Colorado Switchbacks FC Signs Jamaican Reggae Boyz

Black Immigrant Daily News

News Americas, COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Tues. Dec. 27, 2022: Jamaican born football star, Devon ‘Speedy’ Williams has been signed by the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Williams who previously played for Miami FC will transfer pending league and federation approval.

“I’m really just looking forward to adding on to the success the team had last season,” said Williams. “It’s evident the Switchbacks are building towards a Championship and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Williams, 30, played with USL Championship side The Miami FC for the last two seasons after signing with them in 2021. With Miami, the Kingston native made 53 appearances, starting in all 29 games played in 2022, and notched three goals. He made 39 key passes across the two seasons and held a huge passing accuracy average of 87%. In 2021 he was also named the USL Championship’s Player of the Week after earning a brace in Miami’s win against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

Williams brings three Championship titles with him to the Springs, winning in 2016 with New York Red Bulls II and then with Louisville City in 2017 and 2018. He also won an Eastern Conference Title in 2019 with Louisville.

Internationally, Williams has made 23 appearances for the Jamaican National Team the Reggae Boyz, including competing in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also made five appearances with Jamaica’s U20 team. He scored his first international goal for Jamaica in their 2019 Nations League match against Aruba.

The Jamaican got his professional start with New York Red Bulls II where he spent two successful seasons, earning 39 appearances and two goals, and helping the team toward their 2016 Championship title. In 2017 he signed with Louisville City, where he spent four prolific seasons, captaining in 2019. While there he notched nine goals and seven assists, leading the league in completed passes in the 2020 campaign. He completed 93 key passes in his four years at LouCity, and his passing accuracy never dropped below 85%.

“Speedy is a player that has won the whole thing three times, he has every tool you would want in a 6/8,” said GM and Head Coach Brendan Burke. “He will bring high end quality and leadership to our locker room and the hope is that his experience winning titles at this level and in CONCACAF with Jamaica will carry us through the most critical parts of the season.”

NewsAmericasNow.com

St Kitts and Nevis introduces raft of changes to its Citizenship by Investment Programme

Black Immigrant Daily News

News Americas, London, England, Tues. Dec. 27, 2022: The much-anticipated changes to St Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship by Investment Programme have been announced today by the country’s recently appointed Citizenship by Investment Unit Head, Michael Martin. Setting a bold and new tone for the industry as a whole, St Kitts and Nevis is once again leading the way for the investment immigration industry – adding a new layer of integrity to truly accelerate the country’s economic diversification, empower and prosper local citizens while creating an enriching base for intelligent investors.

“Today, our progressive government brings to fruition these much-awaited and very important changes to our much-loved Citizenship by Investment Programme. Today marks a new era for the investment immigration industry as we boldly declare that a clear strategy will drive our Citizenship by Investment Programme with the sole purpose of benefiting our people and investors who want to see our nation flourish.”

“Today these changes show the international community that we place honesty and integrity above all else as we look to deliver a product that will bring us a positive reputation and send a clear message that we are open for business,” said Michael Martin.

Watch the full video announcement here.

The changes have been gazetted on 23 December 2022 and will take effect on 1 January 2023.

Since his election in August, the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, has hinted at upcoming changes to the country’s Citizenship by Investment programme – reiterating multiple times that the revamped programme needs to be mutually beneficial to both Kittians and Nevisians and international investors.

The Prime Minister said at a recent event “While we navigate the complexities of managing a small island developing state in this unpredictable and highly globalized world, we have made it a priority to craft a solution to ensure that the evolution of our citizenship programme will be a sustainable model filled with integrity, transparency and accountability.”

The Programme will be underpinned by three fundamental principles that have guided the administration’s decision making with respect to the evolved version of the twin-island’s Citizenship by Investment Programme – sustainability, good governance and pragmatism.

“We have crafted a sustainable model that will continue to be the envy of the international community by injecting high levels of integrity that will come through administrative improvements. We have also structured our programme to allow for greater transparency and accountability, which make the hallmarks of a good governance framework that solidifies the foundation of any successful endeavour. Lastly, we have tailored our investment options to align with market realities while preserving the platinum brand our proud nation has developed and nurtured for four decades, operating the oldest Citizenship by Investment Programme in the world,” added the Prime Minister.

To achieve this, the most notable change to the programme will be the introduction of a Board of Governors and a Technical Committee.

Effective next year, a professional Citizenship by Investment Board of Governors will be responsible for high level supervisory matters such as providing general oversight of the operations the CBI Unit, developing and implementing policies and procedures for the CBI Unit, ensuring that application processing is completed as swiftly as possible within the time frames advertised without comprising the integrity of the programme and, continuously monitoring the global investor immigration industry to ensure that the country’s Citizenship by Investment regulations align with and adjust to, international market forces.

To further the Programme’s good governance agenda, a Citizenship by Investment Technical Committee will be charged with ensuring that all due diligence background checks are comprehensive and that all citizenship by investment applications are reviewed thoroughly. This committee will also be tasked with making recommendations to the Prime Minister in his capacity as Minister of National Security, Immigration and Citizenship.

The Technical Committee will be comprised of a chairperson, this role will be filled by the recently appointed Head of the CBI Unit, Michael Martin; a senior officer and a secretary – who will be a civil servant assigned by the Prime Minister.

Applicants can gain second citizenship in 60 days, but only for a limited time

St Kitts and Nevis is offering applicants a chance to gain second citizenship in as little as 60 days through its Sustainable Growth Fund – the revenue from the fund is aimed to facilitate economic development and social upliftment in the country. The Sustainable Growth Fund will be used to provide financial support to educational institutions, medical facilities, as well as provide additional funding for the construction of infrastructure, the development of local tourism, the preservation of local culture and heritage and support of sustainable growth initiatives in the twin-island nation.

The Sustainable Growth Fund remains the quickest and easiest route to second citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis and from 1 January to 30 June 2023, for a Limited Time Offer, a main applicant, following stringent background checks, can make a minimum investment of US$125,000 to the Fund and receive approval in principle within 60 days of submission of application.

Under the Limited Time Offer, investment options are as follows:

Single applicant – US$ 125,000

Main applicant and a spouse – US$150,000

Main applicant, spouse and two dependants – US$170,000

Each additional dependant under 18 – US$10,000

Each additional dependant over 18 – US$25,000

From 1 July 2023 onwards, applicants investing through the Sustainable Growth Fund will be charged as follows and can expect approval in principle within 90 days of submission of application.

Main applicant – US$150,000

Main applicant and a spouse – US$175,000

Main applicant, spouse and two dependants – US$195,000

Each additional dependant under 18 – US$10,000

Each additional dependant over 18 – US$25,000

These changes are part of the government’s tireless efforts to create conditions necessary for sustainable economic growth and diverse business opportunities.

“This is an exciting time because these policies will continue our progressive course in the global investor immigration industry and cement St Kitts and Nevis’ place as a leader in the Citizenship by Investment space. As we move toward a brand-new diversified economy, we remain committed to investing in tangible projects to uplift the country to achieve our goal of establishing a sustainable island state,” continued the Prime Minister.

It is important to note that these additional layers are not meant to hinder the application process but rather ensure multiple aspects including keeping processing to agreed timelines, all approved applicants are of the highest repute and most importantly, that projects meet the requirement of benefitting the local economy.

Another change is that the sustainable model of the Citizenship by Investment programme will now involve the implementation of an improved multi-faceted approved real estate application process, the removal of loopholes and the strict enforcement of escrow and project milestone requirements. 

The evolved St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme will invite bold and creative investors to facilitate the development of innovative industries in St Kitts and Nevis including construction of real estate developments pursuant to the new administration’s priority infrastructure list. “All projects must bring substantial benefit to the people of St Kitts and Nevis,” noted the Prime Minister.

The government will approve real estate projects to be developed and of these, a designated number of real estate units will be available to be sold to qualifying investors. Real estate projects will be constructed and completed according to a pre-defined schedule and a designated escrow drawdown process will also be implemented.

Only approved real estate developments will be eligible for the Citizenship by Investment option and most importantly, current “Approved Projects” will lose this designation once the new Citizenship by Investment regulations have been gazetted and approved, meaning stakeholders of these projects will need to apply afresh to become an “Approved Development”.

Minimum investment for approved real estate will remain at US$200,000 but there will be an introduction of penalties for the circumvention of minimum investment sums including:

Fines of up to US$200,000 on summary conviction

Revocation/suspension of Approved Development status

Removal of Authorised Agent licence

Blacklisting on the Citizenship by Investment website as a person or entity not authorised to submit a Citizenship b Investment application

A new Public Good Investment Option (PGIO) will replace the Alternative Investment Option (AIO) and will focus on effecting real transformation for the country by investing into areas that will benefit the citizens of St Kitts and Nevis – these projects must maximise local employment, transfer technological skills and increase capacity building. Investors of the PGIO must assume all financial risks associated with the projects and, if the investment results in the development of real estate on State land, investors must agree to transfer all real estate to the State on substantial completion. Investors looking to contribute to the PGIO will be required to apply to the Board of Governors to be designated as a Public Good Investor. To qualify under the PGIO, an applicant must contribute US$175,000, excluding relevant due diligence, processing and Government fees.

Investors can also apply for citizenship through the purchase of a qualified private home, for a minimum investment of US$400 000.00 for each main applicant. Unlike the preapproved real estate option, investing through a private home means a single-family home is sold as one unit and cannot be converted into apartments, condominiums or divided otherwise. The use of shares is also prohibited.

A private home that has been purchased through the Citizenship by Investment Programme cannot be sold for a period of five years after the granting of the citizenship and the property may never be eligible for use in a subsequent Citizenship by Investment application.

Having established the citizenship by investment industry 40 years ago, the progressive government of St Kitts and Nevis believes that these changes to its programme will once again set a much-needed positive tone and direction in the investor immigration industry.

St Kitts and Nevis has created a name for itself as a financial nexus with an attractive citizenship programme underpinned by a sound legal framework and robust multi-layered due diligence.   

For nearly 40 years, St Kitts and Nevis has been the pioneer of the global investor immigration industry.

Watch the full video announcement here.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Tory Lanez Opted Not To Testify, Prosecution Rest Case Using Megan’s Statement

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

The prosecution on Wednesday afternoon wrapped its closing arguments as prosecutors highlighted to jurors 47 pieces of evidence that all point to Tory Lanez being the shooter and urging that he be convicted.

Tory Lanez shooting trial has seized the attention of the hip-hop community as many await the outcome of the trial that approaches the end of two weeks. On Wednesday, the trial continued with Tory electing not to take the stand and testify in his defense.

Tory Lanez’s bodyguard was also to be called by the defense on Wednesday, but after the bombshell testimony of Sean Kelly, who claimed to see Tory, his driver Jaquan Smith, and Kelsey Harris beating Megan Thee Stallion on Nichols Canyon Road before she was shot, the defense decided to move ahead with closing arguments to not force the trial to continue past the Christmas holidays.

Lanez’s lawyer George Mgdesyan told the court that his client didn’t want the trial’s end delayed any longer.

In the meantime, the prosecution successfully wrapped closing arguments while the defense will continue on Thursday. In their arguments, the prosecution went over approximately 47 pieces of evidence they presented in the trial while Tory Lanez had less than half a dozen- a photo of Kelsey Harris and a few Instagram posts, Law and Crime journalist Meghann Cuniff said.

Among the prosecution’s evidence is an audio recording of Kelly’s 911 call, bodycam footage of the arrest of Kelsey and Tory, the surveillance video that captured the five gunshots that were fired, a map of Nichols Canyon Road where the shooting allegedly took place, photographic evidence of spent shell casings, an acrylic nail, a photo of Tory Lanez after being arrested, blood stains of Megan’s feet in the street, and photo of the broken chain and pendant left in the road when police arrived.

According to Cuniff, jurors will also be given a photo of the handgun that reportedly fired the five shots, blood in the car Lanez was in, and a suitcase found in the car, as well as photos of Tory and Kelsey and Tory’s driver Jaquan Smith while at the police station.

Also jurors will also get an audio recording of a phone call Tory made from jail to Kelsey where he apologized (although in the call, he doesn’t say what he is apologizing for), texts sent to Megan Thee Stallion, photos of Megan’s bloodied feet, and the medical report from her x-ray as well as Kelsey’s texts sent to Megan’s missing bodyguard Justin Edison and her September interview with prosecutors.

In closing arguments, Deputy DA Alexander Bott summed up his charge to the jury with one sentence from Megan’s testimony placed on a PowerPoint for the jury.

“If I would have known that coming out and speaking my truth would come with people agreeing with me being shot, if I would known, I would have started to lose my confidence and started to feel like damn, maybe I should be dead,” the quote read.

Later as he concluded, the prosecutor said, “This is the critical question in this case: Was Meg telling the truth that afternoon?” Bott asked. “I think everybody in this courtroom knows the answer to that question.”

In the meantime, Tory’s lawyer began his closing arguments reminding the jury that the defendant has no burden of proof and it is the prosecution’s job to prove the rapper is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mgdesyan, said, “It’s not my job to prove innocence. It’s the people’s job to prove their case.”

In his arguments, Mgdesyan focused on the inconsistencies of Megan’s testimony and her out-of-court statements that she had not slept with Tory and that she had claimed she suffered injuries to her feet from broken glass.

The defense lawyer also addressed key parts of the testimonies that claimed that Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion, including Megan’s claim that the rapper leaned over the door when he was shooting.

The lawyer pointed out Tory’s 5’2″ height and joked, “I don’t even know if he can get over the door to shoot,” which led to Tory giggling. The jurors didn’t seem amused by the joke, though, Cuniff reported.

While admitting that an injustice occurred and that Megan was shot, the attorney went on to say she lied and that Tory shot her.

“My client is being falsely accused. Megan Pete is a liar. She lied about everything in this case,” Mgdesyan told jurors.

Mgdesyan also raised points as to why Tory was not charged with assault for also hitting Kelsey as the prosecution claims and claimed that Lanez was an innocent party who was trying to stop the fight between Kelsey Harris and Megan Thee Stallion.

“Ms. Pete was drunk. Ms Pete was acting aggressive,” the attorney said.

He continued that Tory has also suffered a lot more than Megan over the past two years – “You know who it’s been bad for? That man right there,” he said, pointing at Tory.

He also questioned why Tory Lanez was not charged with assault if prosecutors think Tory assaulted Kelsey.

The defense continues its closing arguments early on Thursday.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Drake Says He Has Been Listening To Popcaan, Bob Marley & Tupac A Lot

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Drake shared more details on which artists he has been listening to a lot lately.

The OVO Sound chief was recently vacationing in Turks and Caicos with his close friends and found some time to sit down with Stake for a candid interview. Urban Islandz reported that among the things he discussed in the Q&A where he responded to the viral “Rich Flex” memes, saying it comes with the territory of being a global icon. Drake also gave us some insight into who he has been listening to, and to no surprise, Popcaan and Bob Marley made the cut.

Bob Marley’s 1977 classic “Jamming” provided a fitting soundtrack for the interview, with an infinity pool in the backdrop and the two smoking hookah and drinking bourbon. “Obviously we’re running the Bob right now we running the Bob Marley, we’re running a lot of Popcaan,” Drizzy said. “That’s kinda where I’ve been just been vibing out.”

The “Rich Flex” rapper recently revealed that Tupac Shakur dominated his Spotify playlist all through 2022. He shared the news on his IG Story where he revealed he listened 246 minutes of 2Pac and is among the top seven percent of 2Pac listeners in 2022.

Drake/IG/Spotify

Drake, born Aubrey Drake Graham, has consistently cited Tupac Shakur as one of his major influences and inspirations. In fact, the Canadian singer/rapper has made it no secret that he is a huge fan of Tupac’s music and has paid homage to the legendary rapper on several occasions throughout his career.

Tupac Shakur, affectionately called 2Pac, was one of the most influential rappers and actors of the 1990s and still is to date. Like Bob Marley, Tupac’s music, which often tackled social and political issues, resonated with a wide audience worldwide and cemented him as a cultural icon. The late rapper’s untimely death in 1996 at the young age of 25 only added to his legendary status and has made him a symbol of struggle and resilience in the hip hop community.

Drake first expressed his love for Tupac’s music in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2010, stating that Tupac was one of the main reasons he started rapping. He went on to say that Tupac’s music helped him understand and connect with the struggles and challenges faced by people in his own community.

In the early days of his career in 2012, Drake paid tribute to Tupac during a concert in Las Vegas, performing a medley of Tupac’s songs while wearing a shirt with Tupac’s face imprinted on it. Drizzy also included a sample of Tupac’s “Hail Mary” on his album “Take Care,” further solidifying his admiration for the rap icon.

In addition to his occasional musical tributes to Pac, Drake has also been known to reference Tupac’s lyrics in his own songs. On his song “Chicago Freestyle,” Drake famously raps: “I’m just tryna make sure that I have a legacy like Pac.”

Similarly, Drake has previously expressed his admiration for Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley and even expressed his wish to sit with the singer if had the the opportunity. Like Pac, Bob Marley died at a young age. He was only 36 when he passed away in 1981 after battling cancer.

Drake’s love for Tupac’s music is clearly evident in his own work, and he has consistently expressed his admiration for the late rapper’s impact on the hip hop community. Late artists like Bob Marley and Tupac’s music continues to inspire and influence artists like Drake, and their legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of musicians.

NewsAmericasNow.com

G Herbo Asks Yung Miami About Diddy’s New Child On Caresha Please

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

G Herbo is the next guest on Yung Miami’s podcast Caresha Please, and he faces some very uncomfortable questions while he also throws some out.

Yung Miami shared the teaser for the next episode of the podcast coming on Thursday, where he tries to get all of the tea from G Herbo about his personal life.

The pair plays a new card game Resha Roulette where G Herbo has to take shots for questions he refuses to answer. The teaser starts very light, with the pair bantering before they move on to questions about G Herbo’s sexual proclivities.

“Take two shots if you eat p***y from the back,” Herbo says before laughing that he needs three shots.

Caresha, Yung Miami real name, then shoots off several questions rapid-fire style to Herbo about some of the biggest juicy questions gossipmongers have about Herbo and the mothers of his children, Ari Fletcher, with whom he shares Yohsohn and Essex and Emmy with fiancée Taina Williams.

“Do your two baby mommas get along? Did you cheat on Ari with Taina,” Yung Miami asks, referencing the longstanding rumors that the Chicago rapper cheated with Taina Williams while he and Ari were together still and just had his first son.

Nothing is off limits, it seems, as Miami also asked G Herbo, “Y’all still f***ing?”

Of course, we’ll have to wait and see his answer, but Fletcher is happily engaged to rapper Moneybagg Yo, and while she has been busy making business moves, the Instagram model has also been out of the public as she revealed that she suffered a miscarriage earlier this year.

In the meantime, Herbo’s gangster was tested with Miami asking, “Did you ever smoke an opp?” Things, however, took an awkward turn as Yung Miami, determined to get to the bottom of the rumors that G Herbo was getting head on Instagram Live and cheating on Taina, pressed the rapper for an answer.

However, Herbo had an important question of his own.

“Did you know about the baby before October?” he asked while Miami had a nervous laugh. The City Girls rapper has been the subject of ridicule in recent weeks after Diddy revealed this month that he welcomed a baby back in October. To make matters worse, Diddy also has been spotted making out, showing PDA, and on dates with many other women who aren’t in Miami.

“Getting a little messy, man, clean it up,” G Herbo says, laughing as the teaser ends.

The latest episode on Revolt TV will air on Thursday at 8 PM EST.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Young Thug Names Hip Hop Experts On Witness List In YSl Rico Trial

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Young Thug’s YSL Racketeering trial is fast approaching, with the trial set to begin the second week of January 2023, and the rapper has curated his life of defense witnesses he’s planning to call.

According to reports, Young Thug has included a series of hip hop ‘experts’ and academics to aid his defense. The rapper is facing several charges, including murder and committing crimes in furtherance of a gang in contravention of Georgia’s racketeering act, to name a few.

On Thursday, All Hip Hop revealed that the Atlanta rapper’s legal team, led by Brian Steel, submitted a list of witnesses on Sunday who will testify in his defense. It’s unclear yet what the rapper’s defense is, but he has been supporting a Protect Black Art initiative to stop prosecutors from using songs and lyrics in criminal prosecution without more. Now, it seems that the witness list gives some insight into his defense which will address his music and lyrics being used against him.

Among those on the list is hip-hop historian Dr. Erik Nelson who is well known as the co-author of the book, ‘Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America’ which speaks to the link between hip-hop and mass incarceration of black youth.

Two university professors, Dr. Adam Dunbar from the University of Nevada and Dr. Charis Kubrin from the University of California, will testify as “experts in hip-hop lyrics.”

The rapper is also planning to call an expert on cell phones, a counselor for drug treatment, and a video analysis expert.

The evidence by the prosecution against Young Thug includes evidence from cell phones and video graphics evidence but mostly song lyrics quoted from tracks “Anybody,” “Ski,” and “Take It To Trial,” along with posts on social media.

Despite defense arguments to the judge to exclude the evidence based on Thug’s constitutional right to free speech, the evidence was allowed.

“The admission and use of these lyrics/poetry/artistry against [Young Thug] in his upcoming trial would be a Constitutional violation and an abuse of discretion, too prejudicial and unconstitutional,” Thug’s attorney had written in May to Fulton County Court judge Ural Glanville.

The rapper called the use of rap lyrics in his trial racist and discriminatory. Still, ahead of his trial, Young Thug recently scored a victory when judge Glanville ruled that evidence taken from cell phones belonging to Thug in 2015 was inadmissible as it was not procured with a warrant.

Several other developments have taken place with the YSL case over the last week as fellow rapper Gunna as well as alleged co-founder of YSL, Walter Murphy, Slimelife Shawty, and Young Thug’s brother, Unfoonk all accepted plea deals for suspended sentences and probation.

NewsAmericasNow.com

JAMAICA-TOURISM-Jamaica off to a good winter season

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Cana News Business

Post Content

NewsAmericasNow.com

CARIBBEAN-FINANCE-Greater collaboration needed to close green finance gap in Caribbean – PwC

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Cana News Business

Post Content

NewsAmericasNow.com

BELIZE-FINANCE-Government adamant that increase minimum wage will not hurt private sector

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Cana News Business

Post Content

NewsAmericasNow.com

UNITED STATES – ECONOMY – Caribbean American congresswoman votes for passage of massive US$1.7 trillion spending bill

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Cana News Business

Post Content

NewsAmericasNow.com