Grenadian seaman claimed of being beaten by TT coast guards
An investigation has been launched by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard following another incident at sea, this time involving the crew of a vessel from Grenada.
According to reports out of Grenada, the crew of the Grenadian vessel, called “ Rainia” that travels weekly to Trinidad and Tobago to conduct trade, claimed that its members encountered a “nightmare,” experience with the TT Coast Guard, which resulted in the physical assault and hospitalisation of at least one crew member.
It’s reported that eight crew members on the vessel were met with hostility by Coast Guard officers last week and this reportedly escalated to the assault of the crew’s captain and one crew member. The report states that the crew member was seriously injured now requiring surgery.
The Grenada Broadcasting Network stated that earlier this week, a routine check was performed by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast and according to the vessel’s operator, Keith Joseph the crew was met with aggression, and one officer reportedly used obscene language and pointed a gun in the direction of the crew.
“My crew members said, you have to be careful pointing that gun because you know it had an incident where a kid was accidentally shot and killed and that made it even worse,” said Joseph.
Joseph said that the boat’s captain was pulled off by a Coast Guard member and slapped and kicked. A second crew member, who had voiced concerns over the officer’s use of a gun, was then beaten.
In response the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard said that it is aware of the reports.
”The Coast Guard takes all allegations of this nature very seriously because they affect public perception which may lead to a breakdown in trust that is a key component for its mission success. As a result, the Coast Guard launched an immediate investigation on the same morning of the incident with the view to determining the facts of what occurred .”
In a statement the coast guard said that the ongoing investigation will involve all parties concerned by the time of its completion.
”The Coast Guard wishes to assure the public that all efforts are being made to ensure that this matter is speedily resolved.”
”The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard continues to provide border security and other services in the face of the threat of Covid-19 in order to maintain the safety and security of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago through the conduct of maritime security and safety patrols within our area of operations,” the statement added.
Source - CMC
Illegal Vessel Landing and Illegal Vessel Interception
The Ministry of Immigration and Border Services and the Immigration Department confirms an illegal vessel landing on North West Point, Providenciales on the morning of March 2, 2022 and the interception of an illegal vessel, later that evening, on the waters of Providenciales.
On Wednesday 2nd of March at around 5:00am the Immigration Enforcement Unit was informed by 911 operators that a large number of illegal migrants were seen in the vicinity of North West Point; Immigration Enforcement Officers, supported by soldiers from the TCI Regiment and Officers from the Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force, assembled and proceeded to the area in search of the reported migrants. Subsequently, five (5) persons were apprehended and transported to the Immigration Detention Center for processing.
Later that evening at around 4:37pm, 911 informed the Immigration Enforcement Unit that an illegal vessel had been intercepted by RTCIPF Marine Branch in the waters of Providenciales. The vessel was brought into the South Dock Port, Providenciales, and was met by personnel from the Immigration Enforcement Unit, Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, Customs Department and Ministry of Health who were on scene to conduct the necessary processing.
The vessel carried a total of One Hundred and seventy (170) migrants. One hundred and forty-four (144) males and twenty-six (26) females, who were later escorted to the Detention Center for processing.
The Department of Immigration and the Police, along with the support of the TCI Regiment continue their enforcement activities.
The public is encouraged to report any unusual movement or information received of illegal persons immediately to 911.
The public is also reminded that it is an offense to harbor illegal persons and that persons found guilty of engaging in such activities are liable to a fine of US$20,000 or a term of imprisonment of seven (7) years, or both per Sections 105 and 106 of the Immigration Ordinance.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously in English, French, or Spanish on either www.Crimestoppers.tc or Facebook as a fan of Crime Stoppers Turks & Caicos. Crime Stoppers tips are received in the USA.
Five ways the Ukraine war could push up prices
Severe sanctions on Russia aim to isolate the country and create a deep recession there, but the economic fallout will also be felt by people around the world.
The sharp rise in the prices of things from oil and metals to wheat is expected to push up the cost of many everyday items from food to petrol and heating.
Some ways are:
1) It might cost way more to heat one's home
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is expected to drive these even higher and has already caused the oil price to jump to its highest level in more than seven years, while future gas prices doubled in just one day earlier this week.
Russia is the second-biggest exporter of crude oil, and the world's largest natural gas exporter, which is vital to heating homes, powering planes and filling cars with fuel.
2) Food could cost more
UK food producers don't import many items from Russia or Ukraine, but prices here may still rise because of an increase in associated costs, such as tinned cans and packaging and transport.
The UK, by contrast, typically produces more than 90% of the wheat consumed in the country. But farmers here might find themselves paying more for fertiliser, which is one of Russia's biggest exports.
3 Mortgage/rent may rise
Inflation, which measures how fast the cost of living rises over time, hit 7.5% in January in the US - the highest level seen there since February 1982 - and rose by 5.5% in the UK.
But one economist has warned it could rise close to 10% in major Western economies if the cost of energy and food is pushed up by dwindling supplies cause by the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
4 Pension might drop
Russian stocks crashed by as much as 45% in the wake of the Ukraine invasion with trading subsequently suspended, with banks and oil companies among the worst affected.
If widespread falls in share prices are sustained then it's likely to be bad news for pension savers because the value of their savings pot is influenced by the performance of investments.
5 DIY and cars could cost more
As a leading commodities exporter, Russia is one of the world's largest suppliers of metals used in everything from aluminium cans, to copper wires, to car components, such as nickel, which is used in lithium-iron batteries, and palladium, which is used in catalytic converters.
If Vladimir Putin decided to cut off supplies of these metals in retaliation to sanctions, existing supply problems could worsen, with car firms having to find alternative sources.
Source - BBC
Facebook has hit out at a ban on its platforms introduced in Russia
Russia's communications regulator said the ban was a response to restrictions placed on its media there.
It said there had been 26 cases of "discrimination" against Russian media by Facebook since October 2020.
There were also reports that the use of Twitter had been restricted by the Russian regulator, Roskomnadzor, on Friday evening.
Facebook's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said that "soon millions of ordinary Russians will find themselves cut off from reliable information".
Facebook had previously been limited in the country, along with platforms including Twitter. Although its use was restricted, Facebook had not been blocked entirely in the country.
On Friday Russian media quoted the regulator as saying that Twitter had been restricted following a request by the prosecutor general from 24 February, the day of the invasion of Ukraine.
Twitter did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for comment on the reports. Meta, the company that owns Facebook, said last week though that it had restricted Russian-backed outlets across the European Union and was globally demoting content from state-affiliated media.
It had also refused to stop fact-checking several Russian state media outlets, including RT and Sputnik.
Russia's media regulator said in a statement: "Since October 2020, 26 cases of discrimination against Russian media and information resources by Facebook have been recorded."
The statement says the block on Facebook platforms has been introduced "to prevent violations of the key principles of the free flow of information".
In response Meta said: "We will continue to do everything we can to restore our services so they remain available to people to safely and securely express themselves and organize for action."
The White House said it was "deeply concerned" by Russia's decision to block the US company, and said the move was part of a broader effort to "choke off information".
"This is part of their effort ... to cut off a range of information from their public," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said, adding that the US was also "concerned about the threat on freedom of speech in the country".
The ban comes after Russia's Parliament passed a new law this week imposing a jail term of up to 15 years for spreading intentionally "fake" news about the military.
The BBC also said it would temporarily suspend the work of all its journalists and support staff in Russia following the introduction of the law.
Other technology and social media giants have faced pressure to respond to the crisis in Ukraine from investors and their users.
Apple, for example, has halted all product sales in Russia, and limited other services such as Apple Pay and Apple Maps. Its retail stores in the country have closed as well.
WNBA club Phoenix Mercury concerned for Brittney Griner detained in Russia
WNBA side Phoenix Mercury say they are concerned for Brittney Griner's "safety, physical and mental health" after the centre was detained in Russia on charges of drug smuggling.
The Olympic gold medal-winning American was reportedly taken into custody at a Moscow airport in February after cannabis oil was found in her luggage.
She could face a sentence of up to 10 years in a Russian prison if convicted.
Phoenix say they are "aware of and are closely monitoring the situation".
A statement from the WNBA club was posted on Twitter after the Russia Federal Customs Service said that an American basketball player was taken into custody after officials found vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in carry-on luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport.
Russian news agency TASS, citing a law enforcement source, has since identified the player as 31-year-old Griner, who has played in the country during the WNBA offseason since 2015.
"We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the WNBA and NBA," the club said.
"We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home."
USA basketball has said that it is "monitoring the legal situation facing" Griner.
"Brittney has always handled herself with the utmost professionalism during her long tenure with USA Basketball and her safety and wellbeing are our primary concerns," the governing body said.
Source - BBC
The Boys' Homelander, Antony Starr arrested in Spain for alleged assault
Actor Antony Starr, known for playing the villainous Homelander on Amazon's Emmy-nominated hit The Boys, will apparently avoid jail time after an allegedly drunken assault on a chef at a restaurant in Alicante, Spain.
The New Zealand Herald has confirmed a story that was first picked up by the city's local newspaper La Información, which stated the 46-year-old actor was arrested Wednesday for punching, and possibly hitting, the 21-year-old alleged victim with a glass, which shattered.
The victim was said to be dazed and in need of four stitches above his eye.
Starr was convicted but won't face any jail time because he has no criminal record, according to Spanish law. Instead, he was automatically given a 12-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay $5,464.97 in fines within 72 hours.
The New Zealand-born actor was in the city filming Guy Ritchie's action movie The Interpreter, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
Starr can also be heard as Homelander in The Boys' animated spin-off, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, which premiered on Amazon Prime Friday.
Source - ABC
Ukraine can absolutely win against Russia says Antony Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told the BBC that he is convinced Ukraine can win its war with Russia.
He could not say how long the conflict would last, but insisted that Ukraine's defeat was not inevitable.
Mr Blinken praised the "extraordinary resilience" of the Ukrainian people. "If it's the intention of Moscow to try somehow to topple the government and install its own puppet regime, 45 million Ukrainians are going to reject that one way or the other," he said.
The war has already not gone as Russian President Vladimir Putin might have planned, he added.
Stiff resistance by Ukrainian forces continued to hamper Russian advances across the country on the ninth day of the invasion.
In the south, Russian forces captured areas along the Black Sea coast, and the port city of Mariupol remained surrounded. But the governor of Mykolaiv said Russian troops had been driven out of the city.
Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv, in the north, also remained under siege.
Mr Blinken spoke to BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale after meeting his European Union counterparts in Brussels at the start of a six-day trip to Europe.
He said the international community was committed to doing everything it could to help Ukraine and also to put "excruciating pressure on Russia to end this war of choice that Vladimir Putin started".
Asked if he was convinced Ukraine could win, he said: "Over time, absolutely."
"I can't tell you how long this will go on. I can't tell you how long it will take. But the idea that Russia can subjugate to its will 45 million people who are ardently fighting for their future and their freedom, that does not involve Russia having its thumb on Ukraine, that tells you a lot."
Mr Blinken also said he was concerned about escalation.
"It's something we care about and are focused on because the only thing worse than a war which is contained to Ukraine is one that escalates even further and goes beyond it."
He warned that Russian forces were using "increasingly brutal" methods against civilians in Ukraine, and that there had been tremendous human suffering as a result.
"We're seeing Russia go after critical infrastructure that's denying Ukrainians water, denying them electricity, denying them heat," he said. "Those methods are, unfortunately, tragically, part of the Russian playbook under President Putin. And I think we're likely to see more of that."
Asked if the US would seek a change in Moscow's leadership to bring an end to the invasion, he replied: "We don't seek that, and in any event it's not up to us. The Russian people need to decide their leadership."
"What I would say to the Russian people is: How in the world is this war of aggression... advancing your interests, your needs?" he added.
Source - BBC
Jamaican students evacuated from Ukraine will receive mental support
The 20 Jamaican students who arrived safely from Ukraine on Wednesday will receive professional mental health support.
This is according to State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Leslie Campbell.
He was responding to questions during the meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday (M
“We are concerned for their general welfare, and we are engaging the help of some professionals to sit with them and… apply that assistance as the case may be,” he noted.
Campbell said that the Ministry will also engage with the students, to determine the next steps for the continuation of their education.
He said that the Ministry has made contact with some overseas institutions “and, of course, we will be engaging with regional universities to see how best we can facilitate”.
The students were evacuated from Ukraine following the Russian invasion of the country.
Their journey home was arranged by the Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
Source - CMC
The Ministry of Tourism Hosts the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in March 2022
The Ministry of Tourism will be hosting representatives from the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) from the 2nd - 11th March 2022. The main purpose of the visit is to meet with local stakeholders to discuss Darwin Plus: Environment funding for the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs).
Darwin Plus, also known as the Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund provides funding for a total of fourteen (14) UKOTs' environmental projects, as well as fellowships for nationals of UKOT’s to bolster technical and scientific expertise and broaden knowledge and experience of environmental projects.
DEFRA representatives will engage with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs to determine how well the Darwin Fund is fulfilling its purpose and whether it is required to make necessary adjustments to the programme to better serve overseas territories and the UK. DEFRA is the UK agency responsible for funding and ultimately deciding what is funded through the Darwin Plus programme. Darwin Plus has funded applied conservation work on Caicos pine, Turks and Caicos rock iguanas, wetlands, coral reefs, and other species and habitats; and has developed capacity in management tools such as marine spatial planning, natural capital accounting, and fisheries science, in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
“The Turks and Caicos Islands have benefitted enormously from Darwin Plus grants, some of which have helped save species and habitats from extinction and have further protected the livelihoods of Turks and Caicos Islanders. In our Beautiful by Nature islands, we depend wholly on the pristine environment and its escapist appeal to drive our tourism industry. Darwin Plus helps us balance the needs of our economy with those of nature and the environmental security of future generations”, said Honorable Minister Josephine Connolly.
The visit will include meetings with various TCIG Departments, including the Department of Environment and Coastal Resource (DECR), the Energy and Utilities Commission, Department of Planning and the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources (DFMR). A trip to South Caicos will include a visit to sites of historical and ecological importance as well as to the local fishing community. The team will also travel to North and Middle Caicos for a tour featuring visits to sites where conservation work has been supported by Darwin Plus and previous DEFRA funding initiatives.
Perhaps most importantly, it will bring together both conservation management staff and on-the-ground conservation team members in DECR with the UK Department responsible for managing the funding, to assess the efficacy of funding and how best to address environmental challenges and how the funds are accessed. This important visit gives Turks and Caicos Islands the opportunity to show how successful past grants have been and to identify adjustments that will be helpful in future conservation management to ensure that the natural environment is adequately protected for future generations.
Zara, Paypal and Samsung suspend business in Russia over Ukraine invasion
Zara, Paypal and Samsung are the latest international firms to suspend trading in Russia after it invaded Ukraine.
The clothes retailer's owner, Inditex, will shut all 502 stores of its eight brands, including Bershka, Stradivarius and Oysho, from Sunday.
Payment giant Paypal cited "violent military aggression in Ukraine" as the reason to shut down its services.
Samsung - Russia's top supplier of smartphones - is suspending shipments over "geopolitical developments".
Other global brands, including Apple, H&M and Ikea, have already stopped selling in Russia.
The clothes store closures are expected to hit more than 9,000 of Inditex's employees who work in Russia.
The Spanish-owned business told the BBC it was drawing up a plan to support them.
"In the current circumstances Inditex cannot guarantee the continuity of the operations and commercial conditions in the Russian Federation and temporarily suspends its activity," the Zara owner company said.
Adam Cochrane, an analyst at Deutsche Bank Research, told Reuters that logistical difficulties and the weakness in the rouble - resulting in large price increases for the Russian consumer - would make "operations difficult for all retailers importing into Russia".
Source - BBC