Russian recruitment drive unlikely to have impact
Russia's plan to expand its armed forces is unlikely to have an impact on the Ukraine war, the UK's Ministry of Defence has said.
Vladimir Putin recently signed a decree to increase the Russian armed forces' military personnel to more than 1.15m - a potential increase of 137,000.
But the MoD said the boost was unlikely to increase Russia's combat power - partly because of ongoing losses.
President Putin's decree came amid a military recruitment drive.
There have been reports that recruiters have even been visiting prisons, promising inmates freedom and money.
Currently, Russia has a limit of just over a million military personnel, plus almost 900,000 civilian staff.
Western officials say some 70-80,000 troops have been killed or wounded since Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago.
Russia planned a short, decisive campaign when it invaded Ukraine in February, but Ukrainian resistance has stalled its progress, and in recent weeks front lines have hardly moved.
Currently, Russian men aged 18 to 27 are subject to conscription, although many are able to avoid or reduce their service - usually one year - through medical exemptions or by enrolling in higher education.
Source-BBC
US shares fall on threat of interest rate rises
Stock markets in the US opened lower on Monday amid concerns the country's central bank will push ahead with further interest rate rises.
Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, said hikes would continue in a bid to stem the rate of rising prices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the technology heavy-Nasdaq, and S&P 500 indexes all fell in early trading.
Inflation in the US is at a four decades-high and the US economy has shrunk for two consecutive quarters.
That milestone in many countries would be considered an economic recession, but it is not classed as such in the US, which uses additional data to make that call.
Monday's fall extended sharp losses on Friday when Mr. Powell told a gathering of central bankers at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium in Wyoming that the US Fed would act "forcefully" to control inflation though it would result in "some pain" for households and businesses.
He said: "Restoring price stability will take some time and requires using our tools forcefully to bring demand and supply into better balance.
"While higher interest rates, slower growth, and softer labor market conditions will bring down inflation, they will also bring some pain to households and businesses. These are the unfortunate costs of reducing inflation. But a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain."
On Monday morning, the Dow Jones was down 0.66%, the S&P 500 was down 0.51%, and the Nasdaq down by 0.58%.
The drop follows a sharp fall on Wall Street on Friday, with all three benchmarks more than 3% lower. The Nasdaq registered its worst daily performance since June.
Technology stocks such as Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp, and Tesla Inc were down between 0.6% and 1.3% in early trading.
Investors are concerned that if economic growth falters, higher interest rates will increase the likelihood of a recession.
"Investors are coming to terms with the idea that the Fed is serious about curbing inflation," Rod von Lipsey, managing director at UBS Private Wealth Management, said.
The central bank has raised interest rates in recent months in response to spiraling prices. Higher rates make borrowing more expensive for individuals and companies, which could slow economic growth as well as inflation.
The Federal Reserve raised its key rate by 0.75 percentage points, targeting a range of 2.25% to 2.5%, in July. In March, the Federal Reserve's key interest rate was almost zero.
Source-BBC
Commission to make recommendations to hold BVI Government accountable
The BVI Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) is being tasked with making recommendations on, among other things, ways of holding the elected ministerial government accountable in the House of Assembly (HOA).
According to a post-meeting statement of Cabinet decisions, this will be part of the terms of reference for the Commission,
The Commission is also expected to make recommendations on how checks and balances and mechanisms for accountability may be employed to militate against abuse of power, the Cabinet release said.
The 16-member Commission which is being chaired by Janice Stoutt is also charged with evaluating the current Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007, and making a determination on whether it is a strategic fit to facilitate the people of the Virgin Islands in achieving a revised vision of the preamble to the current constitutional order.
This is in addition to reviewing the likely next step towards self-determination for the Virgin Islands; and considering how best the law enforcement and justice agencies can sit within the constitutional framework.
Other terms of reference for the Commission include recommendations for examining whether independent institutions enshrined in the Constitution are sufficient and effective enough to ensure good governance.
The CRC is also being asked to consider making recommendations in relation to the powers that need to be reserved to the governor, and how issues as to the exercise of devolved and reserved powers, respectively, when they arise, are to be resolved.
Recommendations are also to be made on a mechanism for the transfer of reserved powers to the devolved BVI government, in the future, without a further change to the constitution being required.
The issue of whether the Speaker should continue to be a political appointment, or whether he or she, even if elected, should be independent of the political parties will also see recommendations from the CRC.
It will also make recommendations on the proper relationship between ministers and their departments and whether statutory boards should be embedded in the constitution and if there should be a Statutory Boards Commission.
In the meantime, the Cabinet statement said the Deputy Chair and members of the CRC are to be paid a stipend of US$12,000 and $10,000, respectively, upon the submission of the CRC’s final report.
This is on the provision that the amount may be prorated based on the submission of the Chairman’s report and on the member's level of participation in the CRC.
Cabinet, while noting that the selected Chairman is currently a contracted employee of the central government, said she shall be contracted as the chairperson of the CRC upon completion of the current contract with the Ministry of Finance.
Source-CMC
McIlroy wins third PGA title
Rory McIlroy became the first player to win the FedEx Cup three times after success on Sunday in the PGA's Tour Championship.
The 33-year-old overturned a six-shot lead by Scottie Scheffler to finish one clear of the American and Sungjae Im.
Four-time major winner McIlroy carded a four-under-par 66 in the final round to finish on 21 under.
The Northern Irishman receives $18m (£15.36m) in prize money after his fifth victory of the season.
"What a week, what a day," McIlroy told Sky Sports.
"I feel like Scottie deserves at least half of this. He's a hell of a competitor. It was an honor to battle with him."
McIlroy has been one of the PGA Tour's most vocal advocates during golf's ongoing power struggle and was one of the leading voices in a meeting held earlier this month by the tour's top players to discuss the threat of LIV Golf.
Following his triumph, he said: "I believe in the game of golf, I believe in this Tour, in particular, I believe in the players on this Tour.
"It's the greatest place in the world to play golf, bar none, and I've played all over the world.
"This is an incredibly proud moment for me, but it should also be an incredibly proud moment for the PGA Tour. They have had some hard times this year but we are getting through it and that was a spectacle out there today.
Source-BBC
Taylor Swift's new album 'Midnights' is coming October 21
Taylor Swift's first album of all-new material since 2020s evermore will be here on October 21.
The album is called Midnights, and on Instagram, she wrote that the album consists of "the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life." When she won Video of the Year at the MTV VMAs on Sunday night, she teased the album by saying she'd give us the details "at midnight."
"This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams," she wrote of the album. "The floors we pace and the demons we face. For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching, hoping that just maybe when the clock strikes twelve...we'll meet ourselves."
Taylor also wrote, "We lie awake in love and in fear, in turmoil and in tears. We stare at walls and drink until they speak back. We twist in our self-made cages and pray that we aren't -- right this minute -- about to make some fateful, life-altering mistake."
Since releasing the one-two punch of folklore and evermore in 2020, Taylor has released two re-recordings: Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Red (Taylor's Version).
Source-ABC
Pakistan appeals to world for help amid devastation
Pakistan is appealing for further international assistance after floods wreaked havoc across the country.
The US, UK, United Arab Emirates, and others have contributed to a monsoon disaster appeal but much more funds are needed, an interior ministry official told the BBC.
More than 1,000 people have died and millions have been displaced since June, Salman Sufi said.
He said Pakistan's government was doing everything in its power to help people.
In the northwest of the country, thousands of people fled their homes after rivers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province burst their banks, causing powerful flash floods.
"The house which we built with years of hard work started sinking in front of our eyes," Junaid Khan, 23, told AFP news agency. "We sat on the side of the road and watched our dream house sinking."
Mr. Sufi said the country was in desperate need of more international support.
"Pakistan has been grappling with economic issues but now just when we were about to overcome them the monsoon disaster hit," he said.
Funding from a lot of development projects had been rerouted to the affected people, he added.
There were displaced people in all of the villages we drove through across Sindh.
The full scale of the devastation in the province is yet to be fully understood, but on the ground, the people describe it as the worst disaster they've survived.
Floods are not uncommon in Pakistan but the people here tell us these rains were different. They were more than anything that's ever been seen here. One local official described them as "floods of biblical proportions".
Source-BBC
US stock markets down after interest rate warning
Stock markets in the US ended the week sharply down following tough comments by the head of the country's central bank, the Federal Reserve.
The bank's chairman, Jerome Powell, said the bank must continue to raise interest rates to stop inflation from becoming a permanent aspect of the US economy.
His words sent US stocks into a tailspin, with markets tumbling 3%.
It comes as Americans are having to pay more for basic goods.
Inflation in the world's largest economy is at a four-decade high.
During a highly anticipated speech at a conference in Wyoming on Friday, Mr. Powell said the Federal Reserve would probably impose further interest rate hikes in the coming months and could keep them high "for some time".
"Reducing inflation is likely to require a sustained period of below-trend growth," he said at the meeting in Jackson Hole.
Investors are concerned that if economic growth falters, higher interest rates will increase the likelihood of a recession.
Mr. Powell conceded that getting inflation under control would come at a cost to American households and businesses but he argued it was a price worth paying.
"While higher interest rates, slower growth, and softer labor market conditions will bring down inflation, they will also bring some pain to households and businesses," he said.
"These are unfortunate costs of reducing inflation but a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain."
Mr. Powell wants to avoid inflation becoming entrenched. Simply put, that means if people believe inflation will be high, they will alter their behavior accordingly, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, someone who thinks prices will go up 3% next year is more likely to seek a 3% rise in wages.
The last time this happened, Mr. Powell's predecessor, Paul Volcker, had to slam on the brakes, raising interest rates dramatically and sending the economy into recession.
In March, the Federal Reserve's key interest rate was almost zero; it has since been raised to a range of 2.25% to 2.5% in an effort to tackle inflation.
Source-BBC
Jay-Z addresses Meek Mill's Roc Nation departure on God Did title track
Jay-Z is setting the record straight about his relationship with Meek Mill, who departed from his Roc Nation label earlier this year.
He addressed suspicions about their alleged tension in the title track of DJ Khaled's new album, God Did.
“Me and Meek could never beef," he rapped. He then went on to mention the role he played in getting Meek released from prison. "I freed that dude from a whole bid, Hov did,” he continues. “Next time we have a discussion about who the G.O.A.T., you donkeys know this.”
Jay supported Meek financially when he was serving a two- to four-year prison sentence on drug and possession charges from when he was a teen. Jay also wrote an op-ed in the New York Times to call out the “unjust and heavy-handed” term.
Meek has publicly praised Hov for his support and help in paying millions of dollars worth of legal fees. When he announced he was ending his 10-year deal with Roc Nation, he made it clear that they had no issues.
“I’m personally handling my own business so I can take risk and grow. we came to that agreement together..," he wrote. "I have a label deal with roc for my artist and I got reform super tied with them and many other investments wit jigga.”
“roc nation is my family...," he continued. "we made about a 100m together des mike and Hov saved my life b4 And put a lot of energy into it I’m not behind on my favors in life wit my people I’m good.”
Meek also responded to a tweet about Hov's new bars, agreeing that they "could never beef."
Jay appeared on "God Did" alongside Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Friday.
Source-ABC
PAHO strengthens genomic surveillance in the Caribbean
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says it is strengthening genomic surveillance in the Americas, including the Caribbean, as representatives from 17 public health laboratories in the region came together this week for the 26th edition of the Viral Evolution and Molecular Epidemiology (VEME) course in Panama.
On Friday, the health organisation said the training – which it organized in collaboration with the Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES) in Panama and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) in Brazil – “aims to strengthen genomic surveillance in the Americas.”
Studying the evolution of viruses is key to detecting mutations or variants that can modify the transmission rate or severity of a pathogen and affect the efficacy of diagnostic tests, vaccines and treatments,” said Jairo Méndez, emerging viral disease advisor at PAHO. “This is something we experienced with SARS-CoV-2, so we must deepen genomic surveillance for any emerging or re-emerging viruses,” he added.
More than 120 people from around the world participated in the 26th edition of VEME, a course that originated at the University of Leuven, Belgium, more than 25 years ago.
Around 50 experts in bioinformatics from renowned scientific institutions from 15 countries delivered the training that took place from August 21 to 26 in Panama, PAHO said.
Participants from the region were supported through PAHO with funds from the United States Government.
The course consisted of theoretical and practical sessions divided into four modules, ranging from the generation of data from genomic sequencing to more complex analysis of these sequences.
For the first time, VEME also included a module aimed at managers and decision-makers.
Dr. Carlos Sáenz, Secretary General of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health, considered the training to be “extremely important” both for the technicians who carry out genomic sequencing and for decision-makers like himself.
“The course has provided tools to link the epigenetic situation, genomic sequencing and molecular epidemiology information to political and strategic decision-making at the level of each country,” he said, highlighting the relevance of “integrating technical approaches with transdisciplinary participation for the resolution of complex problems.”
According to PAHO, genetic sequencing and analysis provide insights into the evolution of a virus and its variants, as well as its geographic- and temporal- dispersion.
“The timely analysis of the data serves to identify signs or changes that can have an impact on the behavior of the virus and on health tools and measures.”
In addition, it said the information obtained can be complementary to guide the response to an epidemic or pandemic.
“This type of bioinformatic analysis is not something that is commonly done in public health laboratories in the region because it requires training and education,” said Alexander Martinez Caballero, director of the Department of Genomics and Proteomics Research at the Gorgas Institute in Panama.
“From now on, many laboratories will be able to perform these analyses in their facilities in a timely manner and for various viruses of interest, such as monkeypox and others that may appear,” he added.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sequencing capacity to monitor SARS-CoV-2 and its variants has been expanded in the region with the support of PAHO and the Regional COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Network (COVIGEN), which includes laboratories from more than 20 countries in the Americas.
PAHO said it has provided training to strengthen genomic sequencing and to integrate it into epidemiological surveillance in the countries.
Since 2020, COVIGEN has performed more than 426,000 sequences of SARS-CoV-2 in Latin America and the Caribbean, PAHO said.
It said the VEME course is one more action to strengthen surveillance and is aligned with the Regional Genomic Surveillance Strategy for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Response, which will be discussed in September by health leaders of the Americas during PAHO’s 30th Pan American Sanitary Conference in Washington.
Source-CMC
TCI Delegation attends 65th Annual Conference for Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
A TCI Delegation is attending the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association 65th Annual Conference in Halifax, Canada led by Hon Speaker Gordon J Burton, including the Leader of Government Business in the House Of Assembly, the Honorable Akierra Missick, the Minister of Health Honorable Jamell Robinson, the Opposition Appointed Member Honorable Alvin Garland, Governor’s Member Willin Beliard and our House Of Assembly Clerk, Ms. Tracey Parker.
RTC understands that the week was filled with workshops and a CWP Conference, as well as a Small Branch Conference.
RTC further understands that Hon. Missick presented on the Financial Oversight -learning, decision making at the CAA Regional Meeting while networking with member colleagues.
RTC will have more on that on the return of the delegation.