Minister of Innovation, Technology and Energy, Hon. E. Jay Saunders speaks to Girls in ICT
Hon. E. Jay Saunders, Minister of Innovation, Technology and Energy spoke today May 1st, 2025 at the inaugural Girls in ICT Day Speech Competition, under the theme,'Girls in ICT – Inclusive Digital Transformation'.
The Minister added, "It is a true honour to join you today at this inaugural Girls in ICT Day speech competition under the theme “Girls in ICT – Inclusive Digital Transformation.”
As the Minister of Innovation, Technology and Energy for the Turks and Caicos Islands, I commend everyone: organisers, teachers, students, and parents for coming together to champion this vital cause.
Let me begin by saying that the future of technology must be inclusive. And that future will be brighter, smarter, and more equitable when girls and young women are empowered to lead in ICT. Across the world (and right here in our Caribbean region, and by what I’ve heard here today, here in the Turks and Caicos Islands) women are shaping the digital transformation that is redefining our world.
This journey is not new, and it's certainly not just beginning. It is rooted in the extraordinary achievements of women who dared to think diVerently, who broke down barriers, and who chose to “create the future”, rather than just wait for it.
I want to take a moment to recognise a few remarkable women who have not only contributed to today’s digital world, but without whom some of our most popular technologies might not even exist.
Dr. Gladys West – An African American mathematician whose calculations were critical in developing the Global Positioning System— yes, GPS—the same technology that guides your phone, your Uber, and even search-and-rescue missions today.
Ms. Reshma Saujani – Founder of “Girls Who Code”, a global movement empowering girl to learn programming, challenge gender stereotypes, and build tech solutions that matter. Her work has given over 500,000 girls worldwide the tools to code—and to lead.
üMs. Ingrid Riley – A Jamaican tech entrepreneur and founder of *SiliconCaribe*, who has been at the forefront of building the Caribbean’s digital economy and supporting Caribbean tech startups, many of them led by women.
Dr. Maya Trotz, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering whose work in sustainable development and water management integrates digital solutions with environmental science. She shows how ICT can serve not just profit, but also the planet.
Dr. Marian Croak, a Jamaican-American engineer, whose pioneering work in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows billions globally to connect over platforms like Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook, and IG Messenger — technologies that we use every day. Imagine the world without her visionary contribution!
Dr. Ayanna Howard, an esteemed roboticist and the first woman to lead Ohio State University’s College of Engineering. Her cutting-edge work in robotics and artificial intelligence opens doors to transformative solutions, from assisting children with disabilities to developing robotics in space exploration. Her relentless innovation embodies how technology can be harnessed to improve human life.
Ms. Lisa Gelobter, a Caribbean-American technologist whose work on Shockwave and online animation laid the foundations for streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix, dramatically reshaped entertainment and culture worldwide.
These women prove that from academia to entrepreneurship, from the Caribbean to Silicon Valley, when women are included in tech, we all benefit.
Ladies, today is about you. You are not just the users of technology. You are the future creators of it. The world is facing many challenges, and the world needs your ideas, your creativity, your empathy, and your courage to design solutions.
Imagine building:
• Apps that support mental health in our schools.
• Platforms that connect Caribbean entrepreneurs to global markets.
• AI that makes government services smarter and more responsive.
• Renewable energy technologies that help us power our islands without
harming our environment.
Technology is your toolbox, and your imagination is the only limit.
Apple Computers once challenged us to *"Think DiVerent"*, and Nicholas Negroponte of the MIT Media Lab once said, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." These aren't just slogans. They're blueprints!
To the girls in this room, I say: don’t follow the status quo. Create your path. Think beyond what's already been done. And build tools that reflect your values, your communities, and your dreams.
Innovation happens when you bring your full self to the table — i.e. your culture, your identity, your experiences as young women in the Caribbean. That’s what will set you apart. That’s what will drive inclusive transformation — not just for Turks and Caicos, but for our entire region and the world.
So, as we celebrate Girls in ICT Day, let us not only encourage girls to join the digital revolution. Let us support them, invest in them, and celebrate them. I support you, and I celebrate you!
To every girl thinking about a career in tech, know this: “You belong in ICT. The future needs your voice, your vision, and your genius.” When girls rise in tech, everyone rises," Hon. Saunders concluded.
Prime Minister Carney declares election victory
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country would “never” yield to the United States as he declared victory in federal elections early Tuesday, following a campaign overshadowed by relentless provocations and steep trade tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
The Liberal Party leader issued a stunning rebuke to Trump as he sent a message of unity to a divided nation, promising to “represent everyone who calls Canada home.”
“As I have been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us,” Carney said, as he hailed a remarkable reversal in fortune for his party. “That will never ever happen.”
Carney reiterated statements he made on the campaign trail about the vastly changed nature of Canada’s relationship with the United States.
“We are over the shock of the American betrayal but we should never forget the lessons. We have to look out for ourselves. And above all we have to take care of each other,” he said.
Voters have returned Canada’s Liberal Party to power for a fourth consecutive term but it remains to be seen whether Carney has won a majority or will need coalition partners to govern.
The Liberal’s victory was tempered by them appearing set to fall short of winning the 172 seats needed to govern without support from a smaller party.
Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre conceded defeat early Tuesday. Capping a bad night for his party, Poilievre – whose party enjoyed a lead of more than 20 points over the Liberals before Trump returned to the White House – also lost his seat of Carleton to the Liberal challenger, Bruce Fanjoy. Poilievre had held that Ottawa-area seat for more than 20 years.
Former central banker Carney, 60, has led a wave of anti-Trump sentiment since winning his party’s leadership contest in a landslide after former prime minister Justin Trudeau stepped down last month. He has rallied the public against the US president’s threats to annex the country as “the 51st state” and made the defense of Canada a central part of his platform.
Poilievre had been the favorite to win when Trudeau announced his resignation in January in the wake of dire polls, a serious cost of living crisis and an internal revolt in his cabinet.
Source-CNN
CARICOM congratulates Persad Bissessar on electoral victory in Trinidad
The 15-member regional integration grouping, CARICOM, has congratulated the leader of the United national Congress (UNC), Kamla Persad Bissessar on her victory following general elections in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday.
CARICOM said it was extending “congratulations” to Persad Bissessar “on her resounding win in the general elections” saying “the decisive victory is a clear mandate from the people of Trinidad and Tobago as the country continues its forward journey.
The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) in Trinidad and Tobago has not yet issued the official results from the elections, but preliminary figures show that the UNC-led coalition had won 26 seats in the 41-member parliament with the outgoing People’s National Movement (PNM) government, winning 13 seats. The other two seats were won by the recently formed People’s Tobago Party (TPP) on the sister isle.
CARICOM had sent an observer team to monitor the elections that outgoing Prime Minister Stuart Young had called four months ahead of the second anniversary of the PNM’s second consecutive victory in August 2020.
Persad Bissessar, 73, is returning to government after she headed the coalition People’s Partnership government between 2010-15 and in its statement, CARICOM also congratulated the “people of Trinidad and Tobago on the peaceful exercise of their democratic rights.
”We look forward to welcoming Prime Minister-elect Persad Bissessar to the Conference of Heads of Government, and to her participation, as we continue to tackle emerging geopolitical issues, and seek to further improve the welfare and well-being of the people of the region,” according to the statement issued by the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat.
Soource-CMC
Putin declares temporary truce during Victory Day anniversary celebrations
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary ceasefire to come into effect during the 80th anniversary commemoration of V Day, which celebrates the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in 1945.
The ceasefire will come into effect on May 8 and end on May 10, the Kremlin announced in a statement posted to its official Telegram channel Monday.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine believes there is "no reason to wait" until May 8 for a ceasefire. Zelenskyy also called for a longer ceasefire.
Source- ABC
Millions without power as outages hit Spain, Portugal and parts of France, Spanish officials say
Millions of people in Spain, Portugal and parts of southern France lost power on Monday following a "severe disruption" in the European electrical system, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
The cause of the disruption is still unknown, Sanchez said in remarks Monday evening local time.
The Spanish government said it called an emergency crisis meeting to fix the situation as soon as possible.
Red Eléctrica, the corporation that operates the national electricity grid in Spain, said it is working on restoring power to mainland Spain and Portugal. In an update Monday night local time, they said nearly half of the substations have power again. Earlier in the afternoon, they said electricity should be fully restored within six to 10 hours.
Authorities, meanwhile, asked people to stay at home, while emergency generators were also being put in place.
Airports in the country were not closed, but they are seeing massive delays.
Source- ABC
Trinidad and Tobago electing new government
The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) says it is confident that Monday’s general election will be conducted in a safe environment as more than one million voters cast their ballots for electing a new government in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Our team has worked diligently to ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote safely and confidently as they participate in this vital democratic exercise,” aid the EBC’s chief elections officer, Fern Narcis-Scope.
The EBC has confirmed its readiness for the elections following “extensive planning, rigorous training, and collaboration with stakeholders to execute what is perhaps the single most logistically complex exercise a country can undertake”.
The EBC said that all 2,316 polling stations have been established and are equipped with the necessary staffing, materials and supplies and that inspections have been conducted to ensure that each location meets high standards of accessibility, functionality, and safety.
“Under the stewardship of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the Commission has collaborated with the police to ensure that robust security arrangements have been instituted to safeguard voters, election personnel, and the integrity of the electoral process.”
While there are 161 candidates and 17 political parties contesting the 41 seats in the Parliament, the race as it has been over the past decades, will be a straight fight between the incumbent People’ National Movement (PNM) and the main opposition United National Congress (UNC).
There are an estimated 1,154,708 persons who are eligible to cast ballots with the polls being observed by teams from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth.
Polling stations opened at 6.00 am (local time) and will close 12 hours later.
Prime MInister Stuart Younghas described Monday as “a decisive day,” and in a video posted on his Facebook page said he was encouraging voters to vote.
“Join me as we build a new Trinidad and Tobago on a stable platform. Join me as we write a bold new chapter,” the 50-year-old senior counsel said in his first election as head of the ruling PNM.
UNC leader, Kamla Persad Bissessar, is urging voters to remove the PNM from office, describing Young as a “fake leader”.
“Go out and vote for the candidates of the UNC coalition of interests on election day. Your future and that of your loved ones are in your hands,” she said, adding that her 73-year-old body “has aged from the years of battering, bruising, humiliation, ridicule, abuse and insult”.
Source-CMC
Trump has lowest 100-day approval rating in 80 years according to Polls
Donald Trump has the lowest 100-day job approval rating of any president in the past 80 years, with public pushback on many of his policies and extensive economic discontent, including broad fears of a recession, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
Yet he still beats the Democrats in Congress in terms of trust to handle the nation's main problems.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents in this ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll said they approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, down 6 percentage points from February, while 55% said they disapprove.
The previous low in approval for a president at or near 100 days in office, in polls dating to 1945, was Trump's 42% in 2017.
Source-ABC
Mourners bid farewell to Pope Francis
Pope Francis was laid to rest Saturday at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome after dying at 88 years old on April 21.
More than 250,000 people turned out to bid farewell to the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The crowd at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican included many young people and world leaders.
At his funeral, Pope Francis was remembered and venerated as a pontiff with "strength and serenity" who modeled his pontificate on St. Francis of Assisi. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, delivered the homily in front of mourners in St. Peter's Square.
The mourners assembled in St. Peter’s Square broke into applause as pallbearers carried the pope's coffin outside. It was the site of Pope Francis' last official act, when he celebrated Easter Sunday a day before he died on April 21.
Source-ABC
PUBLIC URGED TO CONTINUE MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS TO NHIB
The Ministry of Health and Human Services assures the public that the National Health Insurance Board (NHIB) remains operational and fully committed to providing access to quality healthcare services for all insured persons in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
As the organisation undergoes administrative review and restructuring, the Ministry emphasizes that the Board is taking all necessary steps to maintain stability and continuity of care. Subscribers are urged to continue making their regular contributions, which are essential to ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of healthcare services at the highest standards, both locally and abroad.
Interim Chair of the NHIB, Mrs. Shonia Been, said, “The Board is actively working to maintain a seamless experience for subscribers and providers alike. “We are focused on ensuring that healthcare access remains uninterrupted and that the trust placed in us by the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands is honoured.”
The NHIB encourages all insured persons, employers, and self-employed individuals to continue making monthly contributions. These payments are critical to sustaining the national health insurance system and enabling the Board to meet its obligations to local and overseas healthcare providers, ensuring that beneficiaries receive the care they need without disruption.
Commenting on the NHIB, the Minister of Health and Human Services, the Hon. Kyle Knowles, stated, “This is a time of renewal and strengthening for the NHIB. While internal assessments are ongoing, the public can be confident that the Board remains open for business and that healthcare delivery is not only stable but being actively protected and improved. We urge all subscribers to continue making their monthly payments, as their contributions directly support our ability to deliver care to every resident who needs it.”
To further enhance transparency and accountability, contracted examiners, Interpath, have commenced a comprehensive forensic examination of the Board’s operations and financials. This process aims to identify areas for improvement and ensure that the NHIB continues to operate in the best interest of the people.
The public is further advised that all NHIB offices throughout the Islands are open for business and ready to assist with queries, claims, registrations, and payments. Customer service teams are available to support subscribers and guide them through any concerns.
As the organisation continues to strengthen its internal operations and governance, it reaffirms its mission to promote the health and well-being of every resident through a fair and sustainable insurance system.
Cayman Islands hold general election and referendum on same day
The Cayman Islands government says the referendum to be held on Wednesday, the same day voters cast their ballots for a new government, will not be binding on the incoming administration.
Caymanians will have the opportunity to weigh in on three national questions, namely, should the Cayman Islands develop cruise berthing infrastructure, do they support the introduction of a national lottery in the Islands and do they support the decriminalisation of the consumption and possession of small amounts of cannabis.
In a statement, the Cayman Islands government said that while a general election is used to choose representatives, referendums give voters the opportunity to express their views directly on key issues.
“The upcoming referendum, initiated by the Cayman Islands Government, invites voters to share their views on three national topics and help shape future decisions. However, this referendum is non-binding, meaning the result will guide the government but will not automatically lead to a change in law or policy.
“A ‘yes’ vote does not approve any past proposals or existing plans. It simply signals that the public believes the issue is worth exploring further,” the statement added.
It said that “this particular referendum is non-binding because it was initiated by the government, rather than through a people-led petition process under the constitution”.
According to the Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009, a referendum triggered by a petition of at least 25 per cent of registered voters is legally binding. In contrast, when a referendum is called by the government, it does not carry the same legal requirement to act on the results.
The government defended the decision to hold the referendum at the same time of the general election on Wednesday saying “this referendum is being held in response to ongoing public interest and discussion around the three issues.
“The government recognises that these matters have gained national attention and that many people have strong views. Rather than making a unilateral decision, the government chose to hold a referendum, offering a transparent and structured way for voters to share their views directly.”
Meanwhile, an estimated 23,829 voters are registered to cast ballots for the 19 members of parliament who will be directly elected via plurality vote. The Attorney General, appointed by the Governor, and the Deputy Governor, appointed by the British monarch, serve as additional ex officio members.
The elections, which will be observed by an election mission organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association British Islands and Mediterranean Region, follow a sequence of political maneuvering in the British Overseas Territory since the 2021 elections when independent candidates won 12 seats and e People’s Progressive Party (PPM) winning seven seats.
A government was formed by independent Wayne Panton, who became premier, but in November 2023, 12 legislators joined the new United People’s Movement (UPM) under the leadership of Julianna O’Connor-Connolly, who then became head of the government.
But on October 31, last year, four UPM MPs resigned from the government, resulting in it losing its majority in parliament.
In February and March 2025, three of seven members of the minority UPM government, including O’Connor-Connolly, joined PPM to seek re-election.
The UPM has since stated that it will not contest the 2025 elections and will dissolve. The four former members of the UPM formed a new political party, the Caymanian Community Party (TCCP), headed by Andre Ebanks.
The opposition PPM will contest the elections with Joey Hew as its leader following the resignations of the Speaker and former premier, Alden McLaughlin and former deputy premier Moses Kirkconnell.
The Cayman Islands National Party, which is a new party formed by Dan Scott, a former regional managing partner at Ernst& Young, is contesting the polls.
All polling stations will open at 7.00 am (local time) and close at 6.00 pm (local time), the Elections Office said.
Source-CMC