Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean set new record
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Thursday said that remittances received by Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries are projected to reach a record US$155 billion in 2023.
The Washington-based financial institution in a new report said the record revenue would be achieved if the current trends continue.
According to the IDB, the 2023 figure would be an increase of 9.5 percent compared to the US$142 billion received last year completing 15 consecutive years of growth.
It said the sustained growth of remittances reflects new intra-regional migratory flows and the contribution that migrants make to their countries of origin.
“Despite percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, remittances to Latin American and Caribbean countries have shown sustained growth of around 10 percent annually for the past 10 years,” the IDB said.
It said this increase in 2023 is mainly explained by the growth in remittances received by Central American countries of 13.2 percent, the growth in remittances received by Mexico of 9.8 percent, and the growth in remittances that South America received of 7.9 percent.
In the case of the Caribbean countries, growth in 2023 is more moderate at 2.6 percent.
The new IDB report also offers a detailed analysis of the origins and destination of remittances to the countries of the region based on data published by the Central Banks.
“The amount estimated for the year reflects the increase in the income of migrants, who improved their employment rates, as well as the progress of the migration process in previous periods, which allowed an increase in the flows of remittances received by families in the countries of origin,” the IDB added.
Source- CMC
Thompson-Herah focussing on Olympic defence after separating with coach
Five-time Olympic gold champion Elaine Thompson-Herah is focused on her preparations for next year’s international track & field season, including the defense of her titles at the Olympic Games in Paris.
This was the sentiment shared in a statement from her management company, Andi Sports on Wednesday, when they confirmed the embattled Jamaican sprint queen separated from her coach Shanikie Osbourne after a breakdown in negotiations over compensation.
“Collectively, we had no choice, but to seek the services of another coach,” the statement indicated, adding the package proposed by Osbourne was “by any measure of what is the norm for such services extremely excessive and without any flexibility to negotiate by the other party”.
Thompson-Herah won 100 meters, 200m, and 4x100m gold at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, after winning 100 and 200 gold at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but she struggled badly this year after a heated separation from the MVP Track Club, where she was under the guidance of iconic coach, Stephen Francis.
The 31-year-old failed to earn a place on the Jamaica team for this year’s World Athletics Championships in August in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, where she brought Osbourne onto her coaching staff.
Thompson-Herah, the second-fastest woman clocked over 100 with a personal best time of 10.54 seconds, and improved her times significantly over the later stages of the international season, so the decision to part ways with Osbourne was surprising in track & field circles in Jamaica.
“Mrs. Elaine Thompson-Herah benefitted from the services of coach Osbourne, especially towards the end of the 2023 athletic season, and for that, Mrs. Thompson-Herah is grateful and would like to express her thanks for her impact in a very short space of time,” the statement indicated.
With eight months remaining before she has to defend her Olympic titles, the statement from Andi Sports outlined that the search is now on for a new coach for Thompson-Herah.
“With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, fast approaching, Mrs Thompson-Herah is fully focused on her preparations for the season and the defense of her Olympic titles,” the statement indicated.
“In this regard, we have undertaken a process to procure the services of a coach who would be able to ensure the high standards of Mrs. Thompson-Herah are exceeded and her goals for the 2024 outdoor athletic season are met.”
The statement continued: “Once our search is complete, and a final decision is made, we will once again use this medium to officially notify the fans, followers, supporters, and the general public.
“Rest assured that the best interest of Mrs Elaine Thompson-Herah supersedes all other concerns and all decisions will be made to fortify her legacy as one of the world’s premier female athletes.”
Only deceased American sprint queen Florence Griffith-Joyner, who clocked 10.49 seconds at the United States Olympic Trials in 1988, has run faster than Thompson-Herah in the 100.
Source-CMC
Drake to release surprise EP, Scary Hours 3
Drake isn't quite finished with music drops this year.
The "Rich Flex" rapper says he's got one more 2023 release: his new EP, Scary Hours 3.
Serving as the follow-up to the first two editions of Scary Hours, Drake's upcoming project is set to arrive off the heels of his October chart-topping eighth studio album, For All the Dogs.
In a seemingly unexpected post on Instagram, Drake surprised fans with the music news, sharing an album trailer and the release date of midnight, November 17.
"I'll say this to you I'm not — I feel no need to appease anybody," Drake says in a voiceover. "I feel so confident about the body of work I just dropped that I know I can go and disappear for whatever, six months, a year, two years."
But there's no need to take a break quite yet, he adds.
Throughout the rest of the clip, Drake opens up about how he wrote and recorded the entire Scary Hours 3 over the past five days.
"I didn't have one bar written down for those songs on the night For all the Dogs dropped," he said, noting the overflow of music is organic.
"Who am I to fight it?" he asked.
Source-ABC
TURKS AND CAICOS WEATHER FORECAST
GENERAL SITUATION: A FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEAR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS CAN SPUR SOME ISOLATED SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE ISLANDS LATER TODAY.
ALL AREAS
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY TODAY. MOSTLY FAIR WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 86°F 30°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 79°F 26°C
SUNSET: 5:06 PM
NEXT LOW TIDE: 3:57 PM (1.0 FT)
NEXT HIGH TIDE: 9:33 PM (2.3 FT)
EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS: THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHWARD ON THURSDAY. THE COMBINATION OF LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE AND AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH WILL GENERATE UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS THE ISLANDS ON FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND.
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET
SUNRISE: 6:00 AM
SUNSET: 5:06 PM
LOW TIDE: 03:41 AM (0.3 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 10:16 AM (3.0 FT)
FORECAST FOR FRIDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH CHANCE SCATTERED SHOWERS. CHANCE OF RAIN IS 30%. PARTLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS LIKELY AT NIGHT. CHANCE OF RAIN IS 60%.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET
SUNRISE: 6:01 AM
SUNSET: 5:05 PM
LOW TIDE: 04:28 AM (0.3 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 11:06 AM (3.0 FT)
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK:
- SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA: A BROAD AREA OF DISORGANIZED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA IS ASSOCIATED WITH A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA. REGARDLESS OF DEVELOPMENT, THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS OVER PORTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE GREATER ANTILLES THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
CHANCE OF FORMATION THROUGH 7 DAYS…MEDIUM…50 PERCENT
- OFFSHORE SOUTHEAST COAST OF UNITED STATES: A NON-TROPICAL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR SOUTHERN FLORIDA ALONG A SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO. THIS SYSTEM IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE NORTHEASTWARD NEAR THE BAHAMAS AND OFFSHORE OF THE EAST COAST OF THE U.S. LATE THIS WEEK AND OVER THE WEEKEND.
CHANCE OF FORMATION THROUGH 7 DAYS…LOW…10 PERCENT
Ministry of Health Declares Dengue Outbreak in TCI
The Ministry of Health and Human Services has been monitoring the dengue situation in the region of the Americas closely due to multiple countries declaring dengue outbreaks including countries in the Caribbean. The TCI received confirmation of its first dengue case on 17th October 2023. Since this time, through raised awareness with the general public and health care providers, testing has increased with 13 confirmed cases of dengue being identified to date with a further 74 suspected cases. Confirmed cases are those that have undergone PCR testing at CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency), whereas suspected cases have been identified through rapid tests. These recent increases signal the start of a dengue outbreak in the TCI. The confirmed cases are distributed across the islands as follows:
Providenciales: 12 confirmed
Grand Turk: 1 confirmed
There are four dengue virus types. Two types of dengue virus have since been identified in the TCI- type two and type three (DENV-2 and DENV-3). 8 of the confirmed cases are type three, which can result in a more severe form of the disease while type two has been identified in one confirmed case. The other cases did not meet the criteria for typing.
The Minister of Health and Human Services, Hon. Shaun D. Malcolm stated, “In response to the dengue cases, the Ministry of Health and Human Services through the Vector Control Unit of the Environmental Health Department, has ramped up vector control activities throughout the islands including treatment of swamps, large bodies of standing water, premises inspections and fogging. He also noted that through collaboration with the Deputy Governor, approval for additional Vector Control Officers has been granted and that the onboarding of these individuals has been prioritised”.
Educational materials are being published to educate the general public on activities that can be undertaken by individuals to reduce mosquito breeding sites on their properties and in their communities as well as reduce the risk of mosquito bites.
Dengue is a viral illness that spreads to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito. These mosquitoes also spread zika, chikungunya, and other viruses. The aedes aegypti mosquito is present in the Turks and Caicos Islands and is capable of spreading these diseases. The Aedes aegypti prefers to lay their eggs in artificial containers that contain water (drums, barrels and tires, mainly) in and around homes, schools and workplaces. It is essential that the general public remains vigilant for this disease as well as play their role in destroying potential mosquito breeding sites within homes, yards and communities.
1 in 4: About one in four people infected with dengue will get sick.
For people who get sick with dengue, symptoms can be mild or severe.
Severe dengue can be life-threatening within a few hours and often requires care at a hospital.
Symptoms
Mild symptoms of dengue can be confused with other illnesses that cause fever, aches and pains, or a rash.
The most common symptom of dengue is fever (40°C/104°F) with any of the following:
Nausea, vomiting
Rash
Severe headache
Aches and pains (eye pain, typically behind the eyes, muscle, joint, or bone pain)
Any warning sign (see attachment)
Symptoms of dengue typically last 2–7 days. Most people will recover after about a week.
There is no specific treatment for dengue. If you suspect that you or your loved one has dengue, please see your healthcare provider so you can be tested and receive the necessary advice. Avoid taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and aspirin.
Persons who are suspected to have dengue or have confirmed dengue should avoid further mosquito bites.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services continues to offer testing for dengue at no cost through the National Public Health Laboratory in partnership with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) as well as conducting vector control activities throughout the islands. Further updates on the local dengue situation will be provided in due course.
To report any areas of standing water or mosquito breeding sites, please contact the Environmental Health Department for assistance on (649) 338 2143/2142.
PUBLIC ADVISORY- #002 3:00 PM
A large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms over the southwestern Caribbean Sea. This system is forecast to move northeast across the western and central Caribbean during the latter part of this week and has the potential to generate squally weather conditions, including periods of heavy rains and strong gusty winds, in the Turks and Caicos Islands over the weekend.
The Turks and Caicos Islands National Weather Service and the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies will continue to monitor the progress of this system and will issue further updates accordingly. Residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands are strongly encouraged to monitor Advisories issued by the Turks and Caicos Islands National Weather Service and the Department of Disaster Management & Emergencies.
Forecaster: H. Hamilton
Second National Apprentice Transitions into Full-time Role
The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Social Services is happy to recognize Mr. Alique Harvey, as the second Turks and Caicos Islands National Apprentice to transition into full-time employment. This employment was in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism.
As of November 1, 2023, Mr. Alique Harvey, a returning student, was appointed to the post of Communications Officer within the Department of Tourism Regulations in the Ministry of Tourism.
Mr. Harvey who was excited about this appointment stated, “I am truly honored to have had the opportunity to enroll in the TCI National Internship and Apprenticeship Program and to have been assigned to the Ministry of Tourism, where I gained valuable experience in communication management. Your support and the opportunities provided through the program have been instrumental in helping me reach this significant milestone in my career. I am thrilled to be a part of the Ministry of Tourism team and deeply appreciative of the trust and confidence the TCI Apprentice Program has shown in me.”
The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, and Social Services worked with stakeholders to ensure the delivery of a first-rate national apprenticeship system for the Turks and Caicos Islands. This system offers every youth who wants to transition into the formal economy to go through an apprenticeship program as supported by the public and private sectors. It solves your social problems and mismatch in terms of the apprentice's need for the kind of skills for the different job opportunities. The apprenticeship system provides employers with a reservoir of certified and trained skills.
Hon. Rachel Taylor in her remarks stated, “Congratulations to Alique Harvey in transitioning into his full-time employment, he has done an amazing job as an apprentice, and I know he will continue to develop in his area of study professionally and personally. My Ministry is dedicated to Building Human Capacity, and it is our goal to ensure that our students return home and gain the necessary experience and employment within their field of choice.”
Congratulations Mr. Alique Harvey! We encourage our students who are currently enrolled in a college and those who have recently completed their degree, to register with the Internship and Apprentice Programme for the 2024 period.
Novak Djokovic ends year as world number one
Novak Djokovic will end the year as world number one for a record eighth time after he beat Holger Rune at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion overcame the Dane 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 in his opening Green Group match at the season-ending event on Sunday.
Victory for Djokovic extends his winning run to 19 consecutive matches.
The 36-year-old Serb won three Slams in 2023 to become the all-time record-holder of major titles.
Rune, 20, who is making his debut at the event, claimed the first break to lead 3-2 before Djokovic hit back and went on to win the opening set tie-break.
Rune reacted well and continued his streak of winning a set in every previous meeting with Djokovic to level the game in a second set tie-break.
Djokovic broke immediately in the deciding set, but Rune was able to respond before the Serb broke for a second time and ended the youngster's challenge.
Djokovic is on course for a seventh ATP Finals title, which would make him the record-holder, having equaled Roger Federer on six last year.
Djokovic told Prime Video: "It took everything. I saw in the first game when he fired shots from the baseline, I knew it was going to be a tough night for me. I thought he played great. I played great in some moments.
"Overall, a win is a win. It was a very emotional win and a tough win knowing the significance of tonight's match.
After a really terrible second-set tie-break, I think I played a really solid third set."
Source-BBC
Israel's president denies it is striking Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has denied that Israel is striking Gaza's largest hospital.
Reports from staff at Al-Shifa suggest the facility, sheltering thousands of Palestinians, has run out of electricity.
But Mr Herzog said "everything is operating" at the hospital.
Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg he also said a copy of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf was found on the body of a Hamas fighter in northern Gaza.
Mr. Herzog said a copy translated into Arabic was found "just a few days ago" in a children's room that had been "turned into a military operation base of Hamas".
The Nazi leader's antisemitic manifesto was first printed in 1925.
Finding a copy of it in northern Gaza, Mr. Herzog said, showed that some in Hamas "learned again and again Adolf Hitler's ideology of hating the Jews".
Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had lost communication with its contacts at Al-Shifa, with staff and patients trapped by fighting outside.
WHO chief Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus later said that contact has been restored but warned of "dire" conditions inside. He repeated calls for a ceasefire and said the hospital had been without electricity and water for three days.
Doctors and the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza have said a lack of fuel there means patients cannot be operated on and incubators for premature babies cannot run. But the president disputed this.
"We deny this at all, there is a lot of spin by Hamas... but there's electricity in Shifa, everything is operating," Mr. Herzog said.
Israel has said that Hamas has a base underneath the hospital building - a claim denied by Hamas.
Surgeon Marwan Abu Saada told the BBC on Saturday that the hospital had run out of water, food, and electricity.
He said the sounds of shooting and bombardments echoed through the hospital "every second".
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israel would help evacuate babies from Al-Shifa following a request from the hospital administration. A doctors group said on Saturday that two premature babies had already died.
Asked about growing calls for a ceasefire, including from France's President Macron, Mr Herzog asserted Israel's right to defend itself after the attacks of 7 October.
"We of course listen to our allies, but first and foremost, we defend ourselves," he said.
He acknowledged that there had been civilian deaths in Gaza but blamed Hamas for many of the tragedies.
Mr Herzog said his country's operations in Gaza were carried out "according to the rules of international humanitarian law", with Israel alerting civilians with phone calls and text messages and urging them to evacuate from northern Gaza and "go down [to southern Gaza]".
"We give them humanitarian pauses so that they can go down [south]," Mr Herzog said.
More than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. More than 1.5m people are also displaced, according to the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa).
Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip following Hamas's deadly 7 October attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw more than 200 others taken hostage from southern Israel.
Fighting has been fierce in the northern part of the 41km (25 miles) long and 10km wide enclave, but blasts have also hit the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.
SZA leads Grammy nods with nine; Victoria Monét, Jon Batiste, Coco Jones also nominated
The nominees for the 2024 Grammy Awards were announced Friday, November 10. Here's a list of artists up for top hip-hop and R&B categories:
Leading the pack with nine nominations, the most of any artist this year is SZA, who's up for Album of the Year for SOS and Record and Song of the Year for "Kill Bill."
She's followed by Victoria Monét who earned six nods, including Record of the Year for "On My Mama," Best R&B Album for the song's LP, Jaguar II, as well as Best New Artist.
Also up for six awards is Jon Batiste, recognized in Record of the Year for "Worship," Album of the Year for World Music Radio, and Song of the Year for "Butterfly."
As for first-time nominees, Coco Jones and Ice Spice are both up for Best New Artist, while Jones earned a Best R&B Album nod for What I Didn't Tell You (Deluxe). The latter category also recognizes Summer Walker's Clear 2: Soft Life EP and Girls Night Out by Babyface.
On the producer side of things, Metro Boomin, Hit-Boy, and Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II earned nods for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.
Following the announcement, the list revealed many expected award honors but also some, fans say, that might've been missed.
While R&B is represented in three of the top categories: Song, Album, and Record of the Year — mostly by way of SZA's nine nods — the Recording Academy failed to acknowledge any rap music in the big groups.
Seeing as 2023, also the year of hip-hop's 50th anniversary, saw chart-topping work from Drake, 21 Savage, Nas, Travis Scott, and more, social media users quipped about the awards shows' snubs when it comes to rap.
Tweets like "Smh. Grammys have never taken hip hop or rap seriously" and "Once again grammys never have respected rap and probably never will" circulated after the announcement.
Now, onto the rappers who were nominated.
For the first time in seven years, Nicki Minaj's name is included in the mix. With all three of her nods tied to "Barbie World," fans aren't sure a first win, on behalf of newcomer Ice Spice, is the most honorable way to acknowledge the superstar.
As for the dedicated rap categories — Best Performance, Album, and Song — Drake & 21, Nas, Scott, Metro Boomin, Killer Mike, Lil Uzi Vert, Doja Cat, Coi Leray, Kendrick Lamar, and Black Thought are all up for awards.
Lil Durk scored his fourth nomination: He's up for Best Melodic Rap Performance with "All My Life," which also adds to feature J. Cole's 16 past nods.
A Best Melodic Rap nod also goes to Burna Boy, who additionally earned recognition for Best African Music Performance, Best Global Music Performance, and Best Global Music Album.
The 2024 Grammys will air on February 4 on CBS.
Source-ABC