Department of Correction and Rehabilitation Assists Ailing Animals
Working with the Department of Agriculture and community volunteers, this week saw the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation receive four badly injured donkeys in need of specific care and a safe place to live whilst they recover.
All four donkeys had items stuck on their hoofs or over their ankles, causing serious mobility issues, which of course impacts of their ability to feed and move around to find food.
Superintendent Michael Woodbine said, before coming to the Turks and Caicos Islands, I had read and heard about the donkey population, and was already thinking that there must be a role for the prison to play in caring and looking after donkeys, especially if injured or unwell, so the setting up of what we are calling, “our donkey Hospital” is incredibly pleasing to see.
The prison farm is a wonderful facility and the team of farm staff and workers provide excellent care to the livestock living there. The farm already sells eggs and vegetables to members of the community, and this is another example of our facility supporting the local community and local good causes.
Helping look after ill and injured donkeys is absolutely the right thing for us to be doing. Not only is this good for the donkeys, but it’s great for the people that work on the farm and live in the wider prison. Developing a sense of empathy and building bonds with animals is well documented in supporting changes in people moods, outlook and behavior. Having donkeys here in need of care and help really does offer offenders a different perspective on building bonds, which is most probably better than may have previously experienced.
Once settled in we have seen community volunteers, some of our prisoners, staff and prison mangers working with the Dr Bent in capturing and treating the donkeys in our care. It was great to see how many people wanted to help and get involved. I truly believe the donkeys themselves have released we are here to help them, and they are starting to interact with the team.
In addition to the soft skills this initiative brings, we are also looking to train our prisoners in Donkey husbandry, such as caring for donkey’s fur, knowing what to feed them and farrier skills to ensure their hoofs are well maintained. These will be transferable skills, which we hope will help prisoners prepare for life after custody.
MINISTRY OF PHYSICAL PLANNING & INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT HOST ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS TRAINING
Recognizing the important role of Administrative Staff throughout the Government, the Ministry of Physical Planning Infrastructure Development hosted a one-day training session for its Administrative Officers on April 13, 2023, under the theme, “We are ONE team and we ROCK, Not just an Admin”.
The training was held in the Conference Room at the Ministry of Finance in Providenciales and was an ideal opportunity for staff to be taken out of their normal working environment to be recharged and re-energized.
The training was facilitated by Ms. Carmaine Ariza, Applications Support Officer/TCIG and Mrs. Melanie Smith, CEO of Talent Recruitment Group and had as its main objective, the assessment of team performance over the previous financial year as well as identification and discussion of a number of SmartStream do’s and don’ts. It also presented an opportunity for a number of team building, communication and deportment exercises as well as sharing of keys to on the job success.
The opening was attended by Permanent Secretary, Mr. Desmond Wilson, Deputy PS Mrs. Bridgette Newman, Financial Manager Ms. Shandera Hall and Head of Secretariat Ms. Shanetta Thompson.
Minister for Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, Hon. Jamell Robinson, attended the closing ceremony and gave brief remarks before handing out the certificates to participants, while PS Wilson presented all participants with tokens of appreciation.
Commenting on the training, Minister Robinson noted, “I am thankful and appreciative to the Ministry staff for organizing such a timely and important training session. The administrative role is one of the most important roles within the Ministry of PPID which focus on the efficient operations of the departments to help improve positive results.
The training was very informative, engaging and interactive and there was no doubt that all staff were encouraged to do their own introspection of their work and attitude towards work and their colleagues and customers and then move forward refreshed and reinvigorated, ready to build upon existing and new knowledge as they positively impact the Ministry’s day to day operations.
Leader of the Opposition on D.M.O
Dear Editor,
We are seeing our elected Premier and his Cabinet wage war on our democracy. Democracy as I know it is a government that represents the will of its people. This continued advancement of the Destination Management Organization (DMO) does not reflect what the super majority of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands want.
This is beginning to look like a non-independent dictatorship!
We have seen where ill-advised mergers of state and corporate power have turned countries into corporate kleptocracies, establishing a system of socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor. And this is exactly the road that the Premiere and his Cabinet are heading down.
Our people are saying no, but the Premier is saying yes. I had expected the “Empire to strike back”, and the “deep state” to exert its power, to force this on the people.
Now we see in the news headlines that without Rhyme, reason, or any liaison with the Public, this current PNP regime is taking it upon itself to recruit foreign staff to head our Tourist Industry, with no regard to the existing qualified Turks & Caicos Islanders currently employed with the Tourist Board, nor any regard to other qualified Turks & Caicos Islanders working privately in our Tourist Industry.
This can only be seen as an affront and insult to the Tourist Board staff and the TCI public.
Many years of knowledge of research, development and training have been undertaken by Tourist Board Staff Members, allowing them to obtain critical experiences, knowledge, and abilities in the Tourism field, and now all of this achievement and record has been washed down the drain by this decision of this current PNP Administration. These staff members who are been ‘kicked to the curb’ are the only experts known to the Caribbean region and the World who fully know and understand TCI’s History, Culture, and Tourism Products.
From last year’s budget, I have been constantly sounding the alarm about this DMO move, but the Premier and his government painted the picture as the Leader of the Opposition and his Appointed member just being political, and being villains in objecting to this move.
The country has been seeing that in every speech, and every address, the Premier was trying to shift attention from his government’s object failures to highlighting the excellent performance of the Tourist Industry.
The stories that they choose to speak to, and will continue to speak to, have been only those that advance their political narrative. This is most likely the reason for all the silence from them because there is very little good that they have done for our people and our country as a whole.
Why don’t the Premier and his government spend any time talking about crime, Illegal immigration, Healthcare, the cost of living, difficulty in doing business with the government and accessing government services, and the state of our environment? Simple, because those stories do not advance the narrative that Turks and Caicos Islanders are “living their best lives.”
Regardless of your political affiliation, I am sure that you can see that his government does not have a plan or vision that includes TCI people, and this DMO decision is a clear indication of a lack of vision.
We are being systematically sold out and replaced in our Country.
The sad thing is that the PNP Government is leading this “Get rid of the Turks & Caicos Islander Agenda”. We Elected officials, and appointed members cannot sit idly by, and collect salaries from the people’s treasury, while our people are kicked to Curb. If we truly care about our people and their destiny, we all must speak out and oppose this decision.
I am calling on the Members of Parliament to speak out. In particular, all elected representatives cannot remain silent as lambs, betray the people who voted for them, and expect it to be taken kindly.
I am very grateful for our people and we have to serve them and their collective interest. My job is not to be popular amongst the TCI elites but to represent the interests of my people. My PDM team, other interest groups, and other concerned citizens are not going to give up or back down on this issue, as the Premier and his Cabinet so expect us to.
While I am cognizant of the important role the private sector plays in the success of the country, I am a strong believer that there should be no corporate control of government services and government funds, the people’s money.
As we all know company directors are loyal to the company's interests to maximize its benefits, hence the government should not give them substantial power as gatekeepers.
We see now that America is in a crisis of corporate capture of democratic government, where the economic power of corporations has been translated into political power with disastrous effects on people’s lives.
In his book, Captured: The Corporate Infiltration of American Democracy, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse warns that “corporations of vast wealth and remorseless staying power have moved into their politics to seize for themselves advantages that can be seized only by control over the government.” The book illustrates what he calls, the “immense pressure deployed by the corporate sector in our government.” He stated that “We must rebalance our democracy by changing the rules to limit the power of money over government and empower people to engage politically as a countervailing force.”
We in the TCI cannot let the current Premier and his Cabinet take us further down this road.
Remember it doesn’t have to be this way, just because Premier Missick and His Cabinet have given up on Turks & Caicos Islanders, we should not as well.
As we progress in this year under my leadership, the PDM will continue to show the whole country, all our people (PDMs, PNPs, Independents, Non-voters) that there is a better way. We can grow an economy that works for all, we can transform healthcare for the better, we can develop local businesses, we can grow the already established business, and we can educate our people, yes we can and we know how to do it.
We will save the whole country no community, and no Island left behind.
Regards,
Hon. Edwin A. Astwood
Leader/ Peoples Democratic Movement
Leader of the Opposition
Elon Musk's big rocket explodes on test flight
Elon Musk's SpaceX company's mammoth new rocket, Starship, has exploded on its maiden flight. No one was hurt in the uncrewed test that lifted off from Texas' east coast on Thursday morning local time.
After around three minutes into the flight, the rocket - the biggest ever developed - started to tumble out of control and was destroyed, most probably by onboard charges.
Mr. Musk has said his company will try another launch in a couple of months.
SpaceX engineers still class the launch as a success and say they will review the data collected as they work towards the next flight.
"Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months," Mr. Musk tweeted.
The entrepreneur had tried to temper expectations before the launch. Just getting the vehicle off the ground and not destroying the launch pad infrastructure would be considered "a win", he said.
His wish was granted. Starship cleared its launch complex on the US-Mexico border and picked up pace as it headed out over the Gulf of Mexico. But it was evident within a minute or so that not everything was going to plan.
As the rocket climbed higher and higher, six of the 33 engines at the base of the vehicle had noticeably been shut down or had flamed out.
And three minutes into the flight, it was pretty obvious the end was near. When the two halves of the vehicle should have been separating, they were in fact still connected - and tumbling.
At launch plus four minutes, a large explosion ripped across the blue sky, presumably the result of computers triggering Starship's Flight Termination System.
The top segment of Starship, also known as the ship, had taken flight previously on short hops, but this was the first time it had launched with its lower stage.
This immense booster, called simply Super Heavy, was fired while clamped to its launch mount in February. However, its cluster of engines on that occasion was throttled back to half its capability.
If, as promised, SpaceX went for 90% thrust on Thursday, the stage should have delivered something close to 70 meganewtons.
That's double the thrust put out by the Saturn V rocket that famously sent men to the Moon in the 1960s and 70s.
The plan for the mission had been to send the ship on one near-complete revolution of the Earth, ending with a splashdown in the Pacific, a couple of hundred km north of Hawaii.
There was no expectation that the ship or Super Heavy would be recovered. But long term, this is the plan. The idea is to land both halves, refuel them and launch again - time and time again.
If this can be achieved, it will be transformative.
Starship has a prospective payload performance to the orbit of more than 100 tonnes a flight. When this is allied to the low cost of operation - principally, just the cost of fuel - it should open the door to an exciting future.
"We've got an arduous two or three years ahead of us with, probably, you know, many bumps on the road, but at the end of that, we should have something that enables a base on the Moon and a base on Mars," Mr Musk said this week.
The entrepreneur will initially use Starship to launch thousands more satellites for his broadband internet constellation in the sky - Starlink.
Only when engineers are confident in the vehicle's reliability will they permit people to fly on the rocket.
The first mission has already been lined up. It will be commanded by billionaire US businessman and fast-jet pilot Jared Isaacman. He's already flown to space in a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
The first flight around the Moon will be conducted by Japanese retail fashion billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. He will take eight artists with him as part of his DearMoon project.
The US space agency, Nasa, wants to use a version of Starship to land its astronauts on the Moon's surface.
Source-BBC
2023 NATIONAL HONOURS AND AWARDS
The National Honours and Awards Recipients for 2022 have been selected and published in the 31st March 2023 Gazette. The National Honours and Awards Ceremony is set for Saturday, 20th May 2023 in Grand Turk and the general public is invited to attend. This is a free event, hosted by the government, and organized by the Office of the Premier and Public Policy. The listing of the award recipients is provided in the attached document, as well as their merit.
TWO CREW CONVICTED OF ASSISTING THE ILLEGAL ENTRY OF NINETY HAITIAN MIGRANTS
Two members of the crew of a Haitian trade vessel have been found guilty of assisting the illegal entry of ninety Haitian migrants into the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Following an intelligence-led operation, ninety migrants – 64 men, 24 women and 2 minors – were encountered on West Caicos on 5th February 2023. The vessel, Marassa Express, had arrived in the Turks and Caicos Islands, from Haiti, the same day. Following a detailed investigation by criminal investigators from the Immigration Taskforce, and in partnership with officers from the Customs Department and on-island US colleagues from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) team, the Captain of the Marassa Express, Georges Alexis and the vessel’s mechanic, Meralien Merlien were charged with Assisting the Unlawful Entry of the ninety migrants.
Following a trial at the Magistrates Court on Providenciales, Alexis aged 42, and Merlien, aged 55, were both found guilty of Assisting Unlawful Entry and Disembarking Passengers From a Small Craft Without Reporting to the Proper Officer. Alexis and Merlien remain at HMP Grand Turk until their sentencing, which is scheduled for 1st May.
Amendments to the Immigration Ordinance made last year set out that a person found guilty of the offence of Assisting Illegal Entry is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term of four years, or to both; or on conviction on indictment to a fine or to imprisonment for a term of seven years, or to both.
The unlawful migrants have since been repatriated to Haiti and an application for seizure of the vessel will be made on the 1st of May 2023.
Border Force Director General, Emilio Seymour, said “This conviction sends a strong message to those that seek to undermine the security of the borders of the Turks & Caicos Islands. But this is only the start. We are relentlessly pursuing the organizers and those who are profiting in the shadows from the cowardly act of Assisting Illegal Migration and praying on the vulnerability of our regional brothers and sisters. Our collaboration with our international partners has increased our capacity significantly in identifying and dismantling human smuggling and our local officers are to be commended for a job well done. We can no longer keep simply intercepting and repatriating illegal migrants. To win the fight against Illegal Migration we must identify, apprehend and prosecute the ringleaders involved. For those who insist on committing these Immigration Offences, you will be identified, we will apprehend you and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law”.
Minister for Immigration, Hon. Arlington Musgrove, said ‘This was an incredibly serious offence – ninety migrants being hidden in a trading vessel to try to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands undetected – and a bold attempt by people smugglers to abuse our borders. In this case, the crew of the Marassa Express tried to exploit our trade routes, posing as the crew of a legitimate trade vessel simply bringing cargo from Haiti. The painstaking and detailed investigation that followed shows the lengths that the Immigration Department will go to bring these criminals to justice.
My congratulations go to the Criminal Investigators in our Immigration Taskforce who worked diligently to secure this conviction, and to all officers from the Immigration and Customs Departments who worked on this investigation. My broader thanks go to our partner agencies – the Marine Branch of Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) colleagues from the United States Department of Homeland Security – who were both instrumental in this case. I look forward to the sentencing of these two individuals.
Elon Musk threatens to sue Microsoft over Twitter data
Twitter boss Elon Musk has threatened to sue Microsoft as he accused the technology giant of using data from his social media company without permission.
"They trained illegally using Twitter data. Lawsuit time," the multi-billionaire said in a tweet.
Mr. Musk was responding to Microsoft's plan to remove Twitter from its corporate advertising platform.
He did not provide further details or evidence to support the claim.
Microsoft declined to comment when approached by the BBC on Thursday.
Earlier, the company said in a notice that its advertising platform would "no longer support Twitter" from Tuesday 25 April.
As a result, ad buyers would not be able to access their Twitter accounts through Microsoft's social management tool.
"Other social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn will continue to be available," Microsoft said.
Twitter's press email responded to a query with a customary poo emoji.
In a separate tweet, in the discussion about the social media platform's data, Mr. Musk said he was "open to ideas".
"But ripping off the Twitter database, demonetizing it (removing ads), and then selling our data to others isn't a winning solution," he added.
In February, Twitter started charging for the data it collects from "hundreds of millions" of users, with a basic plan starting at $100 a month.
The data allows users to "manage and track every aspect of your social media presence", according to the platform.
Since buying Twitter for $44bn (£35.4bn) in October, Mr. Musk has cut its workforce by around 80% and moved to boost the company's finances through measures including charging users for "blue tick" verification.
In recent months, major companies including iPhone maker Apple reportedly halted advertising on the platform over concerns about how content was moderated on the site.
In November, Mr. Musk said Twitter had seen a "massive" drop in revenue and blamed activists for pressuring advertisers.
Speaking to the BBC last week, he said Twitter had just months left to live when he took over. He also said "Almost all advertisers have come back or said they are going to come back" to Twitter.
Mr. Musk added that Twitter could be profitable by the second quarter of 2023, and he would be willing to sell the company if the right person came along.
Source- BBC
Missy Elliott to be honored at 2023 Black Music Honors
Missy Elliott is one of the honorees at this year's Black Music Honors. She'll be recognized for her contributions to both African American culture and music alongside fellow guests of honor SWV, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Jeffrey Osborne and The Hawkins Family.
“Black music is the heartbeat of our culture, and the honorees for this year’s Black Music Honors represent the soul of American music,” founder and executive producer Don Jackson said in a statement, per Billboard. “We pay homage to the musical innovators who have paved the way for future generations. Our tribute performances not only celebrate the honorees of yesterday, but also showcase the influence and impact of their iconic sounds and styles on today’s artists with a beautiful symbiosis of past and present.”
The 2023 Black Music Honors, hosted by Letoya Luckett and DeRay Davis, will take place May 19 at Atlanta's Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. It will air June 3 on the Stellar Network and from June 10-July 2 in national broadcast syndication. The show will also air June 19 on Bounce TV.
Source- ABC
Jamaica Tourism Sector to conduct study on the impacts of 20,000 hotel rooms -Coming
Edmund Bartlett, the Government's point man on the tourism sector, has determined that much more needs to be known about the possible impact of the approximately 20,000 new hotel rooms which are to be built in Jamaica over the next five to 10 years.
Opening the 2023/24 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Bartlett provided an update on the previously announced room boost in the tourism sector and noted that construction will take place in all parishes.
Providing further details while addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday, Bartlett noted that while the development of the new rooms provides enormous implications for Jamaica for growth it also asks for a lot from the country.
He said an evidence-based study is to be done to determine what is being asked of the country, what will be involved, and who will benefit.
"We have identified a source of funds for this study to be done and I have had discussions with some multi-laterals — not ready yet to say which — that are willing to support this study especially [since] they think too that tourism is the driver, not just for the economy of Jamaica now, but for the entire Caribbean," said Bartlett.
"What this study will seek to do is to identify and evaluate the potential impact of the proposed development on gross domestic product; foreign exchange earnings; investment and Government revenue; and expenditure.
"It will seek to identify and evaluate the potential impact of the proposed development on income and employment, both direct and indirect. It will [also] identify and evaluate the potential impact of the proposed development on key related sectors such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and entertainment," added Bartlett.
The tourism minister told the media briefing that the study will also evaluate the impact of the 20,000 new rooms on infrastructure needs, the environment, and the people, in particular the housing and transport requirements of the people who will work in these new rooms.
"It will provide recommendations to mitigate potential negative impacts while capitalizing on the positive impacts and will provide credible, rigorous, evidence-based information…so that we can use that for public awareness program and to build out the value chain of the tourism industry.
Source-Jamaica Observer
Tiger Woods has 'successful' ankle surgery after withdrawing from Masters
Tiger Woods has had "successful" ankle fusion surgery following his recent withdrawal from the Masters.
The 15-time major winner pulled out during the third round at Augusta after reaggravating a heel pain problem.
He had an operation on Wednesday in New York to correct an arthritis issue from a previous ankle fracture.
Woods is now a huge doubt for next month's US PGA Championship being held at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester from 18-21 May.
The US Open in Los Angeles starts on 16 June while The Open begins on 20 July at Royal Liverpool, where Woods won the most recent of his three Claret Jugs in 2006.
"Earlier today, Tiger underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture," said a statement on Woods' social media channels.
"It was performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York. He has determined the surgery to be successful. Tiger is recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation."
The ankle problem is the latest in a line of setbacks for Woods, who feared his leg would have to be amputated because of the serious injuries he suffered in a car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021.
He made the cut at the Masters earlier this month, but was six over par after seven holes of his third round, sitting last of the 54 remaining players, before the injury forced him to withdraw, amid cold, wet, and windy conditions that delayed play and would have left him needing to play 29 holes on the final day.
Source- BBC