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.
Arrests, Charges and Court Fines
In Providenciales, on Tuesday 6 November 2012, a 35 year old male was arrested and charged for Possession of Control Drugs. This was the result of a stop and serach conducted by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Street Crime Team on Monday 5 November 2012 in the area of Heaven Down Rock. 41grams of suspected Cannabis were seized.
The male will appear in court on Tuesday 13 November 2012.
Also on Tuesday 6 November 2012 police in Grand Turk arrested and charged a 29 year old male for Possession of Control Drugs and Possession of Controlled Drugs with intent to supply.
It was reported that on Monday 5 November 2012, officers of the Drug Enforcement Team of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police conducted a stop and search on the 29year old male on the beach in the vicinity of the White Sands Hotel where 7.2grams of suspected Cannabis were found.
The 29year old male was taken to Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday 6 November where he plead not guilty to the charges. A trial date has been set for Tuesday 18 December 2012.
Meanwhile on Grand Turk, Fergusson Williams of South Back Salina, Grand Turk was found guilty for the offences of Common Assault and Indecent Language. The 48 year old was fined $750.00 for the offence of Common Assault and $100.00 for Indecent Language.
Two Turks and Caicos Islands Government Officials Arrested and Charged
In Grand Turk, today (Wednesday 7 November 2012), a 35 year old female and a 45year old male who are both Turks and Caicos Islands Government officials were arrested by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police for alleged acts of corruption following intensive investigations by the Integrity Commission.
The two (2) were subsequently charged with committing offences contrary to the Integrity Commission Ordinance and bailed to appear before Grand Turk Magistrates Court on Thursday 22 November 2012 at 9am.
Crime & Incident Report in the TCI
In Providenciales, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police are investigating the theft of numerous items including assorted clothing, caps, electronic equipment and other items from a store at Sammy Been Plaza, Airport Road.
It was reported that the store was secured on Saturday 3 November and upon re-opening on Monday 5 November the said items were noted missing.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police are also investigating theft of a large sum of money, a Samsung Cellular Phone, a Blackberry Cellular Phone and a Black DVD player from a home in Five Cays.
The home was secured at 9:00am on Monday 5 November 2012 by the homeowner and upon returning at 2:00pm the same day she discovered the break in.
Also, a Red and black Samsung Laptop computer and a Black Nikon Camera were stolen from a home in Discovery Bay.
The homeowner left her home at 8:30am on Monday 5 November and upon returning at 6:30pm the items were discovered missing.
A homeowner was awakened by the noise of keys in her house around 1:00 am on Tuesday 6 November 2012, upon checking the home, a male who was wearing a white shirt and dark coloured pants was observed coming through a window. The homeowner shouted at the male who then ran away to where other persons were waiting for him.
Criminal Investigations are on-going into all these matters.
Police are appealing to the public who may haveany information is asked to call the police on 911 or Crimestoppers on 1-800-8477. Tips can also be left in English, French or Spanish at www.crimestoppers.tc or by becoming a friend of Crimestoppers TCI on Facebook.
Mavado, Alison Hinds Colab on new remix
Dancehall artiste Mavado has collaborated with soca music veteran Alison Hinds for a remix to his JA Productions single Caribbean Girls.
The artiste, who is now signed to DJ Khalid's We The best Music group, believes it's important to appeal to the broader Caribbean with local music.
Mavado's manager Julian Jones- Griffiths spoke to The STAR on behalf of the artiste.
"The title of the song Caribbean Girls, says it all really. Mavado recorded it with the intention of appealing to the wider Caribbean community, not just Jamaica or the US etc. A remix to help tap into that market was part of the plan from day one. Allison is an icon of Caribbean music and we had been talking with her camp for a couple of years about a collaboration, so when Caribbean Girls was recorded it seemed like the right time to move," he said.
The Caribbean Girls single has already been released and has received over 300,000 views on YouTube.com. However, the remix remains exclusive.
"The remix hasn't been released as yet but we are expecting it to do well both in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Alison definitely brings a fresh angle to the song that should engage the ears of her army of Caribbean fans and bring them to the record," Jones-Griffiths said.
Touring opportunities
"The Caribbean market is vital in the career of any Jamaican artiste. It brings great touring opportunities, airplay and with so many Caribbean people all over the globe, it swells an artiste's fan base, because what's hot in the Caribbean usually translates to those international communities," he added.
Producer of the track, Justus, also had high regards for the Mavado and Alison Hinds collaboration.
"I gained an appreciation for soca music after working with Shurwayne Winchester on the Overproof rhythm, and our music always got appreciation from the other islands in the Caribbean, so we figure it's only right to show love back but so far the response is crazy," he said.
Adding, "JA Productions has many new projects for the Christmas season and into next year. We have a new rhythm coming out this month featuring a brand new Konshens track named Prayer as well as songs from Navino, Lutan Fyah, Darrio, Byrd Villain and more. Also working on the overtime soca remix, and another new dancehall rhythm for next year called Party Hop."
Mavado, in the meantime, is gearing up to release a new project via his We the Best/YMCMB deal with DJ Khaled and Cash Money.
The artiste also has upcoming shows in Curacao, Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia in the coming month.
He also has shows in Africa and Jamaica during December.
Source-Jamaican Star