Flash flood watch in effect Loop Barbados

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

A tropical wave is now affecting the island

Loop News

1 hrs ago

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A flash flood watch in effect for Barbados.

According to the Barbados Meteorological Services a tropical wave began to affect the island this morning, generating overcast skies, periods of rain and pockets of moderate to heavy showers.

As the day progresses, similar weather conditions will persist across the island.

Residents and visitors are advised to prepare for the possibility of strong runoff from higher elevations, traffic delays.

The advisory will be updated at 6 pm or sooner should conditions warrant.

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WATCH: Fire destroys large section of Highgate Market in St Mary Loop Jamaica

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News

A massive fire on Saturday morning destroyed a large section of the Highgate market in St Mary, leaving vendors and shop owners reeling from significant losses.

The cause of the fire is so far unknown.

The estimated damage has also not been fully tabulated, but it is said to run in the millions, given the fact that several vendors and other persons who own businesses in the market store their goods at the market.

According to preliminary accounts reaching Loop News, the fire occurred in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

By as early as 5am, residents and other persons who worked at the market tried desperately to remove what items they could.

Firefighters were alerted, but the fire managed to significantly destroy the front section of the market.

A team from the St Mary Fire Department is currently at the scene trying to out the blaze.

One vendor who spoke briefly to Loop News, said he lost several ground provisions stored at the facility.

“Right now mi confuse. It is a hard loss and school open September. Have to still give thanks cause some people lose more,” he said.

A popular shoes vendor at the facility, took to social media site, Facebook, to disclose that he lost his shop in the fire.

“Up and thankful. Shop gone but I’m still here can start all over again, but no would ever understand the chemistry between me and my shop. It hurts but what can I do. Just have to thank God for life. Thanks to everyone who reach out to me,” he wrote.

This is the third major fire in rural St Mary town in the last two years.

On July 30, 2020, a blaze destroyed the Grace Christian Ministries International (GCMI) Church in the town.

The church building has since been repaired and restored.

Then, in August of that same year, a large blaze destroyed a building housing three business establishments, including a restaurant.

That building, too, has since been restored.

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Sugar shortage: Uitvlugt factory produces nearly 100 tonnes of sugar

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
Bagging of 50kg/110lb Genuine Demerara Cane Sugar at Uitvlugt Factory

In a move to address the apparent shortage of sugar in the country, the Uitvlugt Estate factory last week ramped up its production and according to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the entity has commenced bagging operations and has so far accumulated some 2000 bags of sugar (100 tonne) to be distributed locally.

Citizens have been complaining of the apparent shortage of sugar on the local market, something which has persisted for some two months. The situation has resulted in some retailers who have sugar in stock increasing their prices.

On Friday, GuySuCo said that Uitvlugt Estate commenced its bagging operations on Thursday. In fact, it has already accumulated close to 2000 bags of Genuine Demerara Cane Sugar (50kg/110lb bag).

“The Estate is progressing swiftly to maintain its bagging operations throughout the weekend and the following weeks. The Estate’s management continues to work diligently to ensure grinding operations remain steady and encourage all workers to strive towards achieving set weekly sugar production targets,” a missive from the sugar company detailed.

Earlier this week, workers attached to Uitvlugt staged a picketing exercise outside the estate calling on GuySuCo to honour the Holiday With Pay (HWP) entitlement for the first crop of 2022 to workers.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and GuySuCo were slated to meet on Friday to discuss the issue but the meeting was postponed after the Union indicated the unavailability of one of their key personnel.

Nevertheless, the GuySuCo Executive Management congratulated the Uitvlugt Team on their progress and “express gratitude for the continued efforts towards the Estate’s success despite the challenges.”

It was announced last week that the Uitvlugt factory was gearing up to begin producing 1000 bags of sugar per day as a direct response to the apparent sugar shortage.

Last week, GuySuCo said that the Uitvlugt Estate factory team has successfully completed machinery and steam trials with the installation of a new gearbox, a critical part of the factory’s operations. This is to gear the factory up to produce 1000 bag of sugar per day.

The Uitvlugt factory has been out of operation since March of this year after a mechanical issue was detected, forcing the estate to call off its first crop for 2022. The issue has since been rectified.

A senior GuySuCo official had told this publication last week that the sugar corporation had taken a decision to only sell sugar to three categories of users: supermarkets, bakeries, and manufacturers.

While the local shops may not have had access to the commodity for resale, the official insisted that the supermarkets have access to the product.

However, when the Uitvlugt Estate resumes sugar production at 1000 bags a day, the goal is to restart the sale of sugar to wholesalers.

Moreover, it was noted that when drier weather prevails, the Uitvlugt factory can produce 2000 bags of sugar per day.

“And Guyana don’t use more than 3000 bags of sugar a week,” the official pointed out.At this point when the sale of sugar is resumed to wholesalers, it is the hope of GuySuCo that they service the local market first.

“The Corporation has to be careful because our mandate is to supply to Guyana…once [we start] reselling to wholesalers from next week, what the wholesalers do with it, that’s out of our control,” the official explained.

When asked about the widespread reports of a sugar shortage, the official revealed that GuySuCo had found out that some wholesalers have been buying the commodity in bulk and sending it to Venezuela, where it is sold for higher prices.

“It’s not a suspicion,” the official contended. It was disclosed that on June 5, 2022, some 2000 50kg bags of sugar were shipped to the North West District (NWD) – a region which reportedly does not consume that much sugar.

“Region One has a population of 26,000…Georgetown has a population of about 90,000 people and they don’t use so much sugar in a week,” the official reasoned. “So, what are they doing with the sugar?”

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has since warned that any supplier hoarding sugar in a bid to increase the price for the commodity would be dealt with accordingly.

In a recent social media post, GuySuCo said that the price for a 50kg bag of sugar is $9900. This publication understands that anyone desirous of purchasing sugar can do so directly at GuySuCo, but the minimum number of bags to be bought is 50.

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AFC not afraid of consequences in parting ways with APNU – Ramjattan

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

…not prepared to give up parliamentary seats

Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan has positioned that his party is not afraid of the consequences which may arise after parting ways with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) this year-end, amid chatter about the reduction of its parliamentary presence.

The AFC had announced its split from the coalition earlier this month, after forming the APNU/AFC seven years ago.

In a press conference on Friday, Ramjattan outlined that the Cummingsburg Accord provides for termination between three to five years. The AFC would have agreed on three years at its recent National Executive Conference (NEC).

Now, he said they are “unafraid” of the consequences to come and are unprepared to give up any of its parliamentary seats.

“We opted for the three-year termination…I do not see anything that would affect our parliamentary relationship in Opposition. I’m unafraid of the chatterati about consequences on our nine parliamentarians.”

Ramjattan added, “We’re not going to give up our seats. Those seats were earned. The APNU people will know that too. Why should we want to give up our parliamentary seats when being in Opposition now, that is a good platform to carry out Opposition works.”

The AFC leader has contended that his party will continue to engage the APNU in maintaining its working relationship.

When the split was announced, Ramjattan had said that the AFC would only consider entering into a new coalition with the APNU closer to the next General and Regional Elections due in 2025. While the AFC had announced its decision to remain in the coalition with APNU until the expiry of the Cummingsburg Accord in December, no definitive position was shared regarding the party’s way forward until this announcement.

Initial reports were that the AFC decided to stay in “a revised political alliance with APNU, whether coalition or a parliamentary cooperation agreement but the AFC must demand and secure a firm agreement and structure for it to have a greater influence on policy positions and political action within the alliance while maintaining its independence and rebranding and regaining its identity”.

The AFC had joined hands with the APNU to contest the 2015 General and Regional Elections and the coalition subsequently won. The parties signed the Cummingsburg Accord, which outlined the parliamentary seats and ministerial portfolios for AFC and APNU members, respectively. However, APNU, led by former President David Granger, had been accused of continuously violating the accord.

On December 24, 2019, after much back and forth between APNU and the AFC, a revised Cummingsburg Accord was signed, but the full details were never released to the public.

Following the AFC’s recent NEC, the APNU issued a statement whereby it expressed satisfaction that the smaller party decided to stay in the coalition. It had added that the AFC’s decision to remain in the coalition will “add impetus” to the parties’ “joint efforts” to win the next national election.

Since it came into office after joining forces with the APNU in 2015, the minority AFC has been criticised for the submissive role it has been playing to the APNU. Decisions the former Government made, such as the closure of sugar estates, which put thousands of sugar workers out of jobs, were passed unchallenged and even supported by the AFC. This is despite the AFC retaining the Agriculture Ministry.

This passive relationship with APNU was cited by former AFC parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud, as one of the reasons he voted for the No-Confidence Motion that brought down the APNU/AFC Government in 2018.

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Govt to review Local Content laws to crack down on foreign companies manipulating system – Pres Ali

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
President Dr Irfaan Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali said that his Government will have to continuously review the Local Content legislations in order to address the loopholes that foreign companies use to manipulate the systems in place to ensure that Guyanese benefit from the oil and gas sector.

On Tuesday, it was disclosed that despite the Local Content Act, oil and gas companies continue to come up with new ways to bypass the law. According to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, companies have now taken to using their junior Guyanese staff to fill up the legally-mandated quota for senior management staff, all while the junior staff continues to collect their original salary.

Asked recently about how his Government intends to deal with this issue, President Ali told this publication that there is a number of ways to crack down on such manipulating acts.

“You know in any system people look for loopholes but there is a number of ways in which you can crack down on this. For someone to sign up a document as a partner in an international company or a large company that is doing different size or volumes of work, they have to have some amount of shareholding and they have to prove where they get their money from to get the shareholding. They have to show beneficial interest so there are ways.”

“There are ways in which the different institutions in the country can actually go after those who try to abuse a system or just try to use loopholes to just satisfy the criteria,” the Head of State told reporters.

Moreover, President Ali also hinted at the possibility of further strengthening the Local Content legislation to clamp down on such loopholes.

“There is continuous analysis of the laws. We are young in this. We have just passed the Local Government legislation so definitely, there will be continuously reviewed. There will be continuous analysis to deal with loopholes and to deal with areas in which people think they can manipulate,” the President indicated.

Guyana passed its Local Content laws in December 2021, which details a series of measures geared towards ensuring that Guyanese and locally-owned businesses benefit from the oil and gas sector.

The Act stipulates that oil and gas companies operating in Guyana, as well as their contractors and sub-contractors, must procure from Guyanese companies by the end of 2022, 90 per cent of office space rental and accommodation services; 90 per cent of janitorial, laundry and catering services; 95 per cent of pest control services; 100 per cent of local insurance services; 75 per cent of local supply of food; and 90 per cent of local accounting services. These are just some of the 40 different services outlined in the first schedule.

The Act also defines a local company as one incorporated under the Companies Act and beneficially owned by Guyanese nationals. Beneficial ownership is defined as owning 51 per cent of the company.

Additionally, a local company is expected to have Guyanese in at least 75 per cent of executive and senior management positions and at least 90 per cent in non-managerial and other positions.

But speaking at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association’s (GMSA) Mid-Year Dinner on Tuesday evening, VP Jagdeo pointed out that even with the Act, there were companies still trying to dupe the authorities.

“There are many people who are trying to bypass the provisions of the legislation. It has been brought to my attention, for example, that a company that may have had maybe three foreign directors/managers in the old dispensation, now to get past the legislation since there is a 75 per cent management team (requirement),” Jagdeo said.

“To get past that position, they simply take junior staff and change their designations. So, the management team now becomes larger. So, they fulfil that requirement. But it’s just a designation for junior staff. When you look at their salary structure, their salaries have not changed.”

The Vice President assured that Government is keeping a close eye on this. He noted that other companies have also gone the route of giving a Guyanese company 50 per cent ownership, but also charge a large contract fee for management services.

Only recently, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat assured that the Government was committed to taking action against defaulters. He noted that as long as companies fail to satisfy all the criteria for their Local Content Certificates, these would continue to be denied to them.

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Snatching of Speaker’s Mace: Privileges Committee recommends suspension of 8 APNU/AFC MPs

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
A tug-of-war between APNU+AFC MPs and Parliament Staff after the Opposition Parliamentarians stole the mace from Speaker Manzoor Nadir in December 2021

The Parliamentary Committee of Privileges has recommended the suspension of eight A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Members of Parliament who participated in the infamous Mace grab and disruptions of the National Assembly sitting on December 29, 2021.

The Committee was tasked with considering a Privilege Motion which stated that the eight Opposition Members attempted to prevent the second and third readings of the Natural Resource Fund Bill No 20 of 2021, conducted themselves in a gross disorderly, contumacious, and disrespectful manner, and repeatedly ignored the authority of the Assembly and that of the Speaker, thereby committing contempt and breaches of privileges.

The eight MPs in question are: Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones, Ganesh Mahipaul, Sherod Duncan, Natasha Singh-Lewis, Annette Ferguson, Vinceroy Jordan, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, and Maureen Philadelphia.

After seeking an extension to its one-month timeline to consider the violations committed by the members, the Committee finally completed the report and submitted it to be laid in the National Assembly for debate. The next sitting is slated for Thursday, July 21.

According to the report, the Committee’s findings were based on video recordings, statements by staff of the Parliament Office and the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, eyewitness accounts by other Members of the House, media reporters and the public, both locally and internationally.

Additionally, each Opposition Member was written to and asked to “show cause” why sanctions should not be meted out to them. Their responses were received and considered by the Committee.

With these on hand, the Committee “found that the named Members were in violation of the Standing Orders, established Customs and Practices regarding acceptable behaviour of Members in the Assembly”.

To this end, the Committee determined the appropriate sanction available for the National Assembly to impose is suspension from service in the House.

As a result, the Privileges Committee recommended that Christopher Jones, Ganesh Mahipaul, Sherod Duncan and Natasha Singh-Lewis be suspended for four consecutive sittings each for attempting to prevent the second and third readings of the NRF Bill, and for conducting themselves in a gross disorderly, contumacious, and disrespectful manner, and repeatedly ignoring the authority of the Assembly and that of the Speaker, and thereby committing contempt and breaches of privileges.

Recommendation was also made for MPs Annette Ferguson and Vinceroy Jordan to be suspended for six consecutive sittings each for a similar offence. However, their suspension was higher since the Committee concurred that they had committed “serious violations which were severe and egregious by unauthorisedly removing the Parliamentary Mace from its rightful position in a disorderly fashion, causing damage to the Mace, injuring and assaulting a staff of the Parliament Office, while attempting to remove the Mace from the Chamber”.

Meanwhile, a similar recommendation of suspension for six consecutive sittings was made against Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, whose violations were found to be “severe and egregious with regard to unauthorisedly entering the communication control room of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) and destroying several pieces of audio-visual equipment, being public property”.

In addition, MP Maureen Philadelphia is also facing a suspension recommendation for six consecutive sittings over her severe and egregious violations, whereby she “verbally assaulted a staff of the Parliament Office within the precincts of the National Assembly”.

The Privileges Committee is chaired by Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, and its members comprise of both Government and Opposition MPs.

Representing Government are: Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips; Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC; Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister, Gail Teixeira; Culture, Youth and Sports Minister, Charles Ramson; and Sanjeev J Datadin.

On the APNU/AFC Opposition’s side are: Khemraj Ramjattan; Roysdale Forde, SC; Geeta Chandan-Edmond, and David A Patterson.

It is understood that the Opposition Members did not participate in the last three of the five Committee meetings. Hence, the other members including the Chairman went ahead and concluded the report with the recommendations for suspension of the eight Opposition MPs in question.

The report is expected to the laid in the National Assembly next Thursday, however, that is it a Private Members’ Day – meaning, the day is set aside for the Opposition’s business to be dealt with. They have three motions on the agenda.

But according to Minister Teixeira, Government is hoping to start the debate on the Report afterwards on Thursday.

She noted that this is the first time, in recent years, that the Privileges Committee has managed to conclude a matter before it.

“But it’s good in a sense that this is a very serious matter and the Committee was able to rule and make a decision, of course by majority,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister stated.

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COVID-19: 10 muertos y 341 hospitalizados

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Radio Isla TV

El informe preliminar de COVID-19 del Departamento de Salud (DS) reportó el sábado 10 muertos y 341 personas hospitalizadas.

El total de muertes atribuidas es de 4,678.

Hay 312 adultos hospitalizados y 29 menores. El monitoreo cubre el periodo del 29 de junio al 13 de julio de 2022.

La tasa de positividad está a 30.55 por ciento.

Se reportan 10 defunciones adicionales a causa del COVID-19. Unas 341 personas están hospitalizadas; 312 adultos y 29 pediátricos. Al medio día se ofrece una actualización de los datos que incluye el status de vacunación; https://t.co/8KaFLZuhkI

— Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico (@desaludpr) July 16, 2022

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Mujer resulta con herida de bala en frustrado intento de robo en restaurante en Caguas

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Radio Isla TV

Una mujer resultó herida de bala en un intento de robo, a eso de las 9:08 de la noche en el en el restaurante Mexitali, en la carretera PR-156 en Caguas.

Según el reporte de la Policía, dos hombres, con armas de fuego, intentaron lograr acceso al interior del establecimiento y al percatarse que la puerta contaba con un magneto de seguridad, realizaron varios disparos. Como consecuencia, una mujer que se encontraba en el lugar, resultó con una herida de bala en uno de sus glúteos.

La mujer fue transportada a una institución hospitalaria y se desconoce su condición de salud.

Agentes adscritos a la División de Agresiones del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales de Caguas, se hicieron cargo de la investigación.

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Alcalde de San Juan ordena investigación en torno a terreno en Condado

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Radio Isla TV

El alcalde de San Juan, Miguel Romero Lugo, ordenó el viernes a investigar mediante una resolución radicada en la Legislatura Municipal, el origen, utilización, inscripción, cambios de dominio y cualquier otro trámite relacionado al terreno ubicado en la intersección de la avenida Ashford con la calle Frederick Krug.

“Esta investigación que he solicitado tiene el propósito de indagar minuciosamente sobre pasadas ordenanzas municipales, documentación certificada que provenga del Registro de la Propiedad, sentencias judiciales que hayan envuelto la parcela o terrenos aledaños, documentación gráfica como mapas y planos, cualquier intervención o comunicación que el Municipio o sus funcionarios hayan tenido con el DTOP referente al tema, y cualquier otra información que estime pertinente y necesaria”, señaló el alcalde en declaraciones escritas.

La resolución, radicada a petición de Romero Lugo, crea una comisión especial que investigará el periodo antes y durante el proceso que llevó el Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas (DTOP) en julio de 2019 en el que surge del Registro de la Propiedad que el DTOP era propietario del remanente de terreno en cuestión. Se está cuestionando si esa inscripción que sucedió, en el 2019, bajo la incumbencia de la pasada administración municipal de Carmen Yulín Cruz es correcta.

Ante ello, Romero Lugo indicó que “responsablemente, con la transparencia, diligencia y seriedad que caracteriza a mi administración, es un deber indagar profundamente sobre estas alegaciones mediante una investigación legislativa exhaustiva y abarcadora”.

Se informó además que la Comisión Especial estará autorizada a utilizar todos los poderes que les confieren la ley, ordenanzas y resoluciones para ejercer sus funciones investigativas. Además, todos los departamentos, oficinas e instrumentalidades del Municipio tendrán que brindar toda la información, los recursos y cooperación que requiera la Comisión Especial, Asimismo, se autoriza a la presidenta de la Legislatura Municipal a acudir al tribunal, de ser necesario para que la Comisión Especial cumpla con su propósito.

“Nuestro fin con esta investigación es uno y claro, recopilar todos los detalles sobre tracto registral de dicho terreno, para velar íntegramente por los mejores intereses del Municipio de San Juan y para tomar cualquier acción y/o determinación que en derecho proceda en favor del interés público municipal”, concluyó el primer ejecutivo municipal.

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Condiciones del tiempo se espera que deterioren por onda tropical

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Radio Isla TV

Algunos aguaceros pasajeros fueron observados a través de sectores costeros del norte de Puerto Rico en horas temprano en la mañana. Sin embargo, esta actividad dejo acumulaciones de lluvia fueron mínimas. Las temperaturas en horas de la noche estuvieron en los altos 70s a los bajos 80s a través de sectores costeros y de entre los medios 60s a los medios 70s a través de la montaña.

El viento estuvo desde el este a 10 mph o menos con variación en brisa terrestre.

Las condiciones del tiempo para hoy se espera que deterioren a medida que una onda tropical se mueva a través del área. Esto resultara en aguaceros de aislados a dispersos a través de sectores del este de la isla en horas de la mañana.

Luego, en horas de la tarde, actividad de aguaceros con tronadas aisladas se esperan que se desarrollen a través de sectores del interior y oeste de Puerto Rico. Esta actividad podría resultar en acumulación de agua en las carreteras y en áreas de pobre drenaje, al igual que inundaciones menores con la lluvia más fuerte.

Las temperaturas máximas se espera que estén cerca de los medios 80s a los bajos 90s a través de las áreas bajas y en los medios 70s a medios 80s a través de áreas más altas. Algunos índices de calor cerca de 97 a 102 grados se esperan para áreas aisladas de las áreas bajas. El viento estará desde el este, entre 15 a 20 mph con ráfagas más fuertes de hasta 35 mph y variación en brisa marina.

A través de las aguas locales, se esperan vientos del este, resultando en oleaje picado y peligroso de hasta 7 pies a través de las aguas del Atlántico. Un aumento en los vientos y en el oleaje se espera esta noche para las aguas del Caribe y los pasajes locales.

Por lo tanto, están en efecto varias advertencias para los operadores de pequeñas embarcaciones. Existe un riesgo alto de corrientes marinas para las playas del norte de Puerto Rico, al igual que para Culebra. Para el resto de las playas el riesgo prevalecerá de bajo a moderado.

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El Tiempo

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