DSS’ Flagship SafetyNet.ai Gets Document Retention Capabilities
New York City, 2nd May 2018 – Domus Semo Sancus (DSS) today announced the introduction of Document Retention tools in SafetyNet.ai, its award-winning enhanced due diligence (EDD) cognitive search and crime prevention tool. Many organizations, especially financial services businesses (FSBs), are required by law to preserve documents relating to their clients, employee, and company information for a minimal amount of time. In addition, they are also required to “…retain personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purpose it was obtained for.” Together, these requirements put very strict timeframes on the lifecycle of documents – i.e from creation/collection to destruction – with hefty penalties for non-compliance.
To make it easy for end-users to comply with Document Retention and Data Protection regulations, SafetyNet.ai Profile Reports now support Document Destruction Dates, which can be set to any date in the future, at which time, the reports automatically get deleted. At anytime during the life cycle of a document, an end-user can bring forward or push out the Destruction Date, or if required, cancel it altogether. “With SafetyNet, our main goal is to help our customers manage risk, and I’m proud that this tool makes it easy for them to do so,” states Lead Developer, Piyush Dubey.
DSS’ Chairman & CEO, E. Jay Saunders further stated that “With SafetyNet’s Document Retention capabilities, an end-user can set the Destruction Date for documents based on the local regulatory requirements and take comfort in the knowledge that the documents will be retained for just that amount of time.”
In keeping with DSS’ goal of providing its customers with the best value for money, SafetyNet’s Document Retention tools are being made available across all its subscription plans free of charge.
Police Investigating After Man Found Deceased in Vehicle
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Criminal Investigation Division are conducting an enquiry, following reports of a male person found deceased in a vehicle today May 1st, 2018.
Police Officers and EMT’s responded to a 911 Centre call at 3:20 p.m., on the said date, that a male appeared to be deceased in a parked vehicle on Bible Street, Blue Hills.
The Identity of the man who was pronounced dead at the scene will not be released.
Anyone with information into this incident is asked to come forward, or contact the Chalk Sound Police Station at 338-5901, 941-8082, 911 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: CONSULTING SERVICES FOR CLIMATE-RESILIENT COASTAL PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands (GOTCI) has received financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) towards the cost of the Climate-Resilient Coastal Protection and Management Project.
The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning, the Executing Agency, now wishes to procure consulting services for the conduct of studies and designs for Climate-Resilient Coastal Protection and Management.
The objectives of the consulting services are to:
a) Prepare a feasibility study and preliminary and detailed designs for coastal protection works for priority areas of coastline on Grand Turk, Salt Cay and Providenciales; and
b) Prepare Shoreline Management Plans for Providenciales and Grand Turk.
The duration of the assignment is expected to be for a period of twelve (12) months.
PWD now invites interested eligible consulting firms to submit Expressions of Interest for the provision of these consulting services.
One (1) original and three (3) hard copies of the Expressions of Interest along with one (1) USB flash drive with a single non-editable PDF file of the complete Expression of Interest must be received by the Secretary to the Procurement Board, Office of the Deputy Governor, Waterloo Plaza (upstairs Scotiabank), Waterloo Road, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, no later than 4:00 p.m. TCI local time on Friday, 18 May 2018 and one electronic copy must be sent simultaneously to the CDB. The sealed envelope containing each submission should include the name and address of the applicant and shall be clearly marked “Expression of Interest: Consulting Services – Climate-Resilient Coastal Protection and Management”.
Additional information may be obtained from the Turks and Caicos Islands Government’s website at https://gov.tc/government-tenders/
Police Marine Branch Intercepts A Second Illegal Vessel
On Thursday, April 26th, 2018 at 8:00 p.m., The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Marine Branch Sea Guardian Boat intercepted an illegal 30-foot, blue and white vessel.
According to reports, the vessel with two outboard engines was intercepted near West Caicos.
A total of 50 Haitian nationals, 36 males and 14 females, were apprehended and taken into custody and transported to Providenciales to be processed by Immigration Officials.
They remain in custody at the Detention Centre, awaiting repatriation.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force continue to appeal to the general public who may have any information on this or any possible illegal boat entry, no matter how small is asked to contact 911 or Crime Stoppers at 1- 800-8477 immediately.
USD65.5mn rehabilitation and reconstruction project launches in the British Virgin Islands
April 12, 2018, BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has launched a Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which will assist the country in recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma. The Project, which was launched on April 10, 2018, will be funded through a USD65.3 million (mn) loan and a USD300,000 grant.
Speaking at the launch, Diana Wilson Patrick, General Counsel, CDB, noted that the Project is a further extension of CDB’s efforts to help BVI recover from the impact of the extreme weather event. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma, the Bank provided an Emergency Relief Grant of USD200,000, and Immediate Response Loans totalling USD2.25 mn.
“It was with a sense of some pride that the management and staff of the Caribbean Development Bank were able to work with our counterparts in the Government of the Virgin Islands to have financing towards the proposed rehabilitation and reconstruction activities approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors on December 14, 2017. This was a mere three months after Hurricane Irma caused the loss of four lives and an estimated USD3.6 billion in damage to homes, schools, infrastructure, public administration and defence and several other sectors; disrupting the lives of the country’s men, women, boys and girls.”
Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. The Honourable D. Orlando Smith said that the Project was timely, as it will assist with recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
“It is time to get our livelihoods back on track. It is time for us to get on with the several projects and initiatives that are identified for each ministry in the loan agreement. And, it is time to weather proof our infrastructure and rebuild it in a way that offers some resiliency to unprecedented weather patterns.”
He went on to note that the funds provided will help to restore economic stability to the Territory.
“Today’s project launch signals that we are moving full steam ahead, and getting on with it, so that we can put this Territory in a much better place tomorrow than it was yesterday, and is today. My government is now ready to begin injecting this money into the economy to rehabilitate and rebuild our schools, our roads, our ferry terminals, and other infrastructure, working hand-in-hand with CDB, as well as our local contractors and others to this end,”
- Dr. Smith
.
The components of the Project include road rehabilitation; the construction of schools and coastal defences; improvement of water and sewage facilities; and capacity building for the provision of psychosocial support and disaster risk reduction. Implementation is expected to be completed over a three-year period.
Wake up and Stand up TCI!
My Turks and Caicos people, the dictates of democracy demand loyalty not to the British, or to the special interest groups that compromise aspiring politicians, or even to the elected hierarchy itself, but loyalty to the electorate that positioned the government in the coveted seat of power and authority. Finally, the dictates of democracy demand loyalty to country.
If a government is defeated enough to admit governmental impotency because of tied hands which it cannot loose and worse yet, is not trying to loose, then don’t hold the people and country hostage in order for you to continue to get exorbitant salaries and allowances and to qualify for inflated pensions. That is tantamount to political extortion.
Your responsibility then is to be honest, compassionate and loyal to your people and country and step aside and allow persons to step in who have already broken colonial chains that bound their hands, persons with experience and guts, persons who are not compromised by special interest groups and persons who have no reason to fear the British.
This is not the first time the Turks and Caicos people were subjected to a draconian constitution that wreaked of oppressive colonialism. This is not the first time the British scrapped a workable constitution and installed an interim British administration and a new workable constitution had to be negotiated and achieved that allowed for a reasonable, workable and progressive level of internal self governance.
I know! This is not political rhetoric or wishful thinking, this is not another long shot gambling proposition. I was there during all those occasions from the very offset when a ministerial government constitution was gotten. I was one of those at the forefront on each and every one of those dreadful occasions to break those chains, loose those tied hands, and get rid of the oppressive colonial constitutions. It is not an impossible task, it has been done over and over again and any group with proven experience, political credibility, vision, diplomatic acumen and guts, can and will achieve it again if necessary, and it’s necessary now more than ever.
This is not a sand dirt and dolly house challenge, this is a real political and diplomatic challenge for real men and women with love and patriotic passion for country and people over political party and family. This calls for both innovative, out of the box thinking and approaches coupled with experience, determination and know how. This calls for leadership with a resolve that failure is not an option. For God’s sake this is the 21st. Century.
If we as leaders are going to be effective and successful in this challenge, we have to know that nobody is better than us regardless of their nationality and rank. We have to know that common sense and intelligence do not go by race or country, for God has blessed us all with those attributes. We have to know our human and fundamental rights and how to go about securing them and not settle for less. Last but by no means least, we need to trust in God and not in witchcraft.
My Turks and Caicos people, let’s stop playing politricks, familytics, and partytics, and realize that time is running out on us and soon we are not going to be able to correct the mountain of atrocities that are being heaped on our heads. Let’s vote for people who are real, capable and committed, whether they are in a first second, third or tenth party or whether they are independents.
We must be ever mindful that It is us the electorate that are responsible for leaders with tied hands being in authority over us. We vote them in during elections for the wrong reasons. Remember that the clock of disaster is ticking away on us. We no longer have the costly luxury of displaying apathy, complacency and petty, divisive, party politics, we can no longer afford it.
WAKE UP AND STAND UP TCI.
- Oswald Skippings
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela: Anti-apartheid campaigner dies at 81
South African anti-apartheid campaigner and former first lady Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has died aged 81.
She and her former husband Nelson Mandela, who were both jailed, were a symbol of the country's anti-apartheid struggle for three decades.
However, in later years her reputation became tainted legally and politically.
Crowds of mourners and political figures flocked to her home in Soweto, in Johannesburg, after news of her death broke.
Family spokesman Victor Dlamini confirmed earlier on Monday that Mrs Mandela "succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones" following a long illness, which had seen her go in and out of hospital since the start of the year.
'Mother of the Nation'
Mrs Madikizela-Mandela was born in 1936 in the Eastern Cape - then known as Transkei.
She was a trained social worker when she met her future husband in the 1950s. They went on to have two daughters together.
They were married for a total of 38 years, although for almost three decades of that time they were separated due to Mr Mandela's long imprisonment.
It was Mrs Madikizela-Mandela who took his baton after he was jailed for life, becoming an international symbol of resistance to apartheid. She too was jailed for her role in the fight for justice and equality.
To her supporters, she became known affectionately as "Mother of the Nation".
Who has paid tribute?
In a televised address President Cyril Ramaphosa - praised by Mrs Madikizela-Mandela earlier this year - called her a "voice of defiance" against white-minority rule.
"In the face of exploitation, she was a champion of justice and equality," he said on Monday.
"She as an abiding symbol of the desire of our people to be free".
Retired archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu said she was a "defining symbol of the struggle against apartheid".
"Her courageous defiance was deeply inspirational to me, and to generations of activists," he added.
Energy Minister Jeff Radebe, reading out a statement on behalf of the family, paid tribute to "a colossus who strode the Southern African political landscape".
"As the ANC we dip our revolutionary banner in salute of this great icon of our liberation struggle," he said.
"The Mandela family are deeply grateful for the gift of her life and even as our hearts break at her passing we urge all those who loved her to celebrate this most remarkable South African woman."
African National Congress (ANC) chairperson Gwede Mantashe said: "With the departure of Mama Winnie, [we have lost] one of the very few who are left of our stalwarts and icons. She was one of those who would tell us exactly what is wrong and right, and we are going to be missing that guidance."
Haiti installs leaders of reborn army
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) — Haitian President Jovenel Moise on Tuesday installed the leaders of his country's army, a symbolic step in the impoverished Caribbean country's reformation of a military demobilised 23 years ago after decades of coups and political interference.
Human rights activists have criticised the choice of the general and five colonels who will lead the army, as they are members of the old guard.
One of the colonels stands accused of extrajudicial killings of civilians in 1994, during military rule.
"This is not an emotional or a partisan act, aimed at pleasing one political camp or group -- this is an act of state, one that is patriotic and inclusive," Moise said at an installation ceremony.
Haiti's armed forces, dissolved in 1995 by then-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, were reborn in 2015 under the leader at the time, Michel Martelly.
The country's army, currently at 150 soldiers, was trained in Ecuador.
When he took office a year ago, Moise made the restoration of the military a priority, especially as the UN pulled its peacekeepers out in October 2017.
Faced with concerns about the military's intent, and the possibility that abuses could recur, the government has been at pains to reassure the population that the military is needed.
"Today, Haiti's armed forces are a powerful tool in crisis and disaster management for a country that is constantly confronted by natural catastrophes," said Defense Minister Herve Denis.
Additional soldiers were recruited beginning in summer 2017, but the process has stalled after hundreds between the ages of 18 and 25 signed up.
Haiti hopes eventually to field an army of 3,000-5,000 soldiers.
The funding of the military raised eyebrows both at home and abroad, given that the defense ministry's entire budget stands at 6.3 million euros (US$7.8 million).
The military brass will return to their old headquarters in the heart of Port-au-Prince, facing the presidential palace. The building had been used by the culture ministry, which now needs a new home.
Smith, Warner banned for year over cricket cheating scandal
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Disgraced skipper Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were Wednesday banned from playing cricket for Australia for a year over a cheating scandal that has rocked the sport and dragged their side's reputation through the mud.
Both players have also been ejected from this year's Indian Premier League (IPL), losing contracts worth nearly US$2 million each.
Cricket Australia (CA) said Smith and Warner had been suspended from "all international and domestic cricket" while opening batsman Cameron Bancroft has been banned for nine months over the ball-tampering incident during the third Test in South Africa.
CA said in a statement that Bancroft, 25, who has played just eight Tests, had attempted to "artificially alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper". The aim would have been to generate more swing for Australia's bowlers.
Smith — the world's number one Test batsman — was charged with knowledge of the potential plan but Warner was charged with developing the plan and instructing Bancroft to carry it out. The CA statement said Smith and Bancroft would not be considered for team leadership positions until a minimum of 12 months after the end of their suspensions, but Warner will be barred from such positions in the future.
Cricket Australia told AFP the players could still play at club level in Australia or in other countries.
All three players will also be required to undertake 100 hours of voluntary service in community cricket.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said: "I am satisfied that the sanctions in this case properly reflect a balance between the need to protect the integrity and reputation of the game."
Smith, Warner and Bancroft have been sent home from South Africa but Coach Darren Lehmann remains in charge because Cricket Australia says he was unaware of the plot to tamper with the ball.
It is a dramatic fall from grace for Smith, who has been hailed by many as the best batsman since Australia's Don Bradman, widely recognised as the finest player in history.
The 28-year-old averages more than 61 in 64 Tests with 23 centuries, putting him in the top bracket of players.
The scandal will also hit the players hard in the pocket, with Smith and Warner losing their contracts in the IPL, Smith with the Rajasthan Royals and Warner for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
But Australian great Shane Warne said the players had been harshly treated and the punishment does not fit the crime, referring to a "tornado of hysteria" in a post on Facebook.
"Their opposing captain in this series, South Africa's Faf du Plessis, has been charged with the offence twice and opening bowler Vernon Philander once," he wrote.
"The list of players who have been charged with ball-tampering is long and contains some of the biggest names in the game."
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine will take over the Australian captaincy for the fourth and final Test starting in Johannesburg on Friday, with hosts South Africa leading a bad-tempered series 2-1 as Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell and Joe Burns fly to South Africa to replace the exiled trio.
Smith had already been suspended for one Test and docked his entire match fee by the International Cricket Council.
He said after the Test that the Australia team's "leadership group" had been aware of the plan. However, Sutherland has insisted Lehmann was not involved.
Warner, a divisive figure in the world game, has become the focus of Australian media, who blame him for the scandal.
The Australian newspaper said there had been a "fierce feud" in the dressing room sparked by Warner's alleged testimony to Cricket Australia's integrity officers, with pace spearheads Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood reportedly livid at being implicated.
It said they felt he was willing to blame them to take the heat off himself, with emotions so raw that Warner may never be welcomed back.
But the hard-hitting opening batsman, 31, will also be an enormous loss for Australia — he is ranked fifth in the world with a Test average approaching 50.
Sponsors have voiced "deep concern" over reputational damage with electronics giant LG dropping Warner as brand ambassador, amid fears other could follow suit.
Buju on hold
Jamaica Observer - Trinidad is one of the first stops on Buju Banton's comeback tour, but a spokesperson for the imprisoned singjay tells the Jamaica Observer it is uncertain an April 22, 2019 gig there will be his first after nearly 10 years in prison.
Ronnie Tomlinson, who represents Buju Banton's management, said Jodian Lewis misspoke last Sunday when she stated that the singjay is confirmed to give his first show in Trinidad, four months after his release from federal prison in the United States.
“She is not in a position to make any such statement. His management has not made any official announcement,” said Tomlinson.
Lewis, she noted, is in charge of promoting Buju Banton merchandise.
Tomlinson confirmed that Banton, 44, will perform in Trinidad on the aforementioned date, but said his management is in talks with other Caribbean promoters for shows in the region early next year.
Lewis's announcement was made last Sunday aboard the Love and Harmony Cruise, a six-day reggae/soca voyage scheduled to make stops in Fort Lauderdale, Montego Bay and Georgetown, Grand Cayman.
It triggered a flurry of stories on the Internet. According to Tomlinson, “It created a buzz but needed to be clarified.”
Buju Banton (real name Mark Myrie) was sentenced to 10 years in prison in June 2011 on drug-related charges.