Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade Engaged To Longtime Boyfriend Evan McClintock

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Rapper Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade is all grown up, and if there is any indication of how old we are getting, the news that she is engaged and set to tie the knot soon will surely drive the point home.

Hailie became well known due to her father rapper about her in his songs and talking about his motivations as a father. Hailie Jade is now 27 years old, and she and her boyfriend Evan McClintock became engaged recently, she shared on Instagram. Hailie shared the news about the proposal on Monday, along with a carousel of photos from the romantic moment that Evan popped the big question.

Evan was seen on one knee as both smiled from ear to ear. The couple was seen enjoying champagne while decked out in warm winter gear after the proposal. Hailie also shared a photo of the diamond with a very simple message to recap the events.

“Casual weekend recap,” she wrote along with “i love you” as she tagged her fiancé and the tossing in emojis.

Hailie and Evan are said to have been dating in 2016, and her father also seems to know the young man as he was seen in some throwback family photos shared by Hailie.

Eminem wasn’t seen in the engagement photos, but the rapper has often spoken about fatherhood and shared that he was a proud dad, especially since his daughter continues to make him proud.

“Hailie is 23, no babies, she has a boyfriend, but she’s doing good, she’s made me proud for sure, she’s graduated from college,” Eminem said in a 2020 sitdown with Mike Tyson on Hot Boxin.

In the meantime, fans of Eminem were sure to react to the engagement news. “Now to wait for Slim Shady’s response,” one person said.

“Did he pass the freestyle test tho,” another said. “Wonder if he asked the goat,” another asked.

The Detroit rapper has not publicly reacted, but he has always been very private with his family life outside of rap music.

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‘Much to be proud of’ – CARICOM SG on Grenada’s 49th Independence anniversary

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, has extended “heartfelt congratulations” to the government and people of Grenada on the occasion of the country’s 49th Independence anniversary.

In her congratulatory message to Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, the Secretary-General said there is much for Grenada to be proud of as a nation.

“The Community joins the Government and People of Grenada in celebrating forty-nine years of independence, and extends best wishes for continued progress towards a sustainable and prosperous future,” the Secretary-General said.

Please see the text of Dr. Barnett’s message below:

“Honourable Prime Minister,

On behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), I wish to extend heartfelt congratulations to the Government and People of Grenada on the occasion of the Country’s 49th Anniversary of Independence, celebrated under the theme, “The Journey to 50. Reflecting on the Past Planning the Future”.

The emphasis on a collective reflection and on innovation is a strong indication of the pathway along which the Government intends to lead Grenadians towards a better and brighter future.

Honourable Prime Minister, Grenada has significantly contributed to the regional integration process and, in particular, through the advancement of the critical areas of Science and Technology, for which you have the lead responsibility in the Quasi-Cabinet of the Heads of Government.

There is much for Grenada to be proud of as a nation. The Community joins the Government and People of Grenada in celebrating forty-nine years of independence, and extends best wishes for continued progress towards a sustainable and prosperous future.”

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Haiti appoints council amid push to hold general elections

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service
FILE – Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry leaves at the end of a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Battle of Vertieres, the last major battle of Haitian independence from France at the National Pantheon Museum, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Nov. 18, 2022. Henry on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023 formally appointed a transition council charged with ensuring that general elections are held, which would make them the first elections since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Mo?se. Henry assumed power shortly after Moises’ murder. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Haiti’s prime minister on Monday formally appointed a transition council charged with ensuring that long-awaited general elections are held in a country with no democratically elected institutions.

While many doubt the creation of the council will help the government hold elections this year as envisioned, Prime Minister Ariel Henry said it was a significant step toward that goal.

“It is the beginning of the end of the dysfunction of our democratic institutions,” he said.

Haiti has failed to hold elections since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Mo?se. Henry assumed power shortly after Mo?se’s death, and promised that his administration would do so.

In early January, the terms of the remaining 10 senators expired, leaving no elected officials in place for a country of more than 11 million people.

Henry called on all Haitians to unite and fight for change as the country continues to spiral, with poverty and hunger deepening and violence spiking. The prime minister also thanked the council’s three members for agreeing to join the government in the “noble and thankless task of serving our country in these difficult times.”

The council’s three members are Calixte Fleuridor with Haiti’s Protestant Federation, who will represent civil society; Mirlande Manigat, a law professor and former first lady and presidential candidate who will represent political parties; and Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of the Haitian Chamber of Commerce, who will represent the private sector.

The council also will be responsible for working with government officials to reform Haiti’s constitution, implement economic reforms and reduce violence as gangs continue to grow more powerful since the presidential assassination, leading to a rise in killings, kidnappings and rapes.

The High Transition Council, as it’s known, also will choose the members of a provisional electoral council that needs to be in place before election planning begins.

Henry stressed that elections can’t be held until Haiti becomes safer: “It would not be acceptable for the state to ask politicians to campaign if the state cannot guarantee their security,” he said.

He noted that the new council also supports his call for the deployment of foreign troops to help quell violence in Haiti, a request he made in October that remains unheeded by the U.N. Security Council.

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How Complicit Governments Support the Drug Trade

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

By John P. Ruehl

The modern globalized world has made it easier and far more lucrative to facilitate and enable international drug networks, and several governments, or elements within them, actively work with criminal groups to support the flow of drugs around the world. This has led to a surge in drug usage among people worldwide, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s World Drug Report 2022, with 284 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 using drugs globally in 2020, which amounts to “a 26 [percent] increase over the previous decade.”

State involvement in the drug trade occurs for a variety of reasons. The allure of profiteering can entice state actors to produce and transport drugs, particularly if their country is under financial duress. Producing drugs or merely taxing drug routes can bring in much-needed funds to balance budgets, create sources of “black cash,” or enrich elites. Allowing the drug trade may also be deemed necessary to ensure regional economic stability and can prevent criminal groups from confronting the state.

In other instances, government agencies and institutions might be “captured” by criminal elements that have gained extreme influence over political, military, and judicial systems through corruption and violence. Government entities also often become too weak or compromised to stop criminal groups, which “have never before managed to acquire the degree of political influence now enjoyed by criminals in a wide range of African, [Eastern] European, and Latin American countries.”

Finally, some governments use the drug trade to promote foreign policy objectives as a form of hybrid warfare. Supporting criminal groups in rival or hostile countries can help challenge the authority of the governments in these states, but it is also an effective way to promote social destabilization. Introducing drugs to other countries fuels local criminal activity, plagues their court and prison systems, induces treatment and rehabilitation costs, and causes immense psychological stress and societal breakdown through addiction.

The Complicity of State Actors in the Drug Trade

The Russian government’s involvement in the international drug trade is due to several reasons. Russian state entities have sought to raise cash for their own benefit but have also historically worked with powerful criminal groups due to corruption and to avoid bloodshed (though the Kremlin has steadily absorbed Russia’s criminal elements under Russian President Vladimir Putin). Additionally, with the West imposing sanctions on the Kremlin after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin is seeking to punish some EU countries for supporting Kyiv by bringing drugs into the bloc, leveraging its connections to the Eurasian underworld to do so.

The Kremlin’s role in the drug trade has provided it with influence over former Soviet states in Central Asia, which have also facilitated the drug trade from Afghanistan to Europe for decades. The criminal elements that control this northern route have immense influence over the political and security elites of Central Asian states and rely on cooperation with Russian intelligence services.

Much of the drug trade provides funding for Russian intelligence services, and the Kremlin appears to have approved an increase in drug trafficking in 2022 largely because of the financial difficulties stemming from its invasion of Ukraine.

The Balkans are also a key gateway for drugs entering Europe. In Bulgaria, corruption has seen high-level politicians implicated in drug smuggling, in addition to officials in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. The Council of Europe, meanwhile, accused Hashim Tha?i, the former prime minister and president of Kosovo, as well as his political allies, of exerting “violent control over the trade in heroin and other narcotics” “and [occupying] important positions in ‘Kosovo’s mafia-like structures of organized crime’” in 2010. Kosovan politicians continue to face allegations of corruption.

Morocco’s government has largely accepted drug networks to support national economic livelihood, which serves “as the basis of a parallel economy,” while this relationship is reinforced by corruption in the country. Libya had more of a state-backed drug production and export apparatus under former leader Muammar Gaddafi, though this mechanism broke down following the civil war in 2011. However, the close relationship between Guinea-Bissau’s “political-military elites” and drug smugglers has made it Africa’s greatest example of state complicity in aiding international drug networks. The country’s importance in the international drug trade stems from its proximity to Latin America and Guinea-Bissau’s geographic use as a transit stop for criminal groups seeking access to the European market.

In recent years, politicians from Venezuela, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, and other Latin American countries have been accused or suspected of aiding and abetting criminals involved in the drug trade. United States officials have also accused former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hern?ndez and his political allies of “state-sponsored drug trafficking,” as he awaits trial in the United States.

But there has been a decades-long involvement of the United States in the drug trade. In the 1950s, for example, the CIA gave significant support to anti-communist rebel groups involved in the drug trade in the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. The cooperation lasted into the 1970s, and ongoing corruption in the region means state authorities continue to permit criminal groups a degree of operability.

The CIA also admitted to ignoring reports about Nicaraguan Contra rebels selling drugs in the United States to fund their anti-communist campaign in the 1980s. The United States permitted Afghan farmers to grow opium poppy during the Obama administration’s handling of the War in Afghanistan in 2009 and has been suspected of cultivating Latin America’s drug networks to control the region.

Drug deaths in the United States have, meanwhile, been rising significantly since 2000 and hit record highs during the pandemic, with fentanyl responsible for two-thirds of total deaths. China has been accused by Washington of allowing and enabling domestic criminal groups to import fentanyl into the United States.

While this trade partially diminished after pressure from Washington, fentanyl exports from China now often make their way to Mexico first before crossing the U.S. border. China’s willingness to cooperate with U.S. authorities, as well as authorities in Australia, where Chinese drugs are also imported, has declined as relations between Beijing and Western states have worsened. China’s government is also mildly complicit in the Myanmar government’s far more active and direct role in facilitating the drug trade in Southeast Asia. This is due to Myanmar’s need to both raise funds and control militant groups in the country.

Drug Trade Supporting Economies in Some Countries

Drug production and exporting also give regimes an option for long-term survival. A 2014 report from the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea indicates that after North Korea defaulted on its international debts in 1976, its embassies were encouraged to “‘self-finance’ through ‘drug smuggling.’” In the 1990s, this gave way to state-sponsored drug production to further increase access to foreign currency.

Most of the suspected or arrested drug traffickers from North Korea over the last three decades have been diplomats, military personnel, or business owners. In 2003, Australian authorities busted a North Korean state-sponsored heroin smuggling operation while following Chinese suspects. But by 2004, China was also admitting to problems with North Korean drugs crossing their mutual border. And in 2019, Chinese authorities arrested several people with connections to the North Korean government who were involved in a drug smuggling ring near the border.

The Syrian government has produced and exported drugs for decades. But sanctions and civil war since 2011 have severely weakened Syria’s leadership, prompting it to drastically increase its drug operations to raise funds and maintain power. Exports of Captagon and hashish now generate billions of dollars a year for the Syrian government and far exceed the value of the country’s legal exports.

In neighboring Iran, government officials, as well as state-affiliated groups like Hezbollah, are also complicit in profiting off the drug trade, which also implicates Lebanese officials. Involvement in the drug trade by state-sponsored groups like Hezbollah or Turkey’s Grey Wolves reveal attempts by Tehran and Ankara respectively to make these groups self-sustaining when state support withers.

Overt participation in the drug trade by certain states is likely to continue. Sanctions help fuel the drug trade by making states more inclined to resort to these networks to make up for lost economic opportunities. Additionally, most efforts to combat the drug trade are largely domestic initiatives. Less corrupt law enforcement agencies are often unwilling to work with their counterparts in other countries through forums like Interpol, for fear of their complicity in illegal drug networks. The drug trade also remains a valuable geopolitical tool for states.

Nonetheless, state involvement in the drug trade is a risky venture. It emboldens criminal actors, often involves inviting drugs into national territory, and can result in enormous public backlash. While preventing the involvement of state actors in these practices will be a difficult task, the most overt instances should be scrutinized more thoroughly to ensure these policies are given greater attention.

This article was produced by Globetrotter.

John P. Ruehl is an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, D.C. He is a contributing editor to Strategic Policy and a contributor to several other foreign affairs publications. His book, Budget Superpower: How Russia Challenges the West With an Economy Smaller Than Texas’, was published in December 2022.

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Kendrick Lamar’s Daughter Melt Hearts Reacting To His Grammy Speech

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Kendrick Lamar highlighted his family while accepting the award for Best Rap Album for his project, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, and his daughter had the best reaction as she watched her father accept the award from home while dressed up in her fancy gown.

On Sunday night, the rapper took home the coveted Best Rap Album Grammy award for the third time, having previously won in 2016 for his album, To Pimp a Butterfly and the 2018 project Damn. The artist also won big on Grammy night as he took home the Best Rap Song and “Best Rap Performance Grammys for his track, “The Heart Part 5”.

The artist had a brief acceptance speech which began by thanking his family, and his fiancée Whitney Alford shared a sweet video of his three-year-old daughter reacting to her father’s words.

“First and foremost, I want to thank my family for giving me the courage and vulnerability to share these stories and share my truth with this album,” he said.

“Daddy,” she says as she sees her father on the television.

“They’re talking about us, he’s talking about us, he’s talking about his family,” she sweetly says as she lists out the names of herself, her brother, and her mother making up their ‘family.’

The artist’s Grammy-winning album featured his daughter and son being held by him and his fiancée on the cover. Kendrick Lamar, 34, and Alford, 36, have been dating since high school.

The album cover was a surprise for many who were unaware that the rapper had children, while for some, it was the first time seeing them.

The album was also one of his most vulnerable yet as he revealed in one of the songs, “Mother I Sober,” that he had a “lust addiction,” and cheated on his fiancée, who was also his high school sweetheart.

As artists… we say things to provoke thoughts and feelings, and emotions.  “Making this record was one of my toughest albums to make,” he said in his acceptance speech as he thanked “the culture” for allowing him to express himself and “evolve” in the song “Mother I Sober.”

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Cardi B Scolds Offset and Quavo Backstage The Grammys Amid Altercation

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Cardi B was not with the shenanigans as tensions ran high between Offset and Quavo while backstage at the Grammys on Sunday night.

Entertainment Report (ET) shared cell phone footage of Cardi B screaming at Quavo and Offset backstage on Sunday. There are reports that the two artists fought backstage at the Grammys over the In Memoriam tribute to Takeoff.

Offset had denied that there was a fight on Monday, writing on Twitter, “What tf [it] look like fighting my brother [y’all] n—s is crazy.”

The video, however, seems to suggest differently. In the video, Cardi B can be heard shouting while people mill around. “Both of y’all wrong, both of y’all. This is not right,” Cardi is heard shouting. She also addressed someone, telling them, “no, b**ch shut the f— up cuz you shouldn’t be talking.”

Cardi B also played off the incident when asked on camera whether she was settling something backstage. “The only thing I settled is my outfit, honey, haha,” a bubbly Cardi said.

Quavo and Offset reportedly fought over Offset being added to the In Memoriam tribute to honor Takeoff on Sunday night. The artist was shot and killed on November 1, 2022, and his family has been grieving and struggling to come to terms with his death, especially Offset and Quavo, who was to perform his tribute track “Without You.”

TMZ first reported that the two rappers had a tussle backstage, with Quavo blocking Offset from going on stage. The report did say that Offset tried to avoid the fight with Quavo, who eventually performed alone on stage.

The rapper was emotional as he performed the track that was released earlier this month. In the meantime, Quavo has not addressed the incident, but Offset denied that the he fought with his fellow Migos at the Grammys.

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OECS: Happy 49th Independence Anniversary Grenada

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

The Commission of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) extends to the Government and people of Grenada warmest congratulations on the occasion of the nation’s 49th Anniversary of Independence on Tuesday, February 7th 2023.

A virtual flag-raising ceremony was held by the Commission to commemorate the anniversary. The ceremony featured a recorded message from the Prime Minister of Grenada, The Honourable Dickon Mitchell; and an address by the Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules. The 49th Independence Anniversary celebrations are being held under the theme, “The journey to 50. Reflecting on the past. Planning for the future”

In his address for the Virtual Flag Raising Ceremony, Prime Minister Mitchell called on all Grendians, at home and abroad, to play an active role in nation building. According to him,

‘Your input makes a difference, whether it is in the form of donated time, expertise and advice; through investments in local businesses; or providing much needed supplies to underserved communities or government agencies. We hold the power to make a difference and every contribution matters. As our older generation would say: “one-one cocoa full a basket.’

In his remarks, OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules applauded the nation’s stong post covid-19 performance,

”The anniversary of independence is a day of history, hope, remembrance, firm determination, and the reaffirmation of opportunity. Your country has achieved tremendous progress in various economic spheres and continues to thrive. Despite the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic, Grenada experienced a 6 % growth last year and the economy is forecast to expand further by 3.6 % this year, supported by continued strong recovery in tourism and robust construction activities. ”

The Commission acknowledges the profound contribution of Grenada toward the growth and development of the OECS family and looks forward to continuing in the service of the Government and people of Grenada in the ongoing quest for the realisation of their development aspirations.

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UNWTO, Antigua & Barbuda Aim for Tourism Growth & Opportunity

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

UNWTO has identified the potential of tourism to drive economic growth and social opportunity across its newest Member State, Antigua and Barbuda.

The Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to Spain, Dr. Dario Item, along with the embassy’s Advisor, Daniel Yakovlev, were welcomed to the UNWTO headquarters in Madrid to build on the friendly cooperation in place since the Caribbean destination became the Organization’s newest Member State and eighth in the Caribbean region when it joined in 2021. Since then, Dr. Dario Item has served as his country’s Permanent Representative to UNWTO, alongside his Ambassadorial role.

Welcoming the delegation, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, commended the leadership of Prime Minister Gaston Browne and congratulated him on his recent re-election. He also sent his thanks to Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transport and Investments Charles Henry Fernandez for his ongoing support. In 2021 Antigua and Barbuda welcomed around 170,000 international arrivals and revenues from the sector reached US$490 million. As with many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), tourism is a key economic sector for Antigua and Barbuda and UNWTO is working with the Government to maximise its potential as a pillar of sustainable and inclusive growth.

The official visit to the UNWTO headquarters took place within the framework of the 2023 FITUR tourism trade fair in Madrid. To conclude, Dr. Dario Item and his delegation extended an invitation for UNWTO Secretary-General to visit Antigua and Barbuda, with details to be confirmed in due course.

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Statement by the Secretary-General – on the earthquake in T?rkiye and Syria

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

I was deeply saddened to hear of the extensive loss of life caused by the earthquake which affected southern T?rkiye and northern Syria earlier today.

More than 1,500 people have reportedly been killed and many more injured and the toll continues to rise as rescue efforts continue.

My heart goes out to the people of T?rkiye and Syria in this hour of tragedy. I send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish speedy recovery to the injured. The United Nations is fully committed to supporting the response. Our teams are on the ground assessing the needs and providing assistance.

We count on the international community to help the thousands of families hit by this disaster, many of whom were already in dire need of humanitarian aid in areas where access is a challenge.

New York, 6 February 2023

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Ambassador of Brazil to OECS presents Credentials to Director General

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

The Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Anuar Nahes presented his credentials to Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS on Feb. 1.

In a courtesy meeting held following the Accreditation Ceremony, the Director-General welcomed and congratulated the Ambassador on his assumption of office. He expressed satisfaction with the exceptionally good relations and strong friendship which exist between Brazil and the OECS – a relationship which he stated spans decade and has been improving significantly. The Director General made reference to the Technical Cooperation Agreements signed between Brazil and the OECS and the assistance received from Brazil in that regard. In expressing gratitude, the Director-General stated that

“Brazil has been a willing, reliable and generous partner and has continued to provide assistance beyond the scope of its commitments under these Agreements.”

The Director General highlighted the current impact of high inflation on small economies brought by the after effects of Covid, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. This he noted poses major challenges to the economies of the small island states of the OECS which are constantly grappling with the resulting instability and unpredictability. He emphasized the need for the OECS to form strategic alliances with partners such as Brazil in order to generate sustainable solutions.

Ambassador Nahes indicated Brazil’s plans to introduce to the OECS, a new proposal for general technical cooperation agreement. This proposal, he informed is a necessary institutional framework for permanent cooperation programs between Brazil and the OECS. In that regard, the Ambassador suggested that

“The Commission should formulate a comprehensive program of cooperation aimed at the social and economic development of the OECS region.”

The Director General and the Ambassador discussed a broad range of issues concerning opportunities for exploring broader cooperation, as well as the ability of both sides to utilize existing opportunities to their full potential.

The Director General assured the Ambassador of the full assistance and support of the OECS Commission in undertaking his duties successfully during his tenure.

Formal diplomatic relations between the OECS and the Federative Republic of Brazil were established in 2009.

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