Brazil doctors' council backs abortion reform
As the Senate in Brazil debates reform of abortion laws, the body that regulates medical practice has for the first time backed the legalisation of abortion on request.
The Federal Council of Medicine called for the legalisation of terminations during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Currently, it is allowed only in cases of rape, abnormal brain development or when the mother's life is at risk.
But wider availability of abortion is opposed by the Roman Catholic church.
Nearly a quarter of a million women a year seek treatment in hospitals after undergoing unsafe procedures, the doctors' council said.
"It's important to highlight that it's not been decided that the (27 regional) Councils of Medicine are favourable to abortion, instead it's the autonomy of women and doctors," the president of the FCM, Roberto Luiz D'Avila, wrote on the statement.
'Violence and death'
Brazilian senators are currently looking into a proposal put together by lawyers and specialists to change the existing criminal code.
The amendment would add other cases in which terminations would not be considered a crime:
- On request up to 12 weeks into the pregnancy
- In cases of foetal anomalies that would make life impossible after birth
- When the pregnancy is the result of insemination or in-vitro fertilisation without consent.
The reforms, however, are meeting strong opposition in the country, especially from the Roman Catholic church.
"What we consider serious in this context is the 'educational', or rather, the 'diseducational' power that an important body such as the Federal Council of Medicine has - the power to create mentalities," Bishop Joao Carlos Petrini, from the powerful National Conference of Bishops, told newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.
The doctors' council endorsement only strengthens a "mentality that favours violence and death", he added.
The Brazilian senators recently postponed a deadline to present their findings on the controversial reform.
Abortions are illegal in most cases in the majority of Latin American countries, with the exception of Uruguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guyana and French Guyana.
-BBC
Police issues warning to all Liquor licenced businesses for Bi-Elections 2013
The Police have been charged with the responsibility of maintaining Law and Order at today’s Bi-Election.
Officers from Division “B” will be posted at all Polling Stations in the Cheshire Hall & Richmond Hills constituency. The public are requested to stick to the rules at the polling stations and to follow any instructions given by the police or the Presiding Officers so that the process runs smoothly.
No bars or liquor stores in the Cheshire Hall & Richmond Hills constituency will be open. Restaurants in the area will not serve any alcoholic beverages during polling hours which are from 7am to 7pm.
The laws state “No intoxicating liquor to be sold, offered or given in any premises on polling day during polling hours, or at any political meeting prior to or during polling.” Please visit the police web site at www.tcipolice.tc or www.facebook.com/RTCIPF for further information.
HE and Cabinet developments
His Excellency Governor Ric Todd chaired the meeting of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ (TCI) Cabinet on Wednesday 20 March 2013 at the House of Assembly Building on Grand Turk.
At this meeting Cabinet:
- Welcomed a presentation by the OECD Global Forum Peer Review Team who are visiting to review TCI’s legislation, processes and capacity to exchange tax information effectively with international partners. The team complimented TCI on the progress it had made in this area since 2011 and noted their positive impressions of the current situation. The team’s report will be finalised by the end of the year. Cabinet underlined TCI’s commitment to meet high standards and fulfil all its international obligations in this area. Cabinet confirmed that it would respond promptly and appropriately to any recommendations from the Team;
- Agreed that the Governor would sign into effect regulations to increase accommodation tax from 11% to 12% with effect from 1 July 2013; and that the draft legislation allowing for increases in stamp duty agreed by Cabinet on 13 March would be laid before the House of Assembly at its next sitting; and that, if House approval was given, the appropriate regulations to implement these increases would be signed by the Governor to give the increase effect from 1 July 2013;
- Recommended that the Governor appoint Mr Hartley Coalbrooke to the NIB as Deputy Chairman as a Government representative;
- Accepted a proposal from the Minister of Finance that there be a moratorium for one year on the issue of all gaming licenses while the Government undertook a review of the operation of the gaming industry on TCI and the legislation and regulation in force;
- Discussed a report containing proposals on reform of the regulatory framework of the electricity sector on TCI and agreed these proposals, particularly with regard to transparency, renewable energy, rate of return and power cost adjustment. Cabinet asked the Energy and Utilities Commissioner to continue work on this subject, including consideration of possible legislative changes, and to report back to Cabinet after further discussion with the industry in 6 to 8 weeks time;
- Considered a proposal to extend NHIB coverage to persons unemployed for more than 90 days and to returning unemployed graduates. It agreed to take a decision on this at its next meeting when it had seen and reviewed information on the costs and affordability of the proposal;
- Discussed the use of the TCI National Stadium and Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Centre for non – sporting purposes. It agreed that it was important that these multi-purpose facilities should continue to be used for a wide range of purposes, both to serve the community and to raise revenue, but that further attention should be given to improving planning and scheduling of bookings;
- Agreed to reinstate the 10% pay cut for staff of the Community College with effect from 1 April 2013, with the additional resources required found from elsewhere in its proposed budget for 2013/14 and/or from increased revenue raised by the Community College;
- Agreed to issue tenders for the provision of bus transportation for schoolchildren on Providenciales and North and Middle Caicos;
- Considered a revised FSPS, including revised estimates for recurrent revenue, and asked the Ministry of Finance to complete work on it as soon as possible. Meanwhile it noted that budget preparations should continue with a view to the 2013/14 budget being finalised and approved by the first quarter of next financial year.
- Agreed that the Acting AG would submit to the House of Assembly draft legislation on bearer bonds and consequential amendments to legislation following the appointment of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Cabinet will meet next on Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Gov Ric Todd tells Gordon Butch Stewart he regards Beaches as an important element of the Economy
The Jamaica Observer newspaper has carried an article about an interview it conducted with His Excellency Damian Ric Todd in which he praises the Jamaican-owned Beaches Resort which is part of Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart’s Sandals Resorts International.
Governor Todd told the paper he had always said, whether in public or private conversations with Mr. Stewart that he regarded Beaches as an import element of the Economy because it is the TCI’s biggest single resort. He said it probably brought in a third of the air arrivals to Providenciales and therefore a major contributor to airlift, which brought profitability to both airlines and other businesses.
In a conversation with Mr. Stewart, Governor Todd said he told him it was important that Beaches understands that it has a set of corporate and social responsibilities in the TCI. Governor Todd said he believes Beaches took this very seriously – wanting to be a good employer contributing to the development of society.
He also said they have to pay attention to the things the people of the TCI are worried about – such as developing employment opportunities in the short, medium and long term.
Gov Todd told the Observer that Beaches has plans to expand operations in the TCI and that TCIG is happy to support the Group in their development plans, subject to the protocols of planning and associated matters.
Illegal Haitian Immigrants Intercepted, to be Repatriated
The Ministry of Border Control and Labour and the RTCI Police Force have sent out a message in the strongest possible term that it will not tolerate any illegal migrants breaking the laws of the TCI as they relate to illegal entry into the country.
At approximately 5:00am, on Tuesday March 19, 2013, a boat carrying 115 Haitians was detected by the TCI Coastal Radar Station. It was subsequently intercepted by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands (RTCI) Police Marine Branch, south of Providenciales.
The passengers - comprising 86 males 29 females, including two minors -were attempting to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands illegally and without regard for immigration laws or regulations.
The Ministry of Border Control and Labour and the RTCI Police Force are keen on sending a strong message of zero tolerance to any individual(s) attempting to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands illegally. In that regard, any of the passengers identified as repeat offenders, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Likewise, anyone proven to be in any way involved in the facilitation of this type of human trafficking, is liable on summary conviction, to a fine of $15,000 or to a term of imprisonment of three years or both fine and imprisonment, in accordance with Section 69 (2) of the Immigration Ordinance.
It is the commitment of the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands to maintain protection of its borders and to unequivocally demonstrate the resolve to ensure that safe haven will not be afforded to those who attempt to circumvent normal immigration procedures.
The Ministry of Border Control and Labour says arrangements for repatriation of the individuals in question are at an advanced stage and are expected to be completed by the end of this week.
Children were among the 116 illegal Haitian immigrants who were intercepted in Provo Tuesday
Two (2) minors were reportedly among the 116 illegal Haitian immigrants who were intercepted by the Marine branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force on Tuesday 19th March in the territorial waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The vessel was intercepted in the area early the morning.
Here’s Damen Bovie with more on this story.
Officials at the Coastal Radar Station in Providenciales told RTC News that the Haitian sloop was tracked by one of its employees during the early hours of this morning and a report made to the Marine branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, who apprehended the vessel with the illegal immigrants on board. They were handed over to immigration for processing and subsequently detained at the Detention Centre on South Dock Road in Providenciales, where they await repatriation.
The two minors, having been assessed by the Human Rights Commission and the Red Cross, were placed in the Provo Children’s Home.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross would be happy to receive items of clothing, toiletries or any such donation to add to their collection, in order to be able to render any such humanitarian assistance that may be needed.
This is Damen Bovie for RTC News.
UN to investigate North Korea human rights abuses
The UN human rights council has set up an inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea for the first time.
The council unanimously voted for the probe, which will examine allegations of prison camps, slave labour and food deprivation in the country.
North Korea denounced the resolution as a political ploy.
It is highly unlikely the team will be granted access to North Korea, so they will have to rely on satellite imagery and accounts from defectors.
North Korea's human rights record will now be under intense scrutiny, and evidence gathered by the team could be used in future prosecutions for crimes against humanity.
UN special rapporteur Marzuki Darusman, who presented the initial report on North Korea and will be a member of the inquiry, said that a key focus should be the country's prison camps.
"The prison camps could qualify as crimes against humanity," he said. "These are camps which have the purpose of driving the people being detained there towards a slow death."
His report also described "widespread and systematic violations of human rights" including enforced disappearances and using food to control people.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the UN had evidence indicating that North Korea's political prisons held around 200,000 people, with many subjected to rape, torture and slave labour. The resolution, which was presented by Japan and the European Union, was approved by all 47 members of the council.
"For too long the population of the country has been subjected to widespread and systematic human rights violations and abuses," Ireland's Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said, speaking on behalf of the EU.
North Korea's ambassador to the UN, Pyong Se-so, called the resolution "a faked document full of political invective, with serious distortions."
He accused the council of seeking to "disgrace the image" of North Korea, adding that his country had "one of the best systems in the world for the protections of human rights".
The inquiry has been welcomed by activists. In a statement, Human Rights Watch described the move as a "landmark step", that would "help expose decades of abuse by the North Korean government".
The probe comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Korean peninsula, following North Korea's third nuclear test in February and the subsequent tightening of UN sanctions.
On Thursday, the North Korean army issued a statement threatening US military bases in Japan, in response to the US flying nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over South Korea as part of a joint military exercise.
"The United States is advised not to forget that our precision target tools have within their range the Anderson Air Force base on Guam where the B-52 takes off, as well as the Japanese mainland where nuclear powered submarines are deployed and the navy bases on Okinawa," a military spokesman was quoted as saying.
Nicolas Sarkozy to be investigated in Bettencourt scandal
French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy has been placed under formal investigation over claims his 2007 election campaign received illegal donations from France's richest woman.
Mr Sarkozy is accused of accepting thousands of euros from L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, now aged 90.
The former leader denies taking financial advantage of Mrs Bettencourt.
His lawyer said he would file an appeal against the "incoherent and unfair decision", AFP news agency reports.
Magistrate Jean-Michel Gentil, who leads the inquiry, unexpectedly summoned Mr Sarkozy for a face-to-face encounter with Mrs Bettencourt's butler, Pascal Bonnefoy, in the city of Bordeaux.
The judge wanted to determine how often the politician had met Mrs Bettencourt in 2007.
While Mr Sarkozy has maintained he only saw her once during that year, the butler gave a different account on Thursday, the BBC's Christian Fraser, in Paris, reports.
Following the hearing, prosecutors said the ex-president had been placed under formal investigation "for taking advantage of a vulnerable person during 2007 to the detriment of Liliane Bettencourt".
Under French law the court's decision falls short of a formal charge, our correspondent says. Investigators will press ahead with the enquiry before deciding whether he should face a trial.
The former president previously hinted that he was considering another tilt at the presidency in 2017. The outcome of the investigation could determine whether he will make a return to politics, observers say.
Police raided Mr Sarkozy's home and offices last July after he lost his presidential immunity.
He was declared a material witness in November, which meant he was a suspect but had not been formally charged.
Mr Sarkozy met Mrs Bettencourt when he was mayor of the wealthiest suburb in Paris and forged a close friendship with her over the years, our correspondent says.
He was a regular visitor to the family mansion, according to her staff.
It is alleged that staff acting for Mrs Bettencourt gave 150,000 euros (£120,600) in cash to Mr Sarkozy's aides during his successful 2007 campaign to become president. Individual campaign contributions in France are limited to 4,600 euros.
Mrs Bettencourt's former accountant, Claire Thibout, has alleged Mr Sarkozy's campaign treasurer at the time - Eric Woerth, who later became budget minister - collected the cash in person.
She also revealed in a leaked police interview that Mr Sarkozy, while mayor of Neuilly from 1983 to 2002, paid "regular" visits to the Bettencourt house.
But Mr Sarkozy has dismissed as mere gossip claims that he took envelopes stuffed with cash.
"[The Bettencourt] never gave me a single penny and I never asked them for any," the politician was quoted as saying by the Sud-Ouest newspaper.
Mr Woerth, who was forced to resign as UMP party treasurer in July as a result of the scandal, is already under formal investigation over the 150,000 euro payment allegations.
The allegations surrounding Mr Sarkozy and Mr Woerth first surfaced in connection with a trial over Mrs Bettencourt's estimated 17bn euro fortune.
Mr Woerth denies any wrongdoing, as does Mrs Bettencourt.
Source-BBC
Xi Jinping heads to Russia in first foreign tour
Xi Jinping is heading to Russia on the first stop of his maiden overseas tour as president of China.
Mr Xi is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the two likely to discuss energy and investment deals.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Xi said the two countries were "most important strategic partners" who spoke a "common language".
He will also visit Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo on his tour, which continues until 30 March.
In South Africa, he will attend the fifth Brics summit from 26-27 March. Brics stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - five key emerging economies.
The choice of Moscow as Mr Xi's first destination is seen as symbolic, and a move from China to counter the US pivot to Asia, correspondents say.
Russia is one of the world's biggest energy producers, and China is the world's top energy consumer. Bilateral trade is booming, reaching a record $88bn (£58bn) last year.
Additionally, Beijing and Moscow have held similar positions over a number of thorny diplomatic issues, from Iran to Syria to North Korea, and some analysts suggest the bond is likely to strengthen.
At a press conference, Mr Xi called Russia China's "friendly neighbour", and said that the fact that he was visiting so soon after assuming presidency was "a testimony to the great importance China places on its relations with Russia."
"China-Russia relations have entered a new phase in which the two countries provide major development opportunities to each other," he said.
China is also Africa's largest trading partner, surpassing the United States and its traditional European partners.
"China-Africa co-operation is comprehensive," Mr Xi said. "It has contributed to Africa's international standing."
Xi Jinping was confirmed as China's president last week, concluding a lengthy transition process that saw him assume the Communist Party leadership in November 2012.
Australia's Kevin Rudd in party leadership vow
Kevin Rudd has ruled out any return to the Australian Labor Party leadership, as ructions continue after Thursday's abortive ballot.
In a statement, Mr Rudd said there were "no circumstances" under which he would seek the party's top job.
His comments came a day after he chose not to contest a vote aimed at ending debate over who should lead the party into September's election.
Since then a number of his supporters have been sacked or stepped down.
Simon Crean, a senior minister whose actions forced Prime Minister Julia Gillard to call the ballot, has been sacked.
Front-bencher and former Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has resigned from the cabinet and at least three other officials have stepped down from senior party roles.
They keep their seats, however, leaving Labor's paper-thin majority intact.
Thursday's dramatic events followed weeks of speculation that Mr Rudd, the former prime minister ousted by Ms Gillard - then his deputy - in 2010, had moved closer to securing the numbers needed to challenge her. Public support for Ms Gillard is low and she looks on course to lose the coming election to the Liberal Party's Tony Abbot. Mr Rudd commands considerably stronger public support, leaving some Labor MPs backing him for the top job.
Minutes before the leadership ballot was due to take place, however, Mr Rudd said he had no plans to stand, saying he did not have the numbers. Ms Gillard was therefore uncontested in the ballot.
On Friday,in the statement on his website, Mr Rudd said his decision to contest the next election as a local MP had not changed.
"Furthermore, Mr Rudd wishes to make 100% clear to all members of the parliamentary Labor Party, including his own supporters, that there are no circumstances under which he will return to the Labor Party leadership in the future," the brief statement read.
Ms Gillard said that Thursday's events had settled the leadership issue conclusively.
"I think political watchers will know that for some period of time there's been an undercurrent in our party and it was dealt with yesterday and brought to an end."
But correspondents said the abortive ballot had only served to further damage the party, highlighting bitter divisions.
The general election is due to take place on 14 September. But the opposition is threatening to move a no-confidence motion in the government to force an early poll.
We've still got a civil war inside the government," Mr Abbott said, calling on independents to support the motion when parliament resumes on 14 May.