TURKS AND CAICOS POST 22nd CABINET MEETING STATEMENT
His Excellency the Governor, Dr. John Freeman, chaired the 22ND meeting of the Cabinet on Thursday, 5th October 2017, at the Hilly Ewing Building, Providenciales.
At this meeting Cabinet:
Noted the receipt of a request from S&P Global for information related to hurricane damage on TCI. A response will be provided in due course;
Advised His Excellency the Governor on the potential financial impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria and requested further information to be provided for consideration at Cabinet's next meeting;
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the inclusion of a Trans-shipment fee within the Tariff Schedule to the Ports Authority (Stevedores, Fees and Charges) Regulations 2008;
Received an interim paper from the Hon. Premier on the formation of a Recovery Task Force following Hurricanes Irma and Maria;
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the extension of a client relief programme to the holders of performing loans in the portfolio formally managed by TCInvest;
Received an information paper from the Hon. Premier, as Minister of Finance, Trade and Investment, updating Cabinet on expenditures that may be funded from the Contingency Fund as a result of Hurricanes Irma and Maria;
Received an information paper from the Hon. Minister of Education, Youth, Sport and Library Services on the resumption of public schools. The Ministry of Education will make a public announcement on this matter;
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve a paper from the Hon. Minister of Tourism requesting support for a proposed 90-day tourism strategy on the basis of a cost-sharing arrangement with the private sector;
Received an update from the Hon. Premier, as Minister of Finance, on the latest financial position of the National Health Insurance Board (NHIB) including measures to reduce expenditure. His Excellency the Governor raised particular concern about the financial position of NHIB and Cabinet discussed ways to address this;
Received an update from the Hon. Deputy Premier on work being taken forward by the private sector to improve the provision of community housing. Cabinet will receive a further update in due course.
Received an update from the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs on the ramping up of the enforcement of immigration laws following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Cabinet agreed a public announcement on this matter would be made.
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
TCIG welcomes deployment of Serco Prison Officers from the UK
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communication is pleased to announce the arrival of 22 prison staff from the United Kingdom following their deployment to Her Majesty's Prison in Grand Turk.
The UK staff will provide additional assistance to the Superintendent of Prisons in the aftermath of the recent hurricane activity and following a spate of concerted indiscipline incidents. The visiting staff group consists of prison officers, middle and senior managers who will work under the direction of the Superintendent of prisons.
In particular, the UK staff will assist in implementing a raft of systems, processes and procedures which are designed to improve safety, security, care and opportunity. In addition to this, the UK staff will provide an additional focus towards assessing and challenging those in our custody who do not behave in accordance with expectations.
Importantly, this deployment of skilled practitioners will provide valuable coaching to our local staff so that they are better equipped to implement and enforce the operational instructions of the Superintendent in the future.
Steve Barrett, Superintendent of Prisons states; "This is a significant investment in the prison by Her Majesty's Government and one which is intended to deliver long term benefits to the delivery of our business. I am particularly pleased that our staff will be exposed to the skills of the UK prison officers. In real terms, this constitutes the best possible learning and development opportunity for our people".
C&W BUSINESS JOINS FORCES WITH THE REGION'S PREMIER TOURISM CONFERENCE
C&W Business, part of the Cable & Wireless Communications Group (C&W), a Liberty Global Company, joins forces the region's premier tourism gathering, the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (#SOTIC2017).
C&W Business has come on as gold sponsor of the event organised by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in #PureGrenada from 10-13 October.
The CTO's secretary general Hugh Riley said with technology influencing travel now more than ever before, it was fitting that the telecommunications company would throw its support behind the conference at this time.
"Technology has become an integral part of travel and plays an important role in decision-making as people make travel plans. Whether it's virtual reality or social media, or simply facilitating communication between the traveller and family and friends back home, there is little that influences travel today as much as technology does," Mr. Riley said.
"The CTO is proud to welcome C&W Business as a gold sponsor for our State of the Tourism Industry Conference in Grenada. This year's conference is one of our most important yet as many of our members and faithful partners are recovering from two of the most destructive hurricanes ever to affect our region. There has hardly ever been a time when examining the state of Caribbean tourism and plotting its future was more urgent than right now and it is fitting that C&W Business should join us in this journey."
In addition to hosting the luncheon of the CTO ministers, commissioners and directors of tourism, during the conference C&W Business will participate in the panel discussion focused on the steps to rebuild tourism, as well as showcase its comprehensive portfolio of solutions that enable hospitality organisations of any size to achieve their goal.
"Most of our markets depend on tourism to drive their economies," Garry Sinclair, President of C&W Caribbean said, "as such we invest in world-leading business solutions technology that enables the hotel and tourism sector to provide products and services that are on par with international standards, meets customers' changing life- style needs and enhances their visitor experience. This ultimately attracts more business to the region."
SOTIC, which has as its theme Supercharging the Caribbean Brand: Meeting the Needs of the New Explorers, is the preeminent educational forum for Caribbean hospitality and tourism professionals. This year's conference is being organised by the CTO in collaboration with the Grenada Tourism Authority and Grenada's ministry of tourism, and will be held from 10-13 October at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort. The conference will be preceded by business meetings on 9 and 10 October.
Key conference sessions include Infusing Dynamism in Caribbean Tourism, Who are the New Explorers, Business Models that Rock, Turning Our Waters Into Goldmines - Investing in the Blue Economy, and Spicing Up the Caribbean Brand.
The highly anticipated tourism youth congress and a Stakeholders Speak Out session are also part of the programme.
Windsong Resort Turks and Caicos Named World Travel Awards' Leading Boutique Hotel
The Windsong Resort has been named by the World Travel Awards as the 2017 Turks and Caicos Leading Boutique Hotel. A leader in recognizing excellence in the travel industry for 24 years, the World Travel Awards are acknowledged across the globe as the ultimate travel accolade. The awards were established in 1993 to recognize, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.
“Given the Turks and Caicos’ reputation as a highly acclaimed luxury destination with an exceptional number of beautiful boutique properties, this coveted award is very special to Windsong and every member of our team,” stated Anette Mullings, Windsong’s general manager.
While the competition for this award is undeniable, Windsong has shown consistency in excellence by being recognized with nominations for eight World Travel Awards since it began participating in 2015, including:
Winner 2017 Turks and Caicos Leading Boutique Hotel
Nominated 2016, 2015 Turks and Caicos Leading Boutique Hotel
Nominated 2017, 2016, 2015 Caribbean’s Leading Luxury Hotel Villa
Nominated 2017, 2016, 2015 Turks and Caicos’ Leading Hotel Suite
“Though we are grateful to be recognized for our luxury accommodations and resort, as well as our unique location on Grace Bay and a snorkeling reef, it is the totality of the ‘Windsong vacation experience’ and the genuine caring and attentiveness of our staff that our guests seem to enjoy most,” stated Windsong’s managing partner, Jim Molter.
The Windsong Resort is an award-winning, boutique luxury oceanfront property with 53 accommodations including rooms, studios, 1- 4 bedroom oceanfront suites/penthouses, and a private villa on a stunning 435’ stretch of world-famous Grace Bay and the island’s best coral reef. Among the islands’ Caribbean resorts, Windsong is the only Providenciales member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts LVX Collection. Other recognitions include: Conde Nast Johansen’s Luxury Hotel Member 2016, Expedia's most popular small hotel in the Caribbean 2015, Magellan Awards -- Gold – Penthouse & Silver – Villa 2014, Trip Advisor Top 25 Caribbean Hotel and Certificate of Excellence Awards.
FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT, ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.
GENERAL SITUATION: A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS ACROSS THE AREA...WHILE A SURFACE TROUGH WILL SHIFT WESTWARDS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCREASING SHOWER CHANCES.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: MARINERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE ALERT FOR THE POTENTIAL OF WATERSPOUTS. ALSO, BEACHGOERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ESPECIALLY ALONG NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
FOR ALL AREAS
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY, HOT AND A BIT BREEZY TODAY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS...TURNING FAIR AND BREEZY TONIGHT WITH A POSSIBLE STRAY SHOWER OR TWO.
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT CAUTION WILL COME INTO EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON...
EXPECT GUSTY WINDS & HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON.
SEAS:2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN, BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FEET THIS AFTERNOON.
HIGH TEMPERATURE TODAY 91 °F 33 °C
LOW TEMPERATURE TONIGHT 77 °F 25 °C
SUNRISE: 7:05AM
SUNSET: 6:48PM
MOONSET: 10:56AM
MOONRISE: 10:17PM
HIGH TIDE: 11:06AM &11:28 PM
LOW TIDE: 5:33 PM & 5:38AM TUE
EXTENDED FORECAST:HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MID-WEEK, MAINTAINING AN EASTERLY WIND FLOW.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
FORECAST FOR TUESDAY
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY, WARM AND BREEZY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND A FEW POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE OCEAN
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY, WARM AND HUMID WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: PLEASE SEE THE LATEST NEWS ITEMS ON POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE NATE AND TROPICAL DEPRESSION 17.
Mexico Posts Record Auto Output
Mexico produced a record number of cars and light trucks in September, backed by greater exports to the U.S., Canada and Europe as a two-year boom in new-car domestic sales began to wane.
Vehicle production rose 7.7% in September to 307,174 units, compared with the year-earlier month, and was up 9.8% in the first nine months of the year at 2.8 million, the Mexican Auto Industry Association said Monday.
September exports jumped 15% from a year before to almost 271,000 units, bringing the total for the January-September period to almost 2.3 million, an 11.5% gain.
The U.S. is the biggest importer of Mexican-made vehicles, receiving about 76% of exports so far this year, although exports to Canada, Europe and Latin America also have grown.
As the Mexican auto industry posts production and export records, it has become a focal point for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump which wants to reduce U.S. trade deficits by redrawing rules of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Eduardo Solís, president of the auto industry association, declined to comment Monday on reports that the U.S. seeks to introduce country-specific rules of origin for the auto sector and require that vehicles have at least 50% U.S. content to qualify for duty-free imports under Nafta. He said no proposals have yet been made.
But he questioned the 1995-2011 data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross referred to last month in backing the idea of changing rules of origin to address the diminishing share of U.S. content in the vehicles it imports from Mexico and Canada.
"The conclusion from the analysis we did is that the content we have in parts and components from the U.S. is approximately between 37% and 39.5%," Mr. Solís said at a press conference. "These are far from those mentioned by the U.S. Commerce Secretary. I think there's no question of the levels of integration that we have."
For the Mexican auto industry, the most important thing "is that we work with hard data, with current and real numbers," he added.
A fourth round of Nafta negotiations is scheduled to start this week in Washington.
Mexico's domestic new-car sales are declining after growing 19% in both 2015 and 2016. Sales fell 11.5% in September from a year earlier and were off 1.1% in the first nine months of this year at 1.1 million units.
It looks unlikely that sales this year will beat the 1.6 million vehicles sold in 2016, said Guillermo Rosales, head of the Mexican dealership association AMDA. "But it's not a cause for alarm or crisis for the sector," he said.
Contributor- Anthony Harrup/ Source-FoxNews
Sandals seeking more Copa flights into Jamaica
Sandals Resorts International is negotiating with Copa Airlines with the intention to increase the number of flights into Jamaica and also to boost the number of Latin American tourists to the island.
Senior vice president of sales Unique Vacations, (Sandals marketing arm) Gary Sadler, speaking at a press briefing yesterday at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort following a meeting with senior executives of Copa Airlines, disclosed that Sandals was seeking to have Copa expand its connections into Jamaica and bolster its partnership with the Sandals brand.
“Latin America continues to be a very important and the fastest-growing market for Sandals and Beaches Resorts,” Sadler noted. “Copa Airlines provides us with a high level of partnership, as seen in the fact that we have brought down close to 100 Latin American travel agents from 16 countries to Jamaica this week for our annual Latin American Golf Tournament. The real concept was not just about golfing, but to showcase what Jamaica has to offer — its the people, the environment, and attractions.
“The partnership is extremely important because Copa Airlines has 75 gateways that feed into Panama, from which they operate direct flights into Jamaica to both Kingston and Montego Bay. The partnership with Copa continues to grow and expand and we want to make sure that all of Latin America understands that Jamaica is the perfect destination for them to come to, and we want to ensure that our investments into Latin America continue to be strong,” Sadler said.
The Sandals senior executive pointed out that one of the reasons Jamaica continues to be an attractive destination to Latin Americans is the similarity in the lifestyles of Jamaicans and Latin Americans in terms of entertainment, nightlife, and culture.
Copa Vice-president of Sales Christopher Didier was also upbeat about the Jamaica partnership and noted that his company was looking forward to increased collaberation with Sandals and Jamaica.
Didier pointed to the new North-South link which allows for easy and quick access to Ocho Rios from Kingston, and the growing number of Latin American visitors to Jamaica.
Source-Jamaica Observer
Miami Dolphins coach resigns after video appears to show him snorting white powder
A video surfaced on Sunday night appearing to show the Miami Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerster snorting white powder off a table before a meeting, according to ESPN. On Monday morning, he announced his resignation from the team.
The 56-second video, which contains explicit language, shows a man snorting what appears to be powder off a table using a $20 bill. At one point, he says, “How about me going to a meeting and doing this before I go?”
Head coach Adam Gase told ESPN he is processing the situation after finding out about the video on Sunday.
Foerster, who at one time was the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, was one of the NFL’s highest-paid assistants according to ESPN. His reported annual salary is valued between $2.5 to $3 million.
Foerster began his NFL coaching career in 1992.
Source-ABC
Streep and Dame Judi Dench speak out about Harvey Weinstein
Meryl Streep and other Hollywood stars have spoken out against producer Harvey Weinstein in the wake of the sexual harassment claims that saw him being fired by his own company.
Streep told the Huffington Post she was "appalled" by the "disgraceful" news.
She went on to praise "the intrepid women who raised their voices to expose this abuse", calling them "heroes".
Dame Judi Dench also issued a statement saying she was "completely unaware" of the "horrifying" claims.
The British actress also praised those who had spoken up.
"I offer my sympathy to those who have suffered, and wholehearted support to those who have spoken out," she said.
Meanwhile, another British actress - Romola Garai - says she felt "violated" after being asked to visit Weinstein in his hotel room when she was 18 so he could "approve" her for a role.
Garai told The Guardian he opened to door in his dressing gown. "It was humiliating for me," she said, adding: "It was an abuse of power."
Oscar-winner Kate Winslet has also praised those, like Garai, who spoke out, telling Variety they are "incredibly brave", adding it had been "deeply shocking to hear".
Emma Thompson, Mark Ruffalo and Seth Rogen are among other leading actors to express similar sentiments.
The Weinstein allegations have instigated a fierce debate about abuse of power in Hollywood and beyond.
Streep's statement followed criticism that leading Hollywood figures had maintained a "deafening silence" in the wake of the allegations against Weinstein that surfaced in the New York Times on Friday.
Streep said she wanted to make it clear that "not everybody" had known about the allegations, including herself.
The three-time Oscar-winner said the news had "appalled those of us whose work [Weinstein] championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported."
Streep worked with Weinstein on such films as The Iron Lady and August: Osage County and jokingly referred to him as "God" in a 2012 acceptance speech.
"Harvey supported the work fiercely, was exasperating but respectful with me in our working relationship, and with many others with whom he worked professionally," Streep wrote about the allegations.
"I did not know about his financial settlements with actresses and colleagues; I did not know about his having meetings in his hotel room, his bathroom, or other inappropriate, coercive acts.
"And if everybody knew, I don't believe that all the investigative reporters in the entertainment and the hard news media would have neglected for decades to write about it."
She added: "The behaviour is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar. Each brave voice that is raised, heard and credited by our watchdog media will ultimately change the game."
A spokesman for Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May said she had expressed "concern" about the allegations, but said his CBE was not a matter for her office but for the Honours Forfeiture Committee, where each case is "considered on its merits".
Source-BBC
Google 'uncovers Russian ad campaign linked to US election'
Google has found evidence that Russian agents spent tens of thousands of dollars on adverts in a bid to sway the 2016 US election, media reports say.
Sources quoted by the Washington Post say the adverts aimed to spread disinformation across Google's products including YouTube and Gmail.
They say the adverts do not appear to be from the same Kremlin-linked source that bought ads on Facebook.
Google said it was investigating attempts to "abuse" its systems.
US intelligence agencies concluded earlier this year that Russia had tried to sway the election in favour of Donald Trump.
The Russian government strongly denies the claims and President Trump has denied any collusion with the Kremlin.
The issue is under investigation by US congressional committees and the Department of Justice.
Sources said to be close to the Google investigation said the company was looking into a group of adverts that cost less than $100,000 (£76,000).
Google said in a statement: "We have a set of strict ads policies including limits on political ad targeting and prohibitions on targeting based on race and religion. We are taking a deeper look to investigate attempts to abuse our systems, working with researchers and other companies, and will provide assistance to ongoing inquiries."
Microsoft said on Monday it was also investigating whether any US election adverts had been bought by Russians for its Bing search engine or other products.
A spokesman told Reuters it had no further information at the moment.
Facebook said in September that it had uncovered a Russian-funded campaign to promote divisive social and political messages on its network.
It said that $100,000 was spent on about 3,000 ads over a two-year period, ending in May 2017.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg later said his company would pass the information to US investigators.
Source-BBC