Pakistani Court Dismisses Blasphemy Charges Against Christian Girl
A Pakistani court has dismissed charges against a 14-year-old Christian girl accused of blasphemy in a case that drew international outrage.
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday threw out the case against Rimsha Masih, whose neighbors accused her in August of burning pages from the Quran.
She was arrested and spent three weeks in jail before being released on bail in September.
Police have arrested a Muslim cleric on suspicion that he planted evidence against Rimsha.
Muslim-majority Pakistan has some of the world's toughest penalties against blasphemy. Anyone found guilty of insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad faces the death penalty
US Government-Backed Panel Recommends AIDS Testing for Everyone
The influential Preventive Services Task Force on Monday said its previous recommendation for testing was only for high-risk individuals. But now it says as many as 25 percent of the more than 1 million Americans infected with HIV do not know they have it.
Advocates for AIDS patients call Monday's recommendation a “monumental shift” in how HIV can be prevented, diagnose and treated.
Experts say early diagnosis can cut the transmission risk for AIDS by 96 percent.
UN Calls For Urgent Aid to Pakistan
A senior United Nations relief coordinator is calling for $79 million in urgent aid for displaced communities in Pakistan.
Catherine Bragg said the money is needed to help families displaced by violence in the tribal areas of northwest Pakistan and those uprooted by flooding in the south.
She said that as winter approaches, $196 million is required to provide essential services, including health care, water, sanitation and shelter.
In 2010, massive floods in Pakistan killed 1,700 people, affected 20 million others and submerged one-fifth of the country.
Last year, monsoon rains triggered floods that killed at least 300 people and destroyed more than 1.5 million homes in Pakistan's southern Sindh province and neighboring Baluchistan province.
Obama Presses Cambodia PM on Rights
U.S. President Barack Obama has voiced concerns about Cambodia's human rights record in what U.S. officials describe as a “tense” meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Mr. Obama, who arrived in the capital, Phnom Penh, Monday, raised the issue of free and fair elections and the detention of political prisoners.
U.S Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said Mr. Obama told the prime minister those issues are an “impediment” to the United States and Cambodia developing a deeper relationship.
Cambodian officials said in response that the concerns about human rights are exaggerated.
After the talks with Mr. Hun Sen, the U.S. president met with the 10 leaders attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in the capital.
In another development, Cambodian rights groups voiced disappointment about the adoption at the summit of an ASEAN Declaration of Human Rights, saying the declaration does not go far enough to ensure rights for all people. The head of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights said that, for example, the declaration gives people the right to demonstrate, but not if the demonstrations affect a country's social order.
President Obama arrived in Phnom Penh from Burma, where he addressed a crowd at the University of Rangoon earlier in the day. Mr. Obama said he had come to keep his promise and extend “the hand of friendship.” He added that “flickers of progress” that have been seen must not be extinguished, but must become “a shining North Star” for all the nation's people.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Obama met separately with Burmese President Thein Sein and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in the country's main city of Rangoon.
TCI OFFICIAL OPPOSITION LEADER APPOINTED
The first female Leader of the Official Opposition in the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly will be appointed by His Excellency the Governor tomorrow, Fri, 16 Nov 2012.
The People’s Democratic Movement’s (PDM) deputy leader Sharlene Cartwright Robinson will be appointed in accordance with Article 56 of the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011 by Governor Ric Todd.
Ahead of the recall and inauguration of the Assembly on Wed, 28 Nov, and in accordance with the Constitution, Premier Dr Rufus Ewing and Leader of the Opposition Mrs Cartwright-Robinson have been invited to propose their nominations for appointed members of the House of Assembly. These appointments are made by His Excellency The Governor who will also appoint two further member of the Assembly.
The Constitution requires that all four additional nominated persons should, “...so far as possible from among persons representing shades of opinion which would not otherwise be represented in the House...’, (TCI Constitution Article 47).
Providenciales chosen as Trip Advisors #1 Beach Destination in the World for 2012
The results are in and once again accolades are being showered on the Turks & Caicos Islands with Providenciales being named as the number one Beach Destination in the World as voted on in the Travelers Choice 2012 category by readers on the popular online site Trip Advisor.
Rising to the top of a formidable list of challengers, Providenciales took the number one spot over other worldwide locales which included regional stalwarts Aruba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Cuba and The Bahamas as well as far flung exotic beach destinations on the Red Sea, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines, Spain and perennial US favourites Honolulu and Miami Beach.
Trip Advisor, one of the worlds most turned to online sites for those seeking travel information had this to say about Providenciales garnering the top vote in the Worldwide Beach Destination category:
“What makes this little Caribbean island the Travelers' Choice top beach destination for the second year in a row? Families love it for its uncrowded beaches at Taylor Bay and Grace Bay. Divers and snorkelers flock there to explore the bountiful barrier reef, including Smith's Reef and its ocean floor walk. And newlyweds find it a perfectly romantic place for a honeymoon.”
Director of Tourism Ralph Higgs says he “concurs fully with Trip Advisors remarks” and added “the world is now discovering what we have known all along.”
With the entire world on stage competing for visitors to their shores, The Turks and Caicos Islands continues to stand out as one of the most desirable places to visit. The Tourist Board joins with all its industry partners and stakeholders in acknowledging this significant ranking and continues to strive to make our “Beautiful by Nature” destination one that is the most sought-after, not only in the region, but worldwide.
LIME BRINGS ‘MERRY MOMENTS’ CHRISTMAS TO CUSTOMERS
LIME, the region’s best-value network, will launch its Christmas campaign this Thursday, (November 15,) offering customers across the Caribbean many ‘Merry Moments’, complete with big savings and hundreds of weekly prizes for the season.
Prizes on offer include the powerful and portable Nexus 7 - the Google Tablet, the new credit-card-thin iPod Nanos and the coveted Beats Solo HD headphones. Customers also win a compact travel speaker set with the purchase of BlackBerry Smartphones, while every Samsung Galaxy Y comes with preloaded Apps valued at over US$150.
In a move that the company says will put more ‘value in the pockets’ of its customers, the full-service telco is giving its mobile, internet and landline customers loads of savings and many chances to win in its Broadband specials, Top up and ADSL offers and Bill payment options.
Mr Drexwell Seymour, General Manager of LIME Turks & Caicos said: “LIME has always been cognizant of the situation with the economy and the company wants to ensure that with LIME’s ‘Merry Moments’ every customer will experience the joy of the season.” He says he is particularly pleased about the ADSL offer as it reaffirms his company’s commitment to ensuring everyone has internet access. “As families become more dependent on internet service we are committed to ensuring we increase internet penetration with affordable packages that everyone can afford. No home in the Turks & Caicos Islands should be without it,” he said.
LIME’s prepaid customers who purchase a SIM for $5 will get $5 free anywhere minutes. Existing customers who top up $10 or more and would automatically be entered for a chance to win the prizes and those who top up $30 or more will be entered for a chance to win a $250 shopping spree.
The broadband special gives new customers free installation, free first month’s rental. LIME’s fixed line customer who pay their bill on time and in full would also have a chance to win prizes.
All qualifying customers via the offers mentioned will be entered to win iPod Nanos, Nexus tablet, Beats Solos HD headphones and $5000 to five lucky winners. The draw and announcement is set for December 24, 2012.
Since October 15, LIME has been offering ADSL customers a free modem; the first month’s rental free and free installation, delivering to customers more ‘moments’ they could use to connect with family and friends leading up to the festive season.
General Manager of LIME TCI, Mr Drexwell Seymour commented: “This is LIME’s way of saying ‘thanks for your patronage.’ Nothing is being held back from our customers this Christmas. Customers will have a chance to win by using the regular services offered by LIME.”
The company also announced that it will be continuing its presence in the communities it serves and will be making visits and to various community-based organisation and charities to spread the Merry Moments around.
LIME presented each media house represented with 2 complimentary Samsung Galaxy SIII phones; each valued at over $1000. LIME brought some ‘Merry Moments’ and smiles to those present.
The Merry Moments Christmas campaign runs from November 15 to December 31, 2012.
Thousands of lesbians to travel to the caribbean in 2012 as part of Olivia Travel's 40th Anniversary
In 2013, four special anniversary trips will provide extraordinary opportunities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Olivia, the world's premier provider of lesbian cruises, resort and adventure vacations.
Launching the milestone year in grand style, 6,400 guests will celebrate with Olivia on two 2,100-person Holland America full-ship charters to the Caribbean and two 1,100-person resort vacations at Club Med Punta Cana.
For each trip, Olivia has pulled out all the stops with dozens of entertainers, surprise special guests, parties, excursions, activities, dances and shows - and, as a signature part of its mission, the company always charters the entire ship and resort so their guests can be out and free on vacation.
The 40th anniversary themed trips kick off Olivia's exciting 2013 vacation schedule.
The celebration comes after an impressive four decades during which the company grew from a groundbreaking independent women's record label into the leading lesbian travel company.
"I am so proud of all that Olivia has accomplished in the past 40 years. In addition to introducing women to incredible destinations, we have raised awareness for our community and changed what it means to be a lesbian traveler," says Olivia Founder and President Judy Dlugacz. "These upcoming anniversary trips are all about celebrating women - with women, and all we've experienced over these past four decades."
Former Grenada minister files lawsuit against ruling party
Former Grenada Foreign Minister Karl Hood says he has taken out a court action against the top leaders of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) over his recent expulsion from the party.
Caribupdate News quoted Hood as saying that the matter is to be heard in a St George's court on Friday.
Hood was among 10 NDC members expelled at the party annual convention on September 30.
According to Caribupdate News, the former foreign minister is contending that his expulsion was illegal and violated his rights, and he is suing prime minister and political leader of the NDC, Tillman Thomas; Deputy Nazim Burke; chairman Franka Bernadine; and deputy chairman Ken Joseph.
Cuba again offers talks with Obama government
One week after President Barack Obama won reelection, Havana has offered a “draft agenda” for U.S.-Cuba negotiations that largely repeats its years-old positions but almost directly offers to swap Alan Gross for five Cuban spies.
The statement by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla Lopez to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday received little initial media attention. It was disseminated more broadly Wednesday by his ministry and Cuba’s diplomatic mission in Washington.
Obama, reelected the previous Tuesday, has lifted nearly all limits on Cuban American travel and remittances to the island, allowed educational visits by other U.S. residents and restarted — and then stopped again — bilateral talks on migration issues.
But his administration has repeatedly said that more significant improvements in bilateral relations can come only after Cuba frees Gross, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) subcontractor serving a 15-year prison sentence. Wayne Smith, a former chief U.S. diplomat in Havana and now a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington, said Rodriguez laid out a list of issues that Havana has long said it wanted to discuss in any bilateral talks.
“He simply reiterated their position. I don’t see anything new there,” Smith said.
“This is a non-starter. Same demands as in the past. No offers of major concessions on human rights, etc.,” Jaime Suchlicki, head of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies at the University of Miami, wrote in an email.
Arturo López-Levy, a former Cuban government analyst now lecturing at the University of Denver, called Rodriguez’ speech “a list of maximum demands that shows the bilateral conflict can be handled better but not solved” during Obama’s next term. Arturo López-Levy, a former Cuban government analyst now lecturing at the University of Denver, called Rodriguez’ speech “a list of maximum demands that shows the bilateral conflict can be handled better but not solved” during Obama’s next term.
But he added that the foreign minister’s words evoked Obama’s offer of a “new start” in relations with Cuba shortly after he won the White House in 2008.
The U.S. State Department said it had no comment on the Rodriguez proposal
“Today, here and now, I am again submitting to the U.S. government a draft agenda for a bilateral dialogue aimed at moving towards the normalization of relations,” Rodriguez said.
His agenda items included lifting all U.S. sanctions; removing Cuba from the U.S. list of countries with links to international terrorism; and ending the Cuban Adjustment Act and the wet-foot, dry-foot policies, which Havana complains unfairly lure Cuban migrants to the United States.
Other draft agenda items included compensation for damages caused by the U.S. sanctions, the return of the territory now used by the U.S. Navy base in Guantánamo; an end to Radio/TV Marti; and a halt to U.S. financial support for dissidents.
Rodriguez also offered to negotiate agreements in areas of mutual interest, such as drug and people smuggling, terrorism, migration, natural disasters, the environment and postal services, but made no mention of human rights or democracy.
Source-Miami Herald