Black Immigrant Daily News

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Political Leader of the PDP Watson Duke leaves the offices of Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob alongside relatives of the victims at the Police Administration Building, Sackville Street Port of Spain. Photo by Roger Jacob

INVESTIGATORS into the shooting deaths of three people killed by police on July 2 will visit the Director of Public Prosecutions on Friday as the matter is coming closer to an end.

This was confirmed by acting Police Commissioner Mc Donald Jacob who on Thursday met with relatives of the three killed along with political leader of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Watson Duke. Also in attendance was acting DCP Wendell Williams and PDP’s Deputy Leader for Trinidad Kezel Jackson.

Jacob said Williams spoke with the parents of Leonardo Williams, Lucky Joseph and Leo Williams along with the mother of Fabien Richards, Nicole Richards. Relatives of Isaiah Roberts were absent as they were called away on a family emergency.

During the impromptu meeting, which Jacob said was “cordial”, the group the investigative process was explained to them. Jacob said he told the relatives that the police’s Victim and Support Unit will continue to assist them with counselling and other assistance needed.

Duke met with the parents at the scene of the killing on Independence Square with a group of his supporters and walked to the Police Administration Building where they met with Jacob.

Last Friday, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds accused protesters of being paid by a political party. This was days after Sea Lots and Beetham residents blocked off the east and west bound lanes of the Beetham Highway and the Priority Bus Route when they protested the triple killing on July 4.

Some of the protesters wore PDP jerseys, asked if he paid protesters, Duke said: “I dismiss mister Hinds, he is not worthy of comment. He is not worthy to be around decent people that is why they throw water on him and get him out of Beetham.”

When asked if he or any of his executive members paid protesters, Duke said he was not answering that question and described this reporter as a “rookie journalist.”

Richards interrupted saying that no one was paid to protest by those who came out and did so in hope of getting justice for the three killed. She, along with other relatives of the men killed, returned to the scene of the shooting, lit candles and called for swift action for what she and other considered murder. She and the others vowed to keep the issue alive by routinely returning to the scene to hold a peaceful demonstration.

Asked for his response on him using the deaths of the three for political mileage, Duke said: “I am a politician, that I am not divorced from. Those who claim to be politicians are really magicians. They are here now and you can’t find them again like Houdini. They always appear around political time and around this time of trouble they disappear.”

Williams said without Duke the families had no voice and Duke stood for the families when no one else would. He was supported by Joseph who emphasised that no one received any money from Duke or any political entity.

Duke said the families deserve justice and he hired prominent attorneys to assist the family in achieving this but was not willing to divulge their name.

“Politicians must put people before politics. Where is Hinds? Where is the next rasta one? All of them in these depressed areas are trying to grow ras, the next one (Keith) Scotland, all of these (people) are fake and phonies. They claim to represent the people but when the people need them where are they?”

He added that he is present while the others are not and he wants to see change in the country and now is time for that.

On July 2, police killed 1 7-year-olds Leonardo “Naldo” Williams and Isaiah Roberts and Fabien Richards 21 after the three allegedly shot at them. Their autopsies said all three were shot from behind.

Three others who were in the car and contradicted the police version of events were uninjured except for a 15-year-old who was shot in the arm and grazed on abdomen and leg.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

La contralor de Puerto Rico, Yesmín Valdivieso, reveló este viernes en RADIO ISLA que ha perdido el 28 por ciento de los auditores de la Oficina del Contralor. 

“La realidad es (que) yo he perdido 28 por ciento de mis auditores. Estamos tratando de hacer de tripas corazones, porque he perdido el 28 por ciento, a nosotros no se nos asignó el aumento ese que le van a dar a la Rama Ejecutiva para los auditores. Yo tengo terror de que se me vayan a ir. Estamos tratando de ser lo más eficiente posible y tocando en diferentes puertas, cosa de que no se nos vaya a quedar nada”, expresó Valdivieso.         

Pendientes a RADIO ISLA para la ampliación de esta noticia.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The votes are in and the public has declared their top 40 songs for the Crop Over season.

Chief executive officer of the National Cultural Foundation, Carol Roberts-Reifer announced the Top 40 artistes in the Student Revolving Loan Fund and Sunshine Snacks Crop Over People’s Choice Competition in association with Banks Beer on Thursday, July 14 during a press conference at the Wildey Gymnasium.

The first round of public voting opened on Monday, July 4 and closed on Tuesday, July 12, with officials reporting up to 166,000 votes. This year, the People’s Choice replaces the Soca Monarch with the top 20 artistes voted on by the public, winning the opportunity to perform at Courtesy Garage 98.1 The One Soca Rukshun on Crop Over Sunday.

The top 40 artistes who advance to the second round, and each will receive $2 000 for advancing. Meanwhile, the top 20 artistes will receive an additional $1 000 for advancing and $4 000 compensation for their performance at the Soca Rukshun show.

Flanked by Entertainer Association of Barbados (EAB) public relations strategist Ruel Ward, EAB president Rudy Maloney and the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes public relations officer of Barry Knight, who signed off on the list, Roberts-Reifer reiterated that the rationale behind the People’s Choice”was to be able to allow as many artistes as possible to get a lucrative pay day as opposed to the usual competition where one artiste walked away with a car and a large amount of cash”.

The NCF CEO assured of the voting validation process, explaining that only one vote per device was allowed. Multiple votes from the same device will be removed. She explained that the voting process was simplified to ensure that “the backend was secure as possible”.

With the second round of voting to open at midnight Friday, July 15 and running until Wednesday, July 20, Roberts-Reifer encouraged artistes to “get out there and do their marketing”.

“Don’t depend on being able to make your devices do amazing things. In actual fact, just get out there push your song market yourself and get people to vote for you,” she urged.

The Top 40 artistes that have made it through to the second round include:

ALL – YANNICK HOOPER AMAZING – RAANAN ANYTIME – TARIQUE O’NEAL ANYWHERE, ANYWAY – SUGAHRHE BASHMENT – PARK DE PLUG BEN – KEERAH CARNIVAL IS – KEISHA CHRISTIAN CELEBRATE LIFE – RICHARD ANTONIO CROP OVER WE COMING – ARCHIE MILLER DIBBINESS – RHEA LAYNE & WALKES DON’T KILL MY VIBE – THELIA EXTRAORDINARY – MR. VEEJAY FAMILY AFFAIR – IMARA FREE CHRYSTAL – CUMMINS-BECKLES-HOLDER FREEDOM LAST – DASILVA AND CHRISSY D HAND PON HEAD – SWAGGY HOSTAGE – RENE KING JUDGE ME – QUON LOCATION – GRATEFUL CO LOKK IT AFFF – EDWIN YEARWOOD LOW BUDGET – SIR RUEL MAUBY – BRUCELEE ALMIGHTEE MOCK – TOYAN POP KITE – FAITH CALLENDER PRISON BREAK – MISTAH DALE PROPERTY – RENIECE BONNETT PTSD – AKHNATEN RAW RECOGNIZE RAW (RRR) – LINSKEE READY – NIKITA X MIKEY MERCER RED GYAL ANTHEM – DOYENNE RUM & SOCA – Q~SO SAME ONE – SHAQUILLEGFG AND COOPA DAN STAGE – ASHAWNYA

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Basseterre, St Kitts, July 14th, 2022 (Poise SKN)—Poise SKN hosted its annual recital on Sunday 10th July at Carnival  Village dubbed Take Me to Church. The annual event which had been delayed in 2020 and 2021 due to the  COVID-19 pandemic, featured the work and talent of over 150 of the Federation’s youth predominantly under  the age of 25. The theatrical production included ariel silk, ariel hoop, pole dances, and appearances by the Axonic  Flow band  

According to the institute’s founder and Creative Director, Desi Brown, this year’s recital used edutainment  (entertainment and education) to focus attention on several issues plaguing young people. “This production shared the positive messages of faith, addressed issues of body image, peer pressure, drug abuse as well as mental illness,  specifically resulting in suicide among young people,” Brown said. 

Additionally, this year‘s theatrical production is tri-fold as the monies earned from this fundraiser will assist the  institute with purchasing and outfitting a Dance Studio with training equipment for all departments within the  Institute of Dance as well as contributing to the travel of 4 of its Aerialist to receive professional training at the  Fenyx Aerial Arts in Houston Text from August 20 to 28. During the production, Poise SKN collected of a special  ‘Tithes & Offering’ during the event (a feature adopted from the church). The collection will be donated to the  Paediatric Assistance League St. Kitts & Nevis (PALS) through the collection  

Poise SKN takes this opportunity to thank its sponsors for their contribution to the recital. The sponsors include Cleanrite, Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Jay Black Productions, Maitland, Maitland & Associates,  Amory Enterprises, Zenith Fashion & Jewelry, ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation, S L Services, QuiteVIVID, The  Brown Pen, Jihan Williams, Xpress Events, Pro Video Production, Aryana E.S, iLead Consultancy, QSound, One  Root Studio, and Ram’s Supermarket. 

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Charlestown, Nevis, July 14, 2022 (NIA) – As part of the activities for Restaurant Week 2022, the Ministry of Tourism on Nevis will host its Tasting Showcase on Saturday, July 16, 2022, at the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park.

Mr. John Hanley, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), said the objective of the Tasting Showcase is to give members of the public an opportunity to sample the tasty selections on offer at the various restaurants and beverage sponsors participating in Restaurant Week.

“The Restaurant Week Tasting Showcase is designed to give potential customers a preview of what to expect at restaurants that we will have participating in Restaurant Week…

“We anticipate that we will have twenty or even more exhibitors- some will be restaurants, some will be drink sponsors. The drink sponsors will also have specials at special discounts during Restaurant Week. So come out to the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park on July 16 and be prepped and ready to sample all of the creative sweet potato dishes that will be on offer, and we hope that you will certainly support the twenty-five participating restaurants.”

Mr. Hanley said the event will run from 2 to 5 p.m. and tickets for the Tasting Showcase are $30, thus making it affordable for everyone. Tickets can be purchased at the reception desk in the Visitor Center at the MGRP, the Tourism Authority Office, and the Ministry of Tourism’s main office at the Social Security Building.

Tickets will allow patrons to sample offerings from each restaurant and beverage sponsor. Each person will receive a ‘passport’ which includes the names of all of the sponsors, and for each sample one receives the sponsor will then check off that establishment.

The annual St. Kitts-Nevis Restaurant Week is a celebration of local cuisine when restaurants will offer special menus based on a local theme ingredient, at fixed special prices. This year’s featured local ingredient is sweet potato. Restaurant Week runs from July 14-24, 2022.

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