Obama, Romney Campaign in Key Battleground States
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney continue to campaign across the country with the U.S. presidential election less than two weeks away. President Obama cast an early vote in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, while Mitt Romney held rallies in the key state of Ohio.
Concluding what he called his "48-hour-fly-around-marathon campaign extravaganza" across the country, Obama flew on Air Force One from Los Angeles, California to Tampa, Florida.
Florida is hotly contested, although recent polls have shown Romney ahead there. After Florida it was on to Virginia, another important battleground state where a win could be crucial, as both men seek 270 electoral votes needed to secure victory November 6.
Obama used his appearance in Richmond to comment about a high-profile endorsement from former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
"I was proud and humbled to learn that we have Colin Powell's support in this campaign. I am grateful to him for his lifetime of service to his country both as a soldier and as a diplomat, and every brave American who wears this uniform of this country should know that as long as I am your commander-in-chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known," said President Obama.
At each stop, the president used the term "Romnesia" to describe what he calls the former Massachusetts governor's shifting positions on domestic and foreign policy issues.
"If you can't remember what you said just a week ago, if you can't remember the plans on your own web site, and you're worried you might be coming down with a case of Romnesia, I want you to know Obamacare covers pre-existing conditions. We can make you well," said Obama.
Romney campaigned at a steel company in Ohio where the race is tight. Polls show President Obama with a slight lead, and electoral analysts say the state with its 18 electoral votes could be the deciding factor in the election.
Romney attacked what he called the smallness of Obama's campaign, saying Americans cannot afford four more years of the president's leadership.
"The president's campaign is slipping because he cannot find an agenda. He has been looking for it. There are only 12 days left. He has not had a chance to defend it or to describe it to the American people in our debates, and so the American people now have to recognize that given the big challenges we have and the big election we have, it is time for a big change," said Romney.
Before ending his marathon cross-country campaign trip, President Obama's last stop before returning to Washington was to his hometown of Chicago.
There, he became the first U.S. president to cast his own early ballot in a presidential contest. Obama's wife, Michelle, cast her own early ballot last week.
With the U.S. election only two weeks away, polls continue to show the race essentially tied. Both campaigns are hoping to sway undecided voters, and will be concentrating their efforts in the nine battleground states right up until election day.
EU Expresses Concern About Russia Treason Law
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has expressed concern about Russia's new legislation which broadens the definition of treason.
Ashton's office issued a statement Thursday, saying that “the new law would expand the scope for prosecution of and reduce the burden of proof for charges of treason and espionage.”
Current law describes high treason as espionage or other assistance to a foreign state damaging Russia's external security. The new bill expands it to include moves it describes as being against Russia's “constitutional order, sovereignty and territorial and state integrity.'' It also changes the interpretation of treason to include activities such as financial or consultative assistance to a foreign state or an international organization.
Russia's lower house of parliament, or Duma, on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed the bill drafted by the Federal Security Service. It is expected to pass swiftly through the upper house before it is signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.
Critics say the new law is part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent.
Ashton noted that the new law follows a number of recent legislative and judicial developments in Russia that, taken together, “would limit the space for civil society development, and increase the scope for intimidation.”
Moscow has rejected human rights concerns, saying the law is being enacted to strengthen security.
Suspected Afghan ‘Insider Attack’ Kills 2 Americans
The U.S. military says it is investigating the deaths of two American service members after a man wearing an Afghan National Police uniform used his weapon against them.
Military officials said Thursday's incident occurred in Uruzgan province. It is not clear if the attacker was a member of the Afghan National Security Forces.
The incident bears the hallmark of a so-called “insider attack,” in which Afghan security forces or insurgents disguised in Afghan or coalition uniforms open fire on NATO personnel. Such attacks have escalated this year, killing more than 50 coalition troops.
Separately, British officials are investigating an incident from Wednesday, in which two British service members were killed in an “exchange of gunfire” in Helmand province.
Local Afghan officials tell the French news agency the incident was the result of “friendly fire,” but British authorities have not confirmed that.
Elsewhere, Afghan officials say security forces killed a senior Taliban commander and 24 of his fighters in northern Afghanistan.
Officials in the governor's office of Faryab province said they sent reinforcements after insurgents attacked a village market. Five police officers died in the gunbattle.
Authorities say the Taliban commander, Yaar Mohammad, was the insurgent group's “shadow governor” of the region, enforcing the militants' own rule of law outside the central government.
The Taliban have traditionally been active in southern and eastern Afghanistan, but in recent years have spread their insurgency to the country's remote north.
Ukraine Blames ‘Foreign’ Security Forces in Russian Activist’s Disappearance
Ukrainian officials say foreign security agencies are responsible for the disappearance of a Russian opposition activist, who said he was kidnapped and forcibly taken to Moscow.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said Thursday it is clear that criminal elements were not involved in last week's disappearance of Leonid Razvozzhayev, an assistant deputy of the opposition Just Russia party.
Razvozzhayev told human rights activists visiting him in detention earlier this week that he was abducted by masked men in Kyiv, where he had been seeking asylum. He said he was taken across the Russian border and held in a building for several days, where he was tortured into confessing to plotting mass riots against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The activist's lawyer on Thursday said his client had retracted his confession, saying it had been made under pressure.
Russia's Investigations Committee said Razvozzhayev turned himself in on Sunday in Ukraine and admitted to involvement in organizing mass disturbances in Russia.
In Moscow, the U.S. embassy expressed concern to the Russian government about the activist's situation and requested an investigation into the case.
The United Nations refugee agency also voiced its concern, and stressed that as an asylum-seeker, Razvozzhayev is protected by international refugee law. The agency's Kyiv office on Monday confirmed that the activist disappeared after registering for asylum last week.
Razvozzhayev was featured in a pro-Kremlin documentary in which he and other activists appeared to plan mass riots and a coup in an effort funded by Georgian politician Givi Targamadze.
He faces up to 10 years if convicted.
Razvozzhayev's arrest follows a criminal probe launched last week by Russian authorities against two other opposition activists on charges they organized riots in May in Moscow. Left Front party leader Sergei Udaltsov was released and ordered to stay in Moscow, but his aide, Konstantin Lebedev, is in police custody.
Hurricane Sandy is currently approaching Central Bahamas.
The Meteorological Service has advised that Hurricane Sandy is currently approaching Central Bahamas. A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for Northwest and Central Bahamas, which includes Grand Bahama, Bimini, Abaco, the Berry Islands, Andros, Eleuthra, New Providence, Exuma, Cat Island, rum Cay, San Salvador, Long Island and Ragged Island of the southeast Bahamas.
Hurricane Sandy is located at present to the south west of the Turks and Caicos Islands as the centre of the storm moves closer to the Central Bahamas. At 11:00 a.m. the centre of Hurricane Sandy was located south south west of Long Island, 85 miles south south west of George Town, Exuma and 215 miles south-south west of Nassau. Sandy is expected to remain a Category 2 hurricane as it moves through the Bahamas.
The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies would like to draw to the attention of residents that the Turks and Caicos Islands have not been placed under a Hurricane Watch as the Turks and Caicos is outside of the zone for Tropical Storm conditions and does not pose a threat to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Based on its current track the storm is travelling on a path that could see the Turks and Caicos Islands experiencing gusty winds and intermittent showers.
The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies will continue to monitor Hurricane Sandy and will update the public if the need arises.
Residents are reminded to listen to your local radio and television stations and adhere to the Flood Tips and information that is being shared.
Flood Tips
Be prepared to move immediately to higher ground should this becomes necessary. Do not wait for instructions to move.
Move essential items to an upper floor or place them on tables, chairs or building blocks.
Be aware of ponds, drainage channels, and other areas known to flood.
Motorists should not attempt to cross flooded streets.
KNOW YOUR POLLING STATION
The Supervisor of Elections, Dudley Lewis, has announced the allocation of voters to polling stations for the forthcoming General Election on 9 November, today, Thu, 25 Oct 2012.
The Elections Ordinance requires him to allocate each elector to the appropriate designated polling station within their electoral district in any case where there is more than one polling station in that district.
This is done by the Supervisor providing a list to the presiding officer that details the persons who are to vote at that polling station by reference to the order of their family names.
The official list of voters to be provided to each polling station is specified in the Ordinance and it contains only the details of those persons who are allocated to vote at that station.
To be able to vote at the polling station, your details must appear on the official list for that station. This means that you have to vote at the polling station to which you have been allocated within your electoral district.
If you try to vote at another polling station in the electoral district to which you have not been allocated and where your details do not appear on the official list, you will not be allowed to vote and will be referred to the polling station to which you have been allocated.
If you wish to check which polling station you should attend, you can do so by contacting the Elections Officer at Tel: 946-2801, ext 11705 or ext 11703 or by checking the register of electors for your electoral district which has been deposited for inspection at the various places used for such purposes in each electoral district.
URGENT: CHANGE OF NOMINATION VENUE ON MIDDLE CAICOS
Due to unforeseen circumstances the venue for election candidates to be nominated in Middle Caicos tomorrow is now unavailable. Candidate who had planned to register their nominations on Middle Caicos should now report to the Bottle Creek Library, North Caicos instead. The Elections Office apologises for any inconvenience that this may cause.
All parties/candidate should register their nominations (candidates, symbols and pay their deposits) tomorrow Thu, 25 Oct 2012, between the hours of 10.00am-12 noon and 2.00pm-4.00pm at the following venues in each Electoral District.
Aside from this change to Middle Caicos all other venues remain as follows:
1. ED1: Anglican Church, Dillon Hall, Grand Turk
2. ED2: Education Department Conference room, Grand Turk
3. ED3: Community Centre, South Caicos
4. ED4: Bottle Creek Library, North Caicos
5. ED5: Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Long Bay, Providenciales
6. ED6: Ianthe Pratt Primary (Auditorium/Library), Providenciales
7. ED7: Disaster Management Centre, Providenciales
8. ED8 and ED10: Clement Howell High (Auditorium/Library), Providenciales
9. ED9: Felix Morley Community Centre, Providenciales
Sandy heads for Cuba after pounding Jamaica
At least one man has died after being crushed by a boulder and almost three quarters of the island is without power after Hurricane Sandy pounded Jamaica Wednesday. As Sandy headed towards Cuba, Jamaica was still being pelted with heavy rains after the eye crossed the island making it the first hurricane direct hit for the country since Hurricane Gilbert 24 years ago. The airport and ports remained closed and the police curfew also remained in place Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, at 7pm local time Sandy was about 60 miles NNE of Kingston packing winds of over 85 mph and travelling north at 14 mph.
The National Hurricane Centre said this motion was expected to continue through until Thursday night when an increase in forward speed is expected. A turn toward the north-northwest and a decrease in forward speed are expected on Friday.
On the current track Hurricane Sandy will move over eastern Cuba overnight and head towards the Bahamas Thursday. Sandy remains a category one hurricane but forecasters said additional strengthening was possible before it reached Cuba. Hurricane force winds currently extend outward up to 30 miles while tropical storm force winds extend up to 140 miles.
Although the storm remains more than 200 miles to the east of the Sister Islands very high seas are forecast locally and a marine warning remains in effect. Cayman Weather Services said waves could peak as high as nine feet through Thursday. Some heavy rain and fresh winds are also expected locally as Sandy moves past Cayman towards Cuba.
-CNS
Hurricane Sandy brings torrential rain to Jamaica
Jamaicans have taken refuge in shelters and their homes as Hurricane Sandy sweeps across the island after making landfall near the capital, Kingston.
Heavy rains and sustained winds of 125km/h (80mph) are pounding the island, according to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC).
Schools and airports are closed, and a curfew has been imposed in major towns to keep people safe and deter looters.
Forecasters warned the category one hurricane could strengthen further.
The NHC said Sandy has moved north across Jamaica at about 20km/h and emerged off its northern coast near the town of Port Antonio.
Tropical storm conditions were also expected to hit Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas before reaching Florida's east coast.
"These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas of mountainous terrain," the NHC said in a statement.
Crocodiles
In some southern towns, crocodiles were caught in rushing floodwaters, which carried them out of mangrove thickets, the Associated Press reports.
One big croc was washed into a family's front yard in the city of Portmore, according to the news agency.
Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson cut short a visit to Canada and flew home before the island's international airports shut down.
"This is a very serious storm. The government takes the threat seriously and I call on all Jamaicans to do likewise and prepare to face the enormous risks that this type of weather system can bring," she said.
The number of people seeking refuge in shelters is rising, according to Ronald Jackson, the head of Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.
"We now have over 437 persons in emergency shelters though those numbers could be higher at this time," he said.
Much of the island's infrastructure is in a poor state of repair, and a lack of effective planning regulation has resulted in homes being built close to embankments and gullies.
On Tuesday, a resident of Standpipe, one of the poorer quarters of Kingston, was trying to complete repairs to a roof which leaks badly even during a lesser downpour.
"We don't have much time," said Andre Howt. "We heard on the radio that the hurricane was coming this way. We'll be getting wet."
LIAT reduces flights into St.Lucia
LIAT has reduced its daily flights into St. Lucia by 4, providing 11 compared to its regular 15, this as Saint Lucia recorded increased regional arrivals in the first quarter of the year; the first time in years.
But The St. Lucia Tourist Board says that airlift suffered a 20% drop in 2012.
Director - Louis Lewis says this did not reflect demand for the country which remained the same. He says efforts to restore the lost seats have been ongoing.
Lewis says further to the issue of decreased flights to the island, increased airfare also formed part of their troubles. He noted there has been a 40% increase in airfare this year compared to 2011.