicly disclose all information possible about the strikes. The report says locals in the area where the drones strike live in constant fear of violence from all sides.
U.N. Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson has also called on the United States for more transparency. In preliminary findings last week, he quoted Pakistani officials as saying the drone attacks have killed at least 400 civilians.
U.S. authorities have offered little public information about the drone strikes but say they are carefully planned to avoid civilian casualties and have killed key al-Qaida operatives.
US Expanding Airport Security Checks
The New York Times reports the U.S. Transportation Security Administration is expanding its screening of airline passengers before they arrive at U.S. airports by searching what the newspaper calls a "wide array of government and private databases."
The Times says the goal, according to the TSA, is to streamline security procedures for passengers who pose no risk. But the paper says the measures increase the government's authority to use travelers' data for domestic airport screenings in a way that previously only applied to those entering the U.S. from elsewhere.
It says the screenings go beyond the background checks the TSA has conducted for years - comparing a passenger's name, gender and date of birth to terrorist watch lists. The Times reports the search now includes using a traveler's passport number and other identifiers to access a system of databases maintained by the Department of Homeland Security.
The paper says the databases the TSA uses can include records like car registrations and employment information.
But in an Internet blog post Tuesday, the agency denied it was expanding the type of information it uses for pre-screening, saying it is not using car registrations, employment information or "private databases."
But the TSA did not deny using government databases for the checks. And it said some passengers who have not signed up for the agency's pre-screening program, known as TSA PreCheck, are still getting the program's "expedited screening benefits." The agency said it is providing those benefits using each passenger's name, date of birth and gender, which it described as information travelers have provided for years.
Under the TSA PreCheck program, people can sign up for a background check and pay a small fee to receive expedited screening, allowing them to keep their shoes, belts and coats on and their laptops in their bags.
The TSA blog team says the goal of such programs is to improve passenger's traveling experiences, moving from a "one-size-fits-all" security approach to one that provides "a much larger part of the traveling population" the opportunity for "faster" security and "less hassle." The statement said the agency has "a very high bar" when it comes to protecting travelers' civil liberties.
But The New York Times said privacy groups it contacted expressed concern about the security agency's "widening reach."
The TSA was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, when al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four U.S. commercial airliners, flying two into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon, outside Washington. The fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
TCIG Announces Revised Procedures and Fees, for Visas, Permits
The Ministry for Border Control and Labour today Tuesday October 22, 2013 announced revised and new fees and procedures for several categories of Visas and Permits. Effective November 1, 2013 the following will apply:
Visas
The following provisions and fees shall now apply for:
· a single entry visitor’s visa -$150
· a one year multiple entry business visa - $500
· a student visa - $300
In addition a non-fundable application fee of $100 is now payable.
There is also now provision for:
· a seaman’s visa - $300
· and a person for a visa to attend a charitable, sporting or religious event -$25
All applicants must satisfy the Department of Immigration that they are genuine visitors, that they will not engage in an occupation and that they will leave the Islands at the end of the stipulated period.
Endorsement of Spouse and/or Child on Work Permits
· for a spouse - $500
· for each child - $500
Residence Permit for Spouse of a Turks and Caicos Islander (Belonger)
· for the spouse - $500
· for the endorsement of each child -$300
Temporary Work Permits
· For groups performing at commercial entertainment events - $250 per member
· For groups performing at religious, charitable or civic events - $25 processing feeing
· In all other cases the fee remains $700
Employed and Self Employed Work Permits
· To apply for an extension or renewal of a work permit by a self- employed person or employed person, regulations have been introduced to require that such applications must be made at least 30 days before the expiration of the existing permit.
· If the application is made after the expiry of the work permit, a penalty fee of $250 shall apply.
· Where a request is made for the processing of an application for a work permit within 7 days of making the application, a fee of $500 is payable.
Passports
· Passport fee for British Overseas Territory Citizens 75 years and older – Free
The following increase comes at a time as the Government orchestrates ways of generating revenue.
An American Airlines Boeing 757 had an emergency landing in Provo
RTC News has learnt that at 10:10am Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies, Providenciales Office, received a call from 911 informing the department that an American Airlines Boeing 757 from Port of Spain Trinidad, Trinidad enroute to Miami had requested clearance for an Emergency landing at the Providenciales International Airport with 175 souls on board including crew members.
The pilot reported a fire in the cockpit and that the left engine was smoking and dripping fuel. The aircraft had one hour and thirty minutes of fuel on board. The aircraft landed at the Providenciales airport at 10:23am.
The aircraft was towed from the original spot on the runway to the main terminal. All passenger and crew disembarked the aircraft at 11:15am.
RTC broke the story via twitter after the stand-down was given at 11:29am.
There were no injuries or fatalities reported to our news desk.
SHADOW MINISTER CALLS FOR TRADE POLICY
The Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade's response to questions I posed to him during the sitting of the last House of Assembly confirms my belief that our Country does not have a sound trade policy in place.
Based on my observation, it appears that our three major trading partners are The United States, The Bahamas and Panama. We import most of our goods from The United States, our fuel from The Bahamas and Panama supplies many of our larger retail stores with their resale products. Therefore, I must question the wisdom of using public funds to embark on a trade mission to a Country, according to the Minister, with which we do the least amount of trade.
Prioritizing where we direct our trade and investment efforts is imperative as the Government claims that there are minimum funds available. As the government tries to increase its revenue, it must abandon its strategy of taxation and really begin to focus on those elements that drive our economy.
Inward investment is only one of them - trade, manufacturing, relief and incentive packages for small businesses must become a part of the strategy. Therefore, I am calling on the Government to hasten its trade policy and its manufacturing policy. Also, a number of relief and incentive packages for small businesses should be created and rolled out before the end of the year.
Peoples Democratic Movement Position on the Attorney General
Within recent months, we in the Opposition have heard “rumblings” from within the governing Party suggesting that there is dissatisfaction with the Person of the Attorney General. What began as an inaudible rumble became clearer AFTER the Acting Attorney General followed through to confiscate the PNP Headquarters on the Airport Road.
Following the loss of their Headquarters, the Premier and Ministers cannot seem to separate their role as “GOVERNMENT” from that as leader and members of the PNP party. There is a clear distinction. The PNP find themselves in a fight with the Government over the loss of their Headquarters that was built illegally on Crown land.
There is NOT a joint campaign between the PDM and the PNP elected members to request or demand the recall of the Attorney General. The Premier has not defined or disclosed the grounds for the recall of the Attorney General to his own Party. This is evident from the email from former Leader of PNP Mr. Clayton Greene that made front page of the Turks and Caicos Sun newspaper. Based on an informal meeting with the Premier after he adjourned the House on Thursday, October 3rd, it became clear to us that the Premier has not thought this matter through based on his responses to The Leader of the Opposition AND experienced members of his own Party. His wish lacks a considered plan that will produce results.
We, in the PDM, are not persuaded by hype or emotions. We cannot and will not follow a drumbeat that is unclear in its message or direction. The Position of the Attorney General is a Constitutional position that is entrenched. There are provisions for the qualifications and appointment of a person to that office by FCO on behalf of HMG to serve at their pleasure. There are also grounds for the demitting of office of such a person in the Office of the Attorney. Not liking the Attorney General’s attitude is not grounds for his dismissal from office. We have our issues with him but we have to find the proper grounds for a request for his recall from Office. We have demonstrated in the House that we do not flinch in the face of the Attorney General when we feel he is acting out side of the rules.
As it stands, the grounds for objecting to the person of the Attorney General is known only to the Premier. Whether he is deliberate in his not wanting to tell us what the grounds are, or whether he is bound by convention to keep matters of Cabinet a secret, he has remained silent. At this time we are not undertaking any joint initiative with the PNP seeking to have the Attorney General removed. Released on Behalf of the Peoples' Democratic Movement
GSS to Address the Flooding of Roadways in Providenciales
The Ministry of Government Support Services (GSS) is working on measures that are expected to reduce flooding along the roadways in Providenciales.
In light of the recent heavy rains and subsequent flooding, Ministry Officials have reviewed the problem areas and historical records with a view to designing and implementing preventative measures in the affected areas.
The Ministry notes that there have been some recent improvements with the installation of a number of wells, but acknowledges that there is much more to be done to improve the situation.
A number of new and innovative ideas are under consideration and short term measures will be undertaken in house by the Public Works Department team. In addition, the Ministry recently concluded a competitive tender for consultant engineers in a project being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank.
The Project will; map the levels of risk with an analysis on risk reduction; identify and evaluate flood management options; undertake community vulnerability assessments; identify cost-effective drainage improvement measures; develop drainage policy and plans, as well as enhance the capacity of the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands to better manage flood hazards. The project will also assess the impact of projected sea level rises and other effects of climate change.
The Consultancy is expected to start within the next three months with the objective of developing a strategy and plan for Capacity Strengthening, Emergency Flood Response and Flood Risk Mitigation for the Turks and Caicos.