The TikToker spreading viral videos
Marta Vasyuta is a regular 20-year-old Ukrainian. And like many people of her age she's on TikTok.
Until last week she had a few hundred followers on the video-sharing app. She posted videos from nights out, and lip-synced to her favourite music.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, she happened to be in the UK visiting friends she'd met at university.
She watched in horror at reports of Russian bombs falling on Kyiv.
Since 23 February, the videos she's posted from the conflict in Ukraine have garnered tens of millions of views. For many people on TikTok, and in particular younger people, she's become a key curator of news on the ground in Ukraine.
"I just want people to understand that Ukraine is not only a problem of Ukrainians, it's everyone's problem," she says.
Marta speaks fluent Ukrainian, Russian and English.
As soon as she heard about the invasion, she began to scroll though Ukrainian channels on the Telegram messaging app. Telegram is hugely popular in Ukraine.
People in Ukraine were uploading videos on to these channels. Marta trawled through and began to save them.
"My phone is completely filled with all the videos, all the news I found," she says.
She then went about trying to verify the videos, looking at the related comments. "I could see that people were saying that this was true, that this is what was going on right now."
She began to post the videos on to TikTok and then fell asleep.
"In the morning I woke and I checked my TikTok and they already had nine million views," she says.
Sam Gregory is the programme director of Witness, and looks at how social media is used during humanitarian crises. He says that TikTok's algorithm is aggressively topic-based.
"Content is served up to you based on your interests, not your feed," he says.
"So if you start to show interest in Ukraine, you're going to get shown more content that is either from Ukraine or talking about Ukraine".
It's helped people like Marta to become TikTok influencers, almost overnight. Her videos have had more than 17 million likes and she now has 200,000 followers. She reads the numbers from her phone, still in disbelief, "saying those numbers I just can't comprehend it".
Experts, however, warn that although TikTok can be a good place to find videos from the ground, disinformation is also rife on the platform.
Marta admits that trying to verify content can be difficult.
Even if a video is from Ukraine, and people are speaking Ukrainian, videos may still be from the long conflict in the east of the country that began in 2014. And she admits she is not an expert at verifying videos.
Some of the videos she has shared have been confirmed by news outlets as genuine, including the BBC.
But even so, she believes that some people would rather get their news from social media sources like her than from the traditional news outlets.
"Some people don't trust even professional journalists, even verified sources," she says. For her, being a regular young woman from Ukraine, makes her relatable to a wider audience. "That makes them trust me more, to trust my videos more," she says.
Marta has family in Ukraine and is worried about their safety. But by propagating these videos she believes she is helping the world, and particularly younger audiences, to see what is truly happening on the ground. Given that she is now stuck in the UK, TikTok is her way of doing something.
Source - BBC
Real Madrid go eight clear with comeback
Real Madrid came from behind to beat Real Sociedad and go eight points clear at the top of La Liga.
The visitors led through a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty after 10 minutes with what would prove to be their only shot.
Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modric scored brilliant goals from long range for Madrid in quick succession.
Karim Benzema, who had two goals disallowed, scored a penalty and substitute Marco Asensio sealed the win from Dani Carvajal's cut-back.
France veteran Benzema, who is La Liga's top scorer, has scored 20 league goals for the fourth campaign in a row.
It looked as if his luck was out when he had a goal ruled out seconds after Camavinga's opener - and then another in the second half by the video assistant referee - both for offside.
But the VAR ended up helping him score when it gave a spot-kick for a foul on Vinicius Jr which Benzema coolly slotted home.
Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid, who have not lost a home game in La Liga this season, took advantage of second-placed Sevilla drawing 0-0 at Alaves on Friday.
Real Sociedad, who would have gone third with a win, remain sixth in the table.
Source - BBC
Russell Wilson asked Ciara for more babies
Ciara guest hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday and her husband Russell Wilson joined, surprising the singer with an unexpected proposal.
The Seahawks quarterback got down on one knee and said, "I have a question for you. Serious question. Can we have more babies?"
The “Level Up” singer threw her head back in laughter while Wilson continued to plead for more children. "We definitely can, but we've got a little time before we get there," Ciara joked.
The couple share three children, 19-month-old son Win Harrison, four-year old daughter Sienna Princess and Ciara’s seven-year-old son Future Zahir, whom she shares with rapper Future.
Source - ABC
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION CELEBRATES EDUCATION WEEK 2022
Education Week 2022 will be hosted under the theme “Success for Every Learner”. It is an ideal that strides continue to be made towards. Activities are planned at the national level and at the school level and will take place from March 6th to March 11th.
The week starts in God’s house with the annual ecumenical service. All services will take place on Sunday, March 6th using a format where churches have again partnered with us and are allowing us to join in their regular Sunday morning service. We have been accommodated by the following churches:
The Salem Baptiste on Grand Turk at 11:00 am
The New Testament Church of God on South Caicos at 11:00 am
The Bethany Baptist Church on Providenciales at 11:00 am
The Church of God of Prophecy, Kew on North Caicos at 11:00 am
The Mount Moriah Baptist Church on Middle Caicos at 11:00 am
On Monday, March 7 the activities start with the Fortis Virtual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Teachers Workshops. The company’s commitment to improving the teaching of STEM in the country, will see educators taken through key topics that include, the Principles and Practice of STEM Education, Inquiry Based Pedagogies for Stem Learning and Technology for STEM Learning.
The session for Primary School teachers will run from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon to be followed by the session for Secondary School teachers from 1:00 pm and 4: 00 pm.
On Monday afternoon, commencing about 5:30 pm there will be a symposium on the Education Week theme of Success Every Learner. The symposium begins with a keynote address and will be followed by a panel discussion. The panel will discuss the theme with a view towards providing recommendations aimed at improving the Education systems ability to facilitate, what the theme postulates.
On Tuesday, a TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) Day will be hosted at the Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Complex. The purpose of this exercise is to bring attention to the strides being made locally to ingrain TVET into the fabric of the education that we provide to students. The public, especially proud parents and potential partners and employers are welcome to join us.
In addition to the main activities, individual schools across the country will be hosting a variety of activities. We encourage parents to look out for the activities at their children’s schools as an important feature of the school level activities will be the recognition of the academic and co-curricular success of our students despite the challenges, they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education Week concludes on the 11th Teachers Day. Consider a quote from Donald D. Quinn, “If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at the same time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn’t want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer or dentist, without assistance had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher’s job.”
Teachers are this world’s unsung heroes, remember a teacher or that special teacher that made a difference in your life and helped you to become the successful individual the you are and send him, her or them a shout out. Our Minister of Education will join in recognizing our teachers for the challenging and often underappreciated work that they do. They need all of our support your assistance and definitely your prayers as well.
Vote for Your Favourite High School in the Consumer Protection Jingle Competition!!
As part of "The Consumer is King" Campaign, high school students from across the Turks and Caicos Islands were invited to showcase their creativity by developing a jingle which endorses the slogan: "Consumer Protection is Everybody's Business". The deadline for entries was February 28, 2022.
On March 2, 2022, judges reviewed eight (8) entries from five (5) high schools. The following entries were short-listed:
- Maranatha Academy;
- Champions for Christ International School of Excellence; and
- Clement Howell High School.
Short-listed entries have been posted on the TCIG Press Facebook Page for the general public to vote for their favourites (https://www.facebook.com/pressofficetcig/). Social media voting (i.e. rated by likes, shares and positive comments) constitutes 70% of the final score. Voting ends at 12:00 p.m. on March 10, 2022. Votes cast after this time will not count as part of the final score.
The winner will be announced on March 15, 2022, which is celebrated as World Consumer Rights Day. The following prizes will be awarded:
1st prize - Trophy and $1500
2nd prize - Trophy and $500
3rd prize - Trophy and $250
The Department of Trade invites you to like, share, and comment on your favourite entries! Vote! Vote! Vote!
WEATHER FORECAST FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
GENERAL SITUATION: A WEAK COLD FRONT IN THE VICINITY OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS WILL CONTINUE TO DISSIPATE AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ITS WAKE.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BEACHGOERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG NORTH AND EAST COAST BEACHES.
ALL AREAS
WEATHER: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS AND WARM WITH THE CHANCE OF A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS MAINLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS TODAY. MOSTLY FAIR AND MILD WITH POSSIBLE SHOWERS IN THE VICINTY OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 81°F 27°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 63°F 17°C
SUNRISE: 6:31 AM SUNSET: 6:12 PM
MOONRISE: 6:42 AM MOONSET: 6:20 PM
LOW TIDE: 7:24 AM & 7:47 PM
HIGH TIDE: 1:47 PM & 1:58 AM THUR.
WEATHER OUTLOOK : 11:00 AM (FOR TOMORROW/WEEKEND) HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD NORTH OF THE AREA WHILE SUPPORTING HAZARDOUS BOATING AND BEACHING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE ISLANDS THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND.
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY AND WARM WITH THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF A FEW PASSING SHOWERS.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 15 KNOTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 3 TO 5 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
FORECAST FOR FRIDAY
WEATHER: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS AND WINDY WITH A FEW QUICK PASSING SHOWERS MAINLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL BE IN EFFECT.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET
Murder charge on a 16 year old
A 16-year-old teenager will return to court on June 22 after he was refused bail on a charge of murdering a Chinese national. The teenager is accused of murdering the Chinese businessman Zhopeng Ziang between February 22 and 23 in the northeastern village of Marigot.
He appeared before Magistrate Michael Laudat on Wednesday and was not asked to plead to the indictable offence. His lawyers were informed that they could raise the issue of bail at the High Court.
“The Chinese Embassy attaches great importance to and will continue to follow this incident. We hope the government and police of Dominica will continue to protect the safety of Chinese nationals here,” the Chinese Embassy told the Dominica Newsonline publication last month.
Source - CMC
Who does Vladimir Putin trust
Vladimir Putin cuts a solitary figure, leading Russia's military into a high-risk war that threatens to tear apart his country's economy.
He has rarely looked more isolated than in two recent, choreographed appearances with his inner circle, where he sits at a resolute distance from his closest advisers.
As commander in chief, ultimate responsibility for the invasion rests with him, but he has always relied on a deeply loyal entourage, many of whom also began their careers in Russia's security services. The question is who has his ear, during this most fateful moment in his presidency.
If anyone does, it is long-time confidant Sergei Shoigu, who has parroted the Putin line of demilitarising Ukraine and protecting Russia from the West's so-called military threat.
This is a man who goes on hunting and fishing trips with the president to Siberia, and he has in the past been viewed as a potential successor.
As chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, it was his job to invade Ukraine and complete the job fast, and by that standard he has been found wanting.
He has played a major role in Vladimir Putin's military campaigns ever since he commanded an army in the Chechen War of 1999, and he was at the forefront of military planning for Ukraine too, overseeing military drills in Belarus last month.
Described as an "unsmiling, craggy bruiser" by Russia specialist Mark Galeotti, Gen Gerasimov also played a key role in the military campaign to annexe Crimea.
Nikolai Patrushev is one of three Putin loyalists who have served with him ever since the 1970s in St Petersburg, when Russia's second city was still known as Leningrad.
The other two stalwarts are security service chief Alexander Bortnikov and foreign intelligence head Sergei Naryshkin. All the president's inner circle are known as siloviki, or enforcers, but this trio are closer still.
Few hold as much influence over the president as Nikolai Patrushev. Not only did he work with him in the old KGB with him during the communist era, he replaced him as head of its successor organisation, the FSB, from 1999 to 2008.
Source - BBC
EA removes Russian teams from Fifa 22 game
Games publisher Electronic Arts will remove the Russian national team and all other Russian teams from Fifa 22 and associated games, it has announced.
It was doing so to "stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people", the company tweeted.
It comes as football's governing bodies Fifa and Uefa said Russia's national side and clubs would be banned from all competitions.
Ukraine has asked the video games industry to do more.
The country's Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called on all game-development companies and esport platforms to block Russian and Belarusian accounts, cancel tournaments and ban players.
Electronic Arts tweeted: "EA Sports stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and like so many voices across the world of football, calls for peace and an end to the invasion of Ukraine.
"In line with our partners at Fifa [the International Federation of Association Football] and Uefa [the Union of European Football Associations], EA Sports has initiated processes to remove the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from EA Sports Fifa products including Fifa 22, Fifa Mobile and Fifa online.
"We're also actively evaluating related changes to other areas of our games."
It has also removed Russian and Belarusian teams from NHL 22 games.
Source - BBC
What sanctions could West still impose on Russia?
A raft of actions by the West is aimed at choking Russia's economy and banking system, and punishing Vladimir Putin's inner circle. What more sanctions could they impose?
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US, UK, EU and more than two dozen other nations retaliated with economic measures that have sent the Russian rouble tumbling, cut major Russian banks from the global financial system and hurt state-owned firms and oligarchs, including Mr Putin himself.
The US says its actions hit 80% of banking assets in Russia; and the EU 70%. The allies have also taken steps to limit Russia's access to key technology, such as microchips and lasers; and moved against cryptocurrencies.
Together, they represent the toughest sanctions Mr Putin's Russia has ever faced. And analysts expect policymakers to continue tightening - for example, by adding more kinds of technology and new companies to blacklists. The most recent action by the US, on Wednesday, targeted oil refining equipment, among other steps.
"We are at a seven or eight out of 10 on the escalation ladder right now," said Emily Kilcrease, senior fellow and director of the Energy, Economics and Security Program at the Washington think tank, the Center for New American Security. "There is definitely still room to go with tightening."
Many Western companies, including BP, Apple and others have responded to the situation by taking steps to halt services or exit the country.
But for now, trade can still flow - not least key exports like oil and gas, for which Russia is a major global supplier.
Western policymakers have been reluctant to hit energy, in part for fear of causing a spike in energy prices that would cause economic damage at home as well - especially in Europe, which relies on Russia for roughly 40% of its gas imports and roughly 30% of its oil imports.
But as the violence in Ukraine has escalated, there is growing pressure on the US and Europe to act.
"My sense is that it's going to become politically untenable to say we'll keep paying Russia for oil, gas and coal," says Christopher Miller, professor at Tufts University's Fletcher School and an expert on the Russian economy.
"That's already been politically tough for Western leaders to stand by and I think it's going to become even tougher as the Russian military escalates its use of force."
It's a tricky calculus.
While oil and gas transactions are key to preventing the Russian economy from going "off a cliff", cutting off that lifeline risks provoking more extreme reaction by Russia, says Jeffrey Schott, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank.
"The level of economic pressure now is severe. If you go for the economic jugular, Putin may respond with cyber and military action that will only make the suffering worse," he says.
What's more the commitment, announced by Western allies this week, to release a 60m barrels of oil from strategic national reserves - half of which will come from the US - will only act to soften a temporary spike in prices.
Russia may be able to withstand the loss of Western buyers, if it can sell less on the global markets at a higher price, says Ms Kilcrease.
"People I think want to see something there... but you have to think about the effect of what cutting off those sales would actually be. Will it hurt Russia? It's not actually clear," she says.
The consultancy Capital Economics recently estimated that the sanctions could shrink Russia's economy by 15% this year.
Nor has the pain been limited to Russia.
Global oil prices have already risen more than 10% since the start of February amid the tensions - and analysts expect they will remain elevated due to uncertainty from the conflict. Ukraine and Russia also supply nearly 30% of the world's wheat, 19% of its corn and 80% of its sunflower oil.
Currencies in countries with close ties to Russia, like Kazakhstan, have also been hit.
"That's the problem with sanctions - they never just end up targeting only one place," says Kristy Ironside, professor of Russian and Soviet history at McGill University. "They tend to have other knock-on effects so anything [policymakers] do next, they have to consider very carefully in light of that."
Source - BBC