1ST NATIONAL HERO MEMORIAL 2019
JOIN THE COUNTRY ON MONDAY AS WE CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF OUR FIRST NATIONAL HERO LIVE ON RTC89FM AT 10AM.
National Trust hosts two Community College interns
The Turks and Caicos National Trust through its “Power of Partnership” initiative launched since 2014, highlighted the concept as one of its key programme strategies for the immediate past institutional year, and has seen fit to continue with the concept in achieving goals in the current year.
Building on achievements accomplished last year, and focusing on the objectives of its Youth Empowerment Programme, the National Trust will be hosting two interns from the Community College on a six week stint commencing May 20th, 2019. The interns are pursuing a course in Hospitality and Tourism Management and represent both the Grand Turk and Providenciales campuses.
The interns will engage in an opportunity to learn policies and procedures deployed by the Trust in managing heritage tourism sites, learn the significance of operational statistics in relation to the work of the organisation and the importance of reaching for excellence in customer service.
The Trust is no stranger to accommodating interns, having hosted interns from the British West Indies Collegiate and US Colleges, but is looking forward to this new experience with the TCI Community College and strengthening of the partnership through other initiatives.
For almost a decade, the Turks and Caicos National Trust has methodically developed a brand that would show case eco- tourism through the programmes of the Trust, whilst simultaneously protecting, preserving and promoting the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Johnny Depp accuses Amber Heard of domestic abuse
Hollywood star Johnny Depp has denied physically abusing ex-wife Amber Heard, arguing that it was she who abused him during their relationship.
In newly filed court documents as part of his $50m (£39m) defamation case against her, Depp accused Heard of having "painted-on bruises".
"I have denied Ms Heard's allegations vehemently since she first made them in May 2016," he said.
A lawyer for Heard denied the allegations against his client.
Depp launched the defamation case against Heard after the actress described herself as the victim of domestic abuse in a piece in the Washington Post in December.
Heard asked a judge in Virginia to dismiss the lawsuit, prompting the new declaration from Depp.
"I have denied Ms Heard's allegations vehemently since she first made them in May 2016 when she walked into court to obtain a temporary restraining order with painted-on bruises that witnesses and surveillance footage show she did not possess each day of the preceding week.
Depp added: "I never abused Ms Heard or any other woman.
"She was the perpetrator, and I was the victim. While mixing prescription amphetamines and non-prescription drugs with alcohol, Ms Heard committed innumerable acts of domestic violence against me, often in the presence of a third-party witness, which in some instances caused me serious bodily harm."
In a statement to People magazine, Heard's lawyer Eric George said: "The evidence in this case is clear: Johnny Depp repeatedly beat Amber Heard.
"In light of the important work done by the #TimesUp movement highlighting the tactics abusers use to continue to traumatise survivors, neither the creative community nor the public will be gaslit by Mr Depp's baseless blame-the-victim conspiracy theories."
A spokesperson for Depp, in a statement given to the BBC, accused Heard of an "infamous hoax" which he said had been "obliterated", adding: "Amber Heard's lawyer says 'the evidence in this case is clear,' and then presents none."
Depp and Heard started dating after meeting on the set of 2011 comedy The Rum Diary. They married in Los Angeles in February 2015.
The BBC has contacted Depp and Heard's representatives for comment.
Heard obtained a restraining order against Depp after accusing him of abuse in May 2016, which he denied.
The couple settled their divorce out of court in 2016 and both actors signed non-disclosure agreements barring them from discussing their relationship publicly.
In a joint statement issued at the time, they said their relationship was "intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love".
They added: "Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm."
Source-BBC
'One last chance' to get Brexit done says May
Theresa May has told MPs they have "one last chance" to deliver Brexit, as she set out a "new Brexit deal".
MPs will get a vote on whether to hold another referendum if they back the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill, she said.
The bill also contains new guarantees on workers' rights, environmental protections and the Irish backstop as well a customs "compromise".
If MPs reject the bill, she warned them a negotiated exit would be "dead in the water" and Brexit could be stopped.
MPs have rejected the withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU three times.
In what is seen as a last roll of the dice, Mrs May is now bringing the Withdrawal Agreement Bill - legislation required to bring the agreement into UK law - to Parliament in early June.
In a speech in London, the prime minister said the deadlock over Brexit was having a "corrosive" impact on British politics and stopping progress in other areas.
"We are making a new offer to find common ground in Parliament," she said. "That is the only way to deliver Brexit."
She said MPs would have the chance to vote on whether to hold another referendum before the exit agreement was ratified and, if MPs backed it, the government would make the necessary arrangements.
While she personally opposed another referendum on the terms of Brexit, the PM said she recognised the "genuine and sincere" feelings on the issue in Parliament,
She urged MPs to back the Withdrawal Agreement Bill at its first parliamentary hurdle in and then "make the case" for another public vote when the bill was examined in detail.
Mrs May also said there would be new legislation to ensure UK workers' rights were "no less favourable" than within the EU and guarantees that there would no dilution in environmental standards.
In a move to reassure Tory Brexiteers, she said there would be a legal obligation on the government to find alternative arrangements to maintain an open border in Northern Ireland by the end of 2020 to ensure the controversial backstop plan never had to come into force.
Northern Ireland would remain aligned with the rest of the UK, in terms of regulation, after Brexit and would not be part of a separate customs territory.
Appealing to MPs to back her plan, she said it would honour the 2016 referendum result, adding: "I have compromised, now I ask you to compromise too."
Source-BBC
Simmons' resignation paves way for possible return
The decision by Phil Simmons to step down as head coach of Afghanistan after the ICC World Cup has opened up the possibility of a return to the West Indies team.
Simmons recently announced that he would be leaving the post after achieving his goal of helping Afghanistan qualify for the tournament, which will be held in England and Wales from May 30 till July 14.
His contract, although due to expire at the end of the World Cup, would most likely have been extended.
“I have thought about it and I have actually given the ACB [Afghanistan Cricket Board] my notice that I will not be renewing my contract. I will move on to something different once my contract expires on July 15,” Simmons told ESPNcricinfo.
“I signed up originally for 18 months and I think I have done a lot in this period. It is time for me to move on to something else now. To want to get to the World Cup — that was ACB's goal at the time they appointed me. My goal is always to leave things better than when I joined: the way we practise, the way we think about the game, the way we assess other teams. I've tried to help the players in all those areas.”
Coincidentally, after also being in charge of the West Indies for 18 months, Simmons was controversially fired by the Dave Cameron-led West Indies Cricket Board back in 2016.
However, while Simmons challenged the decision in court, one of the first orders of business for new Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt was to apologise to the former West Indies all-rounder and reach an amicable resolution.
Source-CMC
UN reports that 3 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015
An estimated three million people have fled the crisis in Venezuela since 2015, most of whom should be considered refugees, the United Nations disclosed today.
UN refugee agency spokeswoman Liz Throssell said that an average of 3,000 to 5,000 people are leaving Venezuela each day, as the country's economy continues to deteriorate amid a power struggle between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Gauido.
"We're looking at about three million people who have left Venezuela since 2015," Throssell told reporters in Geneva.
The UNHCR said 460,000 Venezuelans have made formal asylum requests, mostly in neighbouring Latin American countries.
The agency added that it was issuing a "guidance note" to countries to advise them that most displaced Venezuelans are entitled to international protection.
"This is because of the threats to their lives, security or freedom resulting from circumstances that are seriously disturbing public order in Venezuela," UNHCR said in a statement.
The UN agency also called on all states "to ensure that Venezuelans, regardless of their legal status, are not deported or otherwise forcibly returned to Venezuela".
The economy in oil-rich Venezuela was already spiralling downward before Maduro was sworn in for a second six-year term in January.
Guaido then claimed constitutional legitimacy as the National Assembly speaker, and declared himself acting president.
He quickly won recognition from more than 50 countries, but has failed to topple Maduro, who is backed by Venezuela creditors China and Russia and retains the support of the country's powerful military.
Source-AFP
CXC to consider petition for maths resit
The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) is to consider a petition calling for all students to re-sit the 2019 CSEC Maths exams following serious breaches of the examination regulations, a representative from the Barbados-based institution has said.
“All of the queries regarding such were [reported] to the head of the department and it's being worked on. The queries have not fallen on deaf ears so everyone will be notified of a decision in due course,” the representative told OBSERVER ONLINE a short while ago.
It is unclear who launched the petition that has so far gained 5,085 signatures — more than 60 per cent of the 7,500 signatures required.
Last week, CXC announced that it was investigating a breach in examination security in Trinidad and Tobago, where students were said to have used mobile phones and textbooks during the exam.
“It would be unfair if these students are allowed a free pass, and equally unfair if only selected schools/students are allowed to resit a supplementary exam. The extent to which exams could have been scanned and shared, not only nationally, but regionally is unfathomable.
“Students could have been privy to the exam questions earlier than the start time and they could have sent these images on social media to their counterparts in other schools across the country and region. The invigilator also could have further compromised the situation by sharing the exam with other invigilators.
“Given the conditions and circumstances, it is only fair and just that all students in the entire region resit a supplementary mathematics exam which should be done before the end of the exam period, June 6th, 2019,” a summary of the petition read.
Source-Jamaica Observer
Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Heritage, Maritime, Gaming and Disaster Management DECR welcomes Scientist Dr. Gillian Key
The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources is hosted visiting Scientist Dr. Gillian Key of the Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat during the period May 9-11th 2019.
On 10th May 2019 the DECR held a workshop on tackling invasive non-native species, the program introduced the results of the Horizon Scanning Workshop that was held in May 2018 which included a review of the risk species list and their pathways of introduction. The group discussed the development of action plans and propose policies, which will help in defending the Turks and Caicos Islands from invasive species of flora and fauna.
The workshop welcome participants form various departments across Government who all play a vital role in working towards the prevention and eradication of invasive species.
Minister Higgs comments, “Invasive species remain a significant threat to our native plants and animals, agriculture, and environmentally rich tourism product. Continued collaboration with the Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat through horizon scanning, policy development, and identification of potential introduction pathways help us protect our vital industries and sensitive environment. We are pleased to have Dr. Gillian Key visiting and look forward to furthering our partnership”
The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources will continue to remain vigilant through the development of biosecurity policy and legislation; and continued partnership with relevant Governments agencies.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON CREDIT UNION SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands recognizes that credit unions could play an important role in capital formation, productive investment and ultimately the economic development of the country.
The Credit Union Ordinance (Ordinance 27 of 2016) was approved in the House of Assembly on 26 July 2016 but was not brought into operation due to the requirement to have Regulations and Prudential Standards (subsidiary legislation) in place.
The general public is now invited to provide feedback on this subsidiary legislation. It dictates how the provisions of the Ordinance are to be applied and implemented, directing on the following:
- Licensing of Credit Unions
- Management
- Shares
- Borrowing and Liquidity
- The Business of a Credit Union
- Loan Administration
- Property and Funds of a Credit Union
- Amalgamation
- Appointment of Receivers or Judicial Manager
- Dissolution
- Disputes
The documents (in draft) are accessible via the TCI Government website: www.gov.tc. They can also be accessed on the Turks and Caicos Islands Financial Services Commission website at link: http://tcifsc.tc/publications/consultative-documents.
Comments can be sent to the following email addresses: creditunionconsultation@gov.tc or consultation@tcifsc.tc
Persons wishing to provide feedback in hard copy, may submit written representation to: The Ministry of Finance, Trade and Investment, The Treasury Building, Downtown, Providenciales or Durham’s Building, Lighthouse Road, Grand Turk. Envelopes should be clearly marked: “Feedback on Credit Union Legislation”.
Two town hall meetings are scheduled for the islands of Grand Turk and Providenciales, respectively.
Grand Turk - Date: Monday, 6 May 2019│ Venue: Dillon Hall │Time: 6:00p.m.
Providenciales - Date: Thursday, 9 May 2019│ Venue: Airport Inn, Conference Room│ Time 6:00p.m.
The electronic consultation closes 15 May 2019
WhatsApp urges update after 'serious' security breach
WhatsApp on Tuesday encouraged its users to upgrade the app to plug a security breach that allowed sophisticated attackers to sneak spyware into phones, in the latest trouble for its parent Facebook.
The vulnerability — first reported by the Financial Times, and fixed in the latest WhatsApp update — allowed hackers to insert malicious software on phones by calling the target using the app, which is used by 1.5 billion people around the world.
"WhatsApp encourages people to upgrade to the latest version of our app, as well as keep their mobile operating system up to date, to protect against potential targeted exploits designed to compromise information stored on mobile devices," a spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.
The FT cited a spyware dealer as saying the tool was developed by a shadowy Israel-based firm called the NSO Group, which has been accused of helping governments from the Middle East to Mexico snoop on activists and journalists.
And security researchers said the malicious code bore similarities to other tech developed by the firm, according to The New York Times.
The latest exploit — which impacts Android devices and Apple's iPhones, among others -- was discovered earlier this month and WhatsApp scrambled to fix it, rolling out an update in less than 10 days.
The firm did not comment on the number of users affected or who targeted them, and said it had reported the matter to US authorities.
It also informed authorities in Ireland about the "serious security vulnerability", according to a statement by the country's Data Protection Commission (DPC).
"The DPC is actively engaging with WhatsApp Ireland to determine if and to what extent any WhatsApp EU user data has been affected," it said.
It echoed WhatsApp in encouraging users to update the app, as "the possibility remains that EU users were affected".
The breach is the latest in a series of issues troubling WhatsApp's parent Facebook, which has faced intense criticism for allowing its users' data to be harvested by research companies and over its slow response to Russia using the platform as a means to spread disinformation during the 2016 US election campaign.