10 days to go: Team Morocco Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

T-10… We are into the final countdown of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The world is buzzing with excitement, in anticipation of the greatest sports event on the planet.

Qatar is the center of attention, and many will be glued to their media devices to witness history as the first winter World Cup kicks off on November 20.

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For the second consecutive occasion, Morocco will appear at the FIFA World Cup, their sixth appearance overall.

The “Atlas Lions” are rich in the history of African football, in 1986 they were the first African team to qualify top of their group, winning a zone which included England, Poland and Portugal.

In 1998 Morocco was the first African team to be ranked in FIFA’s top 10 ranking and finished just two points adrift group leaders and eventual world champions France.

With one African Cup of Nations title and two African Nations Championship trophies, Morocco remain one of the most recognized and respected nations in world football, and will be aiming to surpass their first round exit in 2018.

Country: Morocco

Capital: Rabat

Population: 37.34 million

Confederation: Confederation of African Football (CAF)

Group: F

Professional League: Botola Pro 1

World Cup appearances:6 (2022)

Qualification status: Winners of playoff versus DR Congo (5-2 aggregate score)

Key players: Yassine Bounou (Sevilla, Spain), Romain Saiss (Besiktas, Turkey), Achraf Kahimi (PSG, France), Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina, Italy), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea, England)

Coach: Walid Regraguli (Moroccan)

Group mates: Croatia, Belgium, Canada

Predictions: Eliminated in the preliminary round. Likely to compete for third position with Canada.

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Niko Terho talks about his mom, Grey’s Anatomy; picks Mika as fav Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

Niko Terho did not just start acting in 2022!

Landing the recurring, main role as an intern in Season 19 of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy has been the highlight of his career so far, but the Barbadian actor has been acting from a very young age, thanks to his mother – Suzanne Terho.

I think she was at the nail salon when I told her and she screamed

To mark Good News Day, today, November 10, Loop caught up with Niko and had an in-depth chat.

Loop: What was your first attempt at acting and what motivated you?

Niko: My first attempt was probably during my mum’s acting classes that she would teach in our front yard when we were little. Honestly I feel like I’ve just always loved or been trying to do it. I just had to take a little detour from it for a while because of football.

Fun Fact – Niko attended The St Michael School and played football for Barbados at the U-17 level.

I was a huge fan of Skitsomania. I loved watching the taped performances

Loop: What was your first role of significance to you and how did it come about?

Niko: I’ve only had two real acting jobs I would consider significant. One of which is now Grey’s. My first one was for a Rom Com on Freeform called The Thing About Harry. I played a guy named Harry. I landed it the traditional way by auditioning and sending in a tape. The cool thing about it was that it was the first audition I had done after signing with my manager and agent less than a week prior. It was also a leading role so it really threw me into the deep end and allowed me to learn quickly and grow as an actor.

Loop: How did you feel telling your mum about landing the Grey’s role?

Niko: It was great! I was visiting them for a bit so my mum had known I was up for the role. But it was a pretty great feeling giving her the news that they had actually offered it to me. I think she was at the nail salon when I told her and she screamed; she was so excited.

Lucas is a lot like me

Loop: Many Bajans know your mum for the Arts. How’s it feel being her son in this light?

Niko: I’ve always been super proud of mum and all of her performances. The ones I was old enough to remember at least. I was a huge fan of Skitsomania. I loved watching the taped performances of the show that we had on VHS.

Loop: You described the ABC set as feeling like Disney, but how much work went into learning your character’s personality and lines?

Niko: It’s funny, learning lines is the easy part. After many years of doing it, you’re brain kind of figures it out. Finding the personality of the character is much more difficult. It’s funny because in some ways Lucas is a lot like me. It’s impossible to create a truthful character, in my opinion, without it having parts of you in it. But he tends to react to certain situations much differently to how I would. So it’s about turning the dial up on certain personality traits within me and turning down the others.

Well assuming I can’t say Lucas. I’m gonna go with Mika

Loop: Favourite Grey’s attending and why?

Niko: My favourite attending would have to be Amelia Shepherd. To come from the kind of past she’s had, to being an incredible neurosurgeon is pretty remarkable. Plus she’s hilarious.

Loop: Favourite intern and why?

Niko: Well assuming I can’t say Lucas. I’m gonna go with Mika. I love her dark sense of humour and lack of filter. Can’t wait for you to see even more of her character as the season goes on.

Meredith, Simone and Niko on set (Source: Niko Terho)

Loop: How much medical knowledge do you feel like you have acquired so far? By the way, how long has filming been happening?

Niko: We’ve been filming since August I think. Honestly we’ve learned so much. They organise these medical boot camps for us every now and then. We learn basic skills like how to suture, give chest compressions and check for issues with the lungs. But definitely not confident enough to practice any of this on an actual human being. There’s a reason real doctors go to school for so many years.

Loop: Finally, what’s been your favourite scene to film so far if you can share?

Niko: I can’t actually say what my favourite scene to film has been so far because it comes later on in the season. But I’m really excited for everyone to see it and how Lucas’ story progresses.

We can’t wait watch Lucas and Niko grow on screen right before our eyes! Check him out on Grey’s Anatomy on ABC every Thursday night.

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Aanschaf Flow Cytrometer voor bloedkanker patiënten ernstig in geding

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: De Ware Tijd Online

door Arjen Stikvoort PARAMARIBO — “Er gaan mensen dood terwijl die wel zouden kunnen worden geholpen.” De enige internist-hematoloog van

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Militaire staking mogelijk op komst

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: De Ware Tijd Online

Tekst en beeld Jason Pinas PARAMARIBO — “Er gaan bepaalde harde besluiten worden genomen. Het is dan niet te danken

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$20K reward offered on double killing

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: The BVI Beacon

As investigations continue into the double killing last month in East End, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force is offering a $20,000 reward for information from the public that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

At about 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 21, shots were fired “close to or around” the Wayside Bar in Fat Hogs Bay, resulting in the deaths of Kawa Cornwall, 38, of Long Bush, and Kadeem Frett, 28, of Long Look, police said in a Saturday statement announcing the award.

Another man and a boy were also injured and hospitalised following the incident, according to police.

Two Saturdays ago, the Major Crime Team made a one-week anniversary appeal for any information that can help in identifying the perpetrators or anyone connected with carrying out the double killing.

The team also released an appeal poster and made a walkthrough of the crime scene on Friday at the same time the shooting took place the previous week in hopes of gathering information from people in the area, according to the Police Information Office. The victims’ families are also assisting in these efforts, the police noted.

Confiscated guns

Two weeks ago, Police Commissioner Mark Collins also appealed for the public’s help in exposing illegal points of entry and firearms distributors. Mr. Collins said the force has confiscated more than 75 firearms over the past year.

In September, for instance, they seized a semi-automatic assault rifle, a Glock pistol and an imitation firearm while carrying out a series of search warrants on premises in Baughers Bay, Purcell Estate and Great Mountain, according to the commissioner.

Two weeks ago, in the House of Assembly, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley denounced the recent shootings, calling them “senseless, reckless, and outright despicable.”

Both victims, he added, were his cousins. The killings were the fifth and sixth fatal shootings recorded this year.

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Two arrested for recent burglaries

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: The BVI Beacon

Two men were recently arrested and charged for burglary in less than a month, police said Monday.

Orville Christopher, of Sea Cows Bay, was arrested and charged with illegally entering a villa in Long Bay, according to the Police Information Office.

He appeared before Magistrates’ Court and was remanded, police said, noting that jewellery and grocery items were taken during the break-in. Timron Layne, 30, of Josiahs Bay, was also charged in late September for illegally entering a home in Lambert Bay, as well as unlawful possession of cannabis, police said.

Virgin Gorda burglaries

Following more burglaries last week in which cash was taken from three villas and a residence on Virgin Gorda, police said officers are working to stem break-ins on the sister island as well.

The police also said 14 burglaries were recorded during September, which represented a 22 percent decrease when compared to September 2021. But they added that burglaries of dwellings dominated the burglary category. They did not provide statistics for other months.

The police are asking the public to make security checks around their premises and install security cameras to help detect trespassers.

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Long Bush man charged for gun,ammo

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: The BVI Beacon

A 27-year-old Long Bush man was arrested and charged after police found a revolver and five rounds of ammunition outside his premises, police said on Tuesday.

Kamaul Nibbs is due to appear before Magistrates’ Court to face charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition at the next available sitting, according to the Police Information Office.

With more than 75 firearms and nearly 2,100 rounds of ammunition seized in the past year, Police Commissioner Mark Collins said his force is maintaining pressure in removing firearms from the streets and arresting those in possession.

He stressed, however, that the public’s help is needed to expose illegal entrants and firearms distributors. To contact the police Intelligence Unit directly, call 368-9339.

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New Dawn: Wife and husband changing the lives of thousands Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News

If a survey should be done across the length and breadth of Jamaica to identify some of the most noted set of nation builders on the island, the name Sharon and Vincent Fyffe would have to be added at the top of the list.

The wife and husband, are the vice principal and principal of the New Dawn Learning center, an early childhood institution, located in the heart of the St Andrew-based community of Pembroke Hall.

And with limited resources, the two educators, have for the past 18 years been helping to mold and shape some of the nation’s brightest minds.

“We normally cater to children between the ages of two to five years old and we normally work to prepare them for life at the primary school level and beyond,” the vice principal told Loop News in an interview.

In fact, if an even deeper check is carried out it would reveal that children, who would have passed through the halls of the small educational institution have gone on to take up positions in all sectors of society.

“We have students who would have gone on to join the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the army, those who would have gone on to become teachers themselves,” Ms. Fyffe, the principal revealed.

The teachers have however revealed that the task has not been an easy one.

The teachers reveal that while they don’t get paid enough to do what they do, the joy and fulfillment that they get when they see the students attending the school and later going on to excel and do great things is more than words can explain.

“This is something that we have been doing for approximately 18 years and the reason we continue is not because of the pay,” the principal disclose.

Her husband shared a similar sentiment.

“For example, I am also an artist by profession, and the money that I can make doing one art piece is more than I make teaching for several months,” said Mr. Fyffe.

The teachers also spoke about the challenges that they have to face trying to keep the school doors open.

“We are faced with a number of problems, one of the biggest is to secure enough funding to keep the school going,” said Ms. Fyffe.

The school administrators said the task of keeping the institution running was made even harder following the COVID pandemic.

“It has been rough but it is something that we continue to do,” said the principal.

Moving forward the teachers are making an appeal to all those who are able to help, to do what they can as the administrators at the institution try to upgrade the school to reach out to the next set of youngsters who will be attending and preparing to take on the role of leaders of tomorrow.

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Access poised for growth despite half-year dip in profit, says analyst Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News

Despite recording a double-digit dip in net profits for the six months ending September 2022, publicly listed microfinance company Access Financial Services (AFS) seems poised for growth, according to development economist and financial analyst Dr Chris Stokes. Access disclosed a less than favourable half-year drop of 26 per cent in net profit after tax. However, Stokes says the company appears to be making the right moves.

“The indication that some substantial investment in IT infrastructure will be made and that the strategy of geographic and business segment diversification will be deepened suggests a repositioning of the firm for continued growth,” said Stokes. “As we move into what I expect to be a sustained period of interest rates higher than what they have been in recent years, AFS’ first line of defence is its governance structure and risk management practices. In other words, the systems and leadership to navigate what may come. The other tangible factors such as profitability, capitalization and liquidity give the company elbow room to arm itself for present and future challenges.”

Access’ unaudited financial statement published on November 1 this year reported a seven per cent increase in operating revenue over the same six-month period in 2021, in line with what the company said was a growing loan portfolio. However, the report said operating costs had increased by 14 per cent, due to increases in staff costs, non-recurring debt financing expenses and loans written off.

“Debt financing will become more expensive and continued write-offs in the consumer loan business may be expected to accelerate consistent with what we have seen in other financial institutions. We learned from Scotiabank in the 1990’s financial crisis that loan policy matters, and that when one must choose between balance sheet growth and containing loan risk, the latter will prove better sooner or later. We will have to see how disciplined AFS is in this regard,” Stokes opined, adding that the new licensing requirement for microlenders could work in favour of Access, which became the first in the micro sector to get central bank approval in July this year.

Pointing to the triple B rating the company received from regional credit ratings agency Caribbean Information and Credit Rating Services (CariCRIS), Stokes said the rating was considered adequate and indicates that Access Financial has moderate credit risk.

In a release on November 3, CariCRIS said the outlook for Access was stable, noting its assessment was “based on our expectation that over the next 12 to 15 months, AFS will continue to record good financial performance and maintain all its key credit drivers including good asset quality as well as adequate capitalization and liquidity metrics.”

With total assets of $6.31 billion as at September 30, 2022, representing an 11 per cent increase over the same period in 2021, Access Financial Services remains among the leading lenders in the microfinance sector. During the quarter, the company raised $2.05 billion in corporate bonds to replace existing debt and provide financing for loan disbursements and IT capital expenditures.

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How a cabbie ran into trouble to stop a woman from taking her own life Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News

It was a normal end of workday in August for Dane Turner, a taxi driver who operates in the Corporate Area, while taking passengers to Half-Way-Tree from Chancery Street (Price Rite).

By the time he got to Constant Spring Road, he realised that he had only one passenger left in his car. It was a woman.

As it was just after 8pm, the taxi driver was thinking that he would be able to get off early that night. However, it ended up being a long night that saw him being ticketed by the police in order to save that passenger’s life.

Turner told Loop News that the drive into Half-Way-Tree was quiet, until he noticed blood on the passenger’s hands. She was holding a razor blade.

“I started questioning her, asking her what was she doing and all she said was that everything is over and she was going to end it,” Turner recounted.

The father of toddlers said that he was worried about the stranger, who had threatened to injure herself fatally.

“She had razor blades, so I didn’t want to try to take them from her.

“I decided that I couldn’t let her leave the car and hurt herself, so I started driving her around. She said she wanted to go downtown, but I think that once she get to her destination she would hurt herself,” he said.

The taxi operator said that he told his passenger that he would take her to a police station but she said she would open her wrist before he could get help.

According to the taxi operator, at first, the passenger refused to say what was troubling her.

Turner said he offered her something to eat or drink as he wanted to get her help without things escalating. When she refused the offer, he decided to get the police to help, but he had to do it in such a way that she wouldn’t realise what was happening.

“By that time I was just driving all over Kingston. I wanted to get the police to stop me, so I started doing some things, but the police wouldn’t pull me over.

“I broke stoplights, drive through stop signs and no police stopped me. When that didn’t work, I disconnected one of my front light and drove on Mandela Highway,” he recounted.

It was then that he was stopped by a team of police officers carrying out traffic operations on the highway.

He said that when he explained to the police what was happening, they didn’t believe him. Turner said he was ticketed and told that he was just trying to get out of receiving the ticket.

Turner said he insisted that they help him with the woman. According to the taxi operator, he managed to convince two of the senior police officers on the team and they came up with a plan to get the passenger out of the car and get her help.

After getting a policewoman to assist, Turner recounted that they accosted him and took him over to his vehicle.

The police then reportedly began roughing up the taxi driver while asking him about illegal weapons. Once they were satisfied that the woman in the car was convinced that they were looking for guns, the policewoman asked her to step out the vehicle so it could be searched.

When she stepped out of the vehicle, they noticed the blades and the blood and, after some time, they convinced her to drop the blades.

“She was screaming and crying saying that she lost her job and she doesn’t have a place to live. Life was hard for her and she just didn’t see her way out,” Turner recalled.

“My conscience couldn’t allow me to walk away. I know I couldn’t bear it if I was to put her out of my vehicle and then I see her on the news dead,” he told Loop News.

The taxi operator said in the confusion, the police did not cancel the ticket and he had to pay the fine in Traffic Court.

However, Turner said he didn’t mind because he recently saw the passenger again when she boarded his taxi.

According to the taxi driver, she thanked him for what he had done that night in August and told him that she is now employed and is trying to improve her life.

Jamaicans can contact the Ministry of Health’s mental health and suicide prevention helpline at 888-NEW-LIFE (639-5433) for mental health support.

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