CARICOM Secretariat welcomes first school tour since COVID 19
The staff of the CARICOM Secretariat on Wednesday, November 3rd hosted its first group of students to visit the Guyana Headquarters in 2 years.
Over the years, hundreds of students would visit the CARICOM Secretariat to get a first-hand look at how the governing body supports the technical and administrative mechanisms of regional integration. The COVID-19 pandemic halted this tour and it is now revived after a 2-year hiatus.
Fifth-form students of the Tutorial Academy Secondary School benefitted from a presentation by the Secretariat’s Webmaster, Christopher Lawrence who discussed how information technology supports the work and integration of the Directorates, Programmes, and offices in Guyana, Barbados, and Jamaica. The students also had a presentation on hardware and software systems, including cloud computing technology.
The students learned also about starting careers in Information and Communications Technology.
STATEMENT FROM AKIERRA MARY DEANNE MISSICK - MP FOR LEEWARD AND LONG BAY
Earlier today, November 7th, 2022, I bid farewell to my staff in the Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure, following the decision by Premier Hon. Washington Misick to make certain adjustments and relieve me of my Cabinet portfolio.
Saying farewell to my team of dedicated staff was certainly as emotional a moment for them as it was for me.
Since the announcement on Sunday night, the outpouring of support and well-wishes from my dear and loyal constituents of Leeward and Long Bay and also from the wider Turks and Caicos Islands and beyond was truly humbling and indeed strengthened my resolve and commitment to be of continued service to the great people of this country.
At the outset, I wish to thank Premier Hon. Washington Misick for reposing the confidence in me to serve as Leader of Government Business in the House of Assembly and Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure, following the decisive election victory of the party I love, the Progressive National Party (PNP), in February 2021.
To have served in those capacities over the past 20 months was a distinct honor and an absolute privilege beyond measure.
Let me also now take this opportunity to wish my successor Hon. Jamell R. Robinson every success in this new role and to assure him of my full support.
My friends, one of the hallmarks of a democratic society is that ALL Cabinet ministers serve at the pleasure of the country's leader, which in the case of Turks and Caicos Islands is the Premier.
The Premier can appoint and revoke any Cabinet minister's appointment whenever he sees fit, and he is not obligated to offer any reasons for that decision. As politicians, we must be mature enough to appreciate and understand that.
It is frankly not right for me, or you, to speculate on these matters, and I, therefore, urge you to refrain from so doing. In the final analysis, Cabinet positions are not lifetime appointments.
This coming Wednesday, November 9th, 2022, will mark 10 unbroken years since I was elected to the House of Assembly by the wonderful people of Leeward and Long Bay.
With their support and on their shoulders, I have worked tirelessly for my constituency and my beloved country and by the grace of God, I was fortunate and blessed to have reached the high office of Deputy Premier. I have also served in the Opposition for four years.
My point is that after a decade, I am acquainted with the highs and lows and the lived experience of a millennial, female politician. It has not been an easy road, my friends, but I can give you, the people of Turks and Caicos Islands, the assurance that I leave this portfolio of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure with my integrity intact.
Quality of service and unquestionable integrity are among the hallmarks of great politicians and servants of the people, and I can humbly state that I, Akierra Mary Deanne Missick, will forever place a high premium on, and remain committed to, those core values.
My political career is not over. Far from it! As long as I am blessed with the support of my Leeward and Long Bay constituents and the residents of Turks and Caicos Islands, I will continue to champion your causes inside and outside the House of Assembly.
I will continue to be a loyal and faithful member of the Progressive National Party, this great institution that I joined 20 years ago. We were elected on a huge, record-breaking mandate and we must remain strong, steadfast, and unified as we execute our mandate on behalf of our supporters and residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In the meantime, I will return to my law practice and continue to utilize my God-given talents for the common good.
We are currently facing some formidable challenges as a country and the last thing we need right now is division. As a party and as a country, now more than ever, we must unite against those negative forces that seek to threaten our livelihoods, our safety, our stability, and our future.
As Shakespeare said in Julius Caesar, "There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."
Regardless of the tide, we as a people must join forces and skillfully navigate the currents and pilot this ship of state to a destiny of prosperity.
May God continue to bless and protect us all.
Biden arrives,Trump supporters gather
Biden has officially landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he will shortly join former president Barack Obama at a rally in support for gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro. He will be speaking at 17:00 ET (21:00 GMT).
Meanwhile, supporters of Donald Trump await his arrival at a rally scheduled later in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Trump will be there in support of Republican senatorial candidate Mehmet Oz, and is expected to speak at 19:00 ET.
The 2022 midterms will be the first federal elections since the 6 January attack on the US Capitol, when Trump supporters tried to stop Joe Biden's election victory from being certified.
Far from being chastened by the riot, Trump has continued to question the results of that election and has actively supported Republican candidates who say a Trump win was stolen from them.
Many of these candidates, like secretary of state nominees Mark Finchem in Arizona and Jim Marchant in Nevada and governor candidate Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania, are running for offices where they will have at least some control over their state's electoral systems heading into the 2024 presidential contest.
These politicians, if elected, could refuse to certify their state's election results in a close election.
They could also join lawsuits against localities based on allegations of electoral corruption, or enact new rules and regulations curtailing certain methods of voting, such as by mail or through ballot drop boxes.
In 2020, under pressure from Trump to reverse some of the results, Republican officeholders in multiple states refused to bow to his demands.
Two years from now, if a similarly contested election takes place, the outcome of these kinds of challenges could be quite different.
Source-BBC
TACC conference dubbed a success in the TCI
The Turks and Caicos Tourist Board from October 26th through 28th held their 18th annual Turks and Caicos Islands Conference inviting the destination’s leading wholesalers and online travel agents to the country for site inspections, meetings, and networking events.
The three-day conference began with an opening ceremony at Beaches Key West Village… then on day 2 site inspections of Beach Enclave Long Bay, the Ritz-Carlton, Wymara Resorts, Rock House, Sailrock, The Meridian Club on Pine Cay, Th Shore Club, and the Sands, and later attending the Island Fish Fry to experience TCI Culture and Cuisine.
The final day would see wholesalers present to hoteliers, followed by industry overviews from the Minister of Tourism Hon. Josephine Connolly and Acting Director of Tourism Mary Lightbourne.
This was the first TACC conference hosted fully in person since 2019, designed at strengthening our tourism industry on an international scale.
MALIKA LIGHTBOURNE APPOINTED AS DEPUTY CLERK TO THE CABINET
The Office of the Deputy Governor is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Malika Lightbourne to the post of Deputy Clerk to the Cabinet within the Cabinet Secretariat. Mrs. Lightbourne brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role, as the first and only court stenographer within the TCI, she holds an Associate’s Degree in Court Reporting and served as an official court reporter within the Grand Turk Supreme Court for 7 years.
The cabinet which is chaired by His Excellency the Governor and attended by: The Deputy Governor, the Premier, the Deputy Premier, ministerial colleagues, along with the Attorney General is one of the highest decision-making bodies in the country. Meeting in excess of 30 times per year to review and decide on important matters.
We would also see the appointment of Mrs. Barbara Butterfield-Jervis to the post of Court Administrator within the Turks and Caicos Islands Judiciary.
With a Ph.D. in Theology and Philosophy, a master's degree in Human Resource Management, a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Human Resource Management, and a General Secretarial Diploma in Secretarial Studies. Originally joining the public service in 1982 as a clerical officer in the chief secretary’s office, Mrs. Butterfield-Jervis has served in a number of roles until 2009 when she transferred to the judiciary and later upgraded to the post of Court Services Manager before this new appointment. The court Administrator post is responsible for providing support to the Chief Justice in regard to strategic planning, organization, and direction of the non-judicial and administrative functions of the Judiciary.
Nets suspends Kyrie Irving for five games without pay
The Brooklyn Nets suspended Kyrie Irving for at least five games without pay Thursday, dismayed by his repeated failure to "unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs."
Hours after Irving refused to issue the apology NBA commissioner Adam Silver sought for posting a link last week to an antisemitic work on his Twitter feed, the Nets said Irving is "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."
"We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity -- but failed -- to clarify," the Nets said in a statement.
"Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team. Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."
The Nets said they made multiple attempts in recent days to help Irving understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, but it was clear during the point guard's interview after practice earlier Thursday that little had changed.
Irving again refused to apologize, saying only that he meant no harm. He said some things in "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America" were untrue, but he didn't say he shouldn't have posted a link to it.
"I'm not the one who made the documentary," Irving said.
He was later asked whether he had antisemitic beliefs, and he didn't say no.
"I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from," Irving said.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt reacted to a video of Irving's response to that question on Twitter by writing: "The answer to the question 'Do you have any antisemitic beliefs' is always "NO" without equivocation.
"We took @KyrieIrving at his word when he said he took responsibility, but today he did not make good on that promise," Greenblatt added. "Kyrie clearly has a lot of work to do."
A day earlier, Irving and the Nets had announced, in conjunction with the ADL, that each would be donating $500,000 to anti-hate causes.
After the Nets announced Irving's suspension, Greenblatt tweeted: "We were optimistic but after watching the debacle of a press conference, it's clear that Kyrie feels no accountability for his actions. @ADL cannot in good conscience accept his donation."
Silver also called for accountability from Irving earlier Thursday.
Source-ESPN
CPDC to campaign for debt relief for Caribbean countries
The Barbados-based Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) is planning to build a case for debt relief and restructuring for countries in the region.
Richard Jones, Officer in Charge of CPDC, made the disclosure on Wednesday as he maintained that wealthy, heavily industrialized countries owe Small Island Developing States (SIDS) who are on the frontlines of the accelerating climate and debt crisis.
“CPDC aims to coordinate a Caribbean civil society, solutions-oriented regional policy and advocacy campaign to highlight and address the adverse effects of high debt levels, exacerbated by public health crises, climate change effects, and the historical development deficits caused by small and vulnerable developing states like Barbados and those in the Caribbean,” he said.
“CPDC, through this advocacy campaign, is aiming to build a case for Caribbean debt relief as a priority, and also restructuring of existing debt based on the region’s inherent climate and economic vulnerabilities.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony for the Barbados Association of Non-Governmental Organisations’ Caribbean Debt Workshop at United Nations House, he said the level of debt that currently hampers economic growth in SIDS is largely due to the colonial financial frameworks still found in smaller economies, particularly in the Caribbean.
“To delve into the debt and climate crisis facing the region and proper solutions on the way forward, we must understand the role history has played in influencing and promoting the systemic, historical, economic, oppression, which in part can account for the underdevelopment of the Caribbean region.
Source-Barbados Today
Twitter to make job cuts after Musks takeover
Twitter says it will inform its staff on Friday about whether they will be laid off following the firm's takeover by Elon Musk.
In an internal email, the social media company said the cuts are "an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path".
The firm added that its offices would be temporarily closed and badge access would be suspended.
The multi-billionaire will be Twitter's chief executive after buying the firm last week in a $44bn (£39.3bn) deal.
"We will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday," Twitter said in the email.
"We recognize this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is, unfortunately, necessary to ensure the company's success moving forward," it added.
The company said office access would be immediately limited "to help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data".
All staff are set to receive an email with the subject "Your Role at Twitter" by 09:00 Pacific time (16:00 GMT) on Friday.
Workers who are not affected will be notified through their company email, according to Twitter.
Meanwhile, those who are affected will be told of the news and "next steps" through their personal accounts.
"Given the nature of our distributed workforce and our desire to inform impacted individuals as quickly as possible, communications for this process will take place via email," Twitter said.
Reports in US media had previously suggested that Mr. Musk was looking to cut 3,700 jobs, about half of Twitter's workforce.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, suggested some senior staff were asked to make lists of employees to be cut on their teams.
Cryptocurrency platform Binance invested in Twitter as part of Mr. Musk's takeover. Earlier, Changpeng Zhao, its chief executive, said that "a slimmer workforce would make more sense".
Source-BBC
Bank of England expects UK to fall into longest ever recession
The Bank of England has warned the UK is facing its longest recession since records began, as it raised interest rates by the most in 33 years.
It warned the UK would face a "very challenging" two-year slump with unemployment nearly doubling by 2025.
Bank boss Andrew Bailey warned of a "tough road ahead" for UK households, but said it had to act forcefully now or things "will be worse later on".
It lifted interest rates to 3% from 2.25%, the biggest jump since 1989.
By raising rates, the Bank is trying to bring down soaring prices as the cost of living rises at its fastest rate in 40 years.
Food and energy prices have jumped, in part because of the Ukraine war, which has left many households facing hardship and started to drag on the economy.
A recession is defined as when a country's economy shrinks for two three-month periods - or quarters - in a row.
Typically, companies make less money, pay falls and unemployment rises. This means the government receives less money in tax to use on public services such as health and education.
The Bank had previously expected the UK to fall into recession at the end of this year and said it would last for all of next year.
But it now believes the economy already entered a "challenging" downturn this summer, which will continue next year and into the first half of 2024 - a possible general election year.
While it will not be the UK's deepest downturn, it will be the longest since records began in the 1920s, the Bank said.
The unemployment rate is currently at its lowest for 50 years, but it is expected to rise to nearly 6.5%.
The interest rate announcement is the first since former Prime Minister Liz Truss and former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled their controversial mini-Budget in September.
Their plans for £45bn worth of unfunded tax cuts - much of which have been reversed - sent the value of the pound tumbling and sparked market turmoil, forcing the Bank of England to step in to restore calm.
Source-BBC
Ukraine accuses Russia of 'energy terrorism'
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Kremlin of resorting to "energy terrorism" as Russian troops make few gains on the battlefield.
Mr. Zelensky said 4.5 million people were without power following Russian attacks on its energy network.
In recent weeks, Russia has carried out large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian power facilities.
The strikes come as officials say Russian troops are likely to withdraw from the key southern city of Kherson.
After suffering a series of painful defeats on the battlefield, Russia has stepped up attacks in recent weeks on electricity infrastructure in cities away from the front lines.
In just the last month, a third of the country's power stations have reportedly been destroyed, according to President Zelensky.
The Ukrainian government has been forced to urge the population to try and use energy sparingly as a result.
"Tonight, about 4.5 million consumers have been temporarily disconnected from energy consumption," President Zelensky said in his nightly address on Thursday.
He said Russia's targeting of energy infrastructure was a sign of "weakness" as Russian forces fail to make much ground on the frontline.
"The very fact that Russia is resorting to energy terrorism shows the weakness of our enemy," he said.
"They cannot beat Ukraine on the battlefield, so they try to break our people this way."
Russia's ministry of defence has confirmed it is targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Mr. Zelensky's accusation comes as reports emerge stating that Russian troops are leaving the occupied city of Kherson, signalling a major retreat for Russia.
A Russian-installed official in the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, told Russian media that Moscow was "likely" to pull its troops from the area.
And according to a Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity, most Russian commanding officers have already withdrawn from the city.
Instead of trying to keep control of the city, they said Russian troops were building up their defensive positions on the other side of the Dnipro River, as part of a wider Russian move to establish better defensive lines throughout southern and eastern Ukraine before the arrival of winter.
It is difficult to know what exactly is happening inside the city, but the official said mobilized Russian reservists had been sent into the city to cover the final retreat when it happens.
Source-BBC