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Photo Contest Offering Free St. Kitts Vacation for 2
A lucky US Couple with a knack for photography has a chance to win a free vacation in St. Kitts, the main prize in the Retie the Knot Photo Contest.
Through March 14, 2021, couples can upload their wedding photo along with a 75-word story behind the photo on the St. Kitts Tourism website. Those who enter will also have a chance to win one of ten prize packs, all authentic items from the island.
A panel of judges will select five finalists, whose photos and stories will be shared on the tourism website and voted upon by the public. The voting period for finalists runs from March 17 to March 31, 2021. The winner will be announced April 30, 2021.
The winner of the contest wins a trip for two to St. Kitts in November 2021, with a four-night stay at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts. The couple will also be invited to participate in the island’s first Group Vow Renewal, planned by Dreamy Weddings Group.
“We are delighted to be partnering with the Dreamy Weddings Group to host the first ever Group Vow Renewal in St. Kitts,” said Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.
“Most couples never think of renewing their Vows; why not? Whether you have been married a year, five years, twenty-five years or more, participating in our first Group Vow Renewal, November 6th, 2021, is for you. We combined the opportunity to win a trip to St. Kitts and participate in our first Group Vow Renewal, November 6th, 2021, with a contest inviting you to submit your best wedding photo and seventy-five words on the story behind it. This opportunity allows us to increase brand awareness amongst couples throughout the U.S. and reach the discerning traveler who seeks new experiences.”
For more information, please visit St. Kitts Tourism’s website.
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NATO to Increase Troops In Iraq After Attack
NATO will expand its security training mission in Iraq by thousands of troops following a deadly rocket attack on a military airbase earlier this week.
The 30-member alliance will increase its personnel in Iraq from 500 to around 4,000, a move to prevent the war-torn country from becoming a breeding ground for terrorists, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Thursday.
“ISIS still operates in Iraq and we need to make sure they’re not able to return,” Stoltenberg told reporters at the end of a two-day virtual NATO defense ministers meeting.
What the increase means: He said NATO’s efforts will now include more Iraqi security institutions and areas beyond Baghdad, though their presence “is conditions-based and increases in troop numbers will be incremental.”
He added that the Iraqi government had made a request for the expanded mission, which will begin in the coming months.
The forces already there: NATO has been in Iraq since 2004 to train Iraqi security forces. Its current training mission, which began in 2018, is meant to help the Iraqi forces prevent ISIS from resurging.
The increase in NATO troops could possibly ease pressure on U.S. forces in Iraq, where about 2,500 troops are based for a mission separate from the alliance.
Will the US also increase?: A senior Defense official told reporters earlier this week that the Pentagon “welcomes NATO’s increased focus on Iraq,” but would not say if the U.S. would add more troops to the training mission.
Response to attack: Plans for an expanded NATO footprint follows the rocket attack Monday on Erbil International Airport, a military airbase in northern Iraq, which killed a civilian contractor and injured nine people, including a U.S. service member.
The militant Shia group Saraya Awliya al-Dam claimed credit for the attack, though the Biden administration has not publicly confirmed who is responsible for the strike.
The State Department on Wednesday vowed “consequences for any group responsible for this attack.”
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Murders: 6,402 Innocent Civilians Killed by Colombian Military
An inquiry in Colombia has found that 6,402 civilians were killed by the military between 2002 and 2008 and falsely passed off as enemy combatants.
The number of killings, known as “false positives”, is almost three times higher than previous estimates.
The inquiry is by a special court looking into crimes committed during a half century of conflict between troops and left wing rebels.
A peace deal ending the conflict was signed in 2016.
What were the “false positives?
It is the name given to the killings of young men – mainly from poor families – carried out by the Colombian army.
image copyrightGetty ImagesThe army’s aim was to pass them off as left-wing rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) to boost its kill rate and give the impression it was winning the armed conflict against the group.
Read more about the “false positives”:
Who’s behind the investigation?
It is being carried out by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), which was set up as part of the peace process after the left-wing Farc rebels signed the 2016 peace deal with the government.
The JEP is a transitional court system which was put in place for a period of 10 years to try all participants in the conflict, be they rebels or state actors.
Those who admit to their crimes up front will avoid jail time, but will be required to contribute in other ways to reconciliation – such as participating in programmes to remove landmines, build key infrastructure or construct monuments.
What did the court find?
After having investigated kidnappings carried out by the Farc rebels, the court has now turned its attention to the “false positives” and crimes committed by government forces.
Colombia’s public prosecutor’s office had acknowledged that there had been 2,249 “false positives” between 1988 and 2014 in a report it handed to the JEP last year.
The investigation suggests the real figure is almost triple that.
It also suggests that the majority of the “false positives” were carried out between 2002 and 2008, during the presidency of Álvaro Uribe.
What’s the background?
The “false positives” scandal first erupted in 2008, but the practice is thought to date back as far as the 1980s.
More than 1,700 people have been sentenced for their role in the false positives.
Members of the military have given evidence in a number of court cases over the past decade and told how they were pressured by their superiors to drive up their “kill rate” and how they would be rewarded by being given promotions or extra days off.
In one case, eight soldiers were jailed for taking four farmers from their homes by force, shooting them in the back and dressing them up as rebels.
In other instances, young men were lured from poor neighbourhoods of the capital, Bogotá, with promises of work, only to be murdered and dressed in rebel fatigues.
The JEP says it does not rule out that the total number of victims may be higher as its investigation is still in the early stages.
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Biden Stressing Human Rights in US-Saudi Relationship
This week President Joe Biden’s administration has given a further indication of how it plans to distance itself from the Middle East policies of his predecessor, President Donald Trump.
The White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, has said that the president intended to “recalibrate” his relationship with a key US ally, Saudi Arabia.
President Trump, through his son-in-law Jared Kushner, forged a close personal bond with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, giving him largely free rein in how he used US-supplied weaponry in Yemen. President Biden, it seems, prefers to deal with his father, King Salman, who is in his 80s and in poor health. And from now on, read a statement by the US State Department, US policy needed to prioritise the rule of law and respect for human rights.
So what does this mean for both countries and what are the risks here for Washington and Riyadh?
Tactical shifts
For the Saudi Crown Prince, known as MBS, it means the good times under President Trump are well and truly over.
For the Saudis to retain the US as their strategic partner and security “umbrella” in the longer term, concessions are having to be made to accommodate a very different way of thinking in the White House.
- No more US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen; fine, say the Saudis, we’ve been trying to find a way to end that war anyway.
- Mend the rift with Qatar, says Washington; already done.
- Release the Saudi women’s rights activists, say voices on Capitol Hill; last week the most prominent female activist, Loujain Al-Hathloul, was released to her family, albeit on probation.
The Saudi-US alliance has deep roots. It dates back to a historic meeting onboard a US warship in 1945 between the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz and President Roosevelt.
It has survived the upheavals of the 1973 oil embargo, the 1991 Gulf War and the 9/11 attacks of 2001, where most of al-Qaeda’s suicide hijackers were Saudi nationals. The Saudis may be feeling deeply uncomfortable about the new team in the White House – it took the leadership several days to congratulate Joe Biden – but they are not about to trade in the US for another partner overnight.
They know that if the massively powerful US Fifth Fleet were ever to pull out of the Gulf then Saudi Arabia’s arch-rival Iran would quickly fill the vacuum and become the dominant power in the region.
For now, the Biden administration has vowed to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against attack, including from the armed drones being launched by Houthi forces in Yemen.
Power behind the throne
For the US, there are risks in the Biden approach. King Salman is now too frail to take an active, hands-on role in the day-to-day running of Saudi Arabia. So in practice, Washington could well find itself dealing with his son, MBS, for several more decades, whether it likes it or not.
To most Western governments, MBS is still considered toxic, tainted as he is with the widely-held suspicion that he ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which he denies. But inside Saudi Arabia MBS is largely popular, especially with the young, who welcome his social reforms.
At just 35 years old, he is far closer to the nation’s youth than the octogenarian rulers the country has grown used to. He also holds all the levers of power, having brought the armed forces, the Ministry of Interior and the National Guard under his direct control.
With almost Machiavellian cunning, he has dealt with all possible obstacles in his path, including locking up the man who was America’s favourite to be the next king: the quietly competent former Interior Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, deposed by MBS in a bloodless coup in 2017.
Delicate path
But when it comes to US pressure to influence affairs in Saudi Arabia things have not always turned out the way Washington wanted. As US Secretary of State in 2005, Condoleeza Rice denounced autocracy in the region and urged Saudis to embrace democracy and hold free elections. The Saudi rulers then dipped a tentative toe into democratic waters by allowing limited municipal elections.
The result? A resounding victory for conservative, mostly anti-Western, Islamist candidates. So, as the Saudi leadership said to its US allies afterwards: “Be careful what you wish for”.
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8-Year-Old Honduran Boy Drowns Crossing Rio Grande
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Honduran boy drowned as he attempted to cross the Rio Grande dividing Mexico and the United States, Mexican immigration officials said Thursday.
The National Immigration Institute said in the statement that the 8-year-old “was in the company of various adults on a small island between the two countries, but couldn’t withstand the pounding water, which covered him and kept him submerged for several meters.” The migrants were attempting to cross the river at Piedras Negras, across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas.
His body was recovered, but attempts to revive him failed. The boy’s parents and sister made it to the U.S. side where they were apprehended by the Border Patrol and returned to Mexico to identify the body.
It happened Wednesday, the same day that Mexico’s immigration agency announced the death of a Venezuelan woman who died trying to cross the river there.
The flow of migrants to the U.S. border has increased after dropping sharply due in part to pandemic-related border restrictions for much of last year. Migrants’ hopes have also been buoyed by the new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.
Drownings are just one of the dangers migrants face.
In late January, 19 bodies were found shot and burned in a vehicle near the town of Camargo, also across the border from Texas.
The Tamaulipas state prosecutor’s office said late Wednesday in a statement that authorities had identified 16 of them as Guatemalan migrants from the town of Comitancillo. They had previously arrested and charged a dozen Tamaulipas state police officers in connection with the case.
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Economically Depressed Nicaragua Creates Outer Space Agency
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Nicaragua has created a new National Ministry for Extraterrestrial Space Affairs, The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, which is drawing amused reactions on social media in a nation that has been struggling since anti-government protests three years ago.
The agency was approved by 76 legislators Wednesday in the country’s congress, which is dominated by President Daniel Ortega’s Sandinista Party. Fifteen opposition legislators abstained.
In a country that has a hard time supplying its people with food, fuel and coronavirus vaccines, it is not clear exactly what the ministry is supposed to do.
It will be under the control of the Nicaraguan army, which has no space program. The law says the ministry “will promote the development of space activities, with the aim of broadening the country’s capacities in the fields of education, industry, science and technology.”
Geologist Jaime Incer Barquero, president of Nicaragua’s Academy of Geography and History, told CNN: “Nicaragua does not have a scientific capacity or tradition, does not have a serious (space) observatory. We are not scientifically able as a country to undertake this type of research.”
Social media users were quick to create memes of Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, dressed as astronauts, and of Nicaraguan police expropriating the moon, as Ortega has done with some buildings in Nicaragua that belonged to media outlets and civic groups he disagreed with.
Critics said the country does not have the money to spare for dreams of space exploration. It has yet to acquire any coronavirus vaccines and has been in a deep social and economic crisis since the government quashed mass protests in 2018.
The space agency is not be the first time Ortega has endorsed quixotic proposals. In 2014 he authorized a Chinese company to build a $50 billion canal across Nicaragua. The project has made little headway.
Human rights organizations, meanwhile, said Thursday that they will demand a “strong resolution” on Nicaragua’s human rights situation at the Feb. 22 opening session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
“Violations of human rights continue in Nicaragua, and they require a mission to visit the country and make recommendations for overcoming this challenges, and for the county to return to normality before the elections” next fall, said Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, the U.N. special investigator on the rights to peaceful assembly and association.
National elections are scheduled for Nov. 7. Ortega is expected to run for his fourth consecutive term as president since 2007, and his fifth in total, combined with his stint in power in 1979-1990, Nicaragua has already spent almost a quarter-century under Ortega’s rule.
In recent months, Ortega’s government has proposed, passed and implemented a number of laws making it more difficult for nongovernmental organizations to operate.
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New scam draining entire bank accounts
There's a new Australian Tax Office scam sweeping Australia, draining victims of their entire bank accounts.
The ATO has issued a warning following a spike in automated scam calls impersonating the tax office, claiming they've suspended their target's tax file number following suspected fraudulent activity.
Assistant Commissioner Trent Jakubowski has condemned the fraudsters saying "while the number of people paying these scammers is low, the large amounts being lost per person is alarming".
READ MORE: Tax office currently investigating 14 attempts to fraudulently claim JobKeeper payments.
Since the start of 2021, the ATO has received 638 reports of this scam, with 7 victims paying out nearly $118,000.
Young adults between 18-24 have been targeted heavily in the scam, an unusual change in tactics from focusing on the elderly. One victim last week lost $36,000 after transferring scammers their entire bank balance.
"We're seeing that instead of scammers asking for a specific amount of money, they're requesting victims transfer every last dollar in their bank account."
"What's most malicious, is that in some cases, these scammers are stealing money under the guise of saving it from other fraudsters trying to access their account," Mr Jakubowski said.
The ATO has warned there are two main scripts the scammers are using;
– Your TFN has been suspended as scammers have your TFN details. You need to transfer all your money to the ATO in order to protect it while we sort it out
– Your TFN has been used illegally and you need to move all the money in your bank account to a holding account pending the outcome of legal action
READ MORE: JobKeeper payments slashed: How much employees will receive in 2021.
"This is a reminder for everyone to keep their guard up when answering an unexpected call. While we more often hear stories of older Australians being targeted by scammers, these devastating losses show that anyone can be a target," Mr Jakubowski said.
Brittany Higgins takes rape allegations to federal police
Brittany Higgins will make a formal complaint with the Australian Federal Police over the night in which she alleges she was raped by a colleague within Parliament House.
In a statement today, Ms Higgins said she took her story public to achieve change for how the Australian Parliament handles incidents of sexual assault and for her alleged perpetrator to face the full force of the law.
"The Australian Federal Police have made assurances to me that they will handle this matter thoroughly and transparently. I would also ask that they handle it in a timely manner as to date, I have waited a long time for justice," Ms Higgins said in the statement.
READ MORE: Morrison denies knowing about alleged rape two years ago
"Secondly, given my experience, I am determined to drive significant reform in the way the Australian Parliament handles issues of this nature and treats ministerial and parliamentary staff more generally."
A full copy of Ms Higgins' statement can be read below.
She said she was "failed repeatedly" by leaders within the parliament and will now use her voice to ensure it will never happen again to another member of staff.
READ MORE: Peter Dutton says Brittany Higgins 'had a lot of support'
Ms Higgins referred to Prime Minister Scott Morrison's comments within parliament that she should be given "agency".
"I don't believe that agency was provided to me over the past two years but I seize it now and have advised the Prime Minister's Office that I expect a voice in framing the scope and terms of reference for a new and significant review into the conditions for all ministerial and parliamentary staff," Ms Higgins wrote.
"It is important that the reform is real and drives change beyond dealing with just what happened to me, and how the system let me down."
READ MORE: Ministerial office steam-cleaned just hours after alleged rape of staffer
The handling of Ms Higgins' case has been a flashpoint for the Morrison government, who have been accused of mishandling her complaint due to its volatility prior to an election.
Mr Morrison has denied being aware of Ms Higgins' complaint until it made major news networks earlier this week.
Ms Higgins said she does not intend to make further comment as she deals with the processes involved in making a formal complaint.
"This has been a very difficult and trying week for me, my partner and my family," Ms Higgins wrote.
"I would ask please that my privacy is respected as I now deal with the processes I have outlined in this statement. I do not intend to make any further public comment at this time."
READ MORE: Lambie calls for defence minister 'to step down' after alleged rape of staffer
Brittany Higgins' statement in full:
Today I have reengaged with Australian Federal Police and will proceed with a formal complaint regarding the crime committed against me in what should be the safest building in Australia.
By publicly coming forward with my experience in Parliament House, I've sought to achieve two things.
Firstly, I want a comprehensive police investigation into what happened to me on 22/23 March 2019 and for my perpetrator to face the full force of the law.
The Australian Federal Police have made assurances to me that they will handle this matter thoroughly and transparently. I would also ask that they handle it in a timely manner as to date, I have waited a long time for justice.
Secondly, given my experience, I am determined to drive significant reform in the way the Australian Parliament handles issues of this nature and treats ministerial and parliamentary staff more generally.
I expect a truly independent investigation into how my matter was handled inside the government including offices where I worked, and other offices and parties that had knowledge of my circumstances.
I believe that getting to the bottom of what happened to me and how the system failed me is critical to creating a new framework for political staff that ensures genuine cultural change and restores the trust of staff.
In addition to an independent investigation into what happened to me, I demand a significant review into the conditions under which ministerial and parliamentary staff are employed and how we can do better.
Political advisers have very few protections, resources and confidential reporting mechanisms to address any workplace issues. They are not public servants and work in an extremely high-pressure environment. Too often, a toxic workplace culture can emerge that enables inappropriate conduct and this is exacerbated by the disparity in the power dynamics.
How ministerial and parliamentary staff are treated is a bipartisan issue that impacts staff from across the political spectrum and must be treated as such.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly told the Parliament that I should be given 'agency' going forward. I don't believe that agency was provided to me over the past two years but I seize it now and have advised the Prime Minister's Office that I expect a voice in framing the scope and terms of reference for a new and significant review into the conditions for all ministerial and parliamentary staff. It is important that the reform is real and drives change beyond dealing with just what happened to me, and how the system let me down.
From the outset, I have driven by my desire to ensure that no other person would have to go through the trauma that I experienced during my time in Parliament House.
I was failed repeatedly, but I now have my voice, and I am determined to use to ensure that this is never allowed to happen to another member of staff again.
This has been a very difficult and trying week for me, my partner and my family. I would ask please that my privacy is respected as I now deal with the processes I have outlined in this statement. I do not intend to make any further public comment at this time.
University apologises to its vice-chancellor after buying $5m mansion for her to live in
The University of Auckland has apologised to its vice-chancellor after she became embroiled in the backlash that followed the controversial purchase of a $5 million Parnell mansion she spent months living in.University staff and…