Digicel, Marriott break ground on Haiti hotel
Construction crews on Wednesday began to build what is touted as Haiti's first four-star branded hotel, a US$45 million project expected to help boost the country's economy.
The resort will be owned by Unigestion Holding SA, a subsidiary of Digicel Group Limited, and managed by Marriott, Digicel announced last November.
The hotel will create some 200 jobs and is scheduled to open in early 2015, officials said. It will feature 175 rooms and will be located in the Turgeau area of Port-au-Prince.
The hotel is one of several planned for the capital and surrounding areas as Haiti tries to recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake that officials say killed 300,000 people.
"This is a huge vote of confidence in the future of Haiti," Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Officials said the Marriott hotel will feature a large ballroom that can seat up to 500 people.
"Not only will this be a solution to the lodging issues in the city, it will also create jobs, attract foreign visitors and communicate a positive outlook for the future of Haiti," said Denis O'Brien, chairman of Digicel Group.
Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, said the company also is working with Haiti's tourism and education officials to improve hospitality training.
"We believe we can make a difference in Haiti by creating jobs and developing the human talent that can help lift this country over time back to its rightful place as one of the top destinations in the Caribbean," he said.
The hotel, along with others that are still in planning stages, are not targeting tourists but rather contractors, foreign aid workers and diplomats. Many have struggled to find accommodations, with nearly 850 hotel rooms destroyed in the earthquake.
Steve Jobs' high-tech yacht impounded over bill dispute
Venus, the minimalist high-tech yacht commissioned by the late Apple founder Steve Jobs, has become embroiled in a row over a disputed bill.
French designer Philippe Starck claims Mr Jobs' heirs still owe him 3m euros of a 9m euro fee for the project, according to Dutch paper Het Financieele Dagblad.
Mr Starck called in the debt collectors and had the yacht impounded,
The Port of Amsterdam confirmed that the boat is not allowed to leave.
Jeroen Ranzijn, spokesman for the Port of Amsterdam told the BBC: "The boat is brand new but there is a 3m euro claim on it. The parties will have to fight it out."
Roelant Klaassen, a lawyer representing Mr Starck's company, Ubik, told the Reuters news agency that the boat would remain in port pending payment by lawyers representing Mr Jobs' estate.
"These guys trusted each other, so there wasn't a very detailed contract," he said.
Mr Starck was unavailable for comment.
Gerard Moussault, the lawyer representing the owners of the Venus told the BBC: "I cannot comment at all on this, sorry."
The sleek, 260ft-long (80m) aluminium super-yacht cost 105m euros ($138m; £85m) and was launched in October, at Aalsmeer, The Netherlands.
Mr Starck is known for his striking designs for the Alessi company, including an aluminium lemon squeezer that is shaped like a spaceship.
He collaborated with Steve Jobs for five years on the project, describing the boat as "showing the elegance of intelligence."
The vessel is minimalist in style and is named after the Roman goddess of love and its windows measure 3m (10 feet) in height.
Mr Starck has said that Venus "looks strange for a boat" but said its shape comes from design ideas he shared with Mr Jobs.
Mr Jobs died of pancreatic cancer in 2011 and never saw his boat go to sea.
Bank reform plans should be tougher, Banking Commission says
Government plans to ring-fence the banks - protecting retail banking from the riskier investment side - "fall well short of what is required", a report has warned.
The Banking Standards Commission wants the government to "electrify" the fence so banks won't try to "game" the rules.
That means regulators having the power to fully break up a bank if it does not follow the ring-fence proposals.
The bank reforms will go before Parliament early next year.
The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, known as the Banking Commission for short, was asked by Chancellor George Osborne to study the draft version of the government's Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill.
This follows last year's recommendation by the Independent Commission on Banking, which was led by Sir John Vickers.
Sir John concluded that ring-fencing was the best way to protect "core" retail banking activities from any future investment banking losses, such as were seen during the global financial crisis.
The Governments proposed bill hinged on three main aspects:
- ring-fencing or protecting retail banking
- ensuring that bank losses fall on bank creditors and not depositors or taxpayers
- making banks better able to absorb losses
But the government's draft legislation was a watered-down version of the Vickers report which proposed quite a high degree of separation, said Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Banking Standards Commission.
"The proposals as they stand [in the Bill], fall well short of what is required," he said.
"What we've done with the Commission proposals is to put back some of that stiff separation into the ring-fence and then make clear that the key problem - that banks are going to be at the ring-fence all the time, which will be a nightmare for regulators - needs to be dealt with," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"And the way to do that is to say to banks 'If you don't try to game this ring-fence we won't see the need to separate you.'
"Then they will have a massive incentive to get to a point where banks have certainty [not to be broken up]."
"That is why we recommend electrification. The legislation needs to set out a reserve power for separation - the regulator needs to know he can use it."
Under the draft bill, ring-fencing would ensure that retail services of a struggling lender can be carried on independently and smoothly even if authorities let the rest of the group fail.
For example, in the case of a failing banking group, regulators could sell off its core activities - thereby maintaining continuity for depositors - while allowing the rest of the organisation to go through a bankruptcy process.
Secondly, retail deposits (but not pension liabilities) would be ranked ahead of the claims of other bank creditors in the event of a bank insolvency.
Thirdly, banks are to hold a sufficient capital buffer - as outlined by global regulators - which means that if banks do fail, losses can be absorbed by shareholders and other creditors rather than the taxpayer.
Ring-fenced banks would also be prohibited from carrying out a range of investment and wholesale banking activities, including the sale of complex derivatives, which are highly complicated contracts designed to hedge borrowers against certain risks but can lead to heavy losses if they go sour.
But in a concession, the Banking Commission proposal agreed to the use of simple derivatives, such as currency hedges, for banks within the ring-fenced body.
Under the draft legislation, the Treasury would have the authority to decide which banks ring-fencing should apply to, as well as specific activities to be undertaken within ring-fenced banks.
The Prudential Regulation Authority, which will become the UK's regulator for deposit-taking institutions in April under the Bank of England, would have the power to ensure the ring-fenced bank to carry on with its business.
Mr Tyrie has also called on independent reviews of the effectiveness of the ring-fence proposals across all banks to take place at least once every four years.
-BBC
Google Video executives' Italian conviction overturned
An Italian court has overturned the conviction of three Google executives found guilty of breaking Italian law by allowing a video of a bullied teenager to be posted online.
The clip was uploaded in 2006 and had featured a boy with autism.
The employees were given six-month suspended jail sentences in 2010.
Google had appealed against the ruling, saying it had removed the video within two hours of being notified by the authorities.
The three employees - global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer, chief legal officer David Drummond and former Google Italy board member George De Los Reyes - had been convicted of privacy violations, but absolved of defamation in the original case.
The offending video clip was a mobile phone upload showing four students at a school in Turin bullying the victim. Prosecutors had highlighted that it had been online for two months despite several users posting comments calling for its removal.
At the time Google had said it would be impossible to pre-screen every film posted to its sites to check their contents.
The firm described the appeal ruling as a "victory".
"We're very happy that the verdict has been reversed and our colleagues' names have been cleared," said a spokesman,
"Of course, while we're all delighted with the appeal, our thoughts continue to be with the family who have been through the ordeal."
Giovanni Maria Riccio, professor of IT Law at the University of Salerno, described the ruling as a "landmark decision" since it signalled that internet services were not obligated to monitor all their content.
Egyptian constitution 'approved' in referendum
Egyptians appear to have approved a controversial new constitution in a referendum, unofficial and preliminary results indicate.
Results reported by state media suggest that some 63% of voters backed the charter over two rounds of polling.
Critics say the document, which has triggered mass protests, betrays the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
President Mohammed Morsi's mainly Islamist supporters say it will secure democracy and encourage stability.
Official results are not expected until Monday, after appeals are heard. If the constitution passes, parliamentary elections must take place within three months.
Turnout was estimated at 30%. The opposition said voting in both rounds had been marred by abuses.
Violations in the second round on Saturday included polling stations opening late and Islamists seeking to influence voters, the opposition said.
The second round was held in the 17 provinces that did not vote in the first round on 15 December. Some 25 million people were eligible to vote.
The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement, which supports Mr Morsi and the new constitution, said early on Sunday that, with most second round votes counted, more than 70% were in favour.
The opposition National Salvation Front also said the "yes" vote appeared to have won, though spokesman Khaled Daoud said the Front felt "empowered".
"We proved that at least we are half of society [that] doesn't approve of all this. We will build on it," he said.
In the first round, on 15 December, turnout was reported to be just above 30% with unofficial counts suggesting some 56% of those who cast ballots voted in favour of the draft.
Opponents have said the draft constitution fails to protect the freedoms and human rights that they sought in the uprising that ended Mr Mubarak's rule last year.
They accuse the president of pushing through a text that favours Islamists and does not sufficiently protect the rights of women or Christians, who make up about 10% of the population.
One Egyptian, 19-year-old law student Ahmed Mohammed, said he voted "yes" because Egypt "needs a constitution to be stable".
But at the same polling station in Giza, south-west of the capital, 50-year-old housewife, Zarifa Abdul Aziz, said: "I will vote 'no' a thousand times. I am not comfortable with the Brotherhood and all that it is doing".
Egypt's official state news agency Mena said that at least two judges had been removed for encouraging voters to cast "yes" ballots
Just hours before voting ended on Saturday, Vice-President Mahmoud Mekki announced his resignation.
Mr Mekki, a former judge who was appointed vice-president in August, said the "nature of politics" did not suit his professional background.
Over the past month, seven of President Mohammed Morsi's 17 top advisers have resigned.
Mr Mekki said he had tried to resign on 7 November, but his decision had been delayed by the Israeli conflict in Gaza and President Morsi's controversial decree on 22 November granting himself sweeping new powers.
Mr Mekki's resignation statement indicated he had no prior knowledge of the decree, which stripped the judiciary of powers to question the president's decisions.
After an outcry, the president revoked much of the 22 November decree, but he refused to back down on the draft constitution.
The text was rushed through by a constituent assembly dominated by Islamists and boycotted by liberal and left-wing members, and facing a threat of dissolution by the country's top court.
Egypt has seen large demonstrations by both sides, which have occasionally turned violent, ever since.
South Korea Lights Border Christmas Tree
South Korea has allowed a Christian group to light a massive steel Christmas tree tower near the country's tense border with North Korea.
The holiday display is thought to be in response to North Korea's recent launching of a long-range rocket that South Korea and the U.S. say was a test of banned missile technology.
The lighted structure was decorated by church groups and will be on display until early January.
Pyongyang considers the tower to be propaganda warfare, but has not responded to this year's holiday tree lighting.
The tree was not lit last year to avoid tensions following the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Gandhi Meets Delhi Rape Protesters
India's ruling Congress party chief has met with protesters demonstrating outside her New Delhi residence about the recent gang rape of a female student.
Sonia Gandhi met early Sunday with the demonstrators who are demanding that action be taken against the rapists. Police have arrested all six suspects.
Police said Sunday they have banned protests in the area of the capital where protesters have been staging massive demonstrations about the rape.
Police say the areas near the president's residence and parliament have been declared off-limits to protesters. Several metro stations have been closed in anticipation of more protests Sunday.
On Saturday, thousands of protesters marched in New Delhi, shouting “we want justice” as police struggled to control the crowd, using tear gas and a water cannons.
The rape victim was attacked last Sunday after she and a male friend were given a ride on a bus in New Delhi. She remains hospitalized with severe injuries.
Despite her condition, she was able to give a statement to police Saturday.
More than 600 cases of rape have been reported in New Delhi so far this year, one of the highest rates in the country.
Police Clash with Rape Protesters
Police in India's capital Sunday used tear gas and water cannons for a second day on demonstrators who are demanding speedy action against the six detainees accused of a gang rape and beating of a 23-year-old female student.
Sonia Ghandi, chief of the ruling Congress party, emerged from her residence after midnight to talk to the protesters. She went out again later Sunday with her son, Rahul, who is widely seen as a future prime minister.
Police said they had banned protests in the area of New Delhi where the protesters have been staging massive demonstrations about the rape. Police said the areas near the president's residence and parliament have been declared off-limits to protesters. Several metro stations have been closed in an effort to contain the demonstrators.
On Saturday, thousands of protesters marched in New Delhi, shouting “we want justice,” as police struggled to control the crowd.
The rape victim was attacked last Sunday after she and a male friend were given a ride on a bus in New Delhi. She remains hospitalized with severe injuries. Despite her condition, she was able to give a statement to police Saturday.
More than 600 cases of rape have been reported in New Delhi so far this year, one of the highest rates in the country.
South Korea Says Pyongyang has ICBM Technology
South Korea says debris from a rocket fired by the North this month shows Pyongyang has significantly advanced it ballistic missile technology.
South Korean Defense Ministry officials said Sunday their reclusive North Korean neighbor has developed a rocket that has a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, if it were to carry a warhead of 500 to 600 kilograms. Authorities say the tested missile's range would allow it to reach the U.S. West Coast.
However, South Korean officials say it is not likely North Korea has developed the technology to miniaturize a nuclear bomb to mount on a missile.
North Korea says the rocket launch on December 12 was to put a weather satellite into orbit, denying it had any intent beyond peaceful purposes.
On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for the advancement of North Korean rockets while speaking at a banquet for rocket scientists in Pyongyang.
The U.S., South Korea, Japan and other governments have condemned the recent North Korean launch as a ballistic missile test banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions. But the North Korean leader has praised the launch as an unprecedented enhancement.
The timing of the launch surprised many observers and Western diplomats because reports, just a day earlier, suggested North Korea was disassembling the rocket because of technical difficulties.
Updated Story on the AK-47 found by Kevin Bingham
Huw Shepheard, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has made a further statement over the weekend on the case of Kevin Bingham, following his decision not to proceed with a prosecution for illegal possession of a firearm. A picture of the AK-47 rifle, recovered following a dive by Mr Bingham at The Hole in Providenciales, has now been published onwww.facebook.com/UKinTCI.
It shows a weapon in what is described as extremely poor condition. The DPP made his decision not to proceed with the case because in his judgment the defendant did not intend to use it for any criminal purpose. In the interests of further understanding by the public and media a number of additional points of clarity have been published. RTC's Chris Jarrett has more details.
Director of Public Prosecutions says Bingham was charged by the Police and his decision not to proceed with a prosecution was reached following a request by Bingham’sdefence lawyers. Huw Shepheard’s additional information focuses on the condition of the gun which was recovered by Binghamon November 11th.
He did not report its discovery to the police and four days later they took possession of AK-47 after going to his house with a search warrant. Binghamtold the police he had found the gun while diving to retrieve a friend’s wallet.
In describing the gun the DPP says most of the magazine has rusted away and the spring that would ordinarily feed cartridges into the breech - when the weapon is being fired- is clearly hanging out loose.
The pistol grip has completely disappeared. The wooden grip normally found in front of the magazine has gone, making the holding of the weapon very difficult and risky.
The sheet metal parts that shield the mechanism are badly corroded and there is no way of knowing what damage may have been done inside without dismantling the weapon. The covering for the spring that absorbs the recoil and re-cocks the weapon when it is fired is gone, and the spring is exposed; the spring shows signs of corrosion.
The DPP saidit did not appear the weapon could readily have been made to fire, and it did not appear that any ammunition was recovered. Bingham, he said, was seen to recover the AK-47 by a number of people present at that time.
The worst that could be said of Bingham’sconduct on the evidence was that he displayed a total failure of judgment - but there was no evidence of any real criminal intention.
The DPP said had no personal knowledge of the individual and presented with the same set of facts he would stop a prosecution against any person regardless of age, sex or colour. This is Chris Jarrett reporting for RTC.