September 17 - 23, 2011
TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS
27
World News ‘Church’ busted for prostitution European Commission head
COPS BUSTED an Arizona church after they said the only healing it offered was sexual. On Friday, police said they arrested 20 people from the Phoenix Goddess Temple church and charged them with prostitution, CNN.com reported. They are still looking for 17 more people after a six-month investigation into the supposed holy house -- which advertised in the adult entertainment section of a classifieds ads website. In addition to sex-ed and sex toy classes, the church offered “sessions” to heal sexual blockages for up to $650 a pop, ABC News reported. And that, cops say, has nothing to do with praising Jesus, or any other higher power. “We certainly respect First Amendment rights. However, religious freedom does not allow for criminal acts,” Phoenix police spokesman Steve Martos told CNN. During searches of the Phoenix and Sedona branches of the temple netted evidence showing “church members” performing sex acts in exchange for “donations”, cops said. The Temple’s founder, Tracy Elise, had been involved with a similar religious scam in Seattle, ABC News reported. She was among the suspects arrested, cops said. On her Facebook page, she identifies herself as the “center holder/mother priestess” of the temple, since 2001 and is originally from Fairbanks, Alaska. While here
to put forward eurobonds
Tracy Elise identifies herself as the “centre holder/mother priestess” of the temple, since 2001. (Facebook picture)
music, movies and activities are all tantric/sex-based, she also claims to like the TV shows “Big Love”, “Sex and the City”, “My Name is Earl” and “Entourage”. “I’m going to call it like I see it,” Maricopa county attorney Bill Montgomery told the network. “They had a brothel, they had a madam, they had prostitutes and they had johns. The johns were paying prostitutes for sex. That’s illegal. It’s a blight on the community and we took action to take it down.” It was the largest prostitution bust in Arizona since 2008. In addition to sex charges, those arrested face charges including conspiracy and massaging without a license, cops said. (NYdailynews.com)
Israel warns against unilateral Palestinian move THE UNILATERAL declaration of a Palestinian state would have “dire consequences,” Israel’s foreign minister warned Wednesday, a day after Palestinians said they would take the proposal to the United Nations. Avigdor Liberman did not elaborate in his comments on Israel Radio, but said previous Israeli concessions like the withdrawal from Gaza had not resulted in peace. Frustrated with stalled negotiations with Israel, Palestinians plan to appeal to U.N. member states to recognise their territories as an independent country. But a United Nations report warned Wednesday that the Palestinians are not yet ready politically for statehood, even while it said the government did carry out basic functions. “Government functions are now sufficient for the functioning government of a state,” the U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said, calling it “considerable achievement.” But Israeli occupation has contributed to keeping Palestinian
politics “stagnant,” Robert Serry’s office warned. “There is only so much that can be done in conditions of prolonged occupation, unresolved final status issues, no serious progress on a two-state solution, and a continuing Palestinian divide,” Serry said. The Palestinians currently have non-state observer status at the United Nations. The United States has said it will veto full Palestinian statehood if the question comes to the U.N. Security Council. “It should not come as a shock to anyone in this room that the U.S. opposes a move in New York by the Palestinians to try to establish a state that can only be achieved through negotiations,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said last week. “So yes, if something comes to a vote in the U.N. Security Council, the U.S. will veto.” Instead, the Palestinian Authority is expected to go to the General Assembly, where it could get “observer state” status, similar to the position that the Vatican currently holds. A vote in its favor is all but assured.
EUROPEAN Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has said he will put forward moves to tackle the eurozone debt crisis, which he called “the most serious challenge of a generation”. He said he would urge the 17 eurozone nations to issue joint bonds, allowing them to borrow money collectively. Eurobonds have been backed by Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti and investor George Soros. However, Germany has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the idea. His comments came ahead of an emergency conference call between German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou due later on Wednesday. The three are expected to discuss how to address recent market turmoil, prompted by fears of an imminent Greek debt default. ‘FEDERALIST MOMENT’ “I want to confirm that
the
Angola: Huambo air force plane crash ‘kills generals’ AN ANGOLAN military plane has crashed after take-off from the central city of Huambo killing at least three generals, the state news agency Angop says. A Huambo-based journalist told the BBC that 30 of the 36 passengers had died - but no official toll has been released. It is not clear what caused the accident, but most of those on board are believed to be air force officers. Correspondents say the aircraft was an Embraer jet recently purchased by the army to transport top officials. Journalist Manuel Vieria told the BBC’s African Service that there were six survivors. Portugal’s Sol newspaper is also reporting that 30 passengers were killed. The paper quotes a survivor in hospital as saying that the accident happened so fast it was difficult to know what the problem was, but the pilot seemed to be aware that there was a technical fault. Portugal’s news agency Lusa said the accident happened at about midday local time (11:00 GMT). (BBC)
slow for impatient markets. He argued that the solution to the crisis would have to involve the “Community method” - implying more centralised decision-making.
Jose Manuel Barroso: “The measures have taken too long and they have not been fully delivered”
Commission will soon present options for the introduction of eurobonds,” he said. “Some of these could be implemented within the terms of the current treaty, and others would require treaty changes.” However, Mr Barroso emphasised that the measure on its own was not enough to solve the eurozone debt crisis. He said Europe needed a “federalist moment” to rescue it. “This is a fight for the economic and political future of Europe... this is a fight for integration itself,” he said. Speaking to the European Parliament, Mr Barroso said that the political process in the eurozone dominated as it is by the heads of the 17 member governments - was too
‘INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT’ Meanwhile, in a surprise reversal of traditional roles, five big developing countries are to discuss providing financial support to Europe. The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are to meet at the annual World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) summit next week, according to Brazilian finance minister Guido Mantega. Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, called it an “interesting development” and “acceptable hypothesis” for the Fund. “But if they limit themselves to buying bonds deemed safe by everyone, like the German and British, they wouldn’t be taking much risk,” she told Italian newspaper La Stampa. “My hope is that if interventions like this take place, that they’ll be large and not limited to certain states.” China’s president, Wen Jiabao, said that his country stood ready to help, but only if the eurozone got its act together. “The governments of all countries must truly shoulder their responsibilities and deal properly with their own affairs,” he said, speaking at the World Economic Forum at Dalian in China. (BBC)
Former Bronx teacher busted for molesting young boy for more than two years A FORMER Bronx public school teacher was arrested Tuesday on charges of molesting a young boy for more than two years in a grade school classroom. Cops busted Tulsie Singh, 35, at his E.239th St. home in the Bronx on charges of sexual conduct against a child and endangering the welfare of a child, according to court documents. The abuse took place from 2004 to 2007 - beginning when the child was 8 and ending when he was 11. The victim is now 15, according to court documents. Sources said his family only recently reported the abuse to cops, who are investigating whether other children were abused. The child was a student at Public School 306X, and the alleged abuse took place inside a classroom after school. Singh is accused of rubbing against the child’s buttocks, as
well as touching and kissing him, according to court records. “It’s totally untrue. Go and get your statement correct. You’re crazy,” said a relative at Singh’s residence. Singh started teaching at the W. Tremont Ave. school in 2000, according to the Department of Education. He was reassigned several times to unspecified posts because of “incidents,” a DOE spokeswoman said. DOE “100%” knew about the allegations against the teacher, sources said. Singh was suspended without pay in January and fired in April. His arrest follows an arbitrator’s investigation and subsequent ruling on his dismissal. The former teacher was released last night on $2,000 bond after his arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court, records show. (nydailynews. com)