Tunisian Military Launches Air Strikes on Mountain-Based Militants
Tunisian forces launched air strikes and sent in troops Friday to surround suspected Islamist militants in the mountains near the Algerian border.
The military carried out the operation in the Chaambi area after fighting broke out Thursday. This is the same area where militants attacked and killed eight Tunisian solders earlier this week.
A military spokesman says it is targeting as many as 20 terrorist suspects.
Tunisia was the first Arab nation to overthrow an unpopular authoritarian government in the so-called "Arab Spring" in 2011.
But political turmoil and violence continues, including last week's assassination of opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi. The government blames al-Qaida-linked extremists for the killing.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
US Diplomat Says China Becoming More Repressive
A senior U.S. diplomat says human rights in China are deteriorating, accusing Beijing of harassing activists' families and repressing ethnic and religious minorities.
Uzra Zeya, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state, said Friday that talks this week with Chinese officials on human rights fell short of U.S. expectations.
Zeya led a U.S. delegation at a two-day U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue meeting in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming. Afterward, she told reporters that China is increasingly harassing and targeting family members and associates of activists.
She also said Beijing's policies in ethnic regions of Tibet and Muslim Uighur regions have become more repressive.
For its part, China -- which largely defines human rights in terms of improving living conditions for its 1.3 billion people -- has repeatedly rejected such U.S. criticisms.
In April, China accused the United States of violating human rights with U.S. military operations abroad. Beijing also accused the U.S. government of failing to protect its own citizens from gun violence.
The Chinese accusations were part of a report released in response to an annual U.S. critique of global human rights that was issued several days earlier.
Tense Standoff at Protests in Cairo
Tens of thousands of supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi marched through Cairo Friday to demand his reinstatement, even as the interim government threatens to break up their protest camps.
State TV reports Egyptian police are planning to block access to one of the camps in northern Cairo. Witnesses say Muslim Brotherhood supporters have set up sandbags and brick walls to stop police.
One Islamist leader told the crowd that Morsi supporters are ready to "shed their blood" to bring him back and protect Egypt's national security.
Interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei tells The Washington Post newspaper that Egyptian leaders want to avoid bloodshed, saying being harsh is no solution. He says the government wants talks with the Muslim Brotherhood.
But ElBaradei says Egypt is a country with a lot of anger and irrational feelings and that things have to cool down before there can be any dialogue.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has sent Deputy Secretary William Burns to Cairo. Kerry says Egypt needs to get back to what he calls a "new normal." He says the government must allow peaceful protests, but the demonstrators have a responsibility not to stop progress.
Nearly 200 people, mostly supporters of Mr. Morsi, have been killed since the Egyptian military toppled him on July 3. Morsi supporters demand his return to the presidency and the restoration of the Islamist-drafted constitution.
The country's interim government plans to hold a referendum within five months to ratify amendments to the constitution. Parliamentary elections would take place early next year, followed by a new presidential election.
US to Close Embassies August 4
The United States will close a number of its embassies and consulates around the world on Sunday for security reasons.
The chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, told CNN Friday an al-Qaida-linked terror threat prompted the State Department to close embassies in Middle East and Central Asian nations, including Egypt and Israel.
The State Department has not specified the type of threat the missions face but said the embassies and consulates instructed to close are ones normally open on Sundays. That would include embassies in the Muslim world, where the work week generally is from Sunday to Thursday.
Spokeswoman Marie Harf called the move a precautionary measure.
"The Department has been apprised of information that out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting our installations that indicates we should institute these precautionary steps. The department, when conditions warrant, takes steps like this to balance our continued operations with security and safety."
Officials said the closures could be extended after an evaluation.
GRAND TURK NATIVES WIN THE BODY SHOW TCI COMPETITIONS
Grand Turk natives Clay Seymour and Mauqueita Carter captured The Body Show’s contests over the weekend. The Body Show: Miss Body Beautiful & Mr Best Body TCI contests were a hit summer sensation with Carter capturing Miss Body Beautiful TCI 2013 and Seymour being sashed as the first Mr Best Body TCI at Brayton Hall in Provo, on Saturday July 27th.
Mauqueita Carter, a 22-year-old Fire Fighter stood out from her competitors with her presence, confident demeanor, dazzling smile, standout physique and charismatic stage presentation. No stranger to competition, Mauqueita won Little Miss Regatta 1997, Little Miss Summer Jam 1997 & 1998, Miss Regatta 2008, Miss Salt Cay 2008, and now Miss Body Beautiful TCI 2013.
The former track and field star said she came to Provo to take that crown back home, Grand Turk. Of her win, “I knew that I would be triumphant over the girls. I prepared well in advance, took the event seriously, took on board the advice and coaching provided, and went out on that stage with the knowledge that I am Miss Body Beautiful TCI 2013! And with my faith and the support of my family and close friends, I knew that crown was mine,” said a beaming Mauqueita.
Not only did Mauqueita, a mother of one - won the contest, but she was also successful at winning the ‘RTC Viewers Choice Award” (female) award with 286 votes, winning herself with an RTC plaque with her photo thereon and a spa treatment to Spa Sanay. What is more, owning to this, Radio Turks & Caicos (RTC) has invited bubbly Fire Fighter to do a forth-nightly show - live on air.
Clay Seymour holds the rank of First Dan Black Belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is also the owner of Aikido TCI, a martial arts teaching establishment that teaches the art and offers self-defense training. What is more, Seymour is professionally trained and qualified in the guest services sector of the hospitality industry as a supervisor in the Water Sports Department at the luxurious Seven Stars Resort on Grace Bay, Provo.
“Being the first of anything is great, and I’m happy, proud and honored that I am the first Mr Best Body TCI, said Clay. He went on to add: “I worked hard to achieve this goal; changing my diet, nutrition, upping my workout routine and being more regimented about the symmetry and tone of my physique. This was indeed a well deserved win, one that I will have to defend come next summer,” said the cycling enthusiast.
As part of the terms of The Body Show Miss Body Beautiful & Mr Best Body TCI contests, both contest winners are invited back to compete to retain their titles. This will give them the opportunity to further perfect their physique, fitness levels and stage presentation, as they will be competing against new persons vying for their titles.
Other winners of The Body Show included: Anya Panda-Pratt, First Runner’s Up – Miss Body Beautiful and Tory Deal, First Runner’s Up – Mr Best Body.
The Body Show saw the top two contestants in each division winning LIME advertisement campaigns, top of the line cellular phones with plans, along with consolation prizes. To cap that off, the winners of Miss Body Beautiful and Mr Best Body were each awarded USD$1,000 in Cash for a job well done!
The event was judged by a panel that included Alvin Parker, as Head Judge, former Director of Sports for the Turks & Caicos Government, now President of the South Caicos HOPE Foundation; Natasha Leybush, proprietor of Rock it Hot Fitness and a 25 year veteran of the fitness industry; Straudy Lightboune, a fitness advocate and Patient Administration Manager at both Interhealth Canada hospitals; and Joanne Missick, Corporate Account Manager with LIME (TCI) Limited, the event’s premier sponsor.
The ebullient Mrs Paula Arthur Rigby of ‘The Average Joe Show’ and the debonair Mr O’Brien Forbes, managing-director of Forbes Concierge, hosted the show which saw performances by Brentford Handfield, Levenia Hamilton, Cordero Cash, Donnicia Gardiner and Dreka Mayham.
2013’s The Body Show: Miss Body Beautiful & Mr Best Body was indeed a hit summer sensation and surely surpassed the hype and anticipation, giving the audience a lot more than they bargained for. The show returns next year, again at the end of July 2014 and will be another double header not be one to miss!
Prince Charles Says Prince George Will Be Called 'Georgie'
Prince Charles gave updates on his grandson Prince George as he visited the Whitstable Oyster Festival in Kent, England on Monday, July 29, with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. During the event, the first-time grandfather told locals that he liked the name George.
According to Prince Charles, George is a "very good name." However, he said that the little prince would be "known as Georgie in no time." Prince Charles' grandfather, King George VI, was called Georgie by his family.
Teacher Nicki Wray from Nottingham told Daily Mirror of her brief exchange with the prince, "I just caught his eye and said, 'congratulations grandad, you must be so pleased.' He said 'yes, we are, pleased as punch.' " Talking to other guests, Prince Charles said that his baby grandson was "very loud," but "wonderful."
Well-wishers showered Prince Charles and wife with gifts for Prince George. One of the presents was a yellow t-shirt with an oyster picture on the chest. Prince Charles and wife also received a red Welsh dragon toy.
Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince George on Monday, July 22 at the St. Mary's hospital in London. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge introduced their bundle of joy the next day as they left the hospital. More pictures of Prince George with his parents are expected to be released next week. The pictures probably will be taken in the Duchess family's house in Bucklebury, instead of Kensington Palace.
Selena looks Buju's way
American pop sensation Selena Gomez has sampled Buju Banton's 1995 hit song Champion for her latest single, Like a Champion.
The song is from Gomez' new album Stars Dance which was released this month.
The 21-year-old uses Banton's original lines, 'Walk like a champion/ talk like a champion/ ram-pa-pa-pam-pam' for her introduction and hook.
Banton, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence in the United States on drug-related charges, recorded Champion for producer Donovan Germain.
The song is from his seminal 1995 album 'Til Shiloh. Germain said he heard of the Gomez remix this week.
"I didn't hear about the track until Wednesday when someone sent me a YouTube link," he told Splash.
"All I can say is that it is a 'good look' for the industry. While we are busy trying to copy the pop stars, they are busy trying to copy reggae, a genre that some critics say is dying," he continued.
Germain says although he did not give permission for the song to be sampled, Universal Records, the company that owns publishing rights for 'Til Shiloh, has authority to do so.
This is not the first time that Champion has been sampled by an overseas act. In 1998, French hip-hop group Suprême NTM sampled it for their song Pose Ton Gun; that same year, American rapper Eve could not resist it on her Eve of Destruction; while British producer Sub Focus used it for Soundguy in 2004.
Gomez is among the most popular of the new wave American pop stars. She became a tabloid favourite through her romance with Canadian pop star Justin Bieber.
Her hit songs include Come and Get It and Love You Like a Love Song.
Source-Jamaica Observer
Beres, Flo Rida take Sumfest
BERES Hammond was in fine form at Reggae Sumfest's International Night I at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay, St James, on Friday night.
Taking the stage at 2:48 am to loud cheers, the veteran singer's spirited, hour-long set was well-received by the thousands of fans who recited the lyrics to his songs in appreciation.
Opening his set with Can't Stop A Man, Hammond took time out to recognise incarcerated artiste Buju Banton. He dedicated his performance to him.
Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, was convicted in the United States on drug charges and is serving a 10-year sentence.
Hammond told the audience that Banton's message to him was "lick off them socks" and that he did.
He had the crowd mesmerised as they gobbled up everything he could serve. His set, which included Putting Up Resistance, She Loves Me Now, Double Trouble, and Tempted To Touch, went down well.
American hip-hop artiste Flo Rida gave a memorable Sumfest debut performance.
The Good Feeling singer infused new energy into the crowd.
During his performance of Where My Girls At, he gave out roses to female patrons close to the stage and threw the remaining ones in the audience. He even invited a few on stage for Low.
He created a stir later when he sent those closest to the stage scurrying for cover, as he sprayed two well-shaken bottles of champagne on them.
His high-energy set also saw his guitarist being lifted in the air by his bodyguard while not missing a note.
The Hands in the Ayer artiste paid tribute to slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin before performing Cry. Martin -- a 17-year-old African/American was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a mixed-race Hispanic in February 2012. The American court recently acquitted Zimmerman of any charges.
"There's a Jah above that makes me do all things, that keeps me going," he said.
Veteran reggae singer Barrington Levy, whose performance preceded Flo Rida's, could also do no wrong.
"Long time mi nuh perform fi unno. Are you ready fi dis?" he said, before delivering Living Dangerously.
Levy made up for lost time as he dished out Prison Oval Rock, Unda Mi Sensi, I Was Born A Man, and 21 Girls Salute.
"We don't need no auto smoke, no dancers. We real like dat," he said.
He also used the opportunity to address the current state of dancehall.
"Nothing is wrong with dancehall. It's just the lyrical content. We need to be more original and stop the 'follow' 'ting," he said.
He then went over his 45-minute time allotment to deliver Too Experienced, Murderer, and Teach The Youths.
"I can't sing 10 albums in 45 minutes," he said.
The evening also saw great sets from Tarrus Riley as well as up-and-coming artistes Kiarah, Droop Lion, Sophia Squire, Nature and Iba Mahr.
Reggae singer Jah Cure brought the curtains down on what was an evening of delightful performances.
Source-Jamaica Obsever
The Wolverine claws to top
The Wolverine slashed monsters and minions to debut atop the weekend box office.
The Fox film featuring Hugh Jackman's sixth turn as the claw-wielding superhero opened with US$55 million in North America, according to studio estimates yesterday.
Taiwanese President to visit St Kitts/Nevis
President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Ma Ying-jeou will pay a two-day State visit St Kitts and Nevis as part of a Latin America and the Caribbean tour next month.
A statement from the Taiwanese embassy in St Kitts said that President Ma will arrive here on August 18 as part of his 12-day visit to allies in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Ko said the main purpose of the trip is to attend the inauguration of Paraguayan President-elect Horacio Cartes on August 15.
President Ma will also visit Haiti, St Lucia and St Vincent.