WTO official says Caribbean could be site for medical production
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Wednesday said the Caribbean could serve as a production site for goods such as vaccines and that efforts are being made to get manufacturers to invest in the region.
“We have to decentralise and we have asked the manufacturers to invest more in developing countries and emerging markets so that we can also produce,” she said during a panel discussion organised by the Central Bank of Barbados (CBB).
The discussion was on the topic “how trade can be used to address challenges related to public health, climate change, and food security” and included the President of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr. Gene Leon.
“I don’t see why we don’t have a production centre in the Caribbean for example,” she said, noting that the region could be used to develop the vaccine used in treating the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has killed and infected millions of people globally as well as a therapeutic diagnostic centre.
“Why can’t we have centre here? So we have been working with them to establish in Africa and I am very proud to say the African presidents have also been working hard and this is having an impact”.
She said that developing countries like those in the Caribbean also needs to do much better on the issue of intellectual property and patent rights.
“Of course everybody knows it is at the WTO the agreement was signed on access to patents for these vaccines and medical counter measures, therapeutic and so on. Now we have two schools of thought at the WTO among our 164 members, over a 100 developing countries and emerging markets want to have a waiver so that they can have access to the intellectual property rights to manufacture the vaccines.
“There are others who feel no 9and) this would disincentive research and production so we don’t agree,” she said, adding that as the WTO director general, she can’t take sides.
“I think we need to save lives, it is as simple as that. I believe all WTO members want that. But we need to have a compromise….so we can have better access to intellectual property whilst not disincentivising research and production.
Dose that solution exist, the answer is absolutely and we are working on it right now,” she said, noting that in the Caribbean there are strong skills and literacy rates.
“If you look across the region, one of the things you do have is human resources, human capital and you need an eco-system to be able to manufacture these vaccines and part of that is an eco-system of knowledge and given the base you have in those skills, human capital, I think this is one advantage”.
“This is something the region needs to look at and build upon it . Here you have got medical…in most of the Caribbean countries you have got overseas medical facilities, so you do have the possibility to do that,” the WTO official added.
In his contribution Leon said the region “did very well in the case of a crisis” making reference to the joint procurement efforts of the Caribbean in acquiring the vaccines and personal protective equipment (PPE).
He said the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)and the Barbados Port Inc had been able to put in place the logistics to assist the region acquire and distribute the vaccines and other medical products among the regional countries.
“So in a sense we demonstrated we have the means to coordinate, means to bring together and pool resources in a regional space beyond national boundaries as a means of getting over the crisis that we faced.
“What we need is to be able to flip this. We do not have to wait for another crisis and we don’t need to be in fire fighting mode, but we need to have a structured planning whereby we can set the stage to overcome physical boundaries, recognise our comparative advantage or absence of comparative disadvantage in the promotion of knowledge.”
The St. Lucian-born economist said it then could provide the foundation “where we can be competitive either in one segment of the promotion of pharmaceuticals, diagnosis or therapeutic and see that the region can be a natural hub where you can in principle able to be a net exporter of capital in that particular space.
“The room is there we have done some of this, but we just need to take it to the next level,” the CDB president said.
Earlier, Okonjo-Iweala said rules governing trade, particularly in the crisis, could be much better.
“I would like to see us at the WTO agree to a set of rules so that in a future pandemic we don’t have to debate issues anymore, but automatically some modalities for being part of the solution will automatically kick in”
She noted that on the issue of export restrictions and prohibitions, “people have to realise that the manufacture of medical goods and vaccines in particular is enormously complicated.
“It is a very complicated supply chain,” she said noting that to manufacture the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines “you need 280 components from manufacture to delivery into jabs into arms”.
She said the vaccines are manufactured in 19 countries at 87 sites.
“What does this mean? It means if a country that is part of the global supply chain puts in an export restriction or prohibition, it effectively holds up the production,” she said, noting that the WTO has to make sure supply chains work.
“If they don’t work then we cannot move. For instance, the US using the Defence production Act restricted the flow of inputs to other countries…and let’s say to India, which is the global manufacturing capital of the world, it affected production and that we could not get the volume of vaccines we needed”.
Source - CMC
Opposition party angry at the Barbadian Prime Minister
The main opposition Democratic labour Party (DLP) has blamed a non-caring Prime Minister Mia Mottley for calling a snap general election in the midst of a pandemic and urged supporters to boot the ruling Barbados labour Party (BLP) out of office on January 19 next year.
Mottley in a radio ad television broadcast on Monday night announced that Nomination day will be on January 3 and that the polls were being held 18 months before her first term in office is due to end.
She said it was important for a united Barbados to face the new year and blamed what she termed the “silly season” for Barbadians being divided on the future socio-economic development of the island.
But in a statement, the DLP, which was swept out of office in 2018 by a 30-nil margin, described the move towards calling a snap election as “a dark day for our country”.
“Truly were are in the silly season – but our people are not silly. In the midst of a pandemic and Omicron threatening, whilst still under a state of emergency, there is no compelling argument for an election to be called 17 months out, except to be self-serving. This is not what we expect of sound leadership,” said DLP president, Verla De Peiza.
She said that “it is clear that the government of the day has succumbed to feelings of panic and that the nation’s first call which is its people’s safety has been set aside to pursue selfish ends which expose our people to great harm and possible death”
De Peiza said that the DLP is appealing to Barbadians “to seize this opportunity of relief and arm themselves with courage, determination and hope and rally to the polls…to exercise their franchise and send a clear and decisive message to the outgoing government that their wellbeing is paramount.
“And as One People One Barbados send a clear and decisive message that the opportunity for change has come. We agree that the nation is divided; but in a climate of 29-1, we must ask ourselves who divided the nation.
“Let us be frank; Mia does not care; Mia Scares. But do not let that deter you from summoning every single ounce of strength in your being, indeed your right and your reason, to do what is best for Barbados. Vote on the day for a change to a government that puts the best interest of its people first. The Democratic Labour Party looks forward to being your standard-bearer, come January 20, 2022.”
She said that the government policies have hurt the population, noting for instance “pensioners who took a significant hit with BERT (Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation) suffered further indignity by going through this Christmas season without their pension. We wear our debt like a millstone about the neck on behalf of our children and even their children.
“In making your decision at this seminal moment in our history I want you to ask yourself these questions: Are you better off now than you were in 2018? Are you finding it easier to feed your families? Did you expect after BDS$400 million (One Barbados dollar=US$0.50 cents) on EduTech that we would be scrambling with online learning? Hyatt could have been completed by now, were it not subject to political shenanigans.”
De Peiza brushed aside Prime Minister Mottley’s statement that in the coming months several projects would have started here, saying “if there were such faith in projected projects in the next few months then elections would be scheduled after they become reality.
“Warmed over promises will not do this time. Our people will do more than watch this time. Because we have learned the lessons of the past, and we know how dangerous it is to have a one-party state.
“Therefore my fellow Barbadians this is your moment to have your say. It is your moment to send a message that a One-Party state will not cut it. This is your moment to collectively guide this country away from this strange form of governance and government. Together we must arm ourselves with our faith, the guidance of Almighty God and the determination to save our country. Go out on the 19th of January and with your pens, make indelible mark to signal enough is enough.”
The DLP said that over the coming days it will lay out its case for why “our rejuvenated, young and committed team is best placed to take this country forward; why we must never have a one-party state; and why we must always keep the voices, concerns and aspirations of our people at the centre of our social conscience.
“Our policies are designed to elevate our people and we look forward to the opportunity in the coming days to take you into our confidence,” De Peiza added.
Source - CMC
Bermudians lose millions to internet fraudster
Police say internet fraudsters have swindled Bermuda residents out of almost four million US dollars this year.
The police said that “entire life savings” had been lost in some cases and authorities had managed to recover only US$40,600 of the haul.
Detective Chief Inspector, Sherwin Joseph, of the Bermuda Police Service’s special investigations unit, said the cost of computer crime added up to more than US$3.8 million for the year.
E-mail hustles accounted for 56 per cent of cases, social-media scams made up 22 per cent and a string of other tactics were employed for the other 22 per cent.
Joseph highlighted remote access fraud, where people are targeted with phone calls claimed to be from reputable telecommunications or computer firms from abroad or on the island.
He said victims were offered help for a slow computer – or asked to download software because their antivirus protection had expired.
But the fraudsters instead seized control of target computers and demanded cash or they would release embarrassing personal information or accessed online banking on the quiet and stole money.
He advised the public to be wary of companies that asked them to recruit others and appealed to people not to divulge personal details online without proper identification of those who requested the information.
“Be suspicious – if it sounds too good to be true, it more often than not usually is,” he added.
Source - CMC
Former WI coach laments inconsistency in fitness standards
Ex-West Indies batting coach Toby Radford has again criticised the lack of consistency in fitness standards for selection to West Indies squads, and believes a more equitable process is required in order for the best players to emerge.
The Welshman, who left the West Indies setup in 2019 as part of an overall coaching overhaul of the men’s senior side, said it too often appeared as if fitness waivers were being used conveniently to ensure the selection and non-selection of players.
“I don’t think there’s a consistency with the fitness testing and the way it is being used,” said Radford.
“It seems to me if they want to pick a player, they give a waiver to a certain player. If they don’t want to pick a player, they suddenly give the excuse that the guy is not fit and there’s no proof when the test was done or how it was done.
“And I hear lots of different stories. I don’t think it’s consistent … if they want to get a player in, suddenly they waive the fitness test. If they don’t want a player in, they blame the fitness test and use that as an excuse.
“I don’t think it is a hard and fast method for selecting and non-selecting and we saw that recently with the World Cup. There were people on there (squad) I’m sure they didn’t pass a fitness test and I think we all know that.
“But then they were other people at other times who were not picked and they said they failed the fitness test. It doesn’t look consistent to me.”
Over the last two years, CWI has drilled down on fitness standards, leading to several players missing out on selection for international tours.
And player fitness proved a source of heated debate ahead of the recent Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates when experienced players were handed fitness waivers while the likes of rookies Sherfane Rutherford and Odean Smith failed to meet the standards and were ruled out of selection.
Radford said transparent fitness standards would ultimately eliminate the inconsistency which currently characterised selection.
“I would like to see a really above board, robust selection process. And if you’re going to use fitness which is a massive part of the game, you’ve got to be consistent with it,” he argued.
“Everybody has got to be treated the same way, tested the same way and whatever the results are, the decision that’s made for ‘A’ has to be the decision made for ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘F’ and ‘G’ as well.
“At the moment, it’s being used however they want to select.”
He added: “For testing to be fair, everybody should be in the same place on the same day doing the same test, and you can all see them doing it.
“When you start doing it at different times, and this person had a waiver and that person’s got a waiver, it gets messy and then it’s open to people looking at it (process) and saying ‘what went on here?’. And even if it was fair, it doesn’t look fair.”
Source - CMC
Air Canada to halt service to Bermuda because of COVID-19 surge
Air Canada is to halt flights to Bermuda next month because of the latest surge in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases driven by the new Omicron variant.
An Air Canada spokesman said the airline would suspend services between Toronto and Bermuda from January 9.
“Air Canada continues to evaluate and adjust its route network as required in response to the trajectory of the pandemic, government-imposed travel restrictions and quarantines, and regulatory requirements,” the spokesman said.
“Affected customers will be contacted by Air Canada and offered options, including refunds for eligible customers and alternative routings where available.”
The airline gave no date for resuming the service.
The news came after the January flight schedule showed that Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet is to reduce its service between Bermuda and Toronto from two flights a week to one.
Bermuda currently has 234 active cases of COVID-19. In all, the island has recorded 6,014 cases of the virus since March of last year with 106 deaths.
Source - CMC
Biden and Putin phone call seeks 'diplomatic path'
US President Joe Biden is set to hold talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin for the second time this month, in a bid to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine.
The two leaders will speak by phone on Thursday.
They will discuss forthcoming security talks between the countries and the situation in Europe, a White House official said.
Russia, which has built up forces on the border with Ukraine, denies planning to invade the country.
It says its troops are there for exercises, and that Russia is entitled to move its troops freely on its own soil.
The US consulted European leaders ahead of the call to co-ordinate a common response to the issue, a White House statement said.
Ukrainian security officials say more than 100,000 Russian troops have been sent close to their shared border, and the US has threatened Mr Putin with sanctions "like none he's ever seen" if Ukraine comes under attack.
Mr Biden will offer his Russian counterpart a "diplomatic path" but remains "gravely" concerned by the Russian troop build-up on the border, a US official told AFP news agency.
Mr Biden is expected to tell Mr Putin that the US is prepared to respond if Russia advances with "a further invasion of Ukraine".
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said Mr Blinken had "reiterated the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's borders".
Earlier this month, the two presidents held a virtual summit in which Mr Biden reiterated his support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
While Ukraine is not a Nato member, it has close ties with the bloc.
Russia has said it wants legally binding guarantees that Nato will not move eastwards and that weapons will not be sent to Ukraine or any neighbouring countries.
Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been adamant that Ukraine's membership of the alliance is a matter for Nato and Kyiv. "Any dialogue with Russia has of course to respect the core principles which European security has been based on," he previously said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has described the current situation as probably "the most dangerous it's been in 30 years".
Russian officials are due to meet US counterparts in Geneva on 10 January. Asked earlier this week if he would meet Mr Putin on that date, Mr Biden replied "We'll see", but he is not expected to attend the talks in Geneva.
Source - BBC
John Madden, former Hall of Fame NFL coach and broadcaster, dies at 85
John Madden, the NFL coach, broadcaster and namesake for the billion-dollar video game franchise, died unexpectedly Tuesday. He was 85 years old.
The legendary coach helmed the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, winning a Super Bowl over the Minnesota Vikings in January 1977. But he became as known for what he did after leaving the game in just his early 40s, when he ascended to the broadcast booth and later lent his name to the most successful sports video game franchise of all time.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia, and sons Mike and Joe, as well as several grandchildren.
"On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather."
"Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others," Goodell continued. "There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today."
Madden finished his career 103-32 in the regular season and 9-7 in the postseason -- the best winning percentage in NFL history with at least 100 games coached. He led the Raiders to a win in Super Bowl XI and five other AFC Championship games. His Raiders lost three times in the playoffs against the powerhouse Pittsburgh Steelers, who won three titles in the '70s.
Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach, in 2006. In 2002, the Hall of Fame honored him as a broadcaster.
Source - ABC
LL Cool J & Chloe will no longer perform on ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve
While Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest will go on Friday night, two performers slated to join Seacrest and co-host Liza Koshy live in Times Square have pulled out of the show.
Neither LL Cool J nor Chlöe will be performing on the telecast, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year. In a statement, the hip hop legend said, "I know it’s disappointing to the millions of fans but my test came back positive for COVID, which means I’ll no longer be able to perform as scheduled at NYRE."
"We were ready and I was really looking forward to ringing in 2022 in my hometown in a special way, but for now I wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year. The best is yet to come!" LL added. No reason has been given for Chlöe's absence.
As of now, the other two Times Square performers -- veteran rockers Journey and Latin star Karol G -- are still set to perform.
Performers at the Los Angeles party segments of the show include Avril Lavigne, OneRepublic, Masked Wolf, French Montana, Big Boi and Sleepy Brown, Macklemore, Polo G, Mae Muller, Måneskin and Walker Hayes. Daddy Yankee will perform from Puerto Rico, while Billy Porter will hold things down in New Orleans.
Source - ABC
Murder Investigation Underway
The Serious Crime Unit of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are investigating a murder in the vicinity of Duck Yard, Providenciales, on Tuesday, December 28th, 2021 around 9:00 p.m.
According to the Police Control Room, a male and female were shot and needed assistance.Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene, where they discovered the lifeless body of a 39-year-old male with what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
A 34-year-old female was also seen inside a dark coloured Honda Fit vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken via private vehicle to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre for treatment.
Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting said, “This is another senseless waste of a life and another is seriously ill in hospital. The perpetrators of this level of violence have no place in our communities and we are determined to identify them and bring them to justice. On behalf of the Force, I would like to express thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of the young man who was shot last evening. I also pray for a speedy recovery for the young lady
currently receiving medical care. Finally, crimes like this should anger us all and encourage those of you who might have seen or heard something to let us know immediately to get these criminals out of the community”.
While the investigators are trying to determine the circumstances of this shooting incident, anyone with information into this latest murder investigation or who was in the vicinity of the Zap Zap bar is asked to please call Crime Stoppers confidentially at 1-800-8477(TIPS) or call 911.
In an update, the Premier of the Turks & Caicos, the Hon. Washington Missick in a recently held press conference told the press that the Commissioner & Deputy Commissioner are back, and that after meeting with the Governor & the Nations nap Security Council, there will be a collective statement and action to the recent incident.
Police stray bullet kills teen girl in LA store's dressing room
Los Angeles police have killed two people, including a 14-year-old girl trying on new outfits, after opening fire inside a clothing store.
The teenager was in a changing room with her mother when a stray bullet came through the wall and hit her.
Police say the shooting came after reports of shots being fired by a man inside the store. The suspect was shot dead, but no gun was found.
The state's Department of Justice is currently investigating the shooting.
The incident took place late on Thursday morning, around 11:45 local time (19:45 GMT), at a Burlington department store in North Hollywood amid a throng of holiday shoppers.
Witnesses and store employees told local media that a man was acting erratically inside the store and smashing display cases.
Police said a 911 caller reported hearing arguing inside the store and suggested shots may have been fired. They also say they received reports of a possible active shooter on the scene.
A fire department official told reporters that officers had arrived to find "an individual who was in the process of assaulting another" on an upper level of the store, prompting them to open fire.
The suspect died almost instantly. A bicycle lock was found near his body, but no gun was recovered.
Officers then found a hole in the nearby wall of a dressing room behind the suspect, and the teenage girl dead inside.
Local media also shows a woman with a bloodied face - who appears to be the assault victim - being taken away from the store in an ambulance.
None of the people involved have been publicly identified.
On Thursday night, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore promised a "thorough, complete and transparent investigation" into what he called a "chaotic incident".
"I am profoundly sorry for the loss of this young girl's life and I know there are no words that can relieve the unimaginable pain for the family," he said.
As part of its review, the department is expected to release video of the incident, including from officer-worn body cameras and Burlington security cameras.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he would conduct an independent investigation and refer his findings to a team of special prosecutors.
A state law passed in July mandates that all fatal police shootings of unarmed civilians be investigated by the state's Department of Justice.
Source - BBC