Netanyahu: Hezbollah planning 'global terror attacks'
World leaders should declare Hezbollah a terrorist entity, Israel's leader has said, hours after Bulgaria blamed the Lebanese group for a deadly bus bomb.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah had built a "worldwide terrorist" network and was planning attacks in two dozen countries.
He spoke after Bulgaria said militants linked to the Shia group carried out the July 2012 Burgas bombing.
Five Israeli tourists and a bus driver died in the Black Sea resort attack.
Israeli quickly blamed Hezbollah - and Iran - for the bombing, which also saw some 30 people injured.
Meanwhile, Canada has said a dual Canadian-Lebanese national was involved in the bombing and is believed to be still at large.
Iran has steadfastly denied any involvement, while Hezbollah has made no comment.
Chadian Forces Move to Secure Mali's Kidal
Chadian soldiers have begun securing the Malian city of Kidal, which was the last major stronghold of Islamist militants in the country.
French officials Tuesday said about 1,800 Chadian soldiers have begun entering the city. The move comes about a week after French-led Malian forces took control of Kidal's airport.
Earlier, a secular Tuareg rebel group, the MNLA, seized control of Kidal itself.
The French Defense Ministry says French airstrikes have hit 25 Islamist targets in northern Mali in recent days.
France, which launched its Mali intervention last month, has announced plans to gradually withdraw its forces and turn control of recaptured cities over to the Malian army and an African-led military force.
On Monday, France announced plans to begin withdrawing the bulk of its troops from Timbuktu.
In another development, international organizations and officials from Mali met in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss Mali's future and efforts to stabilize the country.
After the session, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the international community needed to recognize its responsibilities to Mali and "react quickly."
Stephen O'Brien, the United Kingdom's special envoy for the Sahel Region, said the international coordination effort must recognize the political will of participants.
"This is an international response so we are all working together and working through these issues and make sure it is thought through because the resources can then be called for, providing one has a good strategy, then the resources, of course, follow through."
In addition to the EU, the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States were among about 45 delegations who took part in the meeting.
The group discussed humanitarian and human rights efforts, as well as the political process in Mali, where the crisis began last year when soldiers overthrew the president. Interim leader Dioncounda Traore wants to hold new elections in July.
Another key item is the progress of the African intervention force due to take over from French troops.
The European Union is working on plans to send hundreds of trainers to help Mali's military. So far, 17 European countries have pledged to contribute to the training force.
The United States is assisting in support efforts. A U.S. Defense Department spokesman says as of Sunday, U.S. military C-17's had completed 30 flights into Mali, transporting personnel and tons of equipment.
The March 2012 coup in Mali allowed the MNLA and Islamist groups to take control of the north. The Islamists then seized full control of the region and imposed strict Sharia law with measures that included a ban on music and forcing women to wear veils.
Egypt's Top Cleric Rebuffs Iranian President on Gulf
Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of the al-Azhar mosque, also urged Mr. Ahmadinejad to "respect Bahrain as a sisterly Arab state" and rejected "the spread of Shi'ism" in Sunni countries.
The two met on the first visit by an Iranian head of state to Egypt since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. The countries severed relations when Cairo offered exile to Iran's deposed shah. The relationship deteriorated further following Egypt's peace agreement with Israel.
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi greeted Mr. Ahmadinejad with a handshake and a kiss on each cheek as he stepped off his plane at the Cairo airport.
Security officials said the two leaders held a 20-minute talk that focused on the civil war in Syria. Iran is Damascus' closest regional ally, while Egypt is among those that have called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
The Iranian president will attend a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which begins Wednesday in Cairo.
Study says It Really is Better to Give Than Receive
Researchers from three American universities identified about 850 people who reported experiencing significant stress during the previous year, including serious illness, financial difficulties or the death of a family member. The subjects were asked how much time they spent during the same period helping friends, neighbors and relatives, with tasks such as driving them around, doing errands and providing childcare.
Principal investigator Michael J. Poulin, at the University of Buffalo, says the research team found that during the five years of the study, those who helped others "were less likely to die than those who had not."
They concluded the sociable behavior cushioned the negative association between stress and mortality. The same benefit was not seen in those who received social support from others.
Poulin says the findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health, help to understand the connections between social environment and health.
Albray Butterfield Jr writes Open Letter to The Rt. Hon. William Hague
TCI Belonger Albray V. Butterfield, Jr. who describes himself as a concerned proactive Turks and Caicos Islands corporate citizen has written a four page letter to the British Foreign Secretary William Hague telling him that the intention of the Governor his Excellency Ric Todd to introduce VAT on April 1st is just one example of the many heavy handed, autocratic and unreasonable decisions being made by Waterloo in an attempt to usurp the authority of the elected TCI Government and House of Assembly. At the time of the election citizens believed the TCI would finally be returning to normal governance by its own local elected leaders. He writes:
Albray V. Butterfield, Jr.
Providenciales
Turks and Caicos Islands
British West Indies
OPEN LETTER
4th February 2013
The Rt. Hon. William J. Hague, MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Westminster, House of Commons
London, United Kingdom, SW1A 0AA
Dear Hon. Hague,
REF:- THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND ITS DEMOCRACY
On 9th November 2012, we the electorate of the Turks and Caicos Islands (“TCI”) went to the polls nationally to democratically elect a Government and House of Assembly of our choice to govern our country's affairs. At the time, it was our honest belief that the TCI would finally be returning to normal governance by our own local elected leaders. Our optimism for a brighter future became more assured ensuing the success of a series of meetings Hon. Premier Dr Rufus W. Ewing, and Hon. Charles W. Misick attended in London with United Kingdom (“UK”) Ministers, members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ("FCO"), fellow Premiers and Chief Ministers from the other British Overseas Territories within the Caribbean and North Atlantic Regions, and you Hon. Secretary of State. However, for some unforeseen and unexplained reason, the honeymoon did not last very long between the Governor's office in the TCI ("Waterloo")and the newly elected TCI Government, as it relates to the renewed open partnership between the TCI and the UK.
It appears that Waterloo is back to doing business as usual by continuing to operate as the interim government, attempting to usurp the authority and political will of the democratically elected TCI Government and House of Assembly, making it almost impossible for any elected Government (Progressive National Party or People's
Democratic Movement) to govern and execute its political mandate on which they campaigned.
Upon possessing office, it is reasonable and expected that a new incoming administration within its first three to six months would have some transitional and settling-in issues with the established Westminster protocols, their respective Permanent Secretaries, the Civil Service on a whole, and Waterloo. However, what’s not expected,
I am almost certain that this was not the intentions of the TCI electorate on 9th November, when we stood in long lines for hours, some of us for up to eight hours in the hot sun waiting patiently to exercise our constitutional right to vote and elect a democratic TCI Government and House of Assembly in order to relieve Waterloo of its duties as the interim government of the TCI. Is Waterloo taking such a heavy handed, autocratic and unreasonable approach with the
new TCI administration’s political mandate; case in point:- Value Added Tax (“VAT”)which was signed into law on 18th July 2012, and scheduled to come into force on 1st April 2013. During the recent national election campaign, all of the local political party’s candidates ran and won nationally and within their respective constituencies, on an anti-
VAT platform. Hence, they were politically mandated on 9th November 2013, amongst other things, to repeal the VAT legislation in the TCI House of Assembly at their earliest convenience. On 19th November 2012, when the UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Hon. Mark Simmonds was asked in a
question tabled in the UK House of Commons by Labour MP Hon. Brian Donohue, if he (Hon. Simmonds) would reconsider the implementation of VAT in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Hon. Simmonds went on record and publicly replied that: “The introduction of Value Added Tax is a decision for the Turks and Caicos Islands government.” Hon.
Simmonds statement to the House of Commons gave our local elected members of the TCI House of Assembly much enthusiastic hope. However, in January 2013, Hon. Simmons responded in writing to the Hon. Premier Dr Ewing stating among other things:
"I should be clear that I believe that, at this stage, the best option for the Turks and Caicos Islands is to press ahead with the implementation of VAT."
VAT is just one example of the many heavy handed, autocratic and unreasonable decisions being made by Waterloo in an attempt to usurp the authority of the elected TCI Government and House of Assembly.
One does not have to be a learned person in political science, or profess to possess the gift of clairvoyance in order to foresee that this alleged co-governance of the TCI internal affairs is a recipe for disaster. Should such acts be allowed to continue, it will have a major tsunami like negative effect on the current socioeconomic affairs of the TCI, and
will further delay for many years in the future, the recovery of the TCI economy. If the TCI are to move forward and regain its rightful place within the region, the FCO must allow the democratically elected TCI Government to govern without unnecessary interference in accordance to the autonomy granted through constitutional devolution.
Hon. Secretary of State, the TCI Citizenry was further insulted and disrespected by your appointed Attorney General via his inflammatory press release in January 2013, threatening prosecution, ten years imprisonment and fines of up to US$50,000.00 for anyone that publicly expresses their discontent and causes the TCI Judiciary to be looked upon with disrepute. Your appointed learned Attorney General should have been aware that the United Kingdom's House of Lords on 10th December 2012, abolished the draconian law of "Scandalising the Judiciary" as a form of contempt of court under the common law of England and Wales. Lord Pannick stated among other things:- "It is no longer necessary to maintain as part of our law of contempt of court a criminal offence of insulting judges by statements or publications out of court. The judiciary has no need for such protection."
Protection of freedom of expression:-
"13.—(1) Except with his or her consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her freedom of expression, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011 ("TCI Constitution"),
- Schedule 2, Part 1, Section 13, guarantees every person that reside in the TCI the right to Protection of Freedom of Expression; it expressly states the following:-
includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive and impart (to the public generally or to any person or class of persons) ideas and information without interference, and freedom from interference with his or her correspondence or other means of communication.
- (2) Nothing in any law or done under its authority shall be held to contravene this section to the extent that it is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society—
o (a) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health;
o (b) for the purpose of protecting the rights, reputations and freedoms of other persons or the private lives of persons concerned in legal proceedings,preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, maintaining the authority and independence of the courts, regulating telephony, telegraphy,posts, wireless broadcasting, television or other means of communication or regulating public exhibitions or public entertainments;...
Has democracy and the constitutional fundamental rights and freedoms of the Citizenry of the TCI sunk so low that the TCI has now reverted to the era of Apartheid South Africa in the 1970's and early 1980's under the oppressive regime of Prime Minister then later President Pieter Willem Botha? Should that be the case, then let me be the first to
enlighten your appointed learned Attorney General; the TCI is not South Africa, we are not South Africans, and this is 2013. The days of using draconian laws to silence, threaten, and intimidate the majority into submission to the minority, those days are long gone. We the People of the TCI refuse to remain silent any longer, and refuse to be
dictated to by the minority. Today we are empowered, highly learned in the law and have the financial means to fight to the bitter end to defend our democracy and protect our constitutional fundamental rights and freedoms.
According to you Hon. Secretary of State in a written ministerial statement on 12th June 2012, in your update to the House of Commons on progress on the restoration of good governance, and plans to hold elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands, you stated in your conclusion among other things the following: "The UK believes that democracy,
whether in an independent country or in an Overseas Territory, provides a solid foundation on which to build an accountable and responsive state. This belief underpins our work to advance democracy worldwide. We will support TCI to develop its democracy in line with our responsibility for security and good governance and our positive vision for our Overseas Territories."
As a result of the heavy handed and autocratic approach being meted out by Waterloo,one good thing has derived from such actions; it has united us as a people and further strengthen our resolve to never give up fighting for our democracy and constitutional If what has been happening, and is now being allowed to continue to happen in the TCI
since 9th November 2012 (i.e. the Political Will of the democratically elected TCI Government and House of Assembly is being ignored and usurped, and the Constitutional Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the TCI Citizenry are now being attempted to be suppressed through fear and intimidation by your appointed Governor, Attorney General and by extension you as head of the FCO), then UK’s definition of "DEMOCRACY", is no different than that of the Republic of Cuba, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the People's Republic of China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, hence making the United Kingdom one of the biggest and most blatant hypocrites’ of this new millennium.
On Friday 1st February 2013, an historical event took place for the first time in TCI political existence, all of the democratically elected members of the TCI House of Assembly debated with sincerity and ensuring unanimously voted to repeal the Value Added Tax legislation. The result was a super majority victory with all of the elected members on both sides of the aisle voting "YES" to repeal. This demonstration of national unity was a loud statement to the UK and the world that we the People of the TCI have spoken, we are finally maturing politically, and we are determined to reclaim and preserve our democracy.
Schedule 2, Part 4, Section 74 of the TCI Constitution, bestows upon Waterloo the powers to assent, and/or recommend amendments, or veto any bill that was ratified by the TCI House of Assembly. However, should you Hon. Secretary of State choose not to have Waterloo assent to the express will of the People of the TCI, and have the bill vetoed, then the world will finally know that Democracy in the Turks and Caicos Islands has died, and the Turks and Caicos Islands are being ruled under an Autocracy regime, and the elections of 9th November 2012, was nothing more than political theatrics to quell the local and international political pressure that had reached it limits.
Hon. Secretary of State, the vast majority of the TCI Citizenry, its full and part-time residence has lost all respect and confidence in your current appointed Governor of the Territory, and the current Attorney General as chief legal advisor to Waterloo, and the local elected TCI Government. Therefore, we Turks and Caicos Islanders are humbly and respectfully requesting that you urgently address the situation in the TCI before it escalates any further. The people of the TCI have reached the point where we will not tolerate much longer any further disrespect from your appointed personnel. Please honour your promises and statements made to the TCI during Hon. Premier Dr Ewing
most recent visit to London in mid-November 2012, and prove to the world that the United Kingdom is a pillar of democracy.
I am publishing this letter openly in order to bring this matter to the attention of the international community.
Respectfully yours,
Albray V. Butterfield, Jr.
A concerned proactive Turks and Caicos Islands corporate citizen
CC:-
Hon. Mark J. M. Simmonds, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
His Excellency Governor Damian R. Todd, UK Governor of The TCI
Hon. Robert Hall, Speaker of The TCI House of Assembly
Hon. Premier Dr Rufus W. Ewing, Premier of The TCI
Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, Leader of The TCI Opposition
Hon. Members of the TCI House of Assembly
His Excellency Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM
Mr Chandrashekhar Krishnan, Executive Director, Transparency International UK
Professor Trevor Munroe, Executive Director, National Integrity Action
The Press (local and international)
TCI ELECTORAL LIST
Turks and Caicos Islanders will be given the opportunity to view the 2013 Preliminary Electors list from Friday 1ST February. The Supervisor of Elections Dudley Lewis will post the Preliminary List of voters at sixty three locations across the Turks and Caicos Islands. After the publication of the Preliminary List, voters will have fourteen days to scrutinize it and to make any claims or objections. Elector’s can make claims on their own or others behalf, as set out in Form 3 in Schedule 1 of the Election Ordinance. Similarly, objections can be made as set out in Form 4 in Schedule 1. An elector who is off Island for the next two weeks may appoint an agent to act on his or her behalf as set out in Form 5 in Schedule 1. The agent must produce a sworn affidavit that he/she is acting on the claimant’s behalf. Here’s Lynette Thomas with details of where the list can be viewed in the ten electoral districts.
Electoral District 1 – Grand Turk North: Dot’s Food Fare E & R Supermarket, Taste of the Island Restaurant, Fulford’s Gas Station, Durham’s Home Centre, Tom’s Wholesale Store, Fisherman’s Paradise. Electoral District 2 – Grand Turk South & Salt Cay: Circle G Food Store, Cee’s Food Centre, Moore’s Cozy Corner Store, Palm Grove Variety Store, Do-it Centre, Fire and Ice Bar, Tom’s Mini Mart, DC’s Office Salt Cay, Community Centre Salt Cay. Electoral District 3 – South Caicos: Airport Terminal, District Commissioner’s Office, Sea View Marina, Super value Supermarket, G & H Enterprise. Electoral District 4 – Middle Caicos: District Commissioner’s office, Community Centre – Bambara, Government Clinic – Lorimers. North Caicos: District Commissioner’s Office, Airport Terminal, Kevin’s Enterprise, Digicel Store, Community Centre – Kew, Community Centre – Whitby, Community Centre – Sandy Point. Electoral District 5 – Leeward Providenciales: Ocean Club Convenience Store, Caribbean Cruisin, K K & T Car Rental, I B O Food Store, Mini Golf Club. Electoral District 6 – The Bight: Nell’s 7-11, Smokey’s Restaurant, Texaco Gas Station/Tropical Plaza, PTV General Office, Middle Caicos Café. Electoral District 7 – Richmond Hill & Cheshire Hall: General Post Office, Public Library, Lu Lu’s Food Store, Provo Discount Pharmacy, Lamont Restaurant, Chinson’s Restaurant, Texaco Gas Station, Grant’s Gas Station. Electoral District 8 – Blue Hills: Keyse’s Food Store, William’s Food Store, Carrington’s Food Store, Doreen’s Restaurant, Island Café Restaurant. Electoral District 9 – Five Cay’s: Pal’s Electronic Store, I B O Food Store, Solomon’s Store, Liz Bakery, Arawak Shipping, Texaco Gas Station. Electoral District 10 – Wheeland: Three Queens Restaurant, Froggie’s on the Beach, J J’s Food Store.
Super Bowl: Baltimore Ravens beat San Francisco 49ers in thriller
Jacoby Jones scored two of the most spectacular touchdowns in Super Bowl history as Baltimore Ravens edged San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in a thriller.
First Jones, playing in his native New Orleans, caught a long Joe Flacco pass before running into the endzone.
Then, after Beyonce's stunning half-time show, Jones returned the kick-off 108 yards in barely 11 seconds for the longest ever Super Bowl play.
After a long delay due to a power cut, the 49ers hit back but fell just short.
The Ravens led 28-6 early in the third quarter, riding the momentum of a 108-yard Jacoby Jones kickoff return for a score before the Superdome lost power, casting the field in darkness, shutting off the air conditioning and delaying the game for more than half an hour before order was restored.
While the impact wasn’t immediately felt, the 49ers soon found their rhythm on both sides of the ball.San Francisco quickly rallied with three scores in 4:10 – a 31-yard Michael Crabtree reception, a 6-yard Frank Gore run and a 34-yard David Akers field goal. After Baltimore answered with a field goal, San Francisco scored again on Kaepernick's 15-yard sprint. After a failed two-point conversion, Baltimore clung to a 31-29 lead.
Flacco, who finished 22-of-33 for 287 yards and three touchdowns, led the Ravens on a time consuming field-goal drive, allowing a gassed defense a bit of rest and a five-point cushion. Along with the Lombardi Trophy, he will take home MVP honors.
Kaepernick responded only to stall out on downs inside the Ravens' 5-yard line, the vaunted Baltimore defense making red zone yards so difficult to attain.
In the end, it may not have been pretty, but it was enough. And since when has Baltimore football been about beauty?
The victory gave Harbaugh a victory over his younger brother Jim in the first Super Bowl featuring brothers as opposing coaches. In the postgame handshake, John Harbaugh told his sibling that he loved him. Jim's reply was "congratulations."
Sympathy for the younger Harbaugh was evident. "It's very tough," John Harbaugh said. "It's a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be. It's very painful."
Lewis walks off into retirement a winner, earning his second Super Bowl championship. He stayed true to his faithful form when the Lombardi Trophy was presented to the team.
"When God is for you, who can be against you?" Lewis asked.
French jets bomb northern Mali
French warplanes have carried out air strikes in Mali's far north as they try to secure the final rebel stronghold of Kidal after a three-week offensive.
Thirty jets targeted Islamist militants' training and communication centres around Tessalit - a mountainous area near the Algerian border.
French President Francois Hollande has pledged to help rebuild Mali after the rebels who seized its north are beaten.
But there are fears the fighters could re-group in the mountains near Kidal.
It is believed that several French civilian hostages are being held by militants in the area, making the situation even more delicate.
Although French troops captured Kidal's airport on Wednesday, rebels from a Tuareg group who want their own homeland in northern Mali - the MNLA - still have control of the town itself.
Malian Interim President Dioncounda Traore has offered to hold talks with the MNLA in order to help secure Kidal.At the same time, French-led forces will begin chasing down Islamist militants who have retreated to desert or to mountainous hide-outs, adds our correspondent.
Reports have also emerged that a senior figure in the main militant Islamist movement - Ansar Dine - has been captured near the Algerian border by a rival separatist group.
Malian security sources quoted by AFP news agency named the man as Mohamed Moussa Ag Mouhamed, third in command of the group. The report cannot be verified.
Speaking in Bamako on Saturday, Mr Hollande pledged more French aid to its former colony and vowed to restore cultural sites damaged by the rebels.
Mr Hollande received a warm welcome on Saturday as he visited the northern desert city of Timbuktu, which was recaptured by French and Malian troops a week ago.
A total of 3,500 French troops are currently in Mali.
Nearly 2,000 army personnel from Chad and Niger are already helping consolidate the recent gains. A further 6,000 troops will be deployed as part of the UN-backed African-led International Support Mission to Mali (Afisma).
Despite the rapid progress of French forces in recapturing parts of the north, it may be premature to talk of mission accomplished, analysts say.
It is thought the mountainous areas around Kidal provide perfect hiding places for the militants.
On Saturday Mr Hollande said it would be wrong to assume the operation was over while Mr Traore said it would be difficult to completely rid the country of Islamists.
Obama Calls for Balanced Approach on the Economy
U.S. President Barack Obama has called on lawmakers to work together on a balanced approach to reduce the deficit and promote economic growth.
The president said in his weekly address Saturday it is "critical to cut spending." He said, however, "we can't just cut our way to prosperity."
Obama urged Congress to make investments in education, infrastructure, and in research and development - things he said that would help America "compete for the best jobs and new industries."President Obama said everyone in Washington needs to "focus not on politics, but on what's right for the country."
In the Republican address, Representative Susan Brooks of Indiana said Democrats must get serious about the nation's spending problems. She called on Senate Democrats to pass a budget.
Plane crash off Venezuela; 1 killed
A small plane crashed into the sea off Venezuela's coast on Saturday, leaving one person dead and five survivors who were rescued and brought to shore.
The twin-engine Beechcraft BE-58 went down east of the coastal city of Cumana in the Gulf of Cariaco, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said. He said the pilot had declared an emergency due to the failure of both engines and put the plane down in the water.
After the crash, rescue workers and fishermen helped the survivors to shore, Reverol said on state television.
A 62-year-old woman died in the accident, the country's civil aviation agency said in a statement.
The five survivors, including a boy and the pilot, were brought ashore in boats and treated at a hospital, said Gen. Francisco Paz Fleitas, president of the National Civil Aviation Institute.
The plane had been flying from Puerto Ordaz to Venezuela's Margarita Island when it went down.