Banana war ends after 20 years
An international trade dispute over bananas dating back two decades has finally been settled.
The European Union and ten Latin American countries signed an agreement to formally end eight separate World Trade Organisation (WTO) cases.
The head of the WTO Pascal Lamy called it a truly historic moment.
The formal agreement followed the EU agreeing in December 2009 to gradually reduce the tariffs on Latin American bananas.
Latin American banana exporters had long protested against EU tariffs designed to protect small growers in former European colonies in Africa and the Caribbean.
"After so many twists and turns, these complicated and politically contentious disputes can finally be put to bed," Mr Lamy said.
"It has taken so long that quite a few people who worked on the cases, both in the secretariat and in member governments have retired long ago."
The December 2009 agreement involved the EU reducing its tariffs on imported bananas from 176 euros ($224; £140) per tonne to 114 euros per tonne within eight years.
Iranian jets 'fired on US drone'
Iranian fighter jets shot at an unmanned US drone during a routine surveillance mission over the Gulf, Pentagon officials have said.
The defence department said the drone was not damaged in the incident, which it said took place in international air space on 1 November.
Pentagon spokesman George Little said the president had been informed.
Last year, the Iranians captured a US drone they said had invaded their air space and refused to give it back.
The Americans said the drone had malfunctioned.
After the latest incident, Mr Little said the US would continue surveillance in the area.
"The United States has communicated to the Iranians that we will continue to conduct surveillance flights over international waters over the Arabian Gulf," he said.
Mr Little insisted that the drone had never been into Iranian air space.
According to the Pentagon, two SU-25 jets intercepted the Predator drone and fired "multiple rounds".
They missed their target, and the drone was guided back to base.
Defence officials have a policy of not commenting on surveillance missions, but said they would give details this time because of media reports about the confrontation.
President Barack Obama to visit Burma
Fresh from his election win, Barack Obama will this month become the first US president to visit Burma, the White House says.
He will meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Thein Sein.
It is part of a three-leg tour from 17 to 20 November that will also take in Thailand and Cambodia.
The government of Burma has begun implementing economic, political and other reforms, a process the Obama administration sought to encourage.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was previously the most senior US official to go to Burma when she visited in December 2011.
The Burma stop is part of a trip built around the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia.
The US has appointed a full ambassador to Burma and suspended sanctions to reward the country for political prisoner releases and the election of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi to parliament.
America is also set to ease its import ban on goods from Burma, a key part of remaining US sanctions.
Analysts say the Obama administration sees in the country's political changes an opportunity to help counter the influence of China in the region.
Human rights groups are likely to criticise Mr Obama's visit as premature, given that the ruling government has failed to prevent outbreaks of communal violence in the west of the country.
Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti dies after arrest
The death of an Iranian blogger has been reported by his family a week after he was taken into custody.
Sattar Beheshti, 35, was arrested by Iranian police on charges of "actions against national security on social networks and Facebook."
His exact whereabouts and the manner of his death are unclear. Mr Beheshti's family say police told them to pick up his body on Wednesday.
Iranian authorities have offered no official comment on the case.
Mr Beheshti spent one night in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where he wrote an official complaint to prison authorities alleging ill-treatment, before being moved to an unknown location.
It is thought Mr Beheshti was targeted for his writings on political and social issues on his blog and on Facebook.
Mr Beheshti's family say they have been prevented from visiting his grave, with the exception of his brother-in-law.
Campaign group Reporters Without Borders called on the Iranian authorities "to clarify the exact circumstances" of Mr Beheshti's death and urged the international community "not to allow this crime to go unpunished".
France and the UK have issued similar appeals for more information on Mr Beheshti's death, but there has been no response from Iranian officials.
China congress: Hu Jintao opens party meeting on leadership change
Chinese President Hu Jintao has opened a Communist Party congress that begins a once-in-a-decade power transfer with a stark warning on corruption.
Addressing more than 2,000 delegates, Mr Hu said that a failure to tackle the issue "could prove fatal to the party".
China faced unprecedented opportunities and challenges, he said, and the nation should "aim higher and work harder".
His speech kicks off a week-long meeting that will see a new set of leaders unveiled.
Security is very tight across Beijing, with many dissidents detained or under house arrest, rights groups say.
Mr Hu told delegates at the Great Hall of the People that China had to adapt to a changing domestic and global environment.
"We must aim higher and work harder and continue to pursue development in a scientific way, promote social harmony and improve the people's lives," he said.
China's development should be made more balanced and sustainable, he said, and the "serious challenge" of corruption should be addressed.
"If we fail to handle this issue well, it could prove fatal to the party, and even cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state," he said.
Anyone who broke the law would be brought to justice, "whoever they are and whatever power or official positions they have", he said.
The corruption warning echoed one delivered 10 years ago during the previous leadership transition, when the party was told it risked "heading for self-destruction" if it did not tackle the issue.
The months leading up to this congress have seen China's political leadership rocked by a scandal involving Bo Xilai, the former Chongqing party leader once seen as a candidate for top office.
His wife has been jailed for murdering a British businessman and he is expected to face trial on corruption-related charges. Across China, meanwhile, recent cases of official corruption have stoked public anger and there have been a series of high-profile mass protests focusing on land grabs and environmental issues.
On the internet, thousands of people have called for better measures to fight corruption, leaving comments on websites launched for the congress by official media outlets Xinhua news agency, People's Daily and China Central Television (CCTV).
Economic growth has also slowed in recent months and the wealth gap is an issue of great concern, as is China's ageing population.
Mr Hu said a new model for economic growth was needed to respond to domestic and global changes.
"On the basis of making China's development much more balanced, coordinated and sustainable, we should double its 2010 GDP and per capita income for both urban and rural residents (by 2020)," he said.
Amid rumbling regional tensions over territorial rows in the East China and South China Sea, Mr Hu said the nation should "resolutely safeguard" maritime rights and become a maritime power.
"Active and prudent efforts" should be made to reform the political structure, he said, without giving details.
'Growing concerns'
The congress - for which no formal schedule has been revealed - will last a week and will be keenly observed for any indications of the leadership's future plans.
During the congress a new central committee is selected. It then chooses the country's highest decision-making body, the Standing Committee of the Politburo.
The process takes place behind closed doors, with the make-up of the top bodies in reality decided ahead of time.The current Standing Committee has nine members, of whom seven including Mr Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao are expected to step down.
The other two members, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, are expected to become party leader and deputy respectively. Mr Xi is also expected to take over from Mr Hu as China's president in March 2013.
Ahead of the congress there has been speculation that the number of seats on the committee will be reduced from nine to seven.
Analysts say there has also been division at the very top of the leadership, with two rival factions jostling for position and influence.
Vice-Premier Wang Qishan, propaganda chief Liu Yunshan, party organisation chief Li Yuanchao and Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang are thought to be the front-runners.
But the exact composition of the committee will not be clear until it is formally announced next week, likely on 15 November at a plenum expected to follow the congress.
In Beijing, more than 1.4 million volunteers have been brought in to help out with security for the congress.
Transport restrictions are in place, street vendors have been told to close and even the flying of kites has reportedly been banned.
Rights group Amnesty International says more than 130 political dissidents were unlawfully detained or placed under house arrest ahead of the meeting.
Red Cross says it cannot cope with Syria emergency
The Red Cross has said it "can't cope" with the worsening situation in Syria.
"The humanitarian situation is getting worse despite the scope of the operation increasing," said Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Meanwhile, President Assad has told Russian TV that he will not leave Syria as suggested by the UK prime minister.
It comes as Syria's divided opposition groups are meeting in Doha to discuss uniting under a new leadership body.
"I am not a puppet, I wasn't made by the West. I'm Syrian... and I have to live and die in Syria," Mr Assad told the Russia Today TV channel.
He warned that if Syria were to be invaded by foreign troops "the price would be too big" for the rest of the world.
"If we have a problem in Syria - and we are the last stronghold of secularism, stability and co-existence in the region - it will have a domino effect from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
He said he believed the West wouldn't move in that direction, but added: "If they do so, nobody can tell what's (going to happen) next."
Blank spots
Mr Maurer said the conflict was causing more casualties and making it difficult for the ICRC to reach victims.
There are currently "a lot of blank spots" and an unknown number of people were not getting access to the aid they needed, Mr Maurer added.
The ICRC has not been able to get to certain parts of the country, he added, giving as an example the city of Aleppo, which has been badly hit by violence in recent months.
Its personnel were able to access some districts of the flashpoint city of Homs last week, which Mr Maurer said was a major success.
The constantly moving nature of the conflict meant the Red Cross could not plan but instead had to seize opportunities for aid delivery on a day-to-day basis, Mr Maurer said.
His comments come a day before UN diplomats and aid agencies are due discuss the issue of access to Syria at a meeting in Geneva.
On Wednesday, a Syrian medical group claimed that up to 95% of foreign medical aid supplies were being diverted into the hands of government forces - a statement that the ICRC says is so far unsubstantiated, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva reports.
Strong pressure
The meeting of Syrian opposition groups on Thursday is set to bring together leaders of the Syrian National Council, hitherto the main opposition group, with other Syrian opposition elements.
The meeting will take place under the auspices of the Arab League, with Western powers from the international Friends of Syria group also taking part.
The key objective is to produce a unified, credible opposition leadership firmly rooted inside Syria itself, which would then be recognised by the Friends of Syria as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrians, the BBC's Jim Muir reports from Doha.
Few expect that to be achieved in one day of talks, so the meeting could be the beginning of a longer process. However, there is strong pressure to produce swift results, he adds.
The SNC's failure to present a united front against President Assad has previously brought widespread criticism.
The US has said it wants to set up a broader opposition leadership council in which the SNC's influence is diluted.
French diplomatic service is the world's best, UK says
Britain's diplomats have been told to learn lessons from the French, if they are to become the best diplomatic service in the world.
It follows advice from an external panel of advisers who told the Foreign Office that France was the best at pushing its national interest.
Top mandarin Simon Fraser told MPs France was known for supporting its economic and commercial interests.
But he said the UK had already made significant progress in this area.
Foreign Secretary William Hague has set the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) an objective of becoming the best diplomatic service in the world by 2015.
As part of its attempts to achieve this, the FCO has convened an external panel of advisers, known as the Diplomatic Excellence External Panel, to assess the department's progress and to judge how it compares with diplomatic services around the world.
The panel includes around 60 politicians, journalists and representatives from business and the NGO sector.
'Bold and imaginative'
Simon Fraser, Head of the Diplomatic Service, told the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee that in its first meeting earlier this year the panel had judged France to have the most effective diplomatic service - although the UK came second.
He said: "I think the point about the discussion of different diplomacies was the sense that French diplomacy is very good at a single-minded pursuit of a perception of the national interest.
"This is something that perhaps British diplomacy could be a bit more focused in doing, whilst also pursuing the other things such as our values agenda, human rights and these other issues.
Asked about what he thought the UK could learn from the France, Mr Fraser said the French government was judged to be "more organised in its collective support for, for example, French economic interests through diplomacy".
"That is certainly an area which we have been focusing on in the Foreign Office through our commercial diplomacy efforts and I think we have made significant achievements there."
In light of the meeting with the panel, Mr Fraser said the FCO was looking at making its policies "hard headed and focused on delivering the national interest" and more "bold and imaginative".
"There are many other good diplomatic services in the world, the French are one of them, and the important thing for us is that we can learn from them, as they can learn from us," he added.
Human Rights Commission Reshuffle
Doreen Quelch-Missick has been reappointed as the Chair of the Turks and Caicos Islands Human Rights Commission (HRC) for a further three years it was announced by His Excellency Governor Roc Todd, today, Wed, 7 Nov 2012.
Four new appointments have also been made to the Human Rights Commission: Pastor Dennis Swann, Patricia Saxton Director of the Turks and Caicos National Museum, Carl Simmons of Tropical Shipping, and Sophie Stanbrook of Karam & Missick. Together they provide collective expertise on health, law and human rights advocacy, human rights and corporate/commercial law, non-profit organisation management, community outreach, business and banking.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing members of the Human Rights Commission for their sterling contributions these past three years,” said Governor Todd. “The UK’s 2012 Overseas Territories White Paper is clear that the UK Government expects the Territories to abide by the same basic standards of human rights as the UK, and that Territory Governments have a duty to ensure local law complies with relevant international conventions and court judgements and is non-discriminatory.”
The TCI Constitution provides for the Human Rights Commission to promote the observance of human rights in the Turks and Caicos Islands; to receive and investigate complaints of breaches or infringements of rights or freedoms of the individual as set out in the Constitution or in international human rights treaties that have been extended to the Islands; provide advice on complaints; mediation; and, raise public awareness of human rights and issue guidance as required.
“I welcome the new membership to the Commission and look forward to a productive working relationship with a renewed commitment to the children, the poor, the disabled, the trafficking, exploitation and abuse of women, and to put an end to the continued discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDs,” said Doreen Quelch Missick, Chair of the TCI Human rights commission.
“We remain resolute in our commitment to upholding the principles of human rights, ensuring that people are treated fairly with respect and dignity, and will continue our campaign against poverty, against prejudice, ignorance, against injustice and discrimination.”
One of the first tasks of the new Commission will be to work with the Governor, Government and Chambers, to take steps to further strengthen the HRC in line with, and in support of its duties, under the Constitution.
The Human Rights Commission is one of the six Constitutional bodies in the Turks and Caicos. The 2011 Constitution establishes six institutions for protecting good governance in the Turks and Caicos Islands: an Auditor General and a National Audit Office; a Complaints Commissioner; a Director of Public Prosecutions; a Human Rights Commission; an Integrity Commission; and a Supervisor of Elections.
TCI Remembrance Events This Sunday
The Turks and Caicos Islands will commemorate Allied, Commonwealth and British personnel who fought in the two world wars of the 20thCentury and in subsequent conflicts on Remembrance Day on Sun, 11 Nov 2012.
His Excellency The Governor will place a wreath at both of the War Memorials on Grand Turk and Providenciales at two separate ceremonies.
The Grand Turk Remembrance Day Service will be held at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Front Street, at 9.45am. Immediately following the service all uniform groups will attend the Ecumenical Service at New Testament Church of God.
The Providenciales Remembrance Day Service will be held at St. Monica’s Anglican Church, Leeward Highway, Providenciales, at 3:30 pm.
Other participating organisations that will also lay wreaths at each service include: the TCI Ex-Services Legion; the Commissioner of Police; the Medical Department TCIG; the Scouts, Guides and Brownies; the TCI Red Cross; Soroptimists International; and a representative of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Election Observer mission.
“It is poignant that we remember those who have fallen fighting to ensure our freedoms and democracy on the weekend immediately following the Turks and Caicos Islands election,” said His Excellency Governor Ric Todd. “This is a very moving occasion every year and I am privileged and honoured to play a part in the commemoration.”
Crime and Incident reports
In Providenciales, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police are investigating the theft of numerous items including assorted clothing, electronic equipment, documents and a large sum of money from a home in Blue Hills.
It was reported that the home was secured at 4:30pm on Monday 5 November 2012 and upon returning at 8:00pm the said items were noted missing.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police are also investigating the abstraction of electricity at a business in Five Cays. It was reported by Fortis Technicians that their equipment had been tampered with on the business to enable additional power sources.
According to Police Spokesman Kevin Clarke: “Persons have been warned on many occasions as to the danger of tampering with electrical supplies. They not only put their life at risk but also lives of innocent people including young children.”
Also, police officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police on South Caicos are investigating a burglary with intent which occurred on Tuesday 6 November 2012. At approximately 2:45am., a home owner in South Caicos was awakened by the scream of his child. Upon checking as to the reason for the scream he encountered an unknown male person with a white shirt covering his head running through the door.
Kevin Clarke of the Police told RTC News that the Criminal Investigations are on-going into all these matters.