First-time nominees H.E.R. and Leslie Odom Jr. react to their Oscar nods
Grammy-winning singers H.E.R. and Leslie Odom Jr. are among the artists who received a Oscar nomination Monday morning.
H.E.R. was nominated for Best Original Song for her "Fight for You" anthem from Judas and the Black Messiah, less than 12 hours after winning two Grammys Sunday night.
"Woke up to an Oscar nomination. Wow! God is so good!," H.E.R. wrote on Instagram, tagging the film's official Instagram account, @judasandtheblackmessiahfilm.
"Fight for You" was co-written by H.E.R. along with Grammy-nominated songwriters Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas.
Leslie Odom Jr. received an Oscar nomination for co-writing "Speak Now" with songwriter Sam Ashworth. The song was written for Regina King’s directorial debut film, One Night in Miami, in which Odom portrayed legendary soul singer Sam Cooke. Odom is also nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in the film, which was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.
"They can wake me up like this anytime," said Odom during an appearance on Good Morning America Monday. "I left the Broadway stage four or five years ago and I started this journey in film...to learn how to be on camera."
"I wanted to learn if I could be useful in this medium," Odom went on. "And thanks to Regina King and Kemp Powers and this film, I really do feel like I'm on my way. It feels like a good beginning."
Back to the films, The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7 are the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture, announced this week.
Mank leads all films, with ten total nominations.
The 93rd annual Academy Awards will be presented Sunday, April 25 and telecast live on ABC.
Source-ABC
TCI PUBLIC FORECAST
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY, WARM AND BREEZY WITH THE CHANCE OF A FEW LIGHT
PASSING SHOWERS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 KNOTS… GUSTY AT TIMES IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS… 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE TURKS & CAICOS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 3 TO 5 FEET NEARSHORE, BUT UP TO 7 FEET ALONG ATLANTIC EXPOSED SHORELINES IN NORTHEASTERLY SWELLS.
TODAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURE: 81°F / 27°C
TONIGHT’S LOW TEMPERATURE: 70°F / 21°C
SUNRISE: 7:19 AM
SUNSET: 7:17 PM
MOONRISE: 8:46 AM
MOONSET: 9:24 PM
HIGH TIDE: 10:00 AM
LOW TIDE: 4:14 PM
HIGH TIDE: 10:21 PM
LOW TIDE: 4:37 AM TUE.
EXTENDED FORECAST (FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS): HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING MAINTAINS STABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE BAHAMAS.
Bitcoin surges past $60,000 for first time
Cryptocurrency Bitcoin has risen for the first time above $60,000 (£43,100), continuing its record-breaking run.
Bitcoin - which has more than tripled in value since the end of last year - has been powered on by well-known companies adopting it as a method of payment.
But some analysts said this latest surge came in part due to the huge US stimulus package approved this week.
Bitcoin's total market value last month exceeded $1tn.
However, Bitcoin has a track record of wild price swings and has fallen sharply a number of times since it was created in 2009.
The recent spikes have been fuelled by big companies.
In February, Elon Musk revealed that his electric carmaker Tesla had bought $1.5bn worth of Bitcoin and would be accepting it as payment for its cars in future.
Mastercard also plans to accept certain cryptocurrencies as a form of payment while BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, is exploring ways it can use the digital currency.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also played its part in Bitcoin's price rise, as more people go online for shopping, moving further away from physical coins and notes.
Critics argue Bitcoin is less of a currency and more of a speculative trading tool that is open to market manipulation.
There is also concern over its environmental impact, with huge amounts of energy needed to conduct transactions.
Source-BBC
The Last Remaining Plants Making GM Cars Forced To Shut Down
As demand for consumer electronics has skyrocketed during the pandemic, the end result isn’t all sunshine and rainbows on both sides. This surge of unimaginable proportions has pushed the supply chain dangerously close to the breaking point. At a more local level, this has led to production shutdowns at many North American GM plants.
Following the pattern of widespread shutdowns, General Motors recently announced that it will idle production at a plant in Lansing, Michigan, – a result of the ongoing semiconductor shortage. The factory employs 1,400 workers tasked with producing the Chevrolet Camaro, Cadillac CT4, and Cadillac CT5.
We continue to work closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor requirements and to mitigate the impact on GM,” said spokesman Daniel Flores.
Unfortunately, the issue leaves a number of other North American factories afflicted – including three other locations that have been forced to put production on the backburner. Outside of the United States, GM facilities in Canada, Brazil, and Mexico have been experiencing similar difficulties. It’s unclear when stateside operations will resume, but we do know that the San Luis Potosi Assembly plant – down since February 8th – is set to get the ball rolling on April 5th.
Along with the toll that this will take on the economic security and employment of existing workers, GM themselves are also facing substantial difficulties. It’s estimated that the shortage and subsequent shutdowns could lead to the loss of around 216,000 vehicles. To offer some perspective, that’s roughly $2 billion in earnings that are gone.
We’d be remiss not to mention that Toyota and Hyundai successfully forecasted the shortage, and stockpiled necessary components in anticipation of this exact eventuality. Regardless, it remains an uphill battle, as computer chips are expected to remain in short supply until the second half of this year.
Source-Auto News
British Airways plans app-based travel pass
British Airways is planning to make it easier for passengers to prove they are safe to travel once they have been vaccinated against Covid.
Under the plans, people who have had both jabs will be able to register their status on BA's smartphone app.
The airline's chief executive, Sean Doyle, hailed the UK's "great progress" in tackling the pandemic.
Last month, BA owner IAG called for digital health passes "to reopen our skies safely".
IAG's boss, Luis Gallego, said at the time that the airline group wanted international common testing standards for travel.
The UK government has said it will give the go-ahead for a return to international travel on 17 May at the earliest.
The announcement prompted a flood of bookings, but it remains unclear which routes will be available.
BA's move comes amid heated debate about the possibility that "vaccine passports" could become a feature of foreign travel and even be used within the UK to allow entry to places such as pubs or sports stadiums.
In his latest comments to journalists, BA's Mr Doyle said the UK should be a global leader in reopening international travel.
He urged the government to "set an example" and "be ambitious" in developing systems, including the use of digital technology to verify the vaccination and test status of passengers.
"We're making great progress in Britain in dealing with the pandemic," he said, pointing to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the success of the UK's vaccination programme.
"It's fair to say that Britain has developed a really strong leadership position in coming out the other end of the pandemic," he said.
"What we want to make sure is that we also take that leadership position into restoring travel and restoring the economy."
Source-BBC
Department Of Social Development prepares for Social Work Month 2021
Globally, Social Workers have served on the frontline, side-by-side responding to the negative impact of the covid19 pandemic and other social ills. Social Workers are often faced with mind-boggling human adversities that shatter lives that have to be nurture, mended and renewed.
As the world continues to experience calamities, the social needs of its people only heightened. Social Workers are challenged to the frontline to provide their unending support in connecting people to services.
Unfortunately, the role and significance of Social Workers as 'Essential' are often disregarded, unappreciated, and misunderstood by the community at large. Given the current dilemma the world and specifically the Turks and Caicos Islands are in, it appears to be no better time to highlight how essential Social Workers are to the communities they serve. SOCIAL WORKERS ARE ESSENTIAL! It takes passion, dedication, empathy and heart to place service and others before self to work a thankless and sobering job while risking their own health and wellbeing.
Going forward, it is my hope that our colleagues, stakeholders and clients recognize, embrace and celebrate Social Workers as essential workers for the contributions they have made and will continue to make for generations to come.
As we celebrate Social Work Month March 2021 under the theme 'Social Workers Are Essential', let's remember Social Workers always have been, and always will be, on the front lines, building a restorative bridge to support families and communities.
Happy Social Work Month to my fellow unsung pandemic heroes! Social Workers, Probation Officers and Psychiatric Social Workers, YOU MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!
Social Month Activities:
-Pay It Forward March
DSD staff to treat an elderly person/family during the month of March 2021.
-Purple Friday/ Pantry Love Day
Staff dress in purple and encourage the community at large to wear the colour to symbolize Social Work month.Staff are also encouraged to donate a CAN during the day. Staff will also encourage the entire Civil Servant body and community to participate.
The culminate the month, the Social Worker/ Probation Officers & Psychiatric Social Workers Are Essential will make an appearance on March 29, 2021 on RTC89fm.
Chinese economy continues its pandemic bounce back
Key economic data in China surged dramatically in the first two months of 2021, pointing to a continued recovery for the world's second largest economy.
China's industrial output grew 35.1% in January and February compared to the same months last year.
The strong numbers are distorted because they are compared to 2020, when most of China's factories were in pandemic lockdown.
But Monday's slew of economic data still beat analysts' expectations.
Looking back to 2019 before the pandemic hit may give a more accurate picture of what is happening to economic activity in China.
Industrial output was up 16.9% compared with the first two months of 2019, highlighting the stronger output.
A rebound in foreign demand has helped push export growth higher for China, often called the world's factory.
The Chinese government has set a modest annual economic growth target for 2021, at above 6%, even though analysts are tipping growth of around 8%.
China was the only major economy last year to report positive growth, with an expansion of 2.3%.
A spokeswoman for China's statistics bureau Liu Aihua told reporters the economy should continue its recovery.
However, she said there are still imbalances in the economic recovery and that China needs to step up support for consumption.
Retail sales, another key economic indicator, climbed 33.8% in the period, although the jobless rate was 5.5% at the end of February, up from 5.2% in December.
Economists have pointed to a two-speed track for China, with strong industrial output and export demand but a lagging consumer recovery.
The government imposed travel restrictions before the Chinese New Year holidays, which fell in February this year. This suppressed spending on travel, restaurants and leisure activities.
However, retail sales data showed the top growth items were jewellery (up 99%) and cars (up 78%).
"These items tell us that Chinese consumers spent lavishly during the Chinese New Year holiday," said Iris Pang, Chief Economist for Greater China, at ING bank.
Barbados to open new diplomatic missions in Ghana, Kenya and the UAE
Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Jerome Walcott says that in an effort to expand Barbados' diplomatic footprint, as part of the national effort toward economic reconstruction and business generation, three new missions will be established in the upcoming financial year.
He was speaking during a recent press conference where he highlighted the recent and proposed activities of the ministry.
“New diplomatic offices will be opened in Ghana, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates with the intention of expanding Barbados' South-South cooperation, strengthening our global people-to-people contact, and also contributing to the national effort toward economic reconstruction, business and revenue generation, increased investment, and expanded trade in Barbados' goods and services, including tourism,” he said.
He further explained the rationale for establishing diplomatic offices in Ghana, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“These new missions will be at the forefront of efforts to identify new and emerging sectors that can propel and expand the Barbadian economy, and also to strengthen, advance and diversify bilateral and multilateral action to promote Barbados' interests globally. Since Independence, our mantra has been “friends of all, satellites of none”; it is now time for us to widen our network of friends, especially in the face of COVID-19,” Walcott said.
The Mission Office in Ghana, which is said to be the ancestral homeland of a large population of Barbados' population, will be established in Accra.
In Kenya, the office will serve as Barbados' permanent mission to the United Nations Office in Nairobi, which is the third largest United Nations Office in the world.
Source-CMC
West Indies beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in ODI
West Indies defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in the third One-Day International at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium here Sunday.
Scores:
SRI LANKA 274 for six off 50 overs (Wanindu Hasaranga 80 not out, Ashen Bandara 55 not out, Danushka Gunathilaka 36, Dimuth Karunaratne 31; Akeal Hosein 3-33)
WEST INDIES 276 for five off 48.3 overs (Darren Bravo 102, Shai Hope 64, Kieron Pollard 53 not out; Suranga Lakmal 2-56)
Source-CMC
Putin keeps his grip over Russia, even with support waning
When the Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny returned to Russia in January, he threw down a gauntlet to president Vladimir Putin’s authority.
It was challenge watched by the world as Navalny—having survived a nerve agent poisoning months earlier—flew into Moscow.
The Kremlin’s response has been blunt. Navalny was swiftly sentenced to over two and a half years in prison in a trial condemned internationally as being politically motivated.
The unusually large protests in Russia that followed Navalny’s imprisonment were swiftly and robustly suppressed, as authorities deployed police on an unprecedented scale. Thousands were detained and hundreds then fined or given short prison sentences. Police targeted Navalny’s allies with a barrage of raids and new criminal prosecutions, putting most of them in detention.
After two weekends of protests, which saw so many detained that Moscow’s jails and courts briefly backed-up, Navalny’s team called off any further streets protests until the summer.
That outcome has affirmed Putin’s capacity to retain control, but it also points to an unappealing future for the Kremlin, one where it has to rely more and more on crude authoritarianism. In many ways the protests reaffirmed the strength of Putin’s control.
Independent polls have shown that despite the drama, there has been little impact on Russians’ attitudes towards Navalny and Putin. According to the independent pollster the Levada Center, around 19 percent % of Russians approve of Navalny’s actions, while 56 percent disapprove.
That is 6% more who disapprove than before Navalny returned. The same Levada polls show trust for Navalny among Russians overall has crept up slightly, from three to 4 percent.
The polling suggests that the government has succeeded in controlling the narrative around Navalny, the center’s deputy director, Denis Volkov said.
The majority of Russians remain apathetic and deeply cynical about political change, attitudes also cultivated by Kremlin propaganda, experts said, which poses a huge challenge to Navalny’s efforts to mobilize them.
In recent years, approval of Putin and the authorities more generally has been eroding. Putin’s approval last year dipped to its lower level in a decade, reaching 59 percent last April.
Source-ABC