Joshua Lowe gets the job of his dreams Loop Barbados

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

Joshua Lowe is living his dream by being an employee at the first gaming company to hit Barbados and by extension the Caribbean.

The 22-year-old, who recently completed his Bachelors in Computer Science at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus is one of eight employees currently employed at Playtropic, a video game testing service provider for videogame creators around the world.

Speaking to the media during the official opening of the company [Playtropic] on Friday, August 26, the former Harrisonian who is very passionate about the videogame industry, revealed that he had been considering moving to the United States or Canada because there were no opportunities for him in the Caribbean.

“It was just more or less timing and how things worked out. I did a Computer Science degree at UWI not too long ago. I just finished my last course at the end of 2021 and I was trying to see how to get overseas because I am very passionate about the video game industry but in the Caribbean, it wasn’t really popular, there wasn’t really anywhere in the Caribbean to step my foot into the water so I was looking at the US and Canada to see if I could find any jobs over there and see if I could find a way that after college I could go overseas and try to get into it and almost immediately after I finished my degree, this opportunity basically fell into my lap.”

Lowe who believed the opportunity came by fate, explained how the opportunity presented itself immediately after he finished his degree at the University Of The West Indies.

“I saw it online on Instagram, I saw it on Facebook posts and one of my mum’s friends actually sent it to my mum and said, ‘It looks like something that Josh would like,’ and this was as soon as I finished my studies, so I sent in my CV immediately because it sounded like something right up my alley: good communication skills, a passion for video games and attention to detail. So they got back to me and this is my first job out of college and I am loving it so far!”

He further explained that the gaming industry was something he had always been interested in from a very young age so he is currently just trying to “make the most of it.”

“It is generally what I really wanted to get into from a very young age so I’m happy that I didn’t have to go overseas to find something like this, it kind of found me so I’m just trying to make the most of it right now.”

“I just really really loved the game industry so I did Computer Science at school, I did Computer Science at UWI just to try to align myself as much as possible to be able to be in this line of work and as I was saying I was prepared to go overseas and look to see how I could get into it but it came to me so I’m just grateful and I’ll work hard to see how far I can get in the industry.”

Lowe’s job which is testing pre-released games to pinpoint defects and bugs within the system can become very repetitive but is a major part of the development process, he professed.

“It is a tiring job but it is for a very, very good cause. It is very repetitive but it is needed.”

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Food and Rum Motorcade and Launch event in Bridgetown a dynamic combo Loop Barbados

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

They came for the food and rum, but were also treated to an exciting motorcade and stellar entertainment package that complemented the culinary fare on offer.

Last Friday August 26, as the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) launched this year’s Food and Rum festival they took the opportunity to showcase the island’s talent in a big way, with a motorcade that commenced at their headquarters in Warrens and made its way to Golden Square Freedom Park. Onboard were several popular social media influencers such as Mahalia Cummins and Akhnaten Burrowes who joined BTMI officials including Minister of Tourism Senator Lisa Cummins, Chief Financial Officer Craig Hinds and Chief Executive Officer Dr Jens Thraenhart, among others.

Along the route, branded paraphernalia was distributed to numerous people who were drawn from their homes and workplaces and showed their support as the roving spectacle passed. In addition to information on the upcoming festival, they were encouraged by MC for the evening Jamarr the Star to come out and support the festival.

Impromptu performances by entertainers Peter Ram and 2022 Road March King Bruce Lee Almightee brought the traffic in Bridgetown to a halt along Cheapside and on Broad Street where members of Dancin’ Africa added to the roadside extravaganza. While several shoppers and passers-by waved and sang along, a few even joined the dancers in the street.

Upon reaching Golden Square Freedom Park, the throngs of people who gathered there were treated to numerous drinks and sample-sized dishes prepared by some of the island’s top chefs and mixologists who made up the 26 participating in the festival. These included signature rum cocktails by mixologists Alex Chandler, David Barker and Ryan Adamson while chefs Damian Leach and John Hazzard whipped up special culinary delights.

In addition to appetising treats, patrons had the opportunity to participate in competitions and other spirited activities where they were rewarded with an array of prizes. These included spinning a wheel for a chance to win prizes as well as amateur mixology and rum-tasting contests.

Entertainment for the evening included a roaming steel pan orchestra, popular DJs Salt & Don as well as a cast of some of the island’s top entertainers. Smooth-singing Biggie Irie started the ball rolling and he was followed by, Nikita, Mahalia, RPB and Lil Rick, who were all shown love by the receptive audience.

When the live entertainment drew to a close just after 10 pm it was evident that the launch had been successful in both whetting the appetites and sensitizing the public to the upcoming Food and Rum Festival, which is slated for October 27 to 30 later this year.

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Gradual development of system is expected over the next several days and a tropical depression is likely to form later this week

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

This Monday morning, a broad area of low pressure over the central tropical Atlantic is producing a large area of disorganized cloudiness and showers.

Although environmental conditions are only marginally favorable, some gradual development of this system is expected over the next several days and a tropical depression is likely to form later this week.

The disturbance is forecast to move slowly toward the west and then west-northwest at 5 to 10 mph, toward the adjacent waters of the northern Leeward Islands. Additional information on this system can be found in high seas forecasts issued by the National Weather Service.

It has a medium (50 percent) chance of formation during the next 48 hours and a high (80 percent) chance in the next 5 days.

In the central Subtropical Atlantic: a small low pressure system located about 600 miles east of Bermuda continues to produce limited shower activity.

Strong upper-level winds and dry air are expected to limit significant development of this system while it drifts southward and southwestward over the central Atlantic during the next couple of days, and likely dissipate by the end of the week.

It has a low (10 percent) chance of formation during the next 48 hours and in the next 5 days.

In the eastern tropical Atlantic: a tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa this evening or early Tuesday.

Some gradual development of this system is possible after that time while it moves generally westward to west-northwestward across the far eastern tropicalAtlantic.

It has a low (10 percent) chance of formation during the next 48 hours and a low ( 30 percent) chance during the next 5 days.

In the northwestern Caribbean Sea: a trough of low pressure could develop over the northwestern Caribbean Sea later this week.

Environmental conditions could support some slow development of the system thereafter while it moves generally west-northwestward over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and toward the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

It has a near zero chance of formation during the next 48 hours and a low (20 percent) chance during the next 5 days.

For the latest updates in the tropics, please visit www.hurricanes.gov

For the latest marine forecast, please visit www.hurricanes.gov/marine

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PM Browne says Observer by Newsco is broke and may have to move from High Street

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

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CARIBBEAN-INSURANCE-ECCU governments taking Trinidad and Tobago to CCJ over CLICO/BAICO funds

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Cana News Business

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SLM-gate

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: De Ware Tijd Online

Wat heeft Santokhi te verbergen? De SLM-gate wordt steeds meer een schandaal dat president Chandrikapersad Santokhi begint te schaden. Hoewel

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Lula et Bolsonaro face à face lors d’un premier débat télévisé Guyaweb, site d’information et d’investigation en Guyane

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Guyaweb

Quatre autres candidats à l’élection présidentielle y ont pris part dimanche 28 août.

L’ancien président de gauche Lula et le président d’extrême-droite sortant Jair Bolsonaro ont été au centre du débat télévisé réunissant les principaux candidats en lice pour ce scrutin dont le premier tour aura lieu le 2 octobre et un éventuel second tour le 28 octobre prochains.

Lula et Bolsonaro dominent les sondages avec respectivement 47% et 32% des intentions de vote selon l’institut Datafolha, suivis de loin (7%) par Ciro Gomes, ex-ministre de Lula et candidat de centre-gauche, présent au débat de même que Simone Tebet, Felipe d’Avila et Soraya Thronicke.

Le président sortant a concentré les attaques des autres candidats et il a eu également de vifs échanges avec son prédécesseur et rival principal lors de cette première confrontation télévisée organisée par les médias Bandeirantes, Folha de São Paulo, Uol et TV Cultura.

Attaqué par Bolsonaro sur les affaires de corruption qui ont émaillé ses deux mandats à la tête du Brésil (2003-2010), Lula a énuméré les mesures qu’il avait prises pour lutter contre ce fléau qui lui a a valu ensuite d’être emprisonné avant d’être libéré et de voir ses condamnations annulées.

Bolsonaro affirmant que le gouvernement de Lula « marqué par la cleptocratie » avait été « le plus corrompu de l’histoire du Brésil », l’ex-président a répliqué en rappelant les avancées économiques et sociales de ses mandats et en accusant Bolsonaro d’être « en train de détruire » le pays.

Un autre moment de forte tension a eu lieu lorsque Jair Bolsonaro, irrité par une question sur la gestion par son gouvernement de la pandémie de Covid-19 posée à Ciro Gomes par la journaliste Vera Magalhães, s’en est pris à cette dernière de manière brutale et grossière.

Connu pour ses saillies misogynes, le président a dit qu’elle devait « dormir en pensant à [lui] », « avoir une passion pour [lui] », reprochant à la journaliste de « prendre parti », de « lancer des accusations mensongères » et lui lançant qu’elle était « une honte pour le journalisme brésilien ».

La sénatrice Soraya Thronicke a alors pris la défense de la journaliste attaquée par Bolsonaro, s’insurgeant contre « ce type de comportements et d’insultes » et reprochant au président d’extrême-droite de « propager la haine entre les Brésiliens et de [les] diviser ».

Membre de la Commission d’enquête parlementaire qui a produit un rapport accablant sur la gestion de la pandémie par Bolsonaro, la sénatrice Simone Tebet quant à elle a fustigé le manque de compassion du chef de l’Etat, la corruption dans l’achat des vaccins et l’absence de coordination de la part de son gouvernement.

Renvoyant Lula et Bolsonaro dos à dos, Ciro Gomes pour sa part s’est dit choqué par le niveau de haine émanant des deux candidats principaux, les accusant en outre de mentir et de diviser un pays que lui souhaite réconcilier.

Ciro Gomes a aussi fustigé « la crise économique dévastatrice » produite par Lula et le Parti des Travailleurs au pouvoir jusqu’en 2016 avec Dilma Rousseff ainsi que leurs « contradictions morales », considérant qu’elles avaient permis l’arrivée au pouvoir de Jair Bolsonaro en 2018.

A lire, cet article consacré au débat télévisé publié sur le site de Folha de São Paulo.

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Successful Solar Panel Trade Skill Course completed in City South

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

Successful Solar Panel Trade Skill Course completed in City South

Anticipating the desire for members of the community to learn renewable energy technology and begin entry-level careers in the solar PV industry, City South Field Trade School, a program of the Campaign of FranzforCitySouth, established by UPP Candidate for St. John’s City South Franz deFreitas has successfully hosted its first basic solar panel technician course with industry professional Alex Spencer.

This class focused on youth with an interest I electronics, those who wish to begin a career in solar PV installation, homeowners wanting to install a system on their residence and electricians needing to expand their skills sets and business portfolios.

The class began with fifteen participants at the Andy Roberts Street community center location in Ovals, comprising of ten males and five females with ages ranging from 12 to 55 years. Classes met once per week over a three-month period and the instruction was delivered both in theory and practical activities.

The successful participants learn basic electronics related to solar panel inhalation, how to size the system according to electrical needs, how to select the type of system that works best for the situation, how to select all the components for the system, how to size the wiring and overcurrent protection, how to price the system according to size, and how to select a battery bank.

“The solar power industry is desperate for skilled workers and the St. John’s City South community is intent on filling this gap through training and upskilling. Young people want jobs that offer good pay, respect from their employer, and a promising career path,” “The implementation and eventual expansion of the City South Field Trade School is a win-win for both industry and those now entering the workforce or seeking better career opportunities.”

“Every member of the City South community should have the chance to explore multiple pathways, including attending college, gaining industry certificate, pursuing an apprenticeship, finding a job with a living wage or starting a business of their own.” “College and career should never be an either-or, especially not as we face unprecedented economic uncertainty and dislocation.  St. John’s City South with Franz deFreitas as its representative will maximize opportunity for community members and families who need it most, and skilled trades education is one critical way to do that.”

City South Field Trade School is a program of the Campaign of FranzforCitySouth, established by UPP Candidate for St. John’s City South Franz deFreitas, to advance excellent skilled trades education and training in the City South community.

With a deep respect for the dignity of trades and for the intelligence and creativity of people who work with their hands, City South Field Trade School aims to create a greater understanding of and investment in skilled trades education and training, believing that access to quality skilled trades education and training gives community members pathways to better opportunities, good jobs, new businesses and a workforce our country needs.

“Educating Our Nation Today for a Triumphant Future”

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UPP Political Leader Addresses Trade and Investment Conference as Part of Economic Revival Strategy

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

UPP Political Leader, Harold Lovell was a featured speaker at the Upturn Funds Caribbean Investment Summit held in Barbados last weekend. Hosted by Leadership Axehead Consulting, this cutting edge investment solutions event featured government, private sector, investment and global leaders who presented customized solutions to address the socio-economic development needs of the Caribbean.

Job creation through strategic investment is high on the agenda, as the United Progressive Party (UPP) prepares its policies for the next general elections. The Party is therefore focused on strengthening investor relations by pursuing reputable partners and credible investment opportunities, as part of its Economic Revival Strategy to create thousands of jobs.

Accordingly, Lovell spent three days engaging regional and international investors and policymakers, who represent over US $5 Billion in investment potential for economic development throughout the Caribbean. Describing the conference as highly successful, Lovell presented the party’s investment prospectus on a number of key areas including: wellness tourism, agriculture and agri-business, affordable housing, renewable energy solutions, aviation and manufacturing. Conference attendees included leaders and investors from the US, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, Brazil, Europe and the Middle East. Also addressing the conference were several high level government officials, including two members of the US Congress, Yvette Diane Clarke and Dr. Mark Green, Hon. Sandra Husbands, M.P. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade for Barbados and Hon. Evelyn Wever-Croes, Prime Minister of Aruba.

“The UPP will inspire a renewed sense of optimism to revive our struggling economy. In contrast to the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) that has failed to deliver any meaningful new projects over the last 8 years, the UPP is already doing proper due diligence to identify investors with a proven track record,” Lovell stated.  ”Antigua and Barbuda is in urgent need of industry diversification that will propel the private sector and provide viable alternatives to public-sector employment. The UPP is developing a solid plan for economic revival, to create a vibrant, dynamic and prosperous nation that will put citizens and residents back to work.”

Summary of the UPP’s Economic Revival Plan

– Industry diversification programs that will transform Antigua and Barbuda’s struggling economy.

– A new era of business confidence among stakeholders, to strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s economy.

– Boosting private sector investment to create thousands of jobs.

– Tap into new trade corridors to create opportunities for small and medium size businesses (SMEs) in agriculture, education, health, sports, environment, housing, energy and infrastructure development.

– Reposition the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority (ABIA) to facilitate greater foreign direct investment and bring equity to the investment playing field, by basing concessions, waivers and tax holidays on level of investment.

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National Social Protection Policy Gets Much Needed Update – St. Lucia Times News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: St. Lucia Times News

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by Jacques Hinkson-Compton

Pandemics, climate change, global supply chain issues, inflation and the rising price of oil have heavily impacted Saint Lucians.

Improvements to response time will be among the many areas addressed through the new and improved Social Protection Policy.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, Velda Joseph said the revision was preceded by extensive stakeholder engagement.

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“One of the recommendations spoke to us having the legislative framework and the policy framework to support and strengthened social protection system. In 2014 a national social protection policy was developed and that was approved by Cabinet. However, as we go about looking at what we have and how we continue to strengthen on how we improve of course we recognize that the environment is dynamic and as things change we recognize that there are issues that need to be addressed very prominently there are still deficiencies within that policy and so it was necessary for us to revisit and update that existing policy. We did that through a consultative and collaborative approach because as I indicated social protection is really cross cutting. It really entails the involvement of a number of stakeholders.”

Deficiencies in the availability of support to several vulnerable groups were highlighted in the consultations.

“I recall issues related to gender and issues related to strategic provisions related to addressing climate change and addressing resilience building, we thought that this was not sufficiently addressed in the 2014 policy and that needed to be looked at. Issues related to disability, we also thought that needed to be looked at in this revised policy. We spoke of the approach that we had in the 2014 policy and we decided going through the consultative process that a life skills approach was the best approach for Saint Lucia.”

The revised policy also aims to reduce the dependency of vulnerable groups on the state through employable and life skill development, and the strengthening of programs such as the Educational Assistance Program (EAP).

SOURCE: Government Information Service. Headline photo: Stock image

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