The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board says this country is open for business
The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board says this country is open for business, despite being hammered by two catastrophic 5 hurricanes and will be using every available means, to get the word out.
For the month of October, the Ministry of Tourism and the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board have embarked on a comprehensive series of marketing and public relations activities.
Public Relations Officer, Mr. Oehleo Higgs, says the expectations from these initiatives, are to negate any misinformation or bad publicity about the Turks & Caicos following recent storms, to let the world know that the Turks & Caicos is indeed open for business, and to safeguard the remainder of the Fall and Winter travel season for the destination.
The Ministry and Tourist Board seeks to inform the media and the public, in detail, about these noteworthy measures via a press conference, scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at the Office of the Premier.
The Minister of Tourism, Hon. Ralph Higgs and Director of Turks and Caicos Tourist Board, Mr. Ramon Andrews, are expected to be in attendance and share with stakeholders, new captivating videos of the destination post-hurricanes, the use of traditional and digital media to spread the message, restart of Fish Fry, clean-up campaigns, SOTIC 2017, press trips and more.
Food for Thought working to get its programmes quickly back on track
Now that the government schools are open (for the most part), and Food for Thought has the information it needs to make food orders, the organization says it is working to get its programmes quickly back on track.
Our Breakfast Programme and Food Bank Programme have been temporarily revised in order to accommodate the limited resources available at some of the schools.
Specifically, we are able to continue our usual menu at our Breakfast Programme schools in North and Middle Caicos. Iris Stubbs Primary School in South Caicos is now open using temporary classrooms but as their canteen was severely damaged and their kitchen appliances destroyed we will be providing their students with ready-to-eat breakfast items. When Mary Robinson Primary School in Salt Cay re-opens, we will assess what items can be sent over.
Our Food Bank Programme puts Breakfast Boxes in the guidance counsellors' offices at the other 10 government schools. We will at least double the reach of the Food Bank Programme but we need to ask the public to donate to our Food Banks so we can reach even more children. Our usual shopping list is below but now we are also asking for ready to eat food such as granola bars, fruit cups and individual milk cartons. Many schools still do not have access to power and/or water, and most of their appliances have been ruined. At schools that do have resources to prepare breakfasts we will accommodate them.
Food for Thought is of course also accepting monetary donations.
It's now more important than ever to reach as many children as possible with our free breakfast. Families are facing huge financial and emotional burdens following the devastating Category 5 hurricane and hurricane Maria. With some resorts and restaurants still closed, small businesses struggling with cash flow, limited employment opportunities, many families are struggling with the additional costs of house repairs, replacement of damaged belongings and so on.
You can take your donations to Savory & Co., Quality Food Centre, Crust Bakery, Graceway Sports Centre, British West Indies Collegiate, Bark + Bliss, Scotiabank Grace Bay, West Indie and International School of Turks and Caicos Islands.
Mars, Sheeran, Drake, Chainsmokers, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd lead American Music Awards
Bruno Mars has a lot to like this morning. The "That's What I Like" singer's earned a leading eight American Music Awards nominations, including Artist of the Year, Favorite Male Pop/Rock and Soul R&B Artist and more. It's all on the strength of his 24K Magic album, which also earned nods for favorite Pop/Rock and Soul/R&B album.
Ed Sheeran, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and The Chainsmokers are tied with the next-most nominations, at five each.
Nominees in six of the top categories were first announced by R&B singer Ciara on ABC's Good Morning America Thursday, including the Artist of the Year category.
You can vote for your favorite artists via Billboard.com beginning today at 10:30 a.m. ET.
The 45th American Music Awards take place Sunday, November 19, broadcast live at 8:00 PM ET/7:00 CT on ABC.
Here are the nominees announced live on ABC's Good Morning America today:
Artist of the Year
Bruno Mars
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Ed Sheeran
Favorite Female Artist - Pop/Rock
Alessia Cara
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
Favorite Male Artist - Pop/Rock
Bruno Mars
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
Favorite Album - Pop/Rock
Bruno Mars -- “24K Magic
Drake -- “More Life”
The Weeknd - “Starboy”
Favorite Song - Pop/Rock
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey -- “Closer”
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber -- “Despacito”
Ed Sheeran -- “Shape of You”
And here are the rest of the American Music Awards nominees:
New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile
James Arthur
Niall Horan
Julia Michaels
Post Malone
Rae Sremmurd
Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey -- “Closer”
DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne -- “I’m the One”
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber -- “Despacito”
Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar -- “Don’t Wanna Know”
The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk -- “Starboy”
Tour of the Year
Garth Brooks
Coldplay
U2
Video of the Year
Bruno Mars -- “That’s What I Like”
Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee -- “Despacito”
Ed Sheeran -- “Shape of You”
Favorite Male Artist - Country
Sam Hunt
Thomas Rhett
Keith Urban
Favorite Female Artist - Country
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
Favorite Duo or Group - Country
Florida Georgia Line
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Favorite Album - Country
Jason Aldean -- They Don’t Know
Chris Stapleton -- From a Room: Volume 1
Keith Urban -- Ripcord
Favorite Song - Country
Sam Hunt -- “Body Like a Back Road”
Jon Pardi -- “Dirt on My Boots”
Keith Urban -- “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Favorite Artist - Rap/Hip-Hop
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Migos
Favorite Album - Rap/Hip-Hop
Drake -- More Life
Kendrick Lamar -- DAMN.
Migos -- Culture
Favorite Song - Rap/Hip-Hop
DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne -- “I’m the One”
Kendrick Lamar -- “HUMBLE.”
Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane -- “Black Beatles”
Favorite Male Artist - Soul/R&B
Bruno Mars
Childish Gambino
The Weeknd
Favorite Female Artist - Soul/R&B
Beyoncé
Kehlani
Rihanna
Favorite Album - Soul/R&B
Bruno Mars -- 24K Magic
Childish Gambino -- Awaken, My Love!
The Weeknd -- Starboy
Favorite Song - Soul/R&B
Bruno Mars -- “That’s What I Like”
Khalid -- “Location”
The Weeknd -- “Starboy”
Favorite Artist - Alternative Rock
Imagine Dragons
Linkin Park
twenty one pilots
Favorite Artist - Adult Contemporary
Bruno Mars
Shawn Mendes
Ed Sheeran
Favorite Artist - Latin
Daddy Yankee
Luis Fonsi
Shakira
Favorite Artist - Contemporary Inspirational
Lauren Daigle
MercyMe
Chris Tomlin
Favorite Artist - Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
The Chainsmokers
DJ Snake
Calvin Harris
Top Soundtrack
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2
Moana
Trolls
Source-ABC
40 people missing as migrant vessel sinks off Haiti en route to Providenciales
Authorities in Haiti have confirmed that about 40 people are missing, after a migrant vessel sunk on the northern coast of Haiti.
Haiti’s civil emergency agency said seven people were rescued yesterday by search teams scouring the seas off the island of La Tortue.
The vessel sank after leaving La Tortue earlier in the day for Providenciales Island in the northern Turks and Caicos archipelago, 200 kilometres to the north.
According to the survivors, three of whom were hospitalized on their return to Haiti, the vessel was
In a country where more than 60 per cent of the population lives on less than US$2 a day, there are carrying 50 people when it sank.frequent attempts to reach the Bahamas or Turks and Caicos illegally.
Just last week, the Department of Immigration in the Ministry of Border Control and Employment, confirmed the arrival of a number of illegal Migrants, following reports of a possible more than 150 men, women and children of Haitian nationality, were found in and around the waters of West Caicos.
The Task Force in the Department of Immigration, apprehended and ferried those migrants to the processing unit in Providenciales for processing and repatriation to their native home - the Republic of Haiti.
Meanwhile the Department of Immigration in the Ministry of Border Control and Employment continues to remind the public that harboring illegal migrants is a crime and that such persons can now face a fine of $20,000 on summary conviction or to a term of imprisonment of four years, or to both. In addition, persons acquiring status other than by birth that are convicted of such an offense, face the possibility of having their status in the Islands revoked, thereby making them liable to deportation.
Jamaica's DPP slaps successive gov'ts for justice system neglect
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn yesterday chastised successive governments for not paying enough attention to the justice system over several decades, resulting in broken down infrastructure and a crippling backlog of cases.
In a report to the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) of Parliament on its backlog reduction strategy, the Ministry of Justice reports that there are over 2,000 cases in circuit courts across the island, with 861 serious offences in the home circuit alone. Additionally there are over 35,000 cases in parish courts awaiting trial, some of them partially heard.
“It is just unfortunate that over the last 30 years there was not a unified, holistic vision by both political dispensations in respect of the justice system… at least 40 years ago, there should have been a 20-year plan (or) a 30-year plan to take account of the increase in the population in the town centres… looking at our statistics you will see the doubling (and) tripling in crime in many of the parishes,” Llewellyn stated during a sitting of the PAAC where officials of the Ministry of Justice answered questions about the state of the justice system.
The DPP argued that case backlog is not unique to Jamaica, but that there must be a method of minimising the excess. “Part of Jamaica's problem is the fact that the justice system has never been as sexy for you legislators as building a highway, therefore the resources have not been put in place to enhance the capacity of the courts,” she stated.
Llewellyn said her office is doing what it can to reduce the backlog, pointing to a pilot which is to be launched in the St Catherine circuit court which now has over 400 cases. “In conjunction with the Chief Justice we have decided to find the resources to have two different circuit courts sitting at the same time from the beginning of November through to December,” she explained. “In order for us to mount those two sittings at the same time we have had to collapse the continuing sitting of the Clarendon circuit court, so it means that matters that would have been ready for November and December, we have had to adjourn those until next year so that we can have a judge and a prosecutor available to try to break the back of that over-400 case load.”
Further emphasising the challenge of inappropriate facilities and shortage of courtrooms, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jeremy Taylor painted a startling picture of daily occurrences in the circuit court. “In St Elizabeth the custody persons and the jurors share the same room, because there is no holding area,” he said. “When the jurors need to retire to consider a verdict you have to empty the room of the custody persons and put them to sit in the court while the jurors go in to deliberate. In St Ann, when the circuit sits, again a parish court has been displaced and you have not lived until you enter the St Ann court to see police fingerprinting persons right in front of a courtroom door, and a holding area which is under the staircase and where I share a bathroom with the custody persons,” he said.
Llewellyn said part of the problem is that legislatures have been “in a bubble” where the administration of justice is concerned. “We are in the trenches… part of the problem is a lot of you really don't understand what it takes to run the justice system, so a lot has been taken for granted,” she stated.
Permanent Secretary Carol Palmer, while outlining some of the steps being taken to improve infrastructure, expressed her own frustration. “The Chief Justice will tell you she would love to have the circuits sitting all year round so that we can put a dent in the number of cases, but it's not practical because 99 per cent of the cases that are at the parish courts will therefore not happen,” she told the committee.
Palmer pointed out that the majority of out-stations are “as derelict as they come”, and despite repairs, are just too old to manage what is expected, noting too that there is also an issue of resistance to using some of them.
According to a September 2017 report submitted to the committee, the ministry expects to double the number of courts in the Supreme Court for criminal cases from six to 12, but unless there is personnel to manage and staff these courts, they cannot operate.
It was also noted that Cabinet signed off on an additional 17 posts, including 10 Crown counsel, for the Office of the DPP. Approval has also been granted for 19 administrative positions to be upgraded, the DPP informed the committee.
Source-Jamaica Observer
Mexico auto group rejects U.S. proposal on NAFTA rules
The Mexican Auto Industry Association on Thursday rejected U.S. proposals to increase North American content for autos produced in the region and require, under a new NAFTA deal, that half of all content come from the United States.
AMIA President Eduardo Solis said the rules of origin enshrined in the current North American Free Trade Agreement have been key in creating value and integrating the auto industries of Canada, the United States and Mexico.
"Our position is to not touch the methodology or the rules of origin that have allowed this sector to be successful in the three countries," Solis said at an event in Mexico City.
Under NAFTA, at least 62.5 percent of the material in a car or light truck made in the region must be from North America to be able to enter the marketplace tariff-free.
U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed raising the amount of NAFTA content in autos to 85 percent and securing 50 percent of the total for the United States.
Those demands to reserve the lion's share of automotive manufacturing for the United States helped cast a pall over a fourth round of talks to revamp the 23-year-old accord underpinning $1.2 trillion in annual trilateral trade.
Solis called the U.S. proposal for country-specific content rules unacceptable, saying it violated World Trade Organization rules.
Global automakers including General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Volkswagen AG all have plants in low-cost Mexico.
Source-AutoNews/Reuters
Google's parent company to build futuristic neighborhood
Google, a company that's built everything from a search engine to a self-driving car, will now try its hand at a city neighborhood.
Sidewalk Labs, an urban innovation company owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, is teaming with Toronto to begin planning a neighborhood designed as a model for urban life in the 21st century.
Sidewalk Labs will invest $50 million in an initial phase of planning and pilot testing. Alphabet has also pledged to relocate Google's headquarters in Canada to the new neighborhood, called Quayside, which is on the Toronto waterfront. Google has roughly 1,000 employees in Canada.
Sidewalk Labs plans to do everything from reduce pollution, commute times and landfill waste to improve the weather. It envisions reducing the impact of wind, increasing shade on sunny days and blocking rain due to smart building design and tree planting.
In an ambitious proposal, Sidewalk Labs promised to make the weather more comfortable to enjoy the waterfront. It also believes it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 73%, potable water consumption by 65% and landfill waste generation by 90%.
Source-CNN
UK banks 'exposed to money laundering in South Africa'
UK financial regulators and the Serious Fraud Office are to review if banks HSBC and Standard Chartered are linked to a South Africa corruption scandal.
It comes after Lord Peter Hain said the banks may "inadvertently have been conduits" for laundered money.
The Labour peer told the House of Lords that up to £400m of illicit funds may have been moved by the banks.
His concerns relate to links between South Africa's President Jacob Zuma and a wealthy business family, the Guptas.
The peer has written to the Chancellor Philip Hammond, telling him a whistle-blower had indicated the banks "maybe inadvertently have been conduits for the corrupt proceeds of money".
Lord Hain told the BBC he named 27 people in the letter, in addition to companies, adding that any person or firm linked to alleged corruption in South Africa is "going to be badly contaminated".
The Treasury has referred Lord Hain's letter to regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority, and the SFO.
A Treasury spokesman said: "We take allegations of financial misconduct very seriously, and have passed Lord Hain's letter on to the Financial Conduct Authority and relevant UK law enforcement agencies, including the National Crime Agency and Serious Fraud Office, to agree the right action."
The BBC's correspondent in Johannesburg, Andrew Harding, said Lord Hain's letter was "a new twist in a giant corruption scandal that is shaking the South Africa state, and damaging the reputations of a number of global companies".
Mr Zuma and the Guptas strongly deny wrongdoing, and say they are victims of a "politically motivated witch-hunt".
But leaked emails and official investigations have fuelled claims that the Guptas have bought influence in government in order to loot state enterprises.
In South Africa, the scandal has already ruined British public relations company Bell Pottinger and damaged auditors KPMG, which removed its top executive team in the country.
Source-BBC
Trump didn't know fallen soldier's name, kept calling him "your guy," congresswoman says
Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., adamantly stood by her characterization of President Donald Trump's phone call with the widow of a fallen soldier in an interview with ABC News Wednesday, calling his words "terrible" and adding that the president didn't even know the man's name.
Wilson said she was with Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in Niger two weeks ago, and heard the president on speakerphone when he called to console her.
"I heard him say, 'Well I guess you know he knew what he was signing up for, but it still hurts,'" Wilson told ABC News.
Earlier in the day Trump called that description a "total fabrication" and suggested Wilson would issue a correction to her statement. Instead, Wilson doubled down on her criticism of the president.
"It was the wrong thing to say, but that’s not the worst part," Wilson said. "He did not even know La David Johnson’s name. He kept referring to him as your guy. He never called his name. So that was even more painful."
Wilson said other family members who overheard the conversation also seemed upset by it.
"He didn’t call her by name, he didn’t call anyone by name. He was just talking. That was so insensitive and so terrible and I felt insulted, and I’m sure the widow felt insulted and everyone else in the car was just shaking their heads," she said.
The president also said in a tweet today he had "proof" Wilson wasn't telling the truth. White House spokesman Sarah Sanders later said the president was referring to officials who were in the room with Trump during the call and could corroborate his version of the conversation. Sanders said there is no recording of the call.
Sanders called Wilson's actions "disgusting" and accused her of politicizing the death of a soldier. "I think it's appalling what the congresswoman has done and the way she's politicized this issue and the way that she's trying to make this about something that it isn't," she said.
Wilson, for her part, does not deny politicizing the call. When asked about it by ABC News, she said she's a politician and acts as a voice for the people. "When I pick up a puppy, I'm politicizing it," Wilson said.
She also said the deadly ambush in Niger that killed Sgt. Johnson and three other special operations soldiers leaves so many unanswered questions that "this is going to be Mr. Trump's Benghazi," a reference to the 2012 attack that killed four Americans.
Source-ABC
Brooklyn Nets' Jeremy Lin out for season with ruptured patellar tendon
Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin suffered a serious knee injury in his team's season opener on Wednesday and is expected to miss the remainder of the year.
Lin left the 140-131 loss to the Indiana Pacers after driving to the basket in the fourth quarter. Lin immediately grabbed his knee, and seemed to mouth the words "I'm done," before pounding the floor. Lin also appeared to cry in pain before Nets trainers got to him.
The team announced on Thursday that Lin had been diagnosed with a ruptured patellar tendon.
"Jeremy worked tremendously hard during the offseason and in training camp and was excited for the prospects of the team this season," Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement Thursday. "We feel awful that the injury will cost him the season, however our entire organization will be there to support Jeremy in every way possible throughout his recovery. Jeremy remains an important part of this team and will continue to contribute in a leadership role."
Lin scored 18 points before the injury.
In Lin's absence, the team is expected to turn to newly acquired D'Angelo Russell at the point guard position. Russell scored 30 points on Wednesday night.
Source-ABC