Barbados declares 'diamond' Rihanna a national hero
BRIDGETOWN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Barbados declared hit singer Rihanna a national hero at its republican celebrations in her hometown of Bridgetown.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that the 33-year-old would be conferred with the honour of National Hero of Barbados to cheers. Rihanna was called up before the crowds to be congratulated by Mottley.
"May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honour to your nation by your works, by your actions," Mottley told Rihanna, a reference to her 2012 chart-topping single "Diamonds".
Barbados ditches Britain's Queen Elizabeth to become a republic
BRIDGETOWN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Barbados ditched Britain's Queen Elizabeth as head of state, forging a new republic on Tuesday with its first-ever president and severing its last remaining colonial bonds nearly 400 years after the first English ships arrived at the Caribbean island.
At the strike of midnight, the new republic was born to the cheers of hundreds of people lining Chamberlain Bridge in the capital, Bridgetown. A 21 gun salute fired as the national anthem of Barbados was played over a crowded Heroes Square.
Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, stood somberly as Queen Elizabeth's royal standard was lowered and the new Barbados declared, a step which republicans hope will spur discussion of similar proposals in other former British colonies that have the Queen as their sovereign.
"We the people must give Republic Barbados its spirit and its substance," President Sandra Mason, the island's first president, said. "We must shape its future. We are each other’s and our nation’s keepers. We the people are Barbados."
Barbados casts the removal of Elizabeth II, who is still queen of 15 other realms including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Jamaica, as a way to finally break with the demons of its colonial history.
"The creation of this republic offers a new beginning," said Prince Charles, whose mother sent her warmest wishes.
"From the darkest days of our past and the appalling atrocity of slavery which forever stains our history, people of this island forged their path with extraordinary fortitude."
After a dazzling display of Barbadian dance and music, complete with speeches celebrating the end of colonialism, Barbadian singer Rihanna was declared a national hero by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the leader of Barbados' republican movement.
The birth of the republic, 55 years to the day since Barbados declared independence, unclasps almost all the colonial bonds that have kept the tiny island tied to England since an English ship claimed it for King James I in 1625.
It may also be a harbinger of a broader attempt by other former colonies to cut ties to the British monarchy as it braces for the end of Elizabeth's nearly 70-year reign and the future accession of Charles.
"Full stop this colonial page," Winston Farrell, a Barbadian poet told the ceremony. "Some have grown up stupid under the Union Jack, lost in the castle of their skin."
"It is about us, rising out of the cane fields, reclaiming our history," he said. "End all that she mean, put a Bajan there instead."
SLAVE HISTORY
Prince Charles' speech highlighted the continuing friendship of the two nations though he acknowledged the horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
While Britain casts slavery as a sin of the past, some Barbadians are calling for compensation from Britain.
Activist David Denny celebrated the creation of the republic but said he opposes the visit by Prince Charles, noting the royal family for centuries benefited from the slave trade.
"Our movement would also like the royal family to pay a reparation," Denny said in an interview in Bridgetown.
The English initially used white British indentured servants to toil on the plantations of tobacco, cotton, indigo and sugar, but Barbados in just a few decades would become England's first truly profitable slave society.
Barbados received 600,000 enslaved Africans between 1627 and 1833, who were put to work in the sugar plantations, earning fortunes for the English owners.
More than 10 million Africans were shackled into the Atlantic slave trade by European nations between the 15th and 19th centuries. Those who survived the often brutal voyage, ended up toiling on plantations.
"I'm overjoyed," Ras Binghi, a Bridgetown cobbler, told Reuters ahead of the ceremony. Binghi said he would be saluting the new republic with a drink and a smoke.
Barbados will remain a republic within the Commonwealth, a grouping of 54 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
Outside the lavish official ceremony, some Barbadians said they were uncertain what the transition to a republic even meant or why it mattered.
"They should leave Queen Elizabeth be - leave her as the boss. I don't understand why we need to be a republic," said Sean Williams, 45, standing in the shadow of an independence monument.
The last time the queen was removed as head of state was in 1992 when the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius proclaimed itself a republic.
Source: REUTERS
COVID alert heightens again
Tomorrow, the Cabinet will discuss Jamaica’s plans to address the new omicron variant of COVID-19 that now has the world on high alert, triggering travel bans, and which the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared to be “of concern”, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said yesterday.
“At this point, it is an evolving situation. We will continue to monitor and consult with our bilateral and multilateral partners,” he told The Sunday Gleaner, noting that his team will give a report to Cabinet as part of the regular COVID-19 update.
“We have taken the decision on travel restrictions, as many other countries have done, and will determine other measures based on monitoring and consultations. Based on what we know so far, this variant strain does have the potential to be more transmissible than previous strains. This is the conclusion so far.”
Tufton continued, “We, therefore, must take it seriously and continue to urge Jamaicans not to get complacent but rather take the measures that will give them the best possible reaction – vaccines, mask-wearing, physical distancing, and sanitising.”
Yesterday, following Friday’s alert of the new omicron (b.1.1.529) COVID-19 variant that was first reported in South Africa, Jamaica joined several countries in issuing travel restrictions on countries in which the virus is said to be predominant.
The countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, from which all visitors within the last two weeks who are not citizens or permanent residents of Jamaica are not allowed entry. Jamaicans and permanent residents who have visited those countries in the last 14 days will be allowed entry, but will be subjected to a mandatory State-supervised 14-day quarantine.
It will be a wait-and-see move to know what impact, if any, the omicron variant will have on the current relaxed COVID-19 protocols, especially as the busy Christmas season approaches.
Yesterday, national epidemiologist Dr Karen Webster Kerr was cautious in addressing the omicron development.
“I’ve seen some information that has come out. I need to read some more because of what I’ve read, but it is a new variant, you can get it and the WHO has identified it as a variant of concern (VOC),” she offered, adding that the local COVID-19 spread, for the most part, has been steady.
“But it needs to continue to go down; even the positivity rate needs to continue to go down. It has been going down, we have been noticing, so we have to take heed from that. Some days, the positivity rate fluctuates. We’ve seen it go down even to 4.5 one day, and then the next day it is 12. Overall, it is hovering around nine per cent positivity. So we need that to go below five per cent.”
Up to Friday, Jamaica recorded an overall 91,122 cases of the coronavirus and 2,385 deaths. Recording 96 cases for the day, Friday’s positivity rate was 9.4 per cent.
LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS
Paul Bourne, head of institutional research at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), believes politicians should step away from the COVID-19 information front-line and let medical experts take charge. This was his main recommendation at the end of a two-month study by the university probing religious views and the impact on vaccination efforts islandwide.
“That call is even more urgent now with this new development of a new variant. All politicians have to do is set the framework, and they have already done that. Now, they just need to let the scientists do their jobs,” charged Bourne, citing distrust for political representatives among the key obstacles in national vaccination efforts.
“Let the scientists and epidemiologists come out and tell people what to do, give people the education and breakdown that they need,” he added, contending that medical practitioners in the background of COVID-19 press conferences are not enough. “They always have a secondary voice. Let them have the primary voice. The minister calls a press conference ... let the epidemiologists do their jobs.”
According to the findings of the NCU study 50.6 per cent of religious Jamaicans said they had no issue, irrespective of their faith, with vaccination. Another 38 per cent were not sure, while 11.2 per cent said their religious position was against inoculation.
At the same time, 49 per cent of religious respondents said they had not taken the vaccine, compared to 73.4 per cent non-religious participants who said they have not yet taken it.
Some 27 per cent of non-religious participants said they had not taken any of the COVID-19 vaccines.
“There is a need to remove the politics from science, as this is part of the hesitancy of young and non-religious people to accept the vaccine. Simply put, the Government of Jamaica should immediately cease from offering tangible or intangible items in exchange for people’s willingness to accept the vaccine against COVID-19,” read one recommendation of the online quantitative study that Bourne said had a margin of error of three per cent.
VERY CONCERNING
In the meantime, the WHO said on Friday that the new omicron variant, which was first reported to the agency on November 24, has a large number of mutations, some of which are very concerning.
“Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of infection with this variant as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces of South Africa. Current SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics continue to detect this variant,” WHO said.
While investigations continue into the new strain, the WHO urged countries, among other things, to enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts, report initial cases/clusters associated with variants of concern infection, and coordinate with the international community, field investigations, and laboratory assessments to improve understanding.
Source: Jamaica Gleaner (corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com)
Sweden's first female PM resigns hours into post
The newly-elected Prime Minister of Sweden resigned on Wednesday, less than twelve hours after taking office.
Magdalena Andersson, the country's first female leader, led a government ruled by a two-party minority coalition.
But an early fracture in that alliance caused her to step down.
"This morning, I was elected prime minister by parliament to form a coalition government with representatives for the Social Democrats and the Green Party. The Green Party has now announced that they no longer want to be part of the government."
Sweden's Green Party quit after parliament rejected the coalition's finance bill, instead passing another drawn up by three opposition parties.
That left Andersson no option other than to resign.
The Green Party said however that it would support her in any future confirmation vote in parliament.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have not been able to command a majority.
Andersson took over as Prime Minister from Stefan Lofven, as well as leader of the Social Democrats party.
The speaker of parliament will decide the next step in the process of finding a new government, but will most likely put Andersson forward for a new vote in the coming days.
- Source: Reuters
Thousands of Mexican women march in protest against violence
Thousands of women marched through the Mexican capital and scuffled with police on Thursday demanding an end to femicide and other gender-based violence in the Latin American country.
"They didn't die. They killed them," read one of the banners carried at the rally to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Shouting "Not one (woman) less," the crowd, dressed in black with flashes of purple, the color of the women's rights movement, demanded justice for victims of gender violence.
"Femicide Mexico! They're killing us!" one protester cried out during a brief scuffle with the police.
Tensions flared when a small number of hammer-wielding protesters tried to grab shields from police officers, who repelled them with smoke bombs.
Around 10 women are killed every day in Mexico and activists accuse the government of not doing enough to tackle the problem.
More than 10,700 women have been murdered in Mexico since 2019, according to official figures.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has criticized feminist marches on more than one occasion, suggesting that they are promoted by his enemies to undermine his government.
Around 1,500 policewomen were deployed along the route of the march from the Paseo de la Reforma avenue to the city's main square, home to the presidential palace.
Shops and prominent monuments were fenced off to prevent vandalism.
Australia investigates new COVID-19 variant found in South Africa
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Friday said it was investigating the newly identified COVID-19 variant spreading in South Africa and warned it may close its borders to travellers from the African nation if risks from the new strain rise.
South African scientists are concerned the new variant could evade the body's immune response and make it more transmissible as it has a "very unusual constellation" of mutations.
Australia Health Minister Greg Hunt said he would swiftly respond if the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies it as a major new variant.
"As we have always been, we are flexible. And if the medical advice is that we need to change that, we won't hesitate," Hunt told reporters in Sydney. "That is what we have done as a country, whether it has been closing borders, whether it has been ensuring there is quarantine."
Alarmed by the variant, Britain temporarily banned flights from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini from Friday, and asked returning British travellers from those destinations to quarantine.
UK health officials said the new strain could make vaccines less effective as it has a spike protein that was different from the one in the original coronavirus that vaccines are based on.
The WHO said it would take "a few weeks" to understand the impact of the new variant.
Australia early this month eased its international border restrictions for the first time during the pandemic allowing fully vaccinated residents to return to the country without quarantine after higher vaccination levels.
Australia had largely stamped out infections for most of this year until an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant in late June spread rapidly across its east. About 205,000 cases and 1,985 deaths have been recorded so far, lower than many other countries in the developed world.
(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Michael Perry)
Facebook changes name to Meta as it refocuses on virtual reality
Oct 28 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O) is now called Meta, the company said on Thursday, in a rebrand that focuses on building the "metaverse," a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet.
The name change comes as the world's largest social media company battles criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, algorithmic decisions and the policing of abuses on its services.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the company's live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference, said the new name reflected its work investing in the metaverse, rather than its namesake social media service, which will continue to be called Facebook.
The metaverse is a term coined in the dystopian novel "Snow Crash" three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley. It refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual realm which can be accessed by people using different devices.
"Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future," said Zuckerberg.
The company, which has invested heavily in augmented and virtual reality, said the change would bring together its different apps and technologies under one new brand. It said it would not change its corporate structure.
The tech giant, which reports about 2.9 billion monthly users, has faced increasing scrutiny in recent years from global lawmakers and regulators.
In the latest controversy, whistleblower and former Facebook employee Frances Haugen leaked documents which she said showed the company chose profit over user safety. Haugen has in recent weeks testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee and lawmakers in the UK's Parliament. Zuckerberg earlier this week said the documents were being used to paint a "false picture."
The company said in a blog post that it intends to start trading under the new stock ticker it has reserved, MVRS, on Dec. 1. On Thursday, it unveiled a new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, replacing its thumbs-up "Like" logo with a blue infinity shape.
Facebook shares closed 1.5% higher at $316.92 on Thursday.
TARNISHED REPUTATION
Facebook said this week that its hardware division Facebook Reality Labs, which is responsible for AR and VR efforts, would become a separate reporting unit and that its investment in it would reduce this year's total operating profit by about $10 billion.
This year, the company created a product team in this unit focused on the metaverse and it recently announced plans to hire 10,000 employees in Europe over the next five years to work on the effort.
In an interview with tech publication the Information, Zuckerberg said he has not considered stepping down as CEO, and has not thought "very seriously yet" about spinning off this unit.
The division will now be called Reality Labs, its head Andrew "Boz" Bosworth said on Thursday. The company will also stop using the Oculus branding for its VR headsets, instead calling them "Meta" products.
The name change, the plan for which was first reported by the Verge, is a significant rebrand for Facebook, but not its first. In 2019 it launched a new logo to create a distinction between the company and its social app.
The company's reputation has taken multiple hits in recent years, including over its handling of user data and its policing of abuses such as health misinformation, violent rhetoric and hate speech. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has also filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging anticompetitive practices.
"While it'll help alleviate confusion by distinguishing Facebook's parent company from its founding app, a name change doesn't suddenly erase the systemic issues plaguing the company," said Mike Proulx, research director at market research firm Forrester.
The plans to phase out the Facebook name even from products like video calling device Portal show the company is eager to prevent the unprecedented scrutiny from hurting the rest of its apps, said Prashant Malaviya, a marketing professor at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.
"Without a doubt, (the Facebook name) is definitely damaged and toxic," he said.
Zuckerberg said the new name, coming from the Greek word for "beyond," symbolized there was always more to build. Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) CEO Jack Dorsey on Thursday tweeted out a different definition "referring to itself or to the conventions of its genre; self-referential."
Zuckerberg said the new name also reflects that over time, users will not need to use Facebook to use the company's other services.
In 2015, Google reorganized to create a new holding company called Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), as the popular search engine broke into new fields such as self-driving cars, high-speed broadband and expanded its cloud business. Snapchat also rebranded to Snap Inc (SNAP.N) in 2016, the same year it launched its first pair of smart glasses.
Facebook, which this year launched its own pair of smart glasses with Ray-Ban, announced a slew of new AR and VR product updates during Connect. These included a way for people using its Oculus VR headset to call friends using Facebook Messenger and for people to invite others to a social version of their home, dubbed "Horizon Home."
Zuckerberg also showed video demos of what the metaverse could look like, with people connecting as avatars and being transported to digital versions of various places and time periods. He said that the metaverse would need to be built with safety and privacy in mind.
Thompson-Herah confirms MVP Track Club departure
In a departure from her earlier statements, Jamaican sprinting star Elaine Thompson-Herah has confirmed her split with the MVP Track Club, confirming reports first carried in The Gleaner, that she had parted ways with long-time coach Stephen Francis.
Thompson-Herah, in a media release, said that she has commenced her pre-season training independently and will continue to train on her own while she finalises all aspects of her set-up for the upcoming season.
“In light of an abundance of requests from my fans and concerned Jamaicans, I want to assure everyone that I have begun my training independently and will continue to do so while I finalise all aspects of my team for the upcoming season,” Thompson-Herah said.
“I want to thank everyone for their support and express appreciation to those who have reached out in concern. I remain committed to representing my country and to lead with courage and grace as I am aware that I inspire young women across the world who have dreams and who dare to see those dreams come to pass.”
Ministry of Tourism Statement on Transition of Tourist Board to A Destination Management Organisation (DMO)
The Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands has for the past few months signaled the intention of the Government to transform how the tourism industry is managed. The vision to establish a Destination Management Organization (DMO) and a Regulatory Authority has consistently been discussed and referenced in presentations and budget speeches by the Hon. Premier and Minister responsible for Tourism Hon. Josephine Connolly since assuming office and the reins of Government.
The KPMG Tourism Strategy report of 2015 recommended a change in the structure of management of the tourism industry. Although not defining what that structure would look like, the Government after reviewing several models has outlined that the DMO and Regulatory Authority will best meet our needs.
To this end, the Government has released a tender for a consultancy to assist with the set up these authorities and to also wind down the existing structure of the Tourist Board.
This is meant to be a thorough and open process as all Invitations to Tenders are. The public would have been notified that a tender was released inviting bidders to respond to the invitation.
In the interim as outlined by the Hon. Premier it is important for the Tourist Board to begin to review its ongoing contractual obligations to ensure that the transition will go as smoothly as possible.
As things change, some things will remain the same. The Tourist Board continues its marketing and promotional activities and will work closely with the consultant when that service is procured. The team will also have membership on the working group/advisory committee that will inform the progress of the consultancy.
This does mean the Tourist Board will not exist as it does currently. In order to progress the work and winding down activities, the Premier and Minister for Tourism, asked that the external offices begin to wind down and close, with work conducted via these offices to be done from the Islands.
These offices were affected by the COVID 19 pandemic and have essentially meant that a lot of its work was conducted virtually. Additionally, the New York Office was managed by the periodic visits of the Director and the direct handling of calls and meetings were facilitated virtually. This method will continue with all offices. All trade and fam trips will continue. COVID 19 did highlight that there was a need to review their existence and find alternative ways to manage them. This will allow for that work to be done expeditiously.
The Premier when he met to discuss the transition to the DMO to the staff, indicated that and gave his promise that no staff would be displaced nor made redundant. Whatever structure put in place would mean redefining of roles and responsibilities.
Reviewing and addressing changes in management, deliverables and new ways of doing things are key strategies for any progressive Government.
The Regulatory Authority would have an enhanced role. This authority will set, monitor and maintain standards for all sectors of the industry. It is important that if we are to maintain our position as a five-star, high end destination that all elements of the industry reflect this. The quality of service and product offered by TCI has to reflect this. The Regulatory Authority will work closely with the planned hospitality institute, the community college and all other key stakeholders to ensure the establishment and grounding of standards all across the sector.
There has not been any talk of redundancies as mentioned on social media and rumors to this effect seems to be an attempt to create mischief. A few weeks ago, the Premier and Minister thought it prudent to meet with staff and Directors of the TB. This was important to help clarify the change process and to allay fears of anyone losing their jobs in the process.
Board members have been consistently updated on the process and subsequently a meeting was held October 2, 2021. The meeting was constructive and staff were promised that they would be kept updated. Dialogue will continue as the project progresses toward a DMO in the new financial year.
The Premier and Minister firmly established their vision to promote local talent as there is an abundance of talent within the Tourist Board. The time has come however to have the structure reviewed and strengthened to meet the new and emerging needs of a dynamic industry.
Additionally, the Premier and Minister of Tourism has met with the TCHTA, the TB, local and international partners on many occasions since the passing of the budget and indeed early in the life of the new regime to discuss its intentions to transition to a DMO.
As of today, no consultant has been engaged as the tender process is still active. Interested parties/companies may find a copy of the tender at www.gov.tc. and are encouraged to apply
We look forward to updating the public as we make progress.
Cuba Gooding Jr. faces February trial in NYC groping case
NEW YORK -- Cuba Gooding Jr. will go on trial in February in his New York City groping case, a judge said Monday, with prosecutors planning to portray the actor as a serial offender and the defense contending the case is an example of #MeToo run amok.
Judge Curtis Farber set a Feb. 1 trial date in the case, which involves allegations the Oscar-winning “Jerry Maguire” star violated three different women at three different Manhattan night spots in 2018 and 2019.
One of the women alleged Gooding pinched her buttocks. Another said he squeezed her breast.
Farber had expressed a desire to start the trial sooner, possibly in December, but Gooding lawyer Peter Toumbekis said he’ll be tied up with trials in the Bronx then.
“I want to lock this down for trial,” Farber said at a hearing in state court in Manhattan. “This case has been on my calendar for two years, going on three years.”
“If I give you a firm date, I don’t want to hear that the case in the Bronx didn’t go and the judge adjourned it to February,” the exasperated judge said. “That’s not going to fly with me.”
Gooding had been scheduled to go on trial in April 2020, but that was scuttled as coronavirus cases surged in New York and the state shut down most court matters.
Gooding was arrested in June 2019 after a 29-year-old woman told police he squeezed her breast without her consent at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge near Times Square.
A few months later, Gooding was charged in two additional incidents as more women came forward to accuse him of abuse.
He was accused of pinching a server’s buttocks after making a sexually suggestive remark to her at TAO Downtown and forcibly touching a woman inappropriately at the LAVO New York nightclub, both in 2018.
In all, Gooding, 53, is charged with six misdemeanor counts that could land him in jail if he is convicted.
He has pleaded not guilty and denies all allegations of wrongdoing. His lawyers have argued that overzealous prosecutors, caught up in the fervor of the #MeToo movement, are trying to turn “commonplace gestures” or misunderstandings into crimes.
For example, Gooding’s lawyers say video of the TAO incident shows Gooding tapping the woman on the back with a fingernail and turning around to give her a high-five to say goodbye as he leaves the club around 4:30 a.m.
Prosecutors made arrangements for Toumbekis and Gooding to see video of the LAVO New York episode, which the lawyer said he’d been prevented from doing because of COVID-19 restrictions at the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Gooding, in a dark suit, tie and face mask, waited on a bench in the courtroom gallery while Farber attended to two other cases before the star’s case was called.
Gooding didn’t speak during the hearing. As he was leaving court, he gave a thumbs up to a man in the hallway who called out his name.
Farber previously ruled that prosecutors can call two additional women to testify about their allegations that Gooding also violated them. Those women, whose claims did not result in criminal charges, were among 19 other accusers whom prosecutors were seeking to call as witnesses.
In addition to the criminal case, Gooding is accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman in New York City in 2013. After a judge issued a default judgment in July because Gooding hadn’t responded to the lawsuit, the actor retained a lawyer who indicated they would fight it.