Crude oil climbs to highest price in nearly 3 years, pushing up gas prices
Crude oil has climbed to its highest price in nearly three years as the pandemic recedes and global demand soars.
U.S. crude oil was $71.50 a barrel on Monday -- its highest price since October 2018 -- and Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, topped $73 a barrel.
Crude oil prices have risen steadily since the start of the year as businesses reopen and demand for air and auto travel bounces back. As of Monday, U.S. crude oil is about $23 a barrel more expensive than it was in January.
Meanwhile, the national average price of gasoline has also risen for eight consecutive weeks to reach $3.07 a gallon on Monday, according to data from fuel-tracking site GasBuddy. This national average price is 98 cents higher than a year ago and 3.7 cents higher than a month ago.
Source-ABC
Cashier dead, 2 wounded during argument over Georgia store's mask policy
A shooting that broke out over a Georgia store's COVID-19 mask policy has resulted in the death of a cashier on Monday. A victim and the suspect were wounded, authorities said.
The incident transpired at a Big Bear grocery store in DeKalb County when an unidentified male suspect entered the store without wearing a mask and argued with the staff over the policy, according to DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox.
Maddox says the suspect allegedly shot the cashier, which killed her.
As for the victim, Maddox identified him as an off-duty officer. The victim was a veteran of the sheriff’s office and pulled his weapon when the shooting occurred. Maddox said he opened fire on the suspect.
The suspect was hit but he returned fire, shooting the off-duty officer twice, said Maddox.
Both were taken to the hospital. Maddox said the off-duty officer was listed in stable condition, but the condition of the suspect was not immediately known.
The incident is under investigation.
Source-ABC
Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey reflect over their iconic 2003 record "I Know What You Want"
Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey created a hit with their 2003 collaboration, "I Know What You Want," but apparently someone else was originally supposed to sing the male vocals.
In a new YouTube documentary titled Divine: The 18 Year Anniversary Celebration, Busta, Mariah and others reflected on the song and video for its 18th anniversary.
Busta recalls being sent a beat from producer Rick Rock while on a tour bus with his hype man, rapper Spliff Starr, who called it "genius."
"I reached out to [Mariah], she told me to send it, and I told her that I sang the reference to the hook on the song, and I wanted to just give her an idea of what I think she should be doing," he explains.
Busta admits that he originally wanted a male R&B singer to exchange vocals with Carey on the track, but she "insisted" otherwise.
"Yes, Busta was singing and I remember going like, 'Do you want me to sing this part over? Or...like 'is he keeping that part?'" Mariah recalls. "Because at that time, rappers weren't really doing the singing thing, but I loved it."
Divine: The 18 Year Anniversary Celebration also features interviews with rappers Rah Digga, Rampage, Baby Sham, Trippie Redd, video director Chris Robinson and actor Michael Jai White, the latter of which starred in the "I Know What You Want" video. The documentary also features behind-the-scenes clips and explains how the song led to Busta and Mariah's 2020 sequel, "Where I Belong."
Source-ABC
Registration Drive & Job Readiness starts in June 2021
“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” Oliver Holmes
As the Minister with responsibilities for Education, Labour and Employment Services, my colleagues and I from the Ministry saw it fitting to address the nation on our initiatives and the way forward to improving the Employment Sector in the TCI.
COVID-19 has impacted the global economy and the Turks and Caicos Islands, has had its share of the impact. To date, four hundred and seventy-six (476) persons have registered with the Labour Department with 80% of registrants being Belongers, 9% As Naturalized persons, 5% being holders of Spousal Residence Permits, 4% Residence Permits Holders and 2% Being Free Lance Work Permit. Of the total two hundred and sixty-one (261) are female and two hundred and twenty-five (225) are male.
The Government is committed to ensuring that on this road to recovery, our people are gainfully employed in positions that are aligned with their skillset.
The Employment Services Department is pleased to announce our new initiative - J.O.B.S. – Job, Opportunity and Basic Skills. This initiative seeks to assist job seekers with obtaining basic skills prior to applying for vacancies and attending interviews with potential employers.
This initiative will commence, Tuesday, June 8th 2021 at IGA Parking Lot in the nation’s capital Grand Turk. We realize that Grand Turk does not have the largest population, however, we sympathize with those who have been unemployed for over one year due to the closure of the Grand Turk Cruise Center. This is to ensure that residents are fully prepared for the anticipated opening.
The drive will continue throughout the family islands on Friday, June 11th at Sunny Foods in Five Cays
Wednesday 16th June Butterfield Square, Downtown, Providenciales.
Friday, 18th June Nell’s Gift Shop, Leeward Highway
Monday, 21st June PTV Parking Lot
Thursday, 24th June IGA Gourmet
Friday, 25th June North Caicos
Monday, 28th June South Caicos, Digicel Parking Lot
This registration drive aims to account for all local unemployed and underemployed persons, so that the Department of Labour and Employment has the opportunity to properly evaluate their resumes and ensure they have continuous health coverage during this period…..
If you are already registered, the Department of Labour and Employment Services will be making contact with you to update our records. There is no need to re-register at this time unless there has been a material change to any information on your resume. We are asking you to monitor your phone and emails for any correspondence from our department.
Shortly following this Press Conference our Registration Drive Calendar will be circulated on the Government’s Website and on Social Media. Currently, persons have the option of submitting their resumes in the Red Drop Boxes located in Providenciales at the following grocery stores: Graceway IGA, Smart and Sunny Foods. If persons prefer to communicate electronically, their submission can be sent via email to jobregistration@gov.tc .
In continuing our efforts to ensure that the unemployed are job ready, the Department has set aside the month of July 2021 to host numerous workshops geared towards Job Readiness Training, inclusive of but not limited to basic skills, focusing on resume building, interview skills including dress code and communication skills throughout the islands. Further updates will be circulated at a later date.
As part of our training, we have partnered with the Ritz Carlton and the Marriott Ambassadors who are on island to provide hospitality training for their staff. They have lent support to assist us from Wednesday, June 9th to Friday, June 11th for persons registered as unemployed and interested in hospitality careers. These persons have already been identified and are eager to commence the workshops. The training will cover Food & Beverage, Front Office and other key hospitality functions. The Human Resource Manager has promised an ongoing series of workshops in partnership with Employment Services.
The recent Moratorium that came into effect on May 1st 2021 has provided the Department of Labour and Employment Services the opportunity to assess the employment market and strategize as to how best unemployed and underemployed residents can benefit from any available jobs that would have been occupied by First Time Work Permit Holders.
The Moratorium also speaks to the consultation period with key stakeholders. In light of this, the Ministry has already begun consultation and will continue its initiative with the Hotel Association, Chamber of Commerce, Water Sports and Restaurant Groups. Discussions at these meetings will be centered around local recruitment, training, and communicating the government’s plans moving forward. We will also request staffing information from companies throughout the TCI to build on our current employment database in order to compare wages, gender information, youth employment, skills deficit across various sectors and predict potential job growth in the next two years.
In July once the government has had its first 60 days to consult with stakeholders and consider the state of employment in the country there will be a further update.
All in all, the people of these islands can rest assured that their government is making every effort to collect relevant information in an effort to make informed decisions. In closing, I encourage unemployed persons to register with the Labour Department, help us to help you! If the government is unaware of the current state of employment, it would prove challenging to be effective in crafting policies to assist its citizens. We encourage you to Register and take advantage of these opportunities.
Hon. Rachel Taylor
Min. of Education, Labour & Employment Services
Drake and Live Nation partner to bring live music venue, History, to Toronto
No need to wonder "What's Next" for Drake. On Tuesday, it was announced that the rapper has teamed up with Live Nation to bring a new music venue to his hometown of Toronto.
The venue, called History, holds an intimate capacity audience of 2,500, something the 34-year-old rapper believes will be memorable for artists and fans alike.
"Some of my most memorable shows were playing smaller rooms like History,” said Drake in a statement, according to Variety. "I wanted to take those memories and what I learned to create an incredible experience for both the artists and the fans."
After more than three years in development, History is set to open its doors later this summer. The venue will offer a multitude of seating configurations that will allow a variety of events to take place there. Per the announcement, the space will "offer artists a versatile and intimate destination to perform and connect with fans in Toronto," with plans to host 200 concerts and events annually.
Find more information at HistoryToronto.com.
Source-ABC
Two Caribbean countries record COVID deaths
Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname recorded deaths linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic over the last 24 hours, according to health authorities in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries.
In Trinidad, the Ministry of Health said that 10 deaths brought the death toll to 599 while 280 positive cases brought the total number to 27,079 since the first case was detected in March last year. The country has 9,833 active cases with 16,647 people having recovered from the virus.
The ministry said eight men including “one young adult male” and two women, all with comorbidities succumbed to the virus that has 450 patients in hospitals across the island, 117 in state sanctioned quarantine facilities and 8,934 in home isolation.
In Suriname, five people died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. As a result, the number of corona deaths rose to 355 overall, including 53 in just the first week of June. Last month, a record 98 people died from the virus.
The health authorities said that of the 497 citizens who reported to the swab units in the past 24 hours, 49.3 per cent tested positive. With the 245 new cases, the country now has 16,786 positive cases.
There are 261 people in the hospitals, and 35 patients are in the intensive care units. A total of 12,725 civilians have been healed, including 207 in the past 24 hours. Currently, there are 1,894 people who have tested positive in isolation.
Source-CMC
Guterres tapped for second term as UN chief
The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday approved Secretary General Antonio Guterres for a second term, with conflict resolution set to top his agenda at the world body's helm.
The 72-year-old former prime minister of Portugal has held the office since 2017 and faced no competition for the next term in the job.
Around 10 other people also sought the post, but they were not formal candidates because none of the 193 UN member states endorsed them.
During a brief closed door session the Security Council voted unanimously to recommend that the General Assembly give Guterres another term, said the council's current president, Estonian ambassador Sven Jurgenson.
Approval from the General Assembly is seen as a formality and expected to take place soon.
During his first term Guterres was forced to concentrate on limiting the potential damage from the unilateral, nationalist and alliance-wary foreign policy of then US president Donald Trump.
Now, as he embarks on a new term, Guterres will need "a battle plan" for all the crises around the globe, one diplomat said.
He can point to few major diplomatic victories over the past five years. Wars or conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Mali, for instance, are nowhere near resolution.
A peace process has begun in Libya, which descended into violent chaos after the death of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, but the UN is mainly seen as playing an accompanying role.
Critics also point to the UN's passivity in the face of Myanmar's military crackdown against the Rohingya people since 2017, which UN investigators have said amounts to genocide.
Guterres said last month that "key elements" of his work depended on discretion.
"Sometimes to be effective, it needs to be done discreetly, to establish back channels between parties," Guterres said.
Such channels, he said, "are essential to avoid the worst in the confrontations and to try to find solutions".
Under constant pressure from major powers and small countries alike, Guterres managed to avoid alienating any of the five permanent members of the Security Council. This locked in a second term for him.
Source-AFP
DEPUTY PREMIER AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HON. E. JAY SAUNDERS VISITS SISTER ISLANDS
Deputy Premier & Minister for Health and Human Services, Hon. E. Jay Saunders commenced an all-island tour of the Primary Health Care facilities and other health departments across the Turks and Caicos on Monday, May 17th, 2021.
Beginning on North Caicos at 10:00am, Deputy Premier Saunders and his team from the Ministry visited the Primary Health Care clinics, Environmental Health Department and dumpsites. On May 27th, 2021 the team conducted similar visits on South Caicos.
The Deputy Premier was accompanied on the tour by Mrs. Desiree Lewis, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Nadia Astwood -Chief Medical Officer, Chief Dental Officer, Dr. Janice Baron, Chief Environmental Officer, Mr. Kenrick Neely, Primary Health Care Manager, Nurse Alrisa Gardiner, Deputy CMO, Dr Jeremy Myers, Director for Health Disaster Education & Training, Ms. Charlene Higgs, Ms. Renessa Williams, Head of Secretariat and Ms. Lareesa Robinson, Executive Administrator.
The delegation met with staff, assessed the progress made in respect to COVID-19 response, evaluated the readiness of facilities for the 2021 Hurricane Season and assessed any challenges staff currently face to ensure that plans are in place to provide the resources necessary for them to operate efficiently and effectively.
Commenting on the recent visits, the Deputy Premier said, “I am always happy when I get an opportunity to meet our team in person, particularly at their place of work. These visits allow me to hear their concerns and see firsthand the conditions that they’re working under. The Ministry of Health will ensure that our officers have the relevant resources and infrastructure to carry out their functions. It is important to me as Deputy Premier and Minister for Health that the needs of our healthcare professionals are always met and that they are given the tools to do their jobs at the highest level.”
Scotiabank TCI Manager Urges Vigilance on Fake Apps, Email Scams on the rise
Scotiabank has urged increased vigilance among its customers when navigating websites, using mobile applications, and responding to any email requests purporting to be from the Bank.
“Customers are also asked to take steps to verify the legitimacy of any email, websites and apps – especially sites used to conduct purchases and other financial transactions or requesting personal information,” shared Ira Taylor, Branch Manager, Scotiabank TCI.
Taylor notes that across the region, the Bank has noted multiple attempts to defraud customers or obtain personal information using online channels.
Fake websites and apps
Taylor says online criminals have become more skilled at creating fake websites and mobile applications that appear identical to legitimate one.
He noted that scammers often create fake correspondence, apps and websites with names that are so similar that a user may not notice the difference. One of the first things that a user can look out for is differences in the name, formatting, and general appearance of the online item. Broken links and sites that appear to be poorly designed are an immediate tell-tale sign that a website may be a fraud.
With regard to apps, if the user is bombarded with multiple requests for personal information, several pop-up ads or other abnormal requests, users should immediately exit and uninstall the app,” he instructed.
Missing Contact Information
Customers should check to ensure that retail websites have up-to-date contact information such as a working telephone number that a human representative answers, a legitimate email address as well as a mailing address. “This is important in the event that the customer or the Bank needs to seek redress on a purchase or transaction,” Taylor explained.
Suspicious Requests for Personal Information
Email or phishing scams are another way that customers are being deceived. “Many can be so convincing in appearance that they can be easily mistaken. Email scams often prompt recipients to take immediate action to prevent or stop unauthorized access and in doing so, customers can unwittingly expose their personal information.”
Scotiabank says it will never request personal information, payments, passwords, personal identification numbers (PINS) by asking them to click a link.
Scams Evolve
“We want everyone to be cautious as it is very difficult to provide a full list of the methods that are used to scam customers” Taylor said. ”If you may have accidentally clicked a link or provided such information, immediate contact should be made with the Bank.”
He also noted that increasingly the financial industry has been a key target for scammers who have even created sites that mimic Banks’ online and mobile channels.
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FORECAST TUESDAY 8TH, JUNE 2021
HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS STATIONARY ACROSS THE BAHAMAS, PRODUCING PLEASANT WEATHER AND MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS OVER THE ISLANDS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: THERE IS THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG EASTERLY AND SOUTHEASTERN SHORELINES.
FOR ALL AREAS
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY HOT AND BREEZY WITH AN ISOLATED SHOWER, BECOMING FAIR AND WARM TONIGHT
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION CONTINUES
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET, HIGHER IN GUST
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 90F 32C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 73F 23C
SUN
SUNSET: 7:57 PM SUNRISE: 6:19 WED AM
MOON
MOONSET: 6:37 PM MOONRISE: 5:39 AM WED
TIDES
LOW TIDE: 1:18 PM 2:10 WED AM
HIGH TIDE: 7:42 PM 7:54 WED AM
WEATHER OUTLOOK: AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL PRODUCE CLOUDY SKIES WITH INCREASING SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS TOMORROW.
TROPICAL WEATHER: AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE HAS A LOW 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF DEVELOPMENT OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. SOME GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THE SYSTEM MOVES SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD CENTRAL AMERICA.