Digicel, FLOW assure compatibility with new '658' area code
JAMAICA'S two major telecommunication service providers — Digicel and FLOW — have committed to having their networks compatible with the new 658 area code by the May 2018 deadline stipulated by the Office of the Utilities Regulation (OUR).
The OUR, in a press release yesterday, announced that Jamaica now has an additional area code, 658, which will be used in addition to, and not as a replacement for, the existing 876 area code once the existing telephone numbers under the 876 area code are exhausted.
Director General of the OUR Ansord Hewitt, noted, however, that the most immediate change will be the introduction of mandatory 10-digit dialling, for all local telephone calls, come May next year. The additional area code is aimed at ensuring that there are sufficient numbers available to satisfy growth in demand over the next 25 years.
According to the OUR, effective May 31, 2018, the country will commence a five-month adjustment period known as the permissive dialling period where customers will reach numbers in the current 876 area code by dialling the area code plus the seven digits phone number.
“If only the seven digit telephone number is dialled the caller will hear a recording reminding him/her to dial the number using the area code plus the seven-digit number, then the call will be completed to the called number. After the permissive dialling period is ended, all local calls will require 10-digit dialling to be completed. For example, to call the OUR persons will have to dial 876-968-6053,” the OUR said its press release.
Digicel in a statement to the Jamaica Observer said it has been planning together with the OUR and other industry stakeholders the launch of a public education campaign to support implementation of an additional area code for Jamaica.
“We have participated in various sensitisation sessions hosted by the OUR, involving public and private sector groups over the past six months, and we're now making plans to engage the wider public. In the meantime, we are ensuring technical readiness by the stipulated dates outlined by the OUR,” the service provider said.
Source-JamaicaObserver
St Lucia says worldwide flooding underscores impact of climate change
A senior St Lucia government Minister Monday called for immediate action on climate change, saying no country can afford to play ostrich and bury its head in the sand.
“Recent flooding in Houston, Texas and the severe flooding in Mumbai have one aspect in common that we are not yet talking enough about as a global community: climate change,” Minister for Education, and Sustainable Development, Dr Gale Rigobert, noted in a statement.
She said while there is a component of natural disaster to these events, there is also an increasingly clear contribution delivered by human agency and that the link between man-made greenhouse gas emissions and the very tangible and visible consequences of these emissions cannot be ignored.
“New York Times Columnist David Leonhardt got it exactly right last week when he wrote “Harvey, the storm that humans helped cause”, Rigobert said, noting that the passage of the hurricane was accompanied by more than four feet of water on Houston, setting a new record for the continental US for rainfall from a tropical system.
Projections are that Harvey may be the most expensive event ever recorded in the US, with a cost of US$ 190 billion, surpassing the costs of Katrina and Sandy combined, Rigobert said, adding that South Asia is experiencing its worst monsoon in many years with more than 1,200 people having lost their lives.
”Cities in India are under water. In Nepal 90,000 homes have been destroyed in the worst flooding in a decade. In Bangladesh, monsoon flooding has submerged more than a third of the country. Over 40 million people have been affected.
“These numbers are mind-boggling. The immediate human cost is unfathomable, not to mention the long-term costs of rebuilding the lost livelihoods, the lost crops and farmland, and the lost schools and hospitals that will set back the prospects of future generations.
“Are these the impacts of natural disasters? Yes, but not fully. Not exclusively. Would we have seen impact of this scale in the absence of the contribution of greenhouse gas concentrations to the mix? The answer is plainly no,” Rigobert said in her statement.
She said that greenhouse gases, once in the atmosphere, remain, where they lead to increased temperatures, warming the air and the ocean.
Rigobert said that increasing ocean temperatures lead to greater evaporation, increased moisture in the atmosphere, and storms with greater energy and precipitation, while increasing sea temperatures lead to the thermal expansion of these water bodies.
“This increasing volume of water delivers greater storm surge, hammering coastal areas in times of extreme weather.
“The Paris Agreement, reached in 2015 after years of challenging negotiations, continues to be our most visible, collective tool for addressing the global problem of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
“Through it, the global community has collectively agreed to limit the increase in global warming to below 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. This means capping and then reducing global emissions toward zero by mid-century.
“Even this effort will not be enough to avoid loss and damage from the impacts of climate change. These impacts are already upon us and will only accelerate over time.” Rigobert warned.
She recalled that St Lucia has taken a prominent role at the international level in the UN process established to address climate change, continuing to urge greater emission reduction efforts worldwide as a member of the High Ambition Coalition and the Alliance of Small Island States.
Rigobert noted that under the Paris Agreement, each country is to bring forward a “nationally determined contribution” to help achieve this global goal.
She said St Lucia has pledged to reduce its emissions by 16 per cent by 2025, relative to projected levels in the absence of intervention and that by 2030, the island aims to be 23 per cent below what would have been business as usual levels, through energy efficiency measures and increasing the share of renewable energy in its energy mix – namely, geothermal, wind and solar.
“We in St Lucia are being proactive and we encourage others to do so as well. Indeed, we will need even more ambitious emission reduction commitments from all countries in 2020, when countries have been asked to bring even more ambitious mitigation goals to the table,” she said, adding that recent flooding events should be a teaching moment for the US and governments around the world.
She said they are a harbinger of worse to come, if countries fail to address the underlying causes of climate change with the urgency they warrant.
“And if we were not sufficiently convinced of the necessity to act, and to act now, Hurricane Irma looms over the Atlantic,” Rigobert added.
President Donald Trump had in June announced that the US would cease all participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation. He said then that the Paris accord would undermine the US economy and put the country at a permanent disadvantage.
Source-CMC
NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE IRMA AT NOON MONDAY 4th SEPT 2017
THIS IS A NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE IRMA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT NOON MONDAY, 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2017.
AT 11AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.8° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 53.3° WEST OR ABOUT 560 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.
IRMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-SOUTHWEST NEAR 14 MILES PER HOUR (MPH). A TURN TOWARD THE WEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY, FOLLOWED BY A WEST-NORTHWEST TURN LATE TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF IRMA WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS TUESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IRMA IS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.
RESIDENTS OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ARE TO REMAIN ALERT AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SYSTEM.
… HURRICANE WARNINGS ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...
HURRICANE WATCHES ISSUED FOR THE BRITISH AND U.S VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO...
HURRICANE IRMA UPDATE
THIS IS A NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE IRMA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6AM MONDAY, 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2017.
... TROPICAL-STORM FORCE WINDS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN THE LEEWARD ISLANDS LATE TUESDAY...
AT 5AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.9° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 52.3° WEST OR ABOUT 625 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.
IRMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-SOUTHWEST NEAR 14 MILES PER HOUR (MPH).
A TURN TOWARD THE WEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY, FOLLOWED BY A WEST-NORTHWEST TURN LATE TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF IRMA WILL MOVE CLOSER TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS THROUGH TUESDAY AND THEN BE NEAR NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS TUESDAY NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IRMA IS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.
RESIDENTS IN THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM
THE TURKS & CAICOS NATIONAL WOMEM's TEAM BONDED BEFORE DEPARTURE
The Turks and Caicos Islands Women’s National Football Team, in setting out to defy the odds, held a Team Bonding Session at the Offices of the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA) on Thursday, August 24th.
Key presenters were Candace Hanchell, TCIFA Vice President and Chairman of Women’s Football, and Samantha Clark, who grew up playing soccer in Wisconsin and then became a player in the TCIFA’s women’s programme upon relocating to Turks & Caicos. The one-day session provided a fun team atmosphere where players were encouraged to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and develop their problem-solving skills through interactive team-bonding games and exercises. The Players expressed an appreciation of the Workshop and reflected that the experience will go a far way in improving their relationship both and off the field.
“It is of vital importance that we continue to cultivate a more effective and collaborative team.
The concept of teamwork is extremely important to the success of all partnerships. Teamwork means working together as a unit, providing clear expectations, improving open and positive communication, building trust, and contributing to player motivation. Unhealthy and negative occurrences and relationships can cause conflict between members, and can interfere with the unit’s performance.
The team-bonding workshop provided a great avenue to enhance these attributes. Participation was at its peak as players interacted with each other and embraced the experience. We look forward to seeing the wholeness of the team transferred onto the football pitch. We are very grateful to Mrs. Samantha Clark who assisted with facilitating this workshop,” said Ms. Hanchell.
Ms. Clark added, “Soccer is a pretty influential sport in my life. I am so pleased to be a part of something so wonderful here in TCI. My goal is to be a role model for young women wanting to succeed in soccer, which in turn sets them up for future life goals.”
The Women’s National team is scheduled to play two International Friendly Games against the Barbados Women’s National Team on September 1 and 3, 2017.
The Games will be held at the Barbados Football Association’s Turf Field in Wildey, Barbados and we here at RTC Sports, Sports Watch and football fans wishes the ladies all the best .
THE 21st TURKS AND CAICOS POST CABINET MEETING HELD IN GRAND TURK
His Excellency the Governor, Dr John Freeman, chaired the 21st meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 30 August 2017, at the N J S Francis Building on Grand Turk.
All Ministers were present.
At this meeting Cabinet:
Received a presentation by Mr. Justine Pierre of Dunn, Pierre, Barnett and Associates on the outcome of the National Skills Audit and Migration Survey consultancy. Cabinet thanked Mr. Pierre for the extensive work that had gone into the audit and survey and would reflect on the recommendations in his report;
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the first registration of approximately 0.14 acres of accreted Crown Land lying seaward of Parcel 60804/6 on Providenciales and to grant a long-term 99 year lease to Mansfield Hotels Ltd over that parcel of land for the purpose of regularizing its occupation of that land. Cabinet called on the Crown Land Unit to prepare a policy on accreted land as a matter of priority;
Advised His Excellency the Governor to grant a long-term lease to the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services over Crown Land Parcel 61113/268 at Long Bay Hills, Providenciales, for the development of a public primary school in accordance with the Crown Land Ordinance subject to an environmental impact assessment being carried and other environmental considerations being met;
Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the allocation of Crown Land Parcels in Block 10403 at East Suburbs on Grand Turk to successful applicants who filed applications under the Grand Turk Residential Land Allocation Scheme GDT002 in accordance with the Crown Land Ordinance;
Noted the financial performance of the TCI Statutory Bodies for the period April-June 2017 as submitted in the First Quarter Financial Report for the Financial Year 2017/18 and approved the publication of the report as required by Section 147 of the Public Financial Management Regulations 2014. Cabinet expressed concern about the financial position and management of some of the Statutory Bodies;
· Noted the financial performance of the TCI Government for the period April-June 2017 as submitted in the First Quarter Financial Report and approved the publication of the report as required by Section 36 of the Public Finance Management Ordinance 2012;
· Received an information paper from the Hon. Premier, as Minister of Finance, Trade and Investment, up-dating Cabinet on the status of the loan portfolio purchased from TOLCO which was formerly managed by Invest TCI;
Approved MSME concession orders to North Win Unites and Bayside Estate to operate vacation rentals in Grand Turk and North Caicos respectively in accordance with the MSME Development Ordinance 2015;
Advised His Excellency the Governor to revoke the appointment of Mrs Natasha Hall as Secretary of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal with effect from 30 August 2017 and to appoint Mrs Lillian Gibbs, a civil servant attached to the Employment Services Department, as her replacement with effect from 31 August 2017 in accordance with the Immigration Ordinance 2015;
· Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the extension with immediate effect of appointments to the TCI Health Practitioners Board for a period of one year in accordance with the Health Practitioners Ordinance to the following:
Dr. Nadia Astwood, Chairman/Ex-Officio Member
Dr. Dionne Lightbourne, Member
Mrs. Audrey Ewing, Member
Mr. Shanwell Gardiner, Member
Dr. Kendra Gardiner-Hall, Member
· Endorsed a proposal by the Hon. Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services to designate the Long Bay High School on Providenciales as a junior high school for students in Forms 1-3 and the Clement Howell High School on Providenciales as a senior high school for students in Forms 4-5 on the condition, as confirmed by the Hon. Premier, as Minister of Finance, that the re-designation incurred no additional costs;
· Received an up-date from the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs on the refurbishment and other works being undertaken at HM Prison on Grand Turk;
· Received an up-date from the Hon. Premier, as Minister of Finance, on the latest financial position of the National Health Insurance Board (NHIB) including on measures to increase revenue inflows to the NHIB. The Hon. Minister of Health up-dated Cabinet on steps being taken to arrest expenditure by the NHIB. Cabinet agreed on measures to be taken to address the management problems at the NHIB.
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
2017 Junior Park Wardens Celebrates 17th year Program
The Junior Park Warden (JPW) Program is in its 17th year, teaching the youth about the Turks and Caicos Islands Environment. This year was no exception as a total of 32 participants, aged between 10 and 17, were given an opportunity to explore and discover pressing environmental issues in The Turks and Caicos Islands.
Every year, the Department of Environment & Coastal Resources partners with the Pine Cay Project to deliver a fun-filled and highly sort after summer program, focusing on environmental conservation and practical learning.
"It is important that youth, the leaders of tomorrow understand the natural heritage of the islands, the benefits received from it and how it can be managed to keep TCI beautiful by nature. I would like to thank all DECR staff involved in the JPW, as well as our partners and sponsors who have worked to make the JPW a success for over 17 years," said Ethan Griesbach, DECR's Acting Director.
This year's theme, "Ecosystems" was selected so as to teach participants about the country's beautiful biodiversity and the ecosystems that comprise the natural heritage of the islands. Participants in the JPW Program 2017 learned what an ecosystem is and how it operates. These concepts were illustrated through practical interactions with the local environment.
This was achieved through directly interacting with various ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangroves and coastal forests and shrub, providing participants with an understanding of the challenges ecosystems face when no longer in balance. In addition, each day introduced students to a sub theme such as sustainable tourism, sustainable development, the DECR roles and responsibilities, National Park and Fishing laws and regulations, and potential careers in Environmental Studies / Sciences and the Maritime Industry. The JPW Program consisted of two, one-week programs, with activities limited to Providenciales.
For the past seventeen years the JPW Program has been sponsored by The Pine Cay Project and facilitated by DECR. This year's PADI Discover SCUBA Dive (DSD) component was sponsored by Provo Turtle Divers, who sponsored a total of 3 participants.
Barbados health project used for global initiative to reduce heart disease
A senior official of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says a pilot project at two polyclinics, which was aimed at improving blood pressure control in primary health care, has been so successful that the results have informed a global initiative to reduce ill health and premature death due to heart disease and stroke.
Deputy Chief of the Global Non-Communicable Disease branch of the CDC, Dr Lorna English, said that based on the positive results from the Barbados pilot, the evidence-based tools and practices that were promoted and demonstrated by the project had been integrated into technical packages of a programme called the Global Hearts Initiative.
She said that the tools developed for the technical packages reflected lessons learned in Barbados and that key elements included standardised, evidence-based treatment protocols; team-based care; registries for patient monitoring, and evaluation.
The Ministry of Health here collaborated with the CDC, The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the University of the West Indies and Healthy Caribbean Coalition to execute the Barbados Global Standardized Hypertension Treatment Project at the Winston Scott and Edgar Cochrane Polyclinics.
“Barbados and the PAHO region are global leaders in moving this work forward. It is no surprise that many other countries throughout the world are interested in applying the same simple and cost-effective approach,” the CDC official noted.
Health Minister John Boyce said the project would eventually be rolled out in all nine polyclinics.
He said that hypertension was the most common non-communicable disease (NCD) in Barbados with more than 40 000 adults affected with an estimated 20 000 attending polyclinics for management of the disease.
Boyce said that the project involved the use of quality hypertension pharmaceuticals, training of health care professionals in hypertension management, the integrated use of health information systems, clinical audits and “an empowered patient”.
“The protocol produced has led to some positive changes in prescribing habits of our primary care physicians, better blood pressure control among clients and a more engaged patient,” Boyce said, adding that the continued success of the programme would require commitment from primary care physicians, nurses, medical records officers, dieticians and clients.
He said a viable programme would also require a health information system that could streamline care with the ability to analyse and predict service use.
“I am happy to report that the health information system known as Med-Data is now functional in all of our polyclinics with modules currently being added for maternal and child health,' Boyce added.
Source-CMC
Superstar Serena Williams reportedly in labour
Pregnant tennis superstar Serena Williams was in labour at a Florida clinic on Friday, US media reported, prompting an outpouring of goodwill messages for the charismatic former world number one.
Williams, who will turn 36 later this month, was admitted Wednesday to St Mary's Medical Center, which shut down an entire floor to provide security for the megastar, the local CBS affiliate said.
The network also said the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion -- who revealed she was pregnant in April -- was induced overnight.
"We're sending all our love and best wishes to @serenawilliams, who has reportedly gone into labor," the US Tennis Association wrote on Twitter.
The US Open -- where Serena's elder sister Venus is due to play Friday -- also sent words of support.
"#HelloSeptember and soon to be hello to a new baby! Sending our best wishes to @serenawilliams who is reportedly in labor!," the tournament wrote.
Williams and her fiance, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, have said they plan to keep the sex of the baby a surprise until birth.
Williams has vowed to return to competitive tennis in January, to defend her Australian Open title, which she won while newly pregnant.
Her spokespeople were not immediately available for comment on the reports.
Source-AFP
Tyler Perry donating $1 million to Harvey relief efforts
Tyler Perry is the latest celebrity to be donating big bucks to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
Perry announced in a video posted to his Facebook page on Thursday that he's donating $1 million to relief efforts, a quarter of which will be going to Joel Osteen‘s Lakewood Church.
The Houston mega-church pastor was criticized for not initially opening the doors of his church to people seeking storm shelter, though this week Osteen told Good Morning America the church's doors were open to people seeking refuge as soon as flood waters around the church had receded enough so that entry into the building, which holds 16,000 people, was safe.
“I know that there’s been some controversy about Joel Osteen and him not opening the doors of the church,” Perry said in his Facebook video. “Joel and Victoria are amazing people — there’s no way that they would lock people out of the church or not let people seek shelter.”
“There were some safety concerns, and I spoke to them on the phone, and it all made perfect sense to me,” Perry continued. “So, before you just run and judge someone real quick, you need to know the whole circumstances.”
Perry also is donating $250,000 to Beyoncé’s pastor, Rudy Rasmus, who the Houston Chronicle has reported is working with the singer's foundation on relief efforts.
Source-ABC