Gun Amnesty Over
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, wishes to announce the conclusion of its month long Firearm and Ammunition Amnesty which commenced on September 15th, 2022.
The Amnesty-themed “Surrender A Gun, Save A Life” concluded on Saturday 15th October, 2022.
Sadly, no one took advantage of this opportunity to surrender their homes and properties of these lethal weapons.
Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting expresses his heartfelt gratitude to the TCI Christian Council for their partnership in this initiative.
Commissioner Botting assures the public that the men and women of the RTCIPF remain steadfast, determined and relentless in pursuing criminal elements bent on wreaking havoc on the beautiful by nature TCI.
Denzel, Antoine Fuqua back in action as The Equalizer 3 gets underway
Denzel Washington reunited with his Man on Fire co-star Dakota Fanning in Southern Italy for a photoshoot to commemorate the start of production on The Equalizer 3.
Director Antoine Fuqua was all smiles in the pictures snapped in Atrani, as was series newcomer Gaia Scodellaro.
The plot of the Sony Pictures film is being kept under wraps, but the franchise -- spawned from the TV show of the same name that also inspired the reboot starring Queen Latifah -- has been a solid performer for the studio.
The 2014 original grossed more than $190 million worldwide, and its 2018 sequel made more than $192 million.
Washington and Fanning first worked together when Fanning was just 10, in the late Tony Scott's 2004 thriller Man on Fire.
Source-ABC
COVID-19 linked to increase in US pregnancy-related deaths
COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the US last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims, according to a report released Wednesday.
The report lays out grim trends across the country for expectant mothers and their newborn babies.
It finds that pregnancy-related deaths have spiked nearly 80 per cent since 2018, with COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the 1,178 deaths reported last year. The percentage of preterm and low birthweight babies also went up last year, after holding steady for years. And more pregnant or postpartum women are reporting symptoms of depression.
“We were already in the middle of a crisis with maternal mortality in our country,” said Karen Tabb Dina, a maternal health researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “This really shows that COVID-19 has exacerbated that crisis to rates that we, as a country, are not able to handle.”
The nonpartisan US Government Accountability Office, which authored the report, analyzed pregnancy-related deaths after Congress mandated that it review maternal health outcomes in the 2020 coronavirus relief bill.
The maternal death rate in the US is higher than many other developed nations and had been on the rise in the years leading up to the pandemic, but COVID-19 has only worsened conditions here for pregnant women.
Women who contract the virus while pregnant face elevated health risks. Staffing shortages and COVID-19 restrictions created more hurdles for expecting mothers to get in-person health care; And pandemic stress has intensified depression, a common condition during pregnancy.
Mental health issues likely contributed to the increase in pregnancy-related deaths, Tabb Dina said. Many women who experience depression and anxiety during or after their pregnancy struggle to get the care they need.
“Mental health is the greatest complication in pregnancy that we don't understand,” she said.
The biggest spike in deaths came during July through December of last year, as the COVID-19 delta variant infected millions, noted Carolyn Yocom, a director at the Government Accountability Office.
“It’s really clear from the data that the time in which the delta variant spread seemed to correspond to a huge increase in deaths,” Yocom said.
The maternal death rate is particularly stark for Black women, who have long faced worse maternal outcomes than their peers.
Pregnancy-related deaths for every 100,000 births climbed from 44 in 2019 to 68.9 among Black women last year. White women had death rates of 26.1 last year, a jump from 17.9 in 2019.
Death rates among Hispanics had been on the decline, but they swelled again during the pandemic from 12.6 per 100,000 in 2019 to 27.5 last year.
Black and Hispanic people have also died at higher rates from COVID-19, in part because they have less access to medical care and often work essential jobs that exposed them to the virus.
Source-AP
New Western Union app causes pain for Jamaicans
Jamaicans in the United States who have been sent funds via the Western Union platform are now forced to download and use the company's new online application in order to collect funds, a process which can involve hours of navigating technology for older clients.
Intended to reduce processing time at locations where disbursement is made, in reality the app is now a pain point for recipients who now spend lengthy periods trying to collect their money.
The Jamaica Observer spoke to one 74-year-old who receives her pension by this method and she shared the pain of leaving stores empty-handed and being asked to return home repeatedly to use the app and then return.
She said on her return, she spent hours on the telephone with customer service as the funds remained unavailable. On her third transfer, she said she insisted on speaking with a supervisor and succeeded in securing her funds after two hours of waiting and cross checks.
On successfully navigating the technology, she said she noted that pick ups must be done within 12 hours, which might be inconvenient for older clients who have already spent half a day back and forth on the road trying to get the funds.
The Observer reached out to Western Union, but no comment could be elicited on the teething pains associated with the new app.
Source-Jamaican Observer
JELLYFISH ALERT IN THE TCI
The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, the (DECR) is cautioning swimmers, snorkelers and divers to the possible presence of box jellyfish (also known as sea wasp) in the Grace Bay and Sapodilla Bay areas, and urges residents and visitors to swim with caution.
Box jellyfish is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are a bit tricky to see, since they are mostly transparent and float about 6 inches beneath the water’s surface. These creatures have a cube-shaped bell and 4 long tentacles. They are more prevalent during certain times of the year than others, depending on their spawning cycles. Usually, blooms ( sudden increases in population due to reproduction) occur about 10 days after a full moon.
Stings from a sea wasp can cause nausea, back pain, and limb cramps, among other symptoms. If stung, you should immerse the area in hot water and vinegar and seek medical attention immediately.
Jellyfish problems in near shore areas, such as ours, usually resolve themselves within a few weeks and should not be considered a cause for concern added a staff from the DECR.
Any sightings or questions can be directed to the DECR at 338-4170 or environment@gov.tc added the representative .
KIMO TYNES APPOINTED AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
The Office of the Deputy Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Tynes as the new Deputy Director of Communications within the Communications Directorate in the Office of the Premier and Public Policy.
Mr. Tynes holds: an Associate’s Degree in Sociology from Camosun College, Victoria, British Columbia Canada; a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Hons.) in International Development from York University in Toronto, Canada and a Master’s Degree in International Communications from City University in London, United Kingdom.
Having initially began his career at Barclays Bank Plc now CIBC First Caribbean (1999-2003), Mr. Tynes has worked in numerous capacities as a: Public Relations Officer at the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board (2008-2012); a Freelance Public Relations & Communications Consultant in the United Kingdom (2014-2015) and as a Consular Officer in the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands London Office in the United Kingdom for the past seven years from September 2015 to September 2022.
Commenting on his appointment Mr. Tynes stated:
“Recognizing that the Turks and Caicos Islands requires all her sons and daughters to return home to make invaluable contributions to the development of their country, I have taken the decision to transition from my current role in the United Kingdom back to the Turks and Caicos Islands to take up the appointment as the new Deputy Director of Communications in the Office of the Premier and Public Policy.
With a background in financial services, communications and public relations both nationally and internationally, I believe that I can be an asset to the Unit.
I count it an honour and a privilege to accept this new important role and will do the best job I can, to the best of my ability to serve in this new capacity.”
Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service Her Excellency Anya Williams in extending congratulatory remarks to Mr. Tynes stated:
“It is with great pleasure that I extend congratulations to Mr. Kimo Tynes on his appointment as the new Deputy Director of Communications within the Communications Directorate in the Office of the Premier and Public Policy.
This post was recently created as a part of the establishment of a new Communications Directorate in the Office of the Premier and Public Policy to replace the Press Unit that previously served under the Office of the Deputy Governor.
The new unit will lead on external communications on behalf of the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands and will work to develop and implement a new communications strategy.
We are pleased to have Mr. Tynes serve in this capacity where he will be responsible for helping to lead not only the unit, but also the development of the wider communications strategy and are certain that with his previous educational background and experience that he will do extremely well.
Congratulations on your well-deserved promotion Kimo!
I look forward to great things to come from you and the new Communications Directorate.”
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 - Early Warning and Early Action for All
October 13, 2022, has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) to promote a global culture of Disaster Risk Reduction. This year falls during the review of the Sendai Framework, which focuses on the progress thus far on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, adopted in March 2015. The review will end at a high-level meeting of the General Assembly in May 2023 with a political declaration.
The purpose of the Sendai Framework is to avoid creating new and reduce existing risks; if this is not possible, people-centred Early Warning Systems and Preparedness can enable early action to minimise the harm to people, assets and livelihoods. Early warning systems identify incoming hazards and ensure that the populations and various sectors at risk can receive an alert, understand it, and, most importantly, act on it. Therefore, an Early Warning System must trigger early action that is well-prepared and tested.
The Sendai Framework has seven global targets. This year's DRR Day will focus on Target G of the Sendai Framework "Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030."
We have made many strides to improve our Early Warning Systems in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The DDME continues the annual mitigation of hazards through year-round campaigns, training workshops, simulation exercises and the introduction of the DDME ALERT Mobile App, which serves as an Early Warning Notification tool. This increased number of communication platforms will bring new opportunities to reach at-risk communities and assist the public in early preparation and emergency notifications.
In addition to enhancing access to Disaster Risk Information, DDME continues to promote partnerships with all our primary stakeholders such as mobile-phone networks and media partners, to support disaster risk communication; TCIAA Department of Meteorology, in providing localised Impact-based Forecasting and Warning Services to the Turks and Caicos Islands for example.
However, there are always areas for improvement. Therefore, for the Turks and Caicos to accomplish Target G, we must establish Early Warning systems that are:
· Multi-Hazard: they are designed to detect different hazards that may occur alone, simultaneously or cascade.
· End-to-end: the system covers the entire range, from hazard detection to action, which includes providing understandable and actionable warning messages.
· People-centred: this means designing the systems with people in mind to empower them to act on time and in an appropriate manner to reduce potential harm
Hence the urgency to achieve this target was strengthened in March 2022 by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who said, “the United Nations will spearhead new action to ensure every person on earth is protected by warning systems within five years.”
As of April 2022, only 95 countries have reported on the existence of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems through the Sendai Framework Monitoring System. We encourage you to download and explore your Early Warning Tool…DDME ALERT App…through you mobile App Play store for iPhone users visit: https://apple.co/3N37KhC for Android users: https://bit.ly/3N027AH.
Durant says Draymond Green punch won't derail Warriors
Kevin Durant knows some of the parallels are there.
From a distance, the Brooklyn Nets' star forward has watched -- like everybody else -- the leaked video footage of Draymond Green punching Golden State Warriors teammate Jordan Poole during practice. The defending champion Warriors' locker room has been hurt by the incident -- and the fact that it became public.
At the beginning of the 2018-19 season, an incident between then-Warriors teammates Durant and Green had a similar type of impact within the framework of the organization -- a verbal disagreement that got more heated at the end of a game in early November -- which carried over into the locker room and threatened to derail the team's camaraderie.
Durant and Green ultimately healed their relationship, and the Warriors went about their business, something they're trying to do again almost four years later in the wake of this latest episode. But as Durant watches the process unfold, he sees a stark difference between then and now.
"That's not the same situation," Durant told ESPN. "Somebody got punched in the face ... It's no comparison to that. It was just some words that being -- I heard people say that that happens a lot in the NBA. I had never seen nothing like that before. But what me and Draymond did a few years back, that s--- happens all the time. So it's easy to get through something like that, but I don't know what this situation is like."
Durant, who played for the Warriors for three seasons and won NBA championships and NBA Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018, said he has not spoken to Green, who is taking some time away from the team.
Source-ESPN
France sends Germany gas for first time since Russia crisis
France has sent gas to Germany for the first time in "European solidarity" amid increasing energy pressures.
The gas, delivered via a pipeline, is part of a deal between the countries to ease energy shortfalls after Russian turned off the taps to Europe.
Though the new flow is less than 2% of Germany's daily needs, it is welcome as Berlin battles to diversify its energy.
Russia has been accused of using gas supplies as a weapon against the West since the invasion of Ukraine.
French grid operator, GRTgaz, said it would initially deliver 31 gigawatt hours (GWh) per day, via a pipeline from the French border village of Obergailbach.
The maximum daily capacity of the new gas flow is 100 GWh, it added in a statement.
Last month, in the energy solidarity deal, Germany pledged to provide additional electricity to France when needed, and in exchange France agreed to help Germany with gas supplies.
"If we did not have European solidarity and an integrated, united market right now, we would have serious problems," said French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday.
France is less affected by Russia turning off the gas taps because most of its energy needs are fulfilled by Norway and through liquified natural gas supplies.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February led to gas price hikes, and EU customers face record tariffs this winter.
Until then Germany relied on Russia for 55% of its gas. It has reduced this to 35% and wants eventually to reduce imports to zero.
Germany is also increasing its use of coal and extending the life of power stations which were due to shut - despite the negative environmental impact.
The former German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said she did not regret relying on Russia as a major gas supplier during her 16 years in government.
The German government hopes to reduce gas usage by 2% by limiting the use of lighting and heating in public buildings this winter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday the gas taps could still be turned on to Europe and that "the ball, as they say, is now in European Union's court".
"We do not limit anyone in anything," he said, adding that Moscow was ready to supply additional volumes of gas in the autumn-winter period.
But despite Mr Putin's words, a resumption of gas supplies to Europe seems unlikely.
Nord Stream 1, Russia's largest gas pipeline to Europe, was closed indefinitely in August for technical reasons, and a number of leaks were then discovered in September.
The Nord Stream 2 project, which had been due to come on stream this year, was denied an operating licence by Germany because of the invasion. Leaks have been found in this pipeline as well.
Source-BBC
Huawei 5G kit-removal deadlines put back
The government has extended two deadlines for the removal of Huawei equipment from the UK's 5G networks.
The requirement to remove the Chinese company's products from the network core has been pushed back 11 months, to 31 December 2023.
And a limit on the amount of Huawei kit in fibre-broadband infrastructure must now be achieved by the end of October,l rather than July, next year.
It follows advice from the National Cyber Security Centre.
The NCSC decided the security of Huawei's products could no longer be managed, in 2020, following a US decision to place the company under sanctions, and the UK government said all its equipment had to be stripped out of the UK by the end of 2027.
This and eight other interim deadlines remain unchanged.
The US authorities fear Huawei's 5G equipment makes countries vulnerable to their data being accessed by the Chinese state or having critically important services switched off.
Huawei has denied being controlled by the Chinese government or posing a security threat.
The new deadline extensions follow consultations with Huawei and UK telecoms providers.
The government said a small number of operators had indicated - because of the pandemic and global supply-chain issues - the original deadlines risked network outages and disruption for customers.
Providers should meet the original targets wherever possible, it said, and it expected most of them would do so.
The direction to remove Huawei equipment is also being put on a legal footing through the handing of notices called designated-vendor directions to all 35 UK telecoms network operators, under the Telecoms Security Act, which came into force in November 2021.
Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said it allowed the government to "drive up the security of telecoms infrastructure and control the use of high-risk equipment".
"We must have confidence in the security of our phone and internet networks, which underpin so much about our economy and everyday lives," she added.
NCSC technical director Dr Ian Levy said: "The Telecoms Security Act ensures we can be confident in the resilience of the everyday services on which we rely and the legal requirements in this designated-vendor direction are a key part of the security journey."
Huawei has been issued a separate document - a designation notice - which categorises the company as a high-risk vendor of 5G network equipment and services and sets out all of the reasons the government considers it a national security risk, including the impact of the US sanctions.
Source-BBC