Haiti's president defends record at UN
HAITI'S President Jovenel Moise told the UN Security Council on Monday that "democracy was doing well in Haiti" despite its ongoing political crisis, an assertion challenged by the United States, which called on him to quickly put an end to his era of "rule by decree."
Moise has been ruling by decree for a year because there currently is no parliament, and only a third of its senators are in office. Legislative elections due in 2018 were delayed.
He also maintains that his term lasts until February 2022 -- but the opposition argues it should have ended two weeks ago, in a standoff over disputed elections.
During a rare address by a head of state -- countries are usually represented by the foreign minister -- Moise said that in four years, his country "had had to face down bids to interrupt the constitutional order through violence.
"At the base of all this, there is a rejection of the democratic regime and of elections as the only means of access to the management of the affairs of the state," he said, lauding his own administration's "tireless efforts... to appease the sociopolitical climate."
"We are facing a powerful lobby which has great resources," he said during a speech that lasted 27 minutes, instead of the 15 normally granted, and that was marred by the sound and image cutting out because of a poor internet connection.
He said this lobby was associated with "sore losers" and has violently blocked the senate's regular functioning, preventing the government from being formalized and voting on a budget and an electoral law.
The president promised "limited use" of presidential decrees until the next general election scheduled for September, but Washington asked him to stop using them at all, while France said that several of the more recent ones were "a source of concern."
Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the acting US ambassador to the UN, reiterated "the need to bring the current period of rule by decree to a swift conclusion."
He said such measures should only be taken when absolutely necessary and in issues such as security and election preparations.
"We urge the government of Haiti to hold overdue legislative elections as soon as possible in order to restore the parliament's constitutional role," he said.
"Recent actions unilaterally removing and appointing three supreme court judges, creating a national intelligence agency, and actions constraining the role of Haiti's independent audit agency risk damaging Haiti's core democratic institutions," he added.
The dispute in Haiti stems from Moise's original election. He was voted into office in a poll subsequently canceled after allegations of fraud, and then elected again a year later, in 2016.
The issue has led to weeks of violent protests on the streets of the poor Caribbean country.
Premier Missick Announces New Cabinet
The Premier Honourable Charles Washington Misick is pleased to formally announce the following recommendations for appointments to form the Turks and Caicos Islands Cabinet.
1. Charles Washington Misick— Premier and Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade
2. Erwin Jay Saunders—Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Agriculture, Sports and Human Services
3. Akierra Mary Deanne Missick—Leader of Government Business and Minister of Infrastructure, Housing Planning and Development
4. Josephine Olivia Connolly—Minister of Tourism, Environment, Heritage, Maritime, Gaming and Disaster Management
5. Otis Chuck Morris—Minister of Home Affairs, Public Utilities and Transportation
6. Arlington Alexander Musgrove—Minister of Immigration, Citizenship, Labour and Employment Services
7. Rachel Marshall Taylor—Minister of Education, Youth, Culture, Social and Library Services
The Premier commenting on the appointments stated, “I have complete confidence in this group of individuals to ensure that the needs of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands are met through the implementation of policies, legislation and programmes that are effective.
Without delay, my Cabinet colleagues and I, are equipped and prepared to get to work.”
Facebook reverses ban on news pages in Australia
Facebook has announced it will restore news content to its users in Australia.
The tech giant has blocked news to Australians on its platform since last Thursday amid a dispute over a proposed law which would force it and Google to pay news publishers for content.
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg had told him the ban would end "in the coming days", after the pair had talks.
Mr Frydenberg said amendments would be made to the law.
"Facebook has re-friended Australia," he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
The government has been debating the law - seen as a possible test case for regulation globally - in the Senate, after it was passed in the lower house last week.
Last Thursday, Australians woke up to find they could not access or share any news stories on their accounts.
Facebook argued it had been forced to block Australian news in response to the proposed legislation.
The government's news code aims to set up a "fairer" negotiation process between the tech giants and news companies over the value of news content.
Source-BBC
Jamaican Gov't to reallocate fund for COVID-19 vaccination public education
Cabinet is to reconsider the allocation of funding for Public Education and promotion on COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that the increased public outcry for the COVID-19 vaccine in the island, has prompted the Government to consider reallocating funds budgeted for the public education and promotion programme on vaccines to other areas of health or to acquire more vaccines.
“You will hear shortly of what that reallocation of those resources will do. We still however have to maintain some minimum amount of public education. When you think of the logistical efforts involved in deploying the vaccine, it would still require the Government to communicate with its citizens; time and place and availability, and explain to citizens what the vaccines will do. What side effects there could be; if any. So there still has to be some budget for that,” the prime minister was quoted in an OPM statement.
He noted the concerns and fear of some citizens to take the vaccine once it is available.
However, the prime minister said the Government will make every effort to ensure citizens can ultimately feel safe.
“We have to ensure that we plan enough to educate; we will reserve resources for public education to encourage persons to take up the vaccine. We were very careful to ensure that any vaccine that we are bringing into the country, that it has WHO (World Health Organization) approval and that we took the time and effort to ensure, that was the case.”
In the meantime, Holness reiterated that the Government is working assiduously to get supplies of vaccines into the country.
He reinforced that all Jamaicans must continue to practice and follow the rules under the Disaster Risk Management Act.
“We are still in the danger zone and therefore we must use the 'vaccine' that is readily available to us; the mask, the social distancing, the hand sanitising, the gathering rule and how you conduct yourself. Those have been the first and foremost method of protecting yourself against the disease and I want to urge our Jamaicans to bear that in mind,” said Holness.
Source-JA.Observer
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are divorcing
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are ending their marriage after more than six years together, a representative for the reality star confirmed to ABC News on Friday.
Kardashian, 40, and West, 43, married in 2014 and have four children together: North, 7; Saint, 5; Chicago, 3; and Psalm, 1. The couple had reportedly been living apart for some time, with West apparently spending time in Wyoming and Kardashian West staying in California.
According to E! News, Kardashian has requested joint legal and physical custody of their kids.
Last summer, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians pleaded for "compassion and empathy" as the rapper made headlines for displaying increasingly erratic behavior during his failed presidential run. Explaining that West has bipolar disorder, Kardashian West said that she'd never discussed it publicly before because she's always felt "very protective of our children and Kanye's right to privacy when it comes to his health."
"I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions," she wrote, calling her husband a "brilliant but complicated person."
She continued that he has the "pressures of being an artist and a Black man," on top of the pain of losing of his mother in 2007.
"Living with bi-polar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas, no matter how big or unobtainable they may feel to some," she added. "That is part of his genius and as we have all witnessed, many of his big dreams have come true."
This was the first marriage for West and the third for Kardashian West.
Gun violence cost America nearly $300 billion in 2018
Gun violence in the U.S. does not only just cost people their lives -- it costs the nation billions of dollars.
A new study found that, between 1992 to 2018, gun violence in the U.S. cost roughly $860 a person, meaning that the overall cost is $280 billion.
The report, from Everytown for Gun Safety, arrived at the number by researching economic costs in five separate categories: medical, police and criminal justice, employer related, work loss and quality of life.
Quality of life, specifically, targets what a person loses after a gun-related death or disability -- such as pain and suffering -- and how that relates to lawsuit settlements. It is deemed one of the most important factors when determining the overall cost of gun violence.
Says Ted Miller, of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation who helped develop the report, said, "You can't go out and buy quality of life."
Quality of life costs resulted in the nation losing $214.2 billion, while work-loss costs came second with a price tag of $51.2 billion.
The survey also found that $34.8 million is spent each day by federal, state and local governments to combat gun violence -- such as paying first responders and criminal justice services.
Everytown Director Sarah Burd-Sharps hopes the study will spark conversations on how to properly deal and, hopefully, eliminate gun violence because of how much it is costing the nation each year.
"It's critical that you have data on the billions that are going out, particularly at a time when municipalities and families are stretched because of COVID," she said.
Burd-Sharps furthered that, in Louisiana, which has the highest level of firearm-related deaths -- it costs the state an average of $1,793 per person each year.
Versus Massachusetts, which has stricter gun laws that contribute to a lower rate of gun deaths, the average cost per person drops to $261.
Said Burd-Sharps, "It's pretty clear that states that have strong gun-safety laws have a far lower costs than states with lax gun laws."
Source-ABC
POLICE INVESTIGATING FAKE NEWS RELATING TO THE TCI ELECTIONS
On February 19th, 2021 a Criminal Complaint was made to the RTCIPF regarding, what purports to be, a communication between His Excellency Governor Nigel Dakin and the Hon. Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson. This matter is now subject to a Criminal Investigation as ‘fake news’.
Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting said, “Free, open and fair elections are the cornerstone of any democratic society, and any attempt to affect the outcome of an election on the TCI is a criminal act. This morning, the matter referred to me will be thoroughly investigated, and I would ask that anyone with any information to please come forward and tell me what they know at anti.corruption@tcipolice.tc”
TCI RECORDS ITS THIRTEENTH (13TH) COVID-19 RELATED DEATH
The Ministry of Health reports its thirteenth Covid-19 related death. On Saturday February 13 2021, a flight en route to the United States declared a medical emergency on board, and was diverted to the Providenciales International Airport.
On arrival the passenger was found to have succumbed to illness, and out of an abundance of caution a COVID-19 test was done which has since returned positive. Immediate relatives and other stakeholders have been notified.
The thoughts and prayers of the Ministry of Health are with the family and friends of this individual.
The Ministry of Health wishes to remind the general public to practice the relevant public health measures in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 throughout the TCI.
Persons should;
Wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
Maintain social distancing of 6 feet between persons
Wear face coverings in public settings (covering nose and mouth)
Avoid mass gatherings or crowds
Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or use disposable tissues
Comply with public health measures
Stay home where possible
If you have symptoms of Covid-19 which include; cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, fever, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell-please stay home and contact the Health Hotlines on 232 9444 or 333 0911
Do not visit health care facilities if you have symptoms or signs of Covid-19, call the Health Hotlines for guidance unless your symptoms are severe
If you are under quarantine by the Public Health Team, please remain at home and comply with the guidance provided to you.
If you are contacted by the Public Health Team as a part of contact tracing activities, please provide all of the information requested to assist them in their investigations
Refrain from speculation and spreading rumors
Stay informed with the latest information from the Ministry of Health by visiting our website on https://www.gov.tc/moh/coronavirus/
Consult with your healthcare provider regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and register.
EMPLOYERS TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES TIME TO VOTE
Polling day for General Election in the Turks and Caicos Islands will be Friday, 19 February 2021 and all Polling Stations will open from 7am and close at 7pm on all Islands except of Providenciales, and at 9pm on Providenciales.The Supervisor of Elections will like to take this opportunity to remind every employer of their obligation to allow any employee who is a registered voter time to vote.
Section 67 of the Elections Ordinance which states:
- Every employer shall, on polling day, allow to every voter in his employ a reasonable period for voting, and no employer shallmake any deduction from the pay or other remuneration of any such voter or impose upon or exact from him any penalty by reason of his/her absence during such period; and
- Any employer who, directly or indirectly refuses, or by intimidation, undue influence, or in any other way, interferes with the granting to any voter in his employ of such period for voting, as is in this section provided, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or to imprisonment for six months or both
Please be guided accordingly during the upcoming General Elections.
Jaguar car brand to be all-electric by 2025
Jaguar Land Rover's Jaguar brand will be all-electric by 2025, the carmaker has said.
The company will launch electric models of its entire Jaguar and Land Rover line-up by 2030, it added.
The firm said it would keep all three of its three British plants open as part of its new strategy.
But it has dropped plans to build an electric version of its XJ saloon at the Castle Bromwich plant, meaning the site will eventually stop making cars.
Chief executive Thierry Bolloré said the plant would focus instead on "non-production" activities in the long term, without giving details.
The company plans to spend about £2.5bn a year on new technology for its cars.
Source-BBC