BANK CANCELS CREDIT CARD

Vernella says sorry to TOP while 'Express' confirms...


By Ria Taitt and Elizabeth Williams Story Created: Mar 19, 2012 at 11:56 PM ECT (Story Updated: Mar 19, 2012 at 11:56 PM ECT)


 The Government-issued credit card of Tobago Development Minister Vernella Alleyne-Toppin has been cancelled.


 And yesterday the Minister apologised to her party, the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP), for her misuse of the Government-issued credit card.


 TOP had "categorically condemned" her misuse of the card and had called on her to make a "full and unconditional apology to her constituents and the people of Trinidad and Tobago".


 In a letter addressed to chairman of TOP, Stanley Beard, Alleyne-Toppin stated she "unreservedly apologises for the issues that arose surrounding the use of the State-issued credit card". She further stated that: 


1) All balances drawn on the account have been repaid in full


 2) Use of the card has been discontinued 


3) The actual card has been returned to First Citizens.


 Sources confirmed to the Express the card was cancelled by the bank.


 Yesterday, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, who made the revelations about the misuse of the card in the debate on the no-confidence motion in the House of Representatives two weeks ago, called for her resignation.


 "The Minister is playing games with her feigned apology. She resolutely refuses to accept that she did anything wrong. The apology is only for the embarrassment and not for the act," he said.


 Rowley said Alleyne-Toppin had not come clean on the nature and extent of the "abuse" of the card and the role which the Ministry of Finance played in treating with her "abuse". 


"After her bombastic response and her childish attempts to gain sympathy and steer the public away from viewing her unacceptable conduct, which includes breach of trust in dealing with public money, she cannot simply excuse herself by continuing to attempt to mislead the public," Rowley stated.


 Alleyne-Toppin's credit card had a balance as of December 2011, of $68,048.16. 


Former head of the Public Service Reginald Dumas welcomed the apology but noted it should have come sooner.


 "I hope Minister Alleyne-Toppin exercises due vigilance in her ministerial functions in the future," Dumas said.


 However, he stressed, the question now should be asked, how was the $68,048.16 sourced, and the fact the monies were already paid back, proves the government was aware of the matter in the first instance.


 "Such a large amount of funds used in such a short period of time, I am hopeful this does not reoccur. This kind of behaviour is not expected of a Cabinet minister," Dumas said.


 Dumas insisted Alleyne-Toppin should not be blamed for the use of the card since she claims she did not know how it should be used, but she should be held accountable for the fact the card was not properly used by her


. Alleyne-Toppin's apology comes on the heels of a more comprehensive and unsolicited apology which was given by her colleague, Health Minister Fuad Khan.


 Alleyne-Toppin stated in her letter to Beard she had also taken steps to personally review and address any areas of breakdown in the administrative process in the Ministry of Tobago Development to ensure matters of this nature do not occur in the future in keeping with her commitment to transparency, integrity and accountability in all operations.


 She thanked her constituents, the TOP, the People's Partnership and the national community for their continued support and reaffirmed her pledge to the service of the people of Tobago and Trinidad and Tobago.

Baird warns of Russian 'homosexual propaganda' law

OTTAWA — Canada is warning gay and lesbian travellers bound for Russia's historic St. Petersburg to be wary after the city enacted a new law banning what it calls homosexual propaganda.

 Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has told the House of Commons he is deeply concerned by the legislation, which he says runs counter to core Canadian values of freedom of speech, human rights and the rule of law.

 The warning comes after the governor of St. Petersburg signed a law that makes it a criminal offence to publicize acts of sodomy, bisexualism or lesbianism.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird stands in the House of Commons during Question Period, Friday March 16, 2012 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

 The city says the law, which comes into effect Saturday, is designed to protect children. But gay rights groups see it as part of a backlash led by some politicians and the Russian Orthodox Church.

 St. Petersburg is the fourth Russian city to be enact such a law.

 Baird said Canada has lodged an official protest, as well as warning travellers.

 "Canada's ambassador has written to the Russian government to express our deep concern and, yes, we have at his request, put a travel advisory on our website," Baird said.

 Scenic, historic and cosmopolitan, St. Petersburg is one of Russia's -- if not one of the world's -- top travel destinations.

 Canada's new travel advisory has been amended to read: "Homosexuality is legal, though some still strongly disapprove of it. Canadians are advised to avoid displaying affection in public, as homosexuals can be targets of violence.

" The advisory states that the new law prohibits "propagandizing homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality and transsexuality among minors, and prohibiting public actions propagandizing pedophilia.

" Among other things, the advisory warns travellers against "displays or conspicuous behaviour," which could lead to arrest or a fine.

 Baird said he will consider amending travel advisories to other destinations to deal with specific threats to gay and lesbian travellers.

 "We'll certainly look at that," said Baird. "Obviously one of the core responsibilities I have as Canada's foreign minister is to promote Canadian values around the world, and I will continue to do this." 

Suicide blast in Peshawar kills police superintendent

—Reuters Photo
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 PESHAWAR: A suicide attack on Thursday killed a senior Pakistani police officer and wounded his bodyguard in the northwestern city of Peshawar, troubled by a new wave of violence, police said.


“Police Superintendent Kalam Khan died in the blast and his driver and a guard were injured,” police officer Tahir Ayub said.


 “The bomber came on foot and detonated explosives strapped to his body near Khan’s jeep,” bomb disposal squad chief Hukum Khan said.


 “We have found the bomber’s head,” he added.


 The incident took place on a road under construction in Peshawar’s Pishta Khara neighbourhood that meant Khan’s car had to drive slowly, police said.


 Khan had been on his way to work in the suburban town of Badaber, where a suicide attack killed 15 people at a funeral on Sunday.


 It lies close to Bara town, a stronghold of local warlord Mangal Bagh, who is linked to Islamist militants.


 Peshawar has a population of 2.5 million people and has long been on the frontline of violence blamed on an insurgency led by Taliban militants opposed to Islamabad’s alliance with the United States.


 Islamist militants have killed more than 4,900 people across Pakistan since government troops raided an extremist mosque in Islamabad in July 2007.

FACEBOOK TO CHARGE USERS!

BREAKING - Facebook has announced a host of new changes to its design and new plan – charging users! 

Mark Zuckerberg announced a host of new changes to Facebook. He did not, however, comment on the fact that he was closing Facebook down next year.

 WWN’s J.B. Smitts broke the story that Facebook was shutting down on March 15th, 2012. Maybe this helped Zuckerberg come up with his new plan?

 Pressure from angry users has been too much and Facebook is looking at an alternative, something that will persuade Mark Zuckerberg to keep the site alive: his social media platform is going to start charging users! 

According to sources outside the company, Facebook is planning a subscription-based service with monthly fees starting at $0.99 for a basic “friendship” which allows for the posting of text and just one profile picture. This fee will increase, depending on the number of friends you have, the messages posted and sent, and the pictures/videos/ games put on a user’s page. The monthly fee will be capped at $50.00 per month at the high-end.

 Bottom line: the more you will pay.

 Reports are that all existing content has been “grandfathered” and will not be disrupted – though Facebook has decided to share this data with government agencies, including the FBI , the CIA and Michael Moore. 

Goldman Sachs, which had been planning to raise $1.5 billion in financing before they learned that Mark Zuckerberg wanted to shutter the site, is thrilled at the prospect of Facebook converting to a pay service. 

“The addition of this substantial revenue windfall makes Facebook all that more attractive as an investment,” said Tom Wotozowski, Senior Vice President of Goldman Sachs. “This will make it the largest corporation on the planet, in the history of the planet.

” Industry watchers estimate that the new fee-based program will generate well in excess of $20 billion in new revenue for the company – based on the most conservative assumptions of usage and the proposed tiered fee structure.

 These estimates, of course, account for the fact that millions of users may quit Facebook in response to the imposition of fees. “I’m not going to pay for Facebook! It’s like paying for air. It’s not right,” said longtime Facebook junkie, Jessica Samsille. “Screw them, I’m going back to MySpace,” said Bo Chan.

 No matter. Facebook executives are excited at the prospect of charging users. “We’re going to make money hand over fist,” said Facebook CEO Cindy Shooman. “I think converting to a pay service is something that will make Mark want to keep the site going. And I’ll finally get to buy an island in the Mediterranean.”

 March 15th, 2012 is Facebook Day. The site will either shut down, or start charging users for its service.

Beware the ides of March…

 [Reporting by Floyd Collins on WWN's Financial News desk] use Facebook, the more you will pay.

Health Care Reform

After decades of failed attempts by a string of Democratic presidents and a year of bitter partisan combat, President Obama signed legislation on March 23, 2010 to overhaul the nation’s health care system and guarantee access to medical insurance for tens of millions of Americans.

 The health care law seeks to extend insurance to more than 30 million people, primarily by expanding Medicaid and providing federal subsidies to help lower- and middle-income Americans buy private coverage. It will create insurance exchanges for those buying individual policies and prohibit insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions. To reduce the soaring cost of Medicare, it creates a panel of experts to limit government reimbursement to only those treatments shown to be effective, and creates incentives for providers to “bundle’' services rather than charge by individual procedure

. The law will cost the government about $938 billion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which has also estimated that it will reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over a decade.

 It was the largest single legislative achievement of Mr. Obama’s first two years in office, and the most controversial. Not a single Republican voted for the final version, and Republicans across the country campaigned on a promise to repeal the bill. In January 2011, shortly after they took control of the House, Republicans voted 245 to 189 in favor of repeal, in what both sides agreed was largely a symbolic act, given Democratic control of the Senate and White House.