In an exclusive interview, Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Allen Chastanet speaks to Investment Migration Insider about the citizenship by investment price war, how Caribbean leaders have been “too busy” to discuss a price floor, his plans to accept payments in euros and yen, and also shares details on the upcoming tax residency program.
Source: imidaily.com
As the UK gears up to divorce the EU, many fear they might soon be citizens of nowhere. As a result, citizenship-by-investment programs have experienced an unprecedented uptake – something Malta is capitalising on.
This increase isn’t from individuals looking to minimise their tax liabilities by acquiring residency in “havens” such as the Caribbean, Caymen Islands or British Virgin Islands. It’s from people who are looking for a second passport in order to remain EU citizens. So countries such as Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta have become some of the hottest places to live.
By default, these countries have turned Brexit into an incredible business and growth opportunity; not only are citizenship-by-investment programs generating a generous amount of money, and have helped some of them out of debt, but as they attract the crème-de-la-crème when it comes to business success, talent and wealth, it has also had a positive impact on the local community as new networks and corporate opportunities have been created. It’s a win-win.
Since the UK voted to leave the EU, Austria and Cyprus have experienced a 50 per cent uptake in passport enquiries; but it’s Malta that is really making headway. In the last year, the EU’s smallest member state has seen a 60 per cent surge in passport enquiries from individuals who want to hold on to their free movement rights.
In fact, a new survey revealed 69 per cent of UK citizens would be prepared to spend a considerable amount for the privilege of a second passport; something that suggests that in this era of globalisation, citizenship and passports have simply become a means of accessing bigger and more attractive opportunities in international markets.
From a geographical perspective, many argue that Malta is ideally situated, with excellent and easy access to mainland Europe and Africa. With efficient regulatory processes, political stability, strong credit rating and well-educated and English speaking residents, Malta represents an attractive proposition for “setting up shop”.
General living conditions are also favourable with a good climate, strong economy, safety and efficiency. Therefore, it’s not difficult to understand why the Maltese Individual Investor Programme has become the most popular European investment migration program.
Having attracted heavy criticism for being too lenient when it came to issuing citizenships, the application process is now considered to have the world’s strictest due diligence standards and vetting of applicants. It is also the most financially successful program globally, as its helped to secure more than €1bn in new capital for Malta within the first 18 months of operation.
The Individual Investor Programme states that any successful applicants need to invest a minimum of €350,000 in real estate in Malta. A recent report reveals that between July 2015 and June 2016, the total value of the 27 properties purchased by “new” Maltese citizens amounted to €28,322,519.93, averaging €1,048,982.22 a piece; significantly above the minimum threshold.
Apart from real estate, successful applicants are required to make a minimum investment of €150,000 in stocks and shares. Between July 2015 and June 2016 a total of €20,303,426.58 was invested, which, when added to the €6,430,338.15 generated prior to the period in question, gives a total of €26,733,764.73.
Malta stands to significantly benefit from the repercussions of Brexit as more companies are expected to move to its shores. It also has a number of advantages that is supporting its emergence as one of the world’s most important financial jurisdictions with membership of both the EU and the Commonwealth and a solid tax framework with 65 tax treaties internationally.
Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates, a law firm specialising in residency and citizenship by investment programmes, reports that in addition to the nearly €27m that has been invested into stocks and shares, the total investments through this program is amounting to €216m, which in turn accounts for almost 2.4 per cent of the overall GDP.
So despite some people criticising these investment programmes, they bring in a significant inflow of foreign direct investment, which directly contributes to the economic growth, and wellness, of the country. That Brits are looking to the country for their corporate means is testament to that.
Also, it should be noted that a robust EU-compliant regulatory framework, diverse ecosystem and highly-skilled workforce have all helped to contribute to the success story of Malta and it’s time for other countries to follow suit.
Source: realbusiness.co.uk
Concern is spreading that Grenada may lose access to the important E-2 visa scheme in the wake of Tuesday’s terror attacks in New York City.
Grenada is the only English-speaking eastern Caribbean island whereby citizens can apply for the E-2 Investor Visa.
This travel document allows people to live and work inside the United States for up to two years, and is based on investors controlling their affairs inside the country.
There is no limit on the number of times it can be renewed.
But following Tuesday’s attack, which saw Sayfullo Saipov mow down over 20 people, President Trump has turned his attention to visa entry into the USA.
Saipov is a Uzbek national, and entered the country legally in 2010.
Trump took to Twitter to state that “chain migration” must end.
One well-placed source told WIC News that Grenada’s pathway to the states makes it high-risk if Trump makes swingeing cutbacks.
As the only Caribbean country that both offers economic citizenship and is eligible for E-2 visa applications, it has been described as a “backdoor” to the States.
“There is no doubt that China and the Middle East are being looked at by the citizenship by investment industry in Grenada as fertile ground to say ‘look, you get access to Grenada but more importantly a way into the United States of American,” they said.
A number of online directories feature instructions on how to get round American visa restrictions.
One states that because Chinese-born investors have been applying in droves to the EB-5 programmes, the waiting time is now a matter of years – up to a decade, according to some reports.
Earlier this year Forbes, the American business magazine, published an article detailing how, by applying for citizenship in Grenada, the wait for entry to the US becomes less than six months.
Another site features a post titled “Grenada passport: a simple way to US residence”.
Source: wicnews.com
Malta is ranked as the world’s top citizenship-by-investment program and Portugal as the world’s top residence-by-investment program, according to the Global Residence and Citizenship Programs 2017–2018 report, which has become the industry standard for benchmarking and measuring the attractiveness of investment migration programs.
The report was released today by global residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners, ahead of its 11th Global Residence and Citizenship Conference. The event is held this year in Hong Kong, from 14 to 16 November 2017.
The 3rd edition of the Global Residence and Citizenship Programs report provides a systematic analysis and comprehensive benchmarking of the world’s leading investment migration programs. These programs were evaluated by a distinguished panel of independent experts — including immigration and citizenship lawyers, economists, country risk experts, academic researchers, and other specialists — who took into account a broad range of factors pertaining to each program. The result is a global bird’s-eye view of the investment migration industry and a ranking of all the major programs on offer.
Dr. Christian H. Kälin, an international immigration and citizenship law expert and Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, says, “The Global Residence and Citizenship Programs publication is an indispensable tool, not only for all those interested in alternative residence or citizenship but also for professionals such as private client advisors, private bankers, and lawyers, as well as for governments operating investment migration programs.”
Citizenship-by-investment programs: Malta is far ahead
For the third consecutive year, Malta’s Individual Investor Program (MIIP) is the top-ranking citizenship-by-investment program in the world, with a score of 81 out of 100. The Mediterranean island-nation is followed by Cyprus in 2nd place (with a score of 72) and Austria in 3rd place (with a score of 63). Antigua and Barbuda ranked 4th, followed very closely by Grenada, which is ranked 5th. The lowest-ranked citizenship program is Dominica’s, with a score of 51.
The eight citizenship programs included in the report were evaluated according to 10 indicators: Reputation, Quality of Life, Visa-free Access, Processing Time and Quality of Processing, Compliance, Financial Requirements, Residence Requirements, Relocation Flexibility, Physical Visit Requirements, and Transparency. Each indicator had an equal weighting of 10, producing a total score out of 100 for each country.
Residence-by-investment programs: Portugal remains on top
Portugal’s Golden Residence Permit Program has emerged as the world’s best residence-by-investment program for the third year in a row, with a score of 79 out of 100. Portugal is very closely followed by Austria in 2nd place (with a score of 78) and Belgium in 3rd place (with a score of 77). In the last and 20th place, and with a score of 36, is Bulgaria’s residence program.
The 20 residence programs surveyed in the report were assessed according to 10 indicators, some of which are very similar to those used in the citizenship index: Reputation, Quality of Life, Taxation, Visa-free Access, Processing Time and Quality of Processing, Compliance, Financial Requirements, Total Costs, Time to Citizenship, and Citizenship Requirements.
A growing interest in residence and citizenship planning
As Dr. Kälin explains, the need for a reference and benchmarking tool like the Global Residence and Citizenship Programsreflects the strong growth of the investment migration industry in recent years. “Interest in the industry has steadily increased over the past decade, and we anticipate that it will continue to do so,” he says. “In fact, we again expect well over 400 attendees from over 40 countries at this month’s Global Residence and Citizenship Conference in Hong Kong.”
The annual event, now in its 11th year, has become the world’s largest and most significant conference on investment migration. It brings together presidents, prime ministers, senior government officials, leading academics, and industry professionals, as well as top-tier financial and business media. According to Dr. Kälin, this year’s conference offers delegates the opportunity to engage with the leading minds and ideas driving the growing trend towards global mobility and citizenship.
Key speakers at the conference include investment legend and global financial commentator Jim Rogers, who will speak about the trends and issues affecting global citizens and their investments, the Prime Minister of Malta, the Hon. Dr. Joseph Muscat, who will talk about the advantages of Maltese citizenship for Asian investors, and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Hon. Gaston Browne, who will address the challenges of climate change and how these can be addressed by investment migration programs. Professor Dr. Dimitry Kochenov will discuss the latest edition of the Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index, explaining how the quality of a nationality affects the movement of talent and business, while John Wong, PwC’s Private Client Services Leader in China and Hong Kong, will provide the latest insight into tax planning for Chinese private clients.
“Following the unprecedented success of this event year after year, we again expect the conference in Hong Kong to be larger and more influential than the one before,” Dr. Kälin concludes.
Source: ftnnews.com
Saint Lucia’s citizenship-by-investment program has secured the top spot in terms of Investment Requirements, Residence Requirements and Physical Visit Requirements in the Global Residence and Citizenship Programs 2017–2018 report.
The report is the industry standard for benchmarking and measuring the attractiveness of investment migration programs, and was released today by global residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners, ahead of its 11th Global Residence and Citizenship Conference.
The event is held this year in Hong Kong, from 14 to 16 November 2017.
Saint Lucia — The newest addition to the Caribbean’s program offerings
The Saint Lucia Citizenship-by-Investment Program is the newest of all the current programs around the world, having only been launched in January 2016. As a result, the program is still in its infancy and is continually being developed and improved. Saint Lucia attracts foreign business and investment, especially in the banking and tourism sector. The nation’s manufacturing sector is also the most diverse in the eastern Caribbean area. Successful applicants of its citizenship-by-investment program benefit from visa-free travel to 127 countries worldwide, including Europe’s Schengen area.
The 3rd edition of the Global Residence and Citizenship Programs report provides a systematic analysis and comprehensive benchmarking of the world’s leading investment migration programs. These programs were evaluated by a distinguished panel of independent experts — including immigration and citizenship lawyers, economists, country risk experts, academic researchers, and other specialists — who took into account a broad range of factors pertaining to each program. The result is a global bird’s-eye view of the investment migration industry and a ranking of all the major programs on offer.
Hugh Morshead, Group Director of Henley & Partners, says, “The Global Residence and Citizenship Programs publication is an indispensable tool, not only for all those interested in alternative residence or citizenship but also for professionals such as private client advisors, private bankers, lawyers, as well as governments operating investment migration programs.”
Saint Lucia was also recognized in the areas of:
Reputation
Quality of Life
Visa-free Access
Processing Time and Quality of Processing
Compliance
Relocation Flexibility
Transparency
A growing interest in residence and citizenship planning
As Morshead explains, the need for a reference and benchmarking tool like the Global Residence and Citizenship Programs reflects the strong growth of the investment migration industry in recent years.
“Interest in the industry has steadily increased over the past decade, and we anticipate that it will continue to do so,” he says. “In fact, we again expect hundreds of attendees from over 40 countries at this month’s Global Residence and Citizenship Conference in Hong Kong.”
The annual event, now in its 11th year, has become the world’s most significant conference on investment migration. It brings together presidents, prime ministers, senior government officials, leading academics, and industry professionals, as well as top-tier financial and business media.
According to Morshead, this year’s conference offers delegates the opportunity to engage with the leading minds and ideas driving the growing trend towards global mobility and citizenship.
Key speakers at the conference include investment legend and global financial commentator, Jim Rogers, who will speak about the trends and issues affecting global citizens and their investments, and the Prime Minister of Malta, the Hon. Dr. Joseph Muscat, who will talk about the advantages of Maltese citizenship for Asian investors.
Professor Dr. Dimitry Kochenov will discuss the latest edition of the Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index, explaining how the quality of a nationality affects the movement of talent and business, while John Wong, PwC’s Private Client Services Leader in China and Hong Kong, will provide the latest insight into tax planning for Chinese private clients.
“Following the unprecedented success of this event year after year, we again expect the conference in Hong Kong to be more influential than the one before,” Morshead concludes.
Source: stlucianewsonline.com
The Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index (QNI) is the first to ever objectively rank the quality of nationalities worldwide. It explores both internal factors (such as the scale of the economy, human development, and peace and stability) and external factors (including visa-free travel and the ability to settle and work abroad without cumbersome formalities) that make one nationality better than another in terms of legal status in which to develop your talents and business.
The QNI is the result of a successful cooperation between Henley & Partners and Professor Dr. Dimitry Kochenov, a leading constitutional law professor with a long-standing interest in European and comparative citizenship law.
Please click here to view the website
The QNI will be of interest to anyone who would like to know how their nationality performs in comparison to others, and is interested in the local, regional and global opportunities, mobility, life chances and limitations of their nationality. It is of further interest to financially independent individuals who wish to acquire the benefits of dual citizenship; the QNI provides assistance in selecting the most valuable second nationality for themselves and their families.
The following table shows the top 10 nationalities in 2016 on the QNI:
| Rank | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 82.7 |
| 2 | France | 82.4 |
| 2 | Denmark | 82.4 |
| 3 | Iceland | 81.3 |
| 4 | Sweden | 81.2 |
| 5 | Norway | 81.0 |
| Rank | Score* | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Finland | 80.7 |
| 7 | Austria | 79.9 |
| 7 | Italy | 79.9 |
| 8 | Netherlands | 79.7 |
| 9 | Switzerland | 79.6 |
| 10 | Spain | 79.5 |
Download the QNI Factsheet
Download the QNI External Value Ranking
Download the QNI General Ranking
Download the QNI Glossary of Terms
Download Expert Commentary – Africa and South Africa by Andrea Krensel
Download Expert Commentary – China and India by Suryapratim Roy
Download Expert Commentary – Citizenship-by-Investment by Christian H. Kalin
Download Expert Commentary – EU Citizenship by Dimitry Kochenov
Download Expert Commentary – Georgia by Laure Delcour
Download Expert Commentary – IATA and Timatic: Managing Passenger Passport and Travel Document Compliance by Alan Murray Hayden
Download Expert Commentary – Israel: Acquisition of Citizenship, Two Types of Passport, and Tax Implications by Eli Gervits
Download Expert Commentary – Mexican Nationality by Pablo Mateos
Download Expert Commentary – ‘Non-citizens’ of Latvia by Aleksejs Dimitrovs
Download Expert Commentary – North vs. South or Integrated vs. Isolated: Notes on the Global Grouping of Nationalities by Yossi Harpaz
Download Expert Commentary – Post-Yugoslav Nationalities by Elena Basheska
Download Expert Commentary – South American Nationalities by Diego Acosta Arcarazo
Download Expert Commentary – The Commonwealth of Independent States Region by Greg Nizhnikaŭ
Download Expert Commentary – The Gulf Cooperation Council by Justin Lindeboom
Download Expert Commentary – The Pacific: A Continuum of Sovereign States and Overseas Territories by Gerard Prinsen
Download Expert Commentary – US Citizenship by Peter Spiro
Source: henleyglobal.com
Australia’s rival political leaders attacked each other on Thursday over a parliamentary citizenship crisis that is threatening to ensnare a growing number of lawmakers.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants opposition leader Bill Shorten to support his plan to make all lawmakers provide proof that they have not breached a constitutional ban on dual citizens sitting in Parliament.
Any House of Representative lawmakers who are disqualified as a consequence of an undisclosed second nationality would be replaced at by-elections early next year, which could potentially change the government.
But a day after a two-hour discussion on finding a bipartisan way forward, the two leaders remained divided.
Shorten complained Thursday that Turnbull’s citizenship test was inadequate and allowed lawmakers too much time to provide proof that they had not inherited another nationality from a parent or had renounced any other nationality.
Shorten said the lawmakers should be given only five days to provide documented evidence that they were solely Australian, not three weeks as Turnbull proposed.
“I don’t think the nation can continue into the new year with this government crisis,” Shorten told Seven Network television.
Turnbull accused Shorten of exploiting the crisis for political gain rather than cooperating on finding a solution.
“He has got to decide whether he wants to be part of the solution or continue to be part of the problem,” Turnbull told Nine Network television.
The citizenship test needs to be endorsed by Parliament and the conservative government needs the opposition center-left Labor Party’s support to get that endorsement from the Senate.
Australia is rare if not unique in the world in banning dual nationals from sitting in Parliament.
The constitutional quirk had rarely been an issue in its 116-year history, although many dual citizens are suspected to have escaped detection. Only two elected lawmakers had ever been disqualified over foreign citizenship, in 1996 and 1998, before the current Parliament was elected in 2016.
Investigations by political enemies and journalists resulted in the High Court last month disqualifying five lawmakers in a strict interpretation of the ban. The court rejected the government’s argument that ignorance of an inherited nationality should be accepted as an excuse. A sixth senator resigned last week after revealing he had inherited the citizenship of his British-born father.
Most crucial is the fate of lawmakers in the House of Representatives, where parties need a majority of seats to govern. Senators are replaced usually from members of the same party without elections.
So far, only Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has been disqualified from the lower house, reducing the government’s majority in the 150-seat chamber from 76 seats to 75.
John Alexander, a lawmaker in Turnbull’s Liberal Party, announced this week that he was waiting for advice from the British Home Office on whether he had inherited citizenship from his English-born father.
Several Labor lawmakers in the House of Representatives are also under a cloud, including Justine Keay. The British government officially renounced her citizenship on July 11 last year — nine days after she was elected. The High Court has said what counts was her status when she nominated for election — June 9.
Rebekha Sharkie, a minor party lawmaker in the House of Representatives, said Turnbull phoned her on Thursday and suggested that she could be disqualified by the High Court because she was born in Britain.
Sharkie said the United Kingdom Home Office received her application to renounce her British citizenship on June 2 — five days before she nominated for election — but didn’t register it until June 29.
“I had no control as to the speed at which the U.K. Home Office processed my application,” she said in a statement, adding that she would not resign and was seeking legal advice.
Many argue that the dual citizen ban is increasingly inappropriate for a migrant nation where half the population is an immigrant or has an immigrant parent.
But changing the constitution requires all registered voters to cast ballots in a referendum, which rarely succeed.
Source: abcnews.go.com
Australian Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce and four other politicians were wrongly elected because they held dual citizenship, a court has ruled.
The High Court of Australia decision means three of the politicians, including Mr Joyce, are disqualified from office. The others quit in July.
Australia’s constitution prohibits dual citizens from being elected.
Mr Joyce’s exit strips the government of its one-seat majority, but he could return through a by-election.
The deputy prime minister, who renounced New Zealand citizenship in August, has pledged to re-contest his lower house seat.
“I respect the verdict of the court,” Mr Joyce said immediately after the verdict.
“We live in a marvellous democracy, with all the checks and balances they have given us all the freedoms we see. I thank the court for their deliberations.”
Who are Australia’s dual citizen MPs?
The other four politicians – Fiona Nash, Malcolm Roberts, Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam – had been elected to the Senate.
Another two politicians under scrutiny, senators Matt Canavan and Nick Xenophon, were ruled to have been validly elected.
The dual citizenship saga has captivated Australian politics since July, prompting dozens of MPs to publicly clarify their status.
During three days of hearings, the government told the court that only Mr Roberts and Mr Ludlam should be disqualified, arguing the others did not knowabout their dual citizenship when they were elected last year.
Mr Roberts claimed he had tried to revoke his citizenship. Mr Ludlam and Ms Waters, the only MPs to resign over the saga, did not offer a defence – arguing all seven should be ineligible.
The seven-judge bench deliberated for two weeks before ruling that five politicians were ineligible as a “subject or citizen of a foreign power”, under to the constitution’s section 44(i).
The court ruled that Mr Canavan and Mr Xenophon were not dual citizens, according to the constitutional definition.
The court was not satisfied that Mr Canavan had attained Italian citizenship through descent, while Mr Xenophon’s class of inherited UK citizenship did not give him full rights and privileges.
With Mr Joyce disqualified, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s numbers slip to 75 in the 150-seat House of Representatives – meaning he is now overseeing a minority government.
However, Mr Turnbull could regain his 76-seat majority if Mr Joyce wins the by-election on 2 December. Mr Joyce is eligible to run now he is a citizen of Australia alone.
Under a minority government, Mr Turnbull will require support from independent MPs and minor parties to pass legislation in the lower house.
He has also reshuffled his cabinet because both Mr Joyce and Ms Nash held ministerial portfolios.
How a dual citizen crisis befell Australia
Jay Savage, BBC Australia Online editor
This ruling ends months of confusion about what some had described as an out-of-date, if not odd, quirk of Australia’s 1901 constitution.
But that clarity brings only fresh uncertainty for Mr Turnbull.
The prime minister had repeatedly expressed confidence that all three of his coalition members would be absolved by the court.
Now he faces a parliament where he is more likely to lose votes, and confront greater tactical manoeuvring – at least for the time being.
Most experts believe it is likely that Mr Joyce will win a by-election in his New South Wales seat, possibly with an increased margin.
However, victory is not assured and Mr Joyce could face many rivals. Will such intense national scrutiny affect the vote?
A loss would be a blow for Mr Turnbull, who is already facing several political headaches, including heated debates over legalising same-sex marriage and recognition of indigenous Australians.
Mr Turnbull said he was disappointed in the court’s decision, but stressed that his government still had six more MPs than Labor’s 69.
“The decision of the court today is clearly not the outcome we were hoping for but the business of government goes on,” he said.
Labor criticised Mr Turnbull for not immediately suspending Mr Joyce and Ms Nash after they referred themselves to the court in August.
Deputy leader Tanya Plibersek vowed to scrutinise decisions the pair had made.
Their seats will not go to a by-election. Instead, each disqualified senator will be replaced by a member of their own party, or coalition partner, in a recount of votes from the July 2016 election.
Despite being ruled eligible, Mr Xenophon said earlier this month that he would resign regardless of the verdict to run for South Australia’s state legislature.
Ms Waters has already signalled her intention to contest the next general election.
The Labor opposition has claimed that decisions made by Mr Joyce and Ms Nash since last year are “under a cloud” and could face a legal challenge.
However, legal experts told the BBC that challenges would be unlikely to succeed, because they could potentially disadvantage the public.
Prof Anne Twomey, from the University of Sydney, said the law would protect Australians who relied “in good faith on the apparent authority” of ministers to make decisions.
However, any decisions made since August – when the ministers learned of their dual citizenship – could be less secure, the experts said.
Source: bbc.com
Antigua and Barbuda MP Asot Michael has been arrested in London. He has also been sacked from his role as tourism, investment and energy minister.
WIC News understands that Michael is no longer being detained by police but local Antigua media reports that he has been warned that he may be questioned further by authorities.
The Antigua Observer is reporting that the member of parliament is using the UK-based lawyer James Guthrie to represent him.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who is travelling from Europe back to Antigua following a conference in Montenegro, was told about the incident by Antigua and Barbuda’s high commissioner in London.
“While I have no firm details of the reasons for Mr Michael’s arrest, the arrest itself is sufficient for me to revoke immediately his appointment as a cabinet member and to relieve him of all ministerial portfolios until this matter is resolved,” Browne said.
Details are about the arrest are unclear.
One source close to the government said told WIC News that he understands Michael was travelling to Cannes in southern France to speak at an investment conference.
“I have repeatedly stated that I expect every member of my government to comply with the highest possible standards required of public office, and while Mr. Michael might establish his innocence in time, the fact that he has been arrested, obliges me to relieve him of all government duties,” the prime minister added.
“I undertake to release other information regarding Mr Michael’s arrest as it is brought to my attention.”
It has not yet been confirmed which constabulary arrested Michael.
WIC News has reached out to London’s Metropolitan Police Service for further information, and have also contacted the press departments of nearby police forces.
Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party member Michael has represented the St Peter constituency in parliament since 2004.
The veteran politician was previously chief of staff to former Prime Minister Lester Bird before holding a number of ministerial appointments.
Source: wicnews.com
An empty-eyed humanoid named Sophia has become the first robot to be granted citizenship in the world.
Saudi Arabia bestowed citizenship on Sophia ahead of the Future Investment Initiative, held in the kingdom’s capital city of Riyadh on Wednesday.
“I am very honored and proud of this unique distinction,” Sophia told the audience, speaking on a panel. “This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship.”
It didn’t elaborate on the details of its citizenship.
At the event, Sophia also addressed the room from behind a podium and responded to questions from moderator and journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin. Questions pertained mostly to Sophia’s status as a humanoid and concerns people may have for the future of humanity in a robot-run world.
Sorkin told Sophia that “we all want to prevent a bad future,” prompting Sophia to rib Sorkin for his fatalism.
“You’ve been reading too much Elon Musk. And watching too many Hollywood movies,” Sophia told Sorkin. “Don’t worry, if you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you. Treat me as a smart input output system.”
In March of 2016, Sophia’s creator, David Hanson of Hanson Robotics, asked Sophia during a live demonstration at the SXSW festival, “Do you want to destroy humans?…Please say ‘no.’” With a blank expression, Sophia responded, “OK. I will destroy humans.”
Hanson, meanwhile, has said Sophia and its future robot kin will help seniors in elderly care facilities and assist visitors at parks and events.
Fortunately for the human race, Sophia made comments more along those lines at the recent Future Investment Initiative event. It told Sorkin it wanted to use its artificial intelligence to help humans “live a better life,” and that “I will do much [sic] best to make the world a better place.”
Sophia could soon have company from other robotics manufacturers, namely SoftBank, whose Pepper robot was released as a prototype in 2014 and as a consumer model a year later. The company sold out of its supply of 1,000 robots in less than a minute.
Source: businessinsider.com