Town Hall Meetings scheduled to discuss the Split of Social Development and Welfare
The former Department of Social Development and Welfare (DSDW) within the Ministry of Home Affairs, Religious Affairs and Transportation, is inviting all residents within the Turks and Caicos Islands to a series of island-wide town hall meetings to discuss the restructuring of the Department of Social Development and Welfare which has now split into two different departments: Family and Children Services and Community Support and Engagement.
The town hall meetings will discuss the split of the DSDW into two specialized departments:
The Department of Family and Children Services, focusing on family support, child protection, youth development, juvenile justice and clinical social work support.
The Department of Community Support and Engagement, focusing on poverty reduction, adult protective services, elderly support services, social inclusion, and community development initiatives.
"It is essential for the public to attend these town hall meetings to fully understand the division of the department and the purpose and impact of our programmes,” says Ashley Adams, director of the former Department of Social Development and Welfare. “This transition represents a major step forward in tailoring services to meet the specific needs of families, children, and vulnerable adults. Your participation and feedback is invaluable in shaping the work that we do and ensuring our policies reflect the priorities and realities of our communities.”
The town hall meetings will provide an opportunity for all residents to:
Learn about the changes and how these changes will enhance social service delivery across the islands.
Gain understanding of the services and programs under each new department.
Share your ideas and expectations to help shape the future of social services in the TCI.
Ask questions and receive clarity directly from executive members of the departments and the technical teams.
Schedule of Town Hall Meetings:
South Caicos
Thursday, July 10, 2025
6:00 PM
South Caicos Community Centre
Middle Caicos
Monday, July 14, 2025
6:00 PM
Conch Bar Community Centre
North Caicos
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
6:00 PM
Kew Community Centre
Salt Cay
Thursday, July 17, 2025
11:00 AM
Salt Shed
Grand Turk
Thursday, July 17, 2025
6:00 PM
H.J. Robinson Auditorium
Providenciales
Mon-Thurs, July 28-31, 2025
6:00 PM
Various Locations by Community-TBA
Hon. Shaun Malcolm, Minister of Home Affairs, Religious Affairs and Transportation, also urges the public to attend the town hall meetings. He stated, “This is more than a change in structure, it’s a chance to strengthen how we care for our people. Your voices are vital to ensure that we build systems that are responsive to the needs of our communities. Therefore, we encourage all residents to mark their calendars and join us to learn more about the purpose of our division, what this means for our programmes and services, ask questions, and share your thoughts on how we can work together to build a stronger nation.”
At least 120 dead in Texas
The statewide death toll in Texas has climbed to 120, with 172 people still considered missing, officials said Wednesday night.
In hard-hit Kerr County, the death toll has climbed to at least 95, including 36 children, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference Wednesday.
Kerr County's number of missing persons remained at 161 as of Wednesday night, including five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic.
"This incident will be reviewed — you have my word,” the sheriff said, adding that improvements will be made if needed.
Source- ABC
Smurfs director shares Rihanna's special connection to the franchise
Rihanna's favorite childhood show was The Smurfs, making her a good fit for the role of Smurfette in the upcoming Smurfs movie.
The film's director, Chris Miller, said in an interview with Variety that "everything just clicked" once he learned of her connection to the show.
"It felt completely natural to reimagine The Smurfs for today’s audience with Rihanna as Smurfette because her genuine love for the franchise made her the perfect fit," he said. "She was really very insightful."
Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, added Rihanna's passion was necessary to help put the reboot together, as the franchise already features seven films.
"I think when you’re refreshing a beloved franchise like The Smurfs, the secret ingredient is love. And that love must come from people who truly care about the characters and their story," he said. "Rihanna brought that passion, and it shines through in every part of the film."
Arriving in theaters July 18, Smurfs will follow Smurfette as she leads the Smurfs on a mission to save Papa Smurf from the evil wizards.
Source- ABC
FortisTCI Earns Prestigious Platinum Accreditation from Investors in People
FortisTCI has achieved Platinum status from the Investors in People (IIP) organization, which is the highest level of recognition and a distinction held by only 7% of IIP-accredited companies worldwide. Investors in People is the leading global accreditation for people management.
IIP accreditations last for three years, and organizations can achieve different levels of certification (Standard, Silver, Gold, Platinum) based on their performance. The Investors in People framework evaluates how well an organization leads, supports, and improves its people. It uses a structured model with nine performance indicators and 27 themes, each assessed across four levels of maturity: Developing, Established, Advanced, and High Performing. By achieving a rating of “high-performing” across all 27 assessment themes, FortisTCI made the extraordinary leap from Silver to Platinum since its last assessment three years ago.
The themes closely examine the ways companies lead and inspire teams, live the organization's values and behaviors, empower and involve employees, manage performance, recognize and reward high performance, structure work, build capacity, deliver continuous improvement, and create sustainable success. Although FortisTCI submits a supporting evidence portfolio as part of the evaluation, the results are primarily shaped by employee feedback, gathered through an anonymous online survey and one-on-one interviews with employees, randomly selected by IIP assessors. A record-breaking 93% of employees voluntarily participated in the assessment held in May.
The survey results show that 93% reinforced their belief that the Company has clear and shared values, and nearly 90% recognized the strong learning and development opportunities and understand how this impacts the organization’s success. FortisTCI's overall performance score of 768 surpassed the sector and IIP global averages, placing the Company third in its sector worldwide. FortisTCI scored 60 points higher than the sector average and 39 points above the Investors in People average. FortisTCI has also been identified as one of the very best We Invest in People Platinum accredited organizations from outside of the United Kingdom. The Company has been invited to enter the Investors in People Global Awards for Overseas Employer of the Year 2025 for a chance of being crowned the number one Platinum employer in this category.
FortisTCI is the only Investors in People certified organization in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the only utility Company in the Caribbean region with Platinum, and one of two companies generally in the region with this mark of excellence. Only 7% of Investors in People's 50,000accredited organizations worldwide have achieved Platinum. Prior to this, FortisTCI was first accredited as a Standard in 2016 and received Silver certification in 2018 and 2022.
Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People stated: “We’d like to congratulate FortisTCI. Platinum accreditation on We Invest in People is a remarkable effort for any organization, and places FortisTCI in fine company with organizations that understand the value of people.”
FortisTCI President and CEO Ruth Forbes stated: "As a Company, we benchmark ourselves against the best globally, and we're always looking for ways to make work better. This Platinum accreditation reflects our continuous commitment to sustaining a high-performance, people-centered culture. The Investors in People results tell a powerful story about how our people practices, policies, and programs continue to evolve. Several initiatives were implemented in line with a comprehensive HR strategic plan, and we extend heartfelt gratitude to the human resources department for championing our mission to transform the employee experience, creating a more engaged workplace.
She continued: “A special thank you to the entire FortisTCI team for sharing their views on how we lead, support and improve them. We will continue to invest in our people, as this not only strengthens their level of fulfilment, engagement and productivity at work, but equally contributes to how well we serve our customers, improve our communities and add value to our stakeholders.”
Monaco Diamond League 200m showdown set for Friday
Trinidad and Tobago’s sprint star Jereem ‘the Drem’ Richards will face a stern test in the men’s 200m at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday, squaring off against American sprint sensation Noah Lyles in his first half-lap race of the 2025 season.
Lyles has been sidelined since April 19 after running a 45.87 in the 400m at the Tom Jones Memorial meet.
He later withdrew from the Adidas Atlanta City Games due to a “tight ankle,” raising questions about his fitness.
However, the Monaco event marks his highly anticipated return to the 200m, a distance he has dominated in the Diamond League since 2019.
But Lyles and Richards won’t have it easy. Waiting for them is the 2024 Paris Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who is in blistering form.
Tebogo stormed to victory at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic with a commanding 19.76, leaving the competition in his wake.
The Monaco Diamond League will also feature a strong Caribbean contingent across multiple disciplines. The women’s 100m will feature St. Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred and Jamaica’s sprint sisters Tia and Tina Clayton.
The High Jump will feature Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford and Raymond Richards.
The women’s 400m hurdles will include Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight, while the women’s 400m will see another Jamaican, Nickisha Pryce, looking to continue her strong season.
The men’s triple jump will have Jamaica’s Jordan Scott eyeing a podium finish, while the women’s 100m hurdles will have the likes of Bahamian world record holder Devynne Charlton and Jamaica’s Megan Tapper set for a fierce battle over the barriers.
Source-CMC
Odessa Forbes appointed as Director of Culture
The Office of the Deputy Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Odessa Forbes as the Director of Culture within the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture.
Mrs. Forbes holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the American Intercontinental University, FL, a certificate in Business from the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College and a certificate in Project Management through the University of the West Indies.
Bringing over 20 years of diverse leadership experience to her new role, Mrs. Forbes most recently served as Training Manager for the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, where she led organisation-wide professional development and compliance training for over 400 officers and recruits. Her extensive experience also includes culture development through the leading initiatives that promote local heritage and community engagement, ensuring that cultural values are integrated into organisational practices and community programs within the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.
Before assuming the Training Manager position, Mrs. Forbes served in the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force for over a decade, rising through the ranks to become a Police Sergeant. Earlier in her career, she also gained valuable experience in the hospitality sector, working as a restaurant manager, where she developed strong operational, people management and customer engagement skills.
Speaking on her new role, Mrs Forbes said, “I am deeply honoured and excited to serve as the Director of Culture. This role offers a powerful opportunity to preserve, celebrate and share the rich cultural identity of the Turks and Caicos Islands, both at home and with the world. As our society continues to grow and diversify, it is more important than ever that our national values, traditions and stories remain visible, accessible and deeply rooted in our collective identity. I look forward to working with communities across the islands to ensure our culture continues to inspire pride, unity and innovation for future generations. I remain grateful for the encouragement of my family and mentors and I embrace this role with humility, vision and purpose.
In congratulatory remarks, Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service H.E. Anya Williams said, “It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Mrs. Odessa Forbes on her appointment as our new Director of Culture.
The promotion and preservation of culture is extremely important to our islands, as it not only honours our rich heritage but also shapes the identity and values of our future generations.
We wish Mrs. Forbes well on her appointment as she works to chart a new path in advancing cultural development, fostering creative expression and in ensuring that the diverse traditions of our people continue to thrive and inspire.
Congratulations on your new appointment, Mrs. Forbes!”
Russia launches largest drone attack on Ukraine as Kyiv pushes US for air defense aid
Russia launched its largest drone attack of the war on Ukraine overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with 741 aerial attack vehicles used in the bombardment.
Ukraine's air force said in a post to Telegram that Russia launched 728 drones — a mix of attack drones and decoys — and 13 missiles into the country overnight, with the northwestern Volyn region and its city of Lutsk the main targets.
Zelenskyy said the "massive" attack represented "the highest number of aerial targets in a single day." The president framed the assault as another signal from Moscow that President Vladimir Putin is not invested in U.S.-led efforts to end the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
Source- ABC
Wimbledon sorry over missed line calls
Wimbledon organisers have apologised after the electronic line-calling system on Centre Court was turned off in error and missed three calls in one game.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova said a game was 'stolen' from her after there was no 'out' call when a Sonay Kartal backhand went long in the first set of their fourth-round match.
The Russian stopped after seeing the ball go long, and chair umpire Nico Helwerth halted play.
The All England Club initially said the system was "deactivated on the point in question" because of "operator error".
A spokesperson said later on Sunday that, after further investigation, it was found that the technology was "deactivated in error on part of the server's side of the court for one game".
During that time, three calls on the affected side of the court were not picked up.
Helwerth - who did not know the system had been turned off - called two of them himself before the incident highlighted by Pavlyuchenkova.
"We have apologised to the players involved," a spokesperson for the All England Club said.
"We continue to have full confidence in the accuracy of the ball tracking technology.
"In this instance, there was a human error and as a consequence we have fully reviewed our processes and made the appropriate changes."
Source-BBC
Alcaraz fights back to overcome Andrey Rublev
Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz produced an impressive fightback to overcome Andrey Rublev and set up a Wimbledon quarter-final against Britain's Cameron Norrie.
Alcaraz edged a step closer to becoming only the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles with a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over the Russian 14th seed under the Centre Court roof.
The 22-year-old Spaniard clinched his only break point in both the second and third sets to turn the match around, before a single break of serve again proved enough to end Rublev's admirable resistance in the fourth.
Alcaraz will face Norrie for a semi-final place after the British number three withstood a fightback from Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry to win in five sets.
On executing his comeback, world number two Alcaraz said in his on-court interview: "It is just about belief in yourself. It doesn't matter you are set down.
"Tennis can change in one point. One point can change a match completely. You have to stay there all the time, be strong mentally."
On meeting home favourite Norrie in the next round, he added: "Every time I can turn up on this beautiful court is a gift, so I have to make the most of it.
"It will be really difficult. Cam is playing great, I know him well. It will be interesting but I'm just excited about playing the quarter-final here."
Microsoft to cut up to 9,000 more jobs as it invests in AI
Microsoft has confirmed that it will lay off as many as 9,000 workers, in the technology giant's latest wave of job cuts this year.
The company said several divisions would be affected without specifying which ones but reports suggest that its Xbox video gaming unit will be hit.
Microsoft has set out plans to invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), and is spending $80bn (£68.6bn) in huge data centres to train AI models.
A spokesperson for the firm told the BBC: "We continue to implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace."
The cuts would equate to 4% of Microsoft's 228,000-strong global workforce.
Some video game projects have reportedly been affected by them.
According to an internal email seen by The Verge and gaming publication IGN, Microsoft has told gaming staff that the planned reboot of first-person shooter series Perfect Dark, along with another title, Everwild, will be cancelled.
The Initiative, a Microsoft-owned studio behind the Perfect Dark reboot, will also be shut down, the memo stated.
Job cuts have also affected staff across wider studios owned by Microsoft, including Forza Motorsport maker Turn 10 and Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios, according to employee posts on social media seen by the BBC.
Matt Firor, studio director of ZeniMax Online Studios, announced on Wednesday he would be leaving his position in July after more than 18 years at the studio.
"While I won't be working on the game anymore, I will be cheering you on and adding to the thousands of hours I've already spent in-game," said a post attributed to Mr Firor by ZeniMax on X.
Romero Games Ltd, an independent studio based in Galway, Ireland - co-founded by Doom developer John Romero - has also cut staff after funding for its game was axed by its publisher.
"These people are the best people I've ever worked with, and I'm sorry to say that our game and our studio were also affected," said Mr Romero in a post on X.
Microsoft has initiated three other rounds of redundancies so far in 2025, including in May when it said it would cut 6,000 roles.
An official database maintained by Washington state shows that more than 800 of the positions eliminated will be concentrated in the city of Redmond as well as in Bellevue, another Microsoft hub in its home state.
In recent years, like many other big technology firms, Microsoft has refocussed its business towards developing AI, including investing in data centres and chips.
Last year, the company hired British AI pioneer Mustafa Suleyman to lead its new Microsoft AI division.
A top Microsoft executive recently told the BBC that the next half century will "fundamentally be defined by artificial intelligence,", changing the way we work and interact with one another.
Microsoft is also a major investor and shareholder in OpenAI, the company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT, although the relationship has reportedly grown tense in recent months.
Source -BBC