BAHAMAS-FINANCE-Police investigating collapse of FTX
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: Cana News Business
Post Content
NewsAmericasNow.com
COP27 climate talks: Do heads of state make a difference there?
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room
The first few days of any U.N. climate conference are dominated by a series of short speeches from heads of state from across the world. It’s something of a paradox, at least on its face: These presidents, kings and prime ministers are each country’s most prominent attendees, but the actual work of the talks ends up having little to do with the often-similar speeches given by the heads of state.
There is some variation, of course. This year, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for various climate financing proposals, including suspension of debt for disaster-struck developing countries. That would represent a big shift in a growing conversation about the spiral of debt that poorer countries will struggle to escape in a warming world.
And in a two-day sprint that includes words from everyone from the king of Jordan to the president of Kiribati, there are some from smaller countries and economies than France that still carry more weight in this particular discussion. For example, Gaston Browne is the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda (population 100,000, roughly that of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, metro area).
He spoke Tuesday morning on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, a coalition of 39 countries that are among the most vulnerable to climate change. Among other things, Browne called for a crackdown on the fossil fuel industry’s continued monumental profits.
“The oil and gas industry continues to earn almost 3 billion United States dollars daily in profits,” he said. “It is about time that these companies are made to pay a global carbon tax on their profits as a source of funding for loss and damage. … While they are profiting, the planet is burning.”
World leaders have intervened beyond just speeches during the first few days of the annual talks. Famously, when the highly anticipated COP15 meeting in Copenhagen was teetering on the edge of failure in 2009, President Barack Obama traveled to Denmark on the conference’s last official day. Through a series of meetings with other leaders including those of India, Brazil and South Africa, the admittedly disappointing Copenhagen Accord did emerge.
Beyond that sort of skin-of-the-teeth intervention, though, many remain unconvinced that the parade of presidents and prime ministers offers much to the world.
“The COP has turned into a PR event, where leaders are giving beautiful speeches and announcing fancy commitments and targets, while behind the curtains governments of the Global North countries are still refusing to take any drastic climate action,” said climate activist Greta Thunberg during last year’s COP26 in Glasgow. “Change is not going to come from inside there. That is not leadership.”
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP
NewsAmericasNow.com
The Fairy ‘Godmother Influencer’ Gives Back
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room
Social media influencer Lauvin Phillip
The Fairy ‘Godmother Influencer’ Gives Back
St. Johns, Antigua, November 14, 2022 – Social media influencer Lauvin Phillip under the auspices of Lauvin’s Foundation announces the second staging of the Prom Giveback initiative.
Phillip launched the initiative in 2020, she says:
“ In 2020, I was able to help a young lady…who was going through it at home and was simply not in a financial position to attend prom, with the assistance of my social media family, I became her fairy godmother.”
The school leaver received fees to attend prom, an outfit, full glam and a care package to prepare her for the working world.
The influencer credits her social media followers for motivating her to give back in this manner.
Expanding the initiative for the 2022 staging Phillip intends to assist as many people as possible, once again providing them with full prom wardrobe, nails, hair, makeup transportation and accessories.
Interested parties are invited to apply by submitting a 500 – 1,000 word essay explaining why they need assistance, their life goals, grades and an acceptance letter from an educational institution.
Other requirements also include the applicant’s name, age, address, contact number, dress, and shoe sizes. These should be sent via e-mail to [email protected].
The influencer states “although the core mission of Lauvin’s Foundation is to provide young girls and boys with an unforgettable graduation/prom-memory, I aim to expand to offer additional opportunities for deserving young people.
In keeping the fairy godmother idea alive, I hope to raise funds to award educational scholarships, CSEC funding, college placement, mentoring and anything else to help recognize the exemplary efforts of young men and women in Antigua and Barbuda.”
Businesses who wish to come on board to sponsor are also invited to contact Ms. Phillip via e-mail to help make a school leaver’s dreams come true.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP
NewsAmericasNow.com
Witness in PC Gilkes’ death murdered in Morvant
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
PC Clarence Gilkes
A man who was accused by police of murdering one of their colleagues but later deemed a witness in the death, was gunned down in Morvant on Sunday night.
Jehlano Romney, 30, was at a house at Poinsettia Drive at around 9.35 pm when a group of men shot him several times before running away.
Morvant police and homicide investigators visited the scene with a district medical officer who declared Romney dead.
In April a group of officers from the Western Division Task Force were on an exercise in Richplain Road, Diego Martin, when they confronted Romney.
During the incident PC Clarence Gilkes, who was part of the group of officers, was shot from behind.
Gilkes later died.
Romney fled the scene and was believed to be the prime suspect in Gilkes’ death, but a post mortem examination revealed Gilkes was killed by a police-issued bullet.
Romney surrendered to police with his attorney Criston J Williams one week after the shooting.
He was questioned and later released.
NewsAmericasNow.com
UN Secretary-General Upholds The Importance Of A Single Global Economy – St. Lucia Times News
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: St. Lucia Times News
– Advertisement –
At a time when geopolitical divides threaten to spark new conflicts and make older ones harder to resolve, the global economy cannot afford to be split into two opposing camps, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at a press conference in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, on Saturday.
Mr. Guterres was speaking to journalists a day after addressing regional leaders attending the 12th Summit between the UN and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Avoid at all costs
“As I told yesterday’s summit meeting, we must avoid at all costs the division of the global economy into two parts, led by the two biggest economies – the United States and China,” he said.
– Advertisement –
“Such a rift, with two different sets of rules, two dominant currencies, two internets, and two conflicting strategies on artificial intelligence, would undermine the world’s capacity to respond to the dramatic challenges we face.”
He said ASEAN countries are well placed to bridge this divide, stressing that “we must have one global economy and global market with access for all.”
‘Unending nightmare’ in Myanmar
The UN chief also reported on some of the issues discussed at the summit, including the situation in Myanmar which he described as “an unending nightmare for the people of that country, and a threat to peace and security across the region.”
Myanmar’s military seized power in February 2021 and since then, the country has been in the grip of a political, human rights and humanitarian crisis.
Mr. Guterres said ASEAN has taken a principled approach to the issue through its Five-Point Consensus.
Unified strategy needed
The plan was adopted in April 2021 and calls for an immediate cessation of violence, constructive dialogue among the parties, appointment of a Special Envoy, provision of humanitarian assistance, and a visit to the country by the Special Envoy.
“I urge all countries, including ASEAN members, to seek a unified strategy towards Myanmar, centred on the needs and aspirations of the country’s people,” he said.
Solutions for turbulent times
The war in Ukraine, the global energy and food crisis, and the climate emergency were also on the agenda at the day-long summit.
“In these turbulent times, regional organizations including ASEAN are essential to building global solutions,” Mr. Guterres told reporters.
The Secretary-General travelled to Cambodia from Egypt, where the COP27 UN climate change conference is underway.
Climate Solidarity Pact
Mr. Guterres is calling for a Climate Solidarity Pact for developed and emerging economies to combine resources and capacities to defeat climate change.
He is also pushing for leaders to reach agreement on a financial mechanism to support countries that suffer loss and damage from climate-related disasters.
The UN chief will next travel to Bali, Indonesia, for the G20 summit of the world’s major economies, which begins on Tuesday.
Stimulus package proposal
“My priority in Bali will be to speak up for countries in the Global South that have been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency, and now face crises in food, energy and finance – exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and crushing debt,” he said.
Mr. Guterres wants G20 leaders to adopt a stimulus package to provide developing countries with much-needed investments and liquidity.
The UN is also working to alleviate the global food crisis by extending a landmark initiative to get Ukrainian grain back on markets, and by removing obstacles to the Russian food and fertilizers exports.
Responding to questions
The Secretary-General was asked his view of human rights in the ASEAN region, and in host country Cambodia.
Although the situation is different from country to country, he stressed that human rights should be fully respected.
“Indeed, my appeal, and namely my appeal in a country like Cambodia is for the public space to be open and for human rights defenders and climate activists to be protected, and for the cooperation with civil society to be extended,” he said.
The Secretary-General also expressed concern for Myanmar, saying systematic violations of human rights there are “absolutely unacceptable” and causing immense suffering for the population.
Hopes for Indonesian presidency
Asked about UN and ASEAN cooperation to resolve the Myanmar crisis, he said it was important that the Five-Point Consensus moves forward.
Indonesia will chair ASEAN next year, and Mr. Guterres expressed hope that its presidency will see the development of initiatives towards this objective.
“We need to go back to a democracy, to a transition to democracy. We need to release political prisoners. We need to establish an inclusive process, and I’m confident that the Indonesian presidency will be working hard in the next year in that respect.”
Peace in Ukraine
Mr. Guterres also underlined the UN’s clear position on Ukraine, again responding to a journalist’s question.
The Russian invasion was a violation of the UN Charter, he said, and a violation of the country’s territorial integrity.
At the same time, he stressed that it is very important to create the conditions for progressively re-establishing dialogue that will lead to a future where peace will prevail, adding “not any kind of peace – peace based on the values of the UN Charter, and peace based on international law”.
SOURCE: UN News
– Advertisement –
NewsAmericasNow.com
African nations demand more money for removing emissions Loop Barbados
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: Barbados News
African nations want to increase how much money they receive from schemes that offset greenhouse gas emissions and are looking for ways to address the issue at UN climate talks currently underway in Egypt.
Carbon offsets, where polluters can effectively cancel out their emissions by paying into initiatives such as tree-planting, are currently cheaper to purchase in Africa than in many other parts of the world where schemes are more strictly regulated.
African nations are looking to the climate talks to get a better price on the ‘carbon market’ to help achieve their own emissions reductions targets and move toward clean energy. The schemes have come under scrutiny by environmental groups who are concerned they are a free pass to keep polluting.
“We should look at carbon trading as an income tool for our developmental agenda,” Zambian environment minister Collins Nzovu told The Associated Press. “If we hurry into this market, we may lose our national heritage and give away at a low price that we will regret in future.”
In carbon trading, one credit issued equals one ton of carbon dioxide or another greenhouse gas equivalent removed from the atmosphere. The voluntary carbon market, which remains dominant in Africa, has been plagued by integrity and transparency concerns. Africa’s market currently sees the continent earning less than $10 per ton of carbon. Other regions can secure over $100 for the same amount in some instances.
Still, carbon credit schemes have recorded relative successes in Kenya, Tanzania and Congo.
The Ntakata Mountains Project in Tanzania, for example, has seen local communities now have more money to put in schools, community clinics and infrastructure. Similar success has been reported in Kenya’s Mikoko Pamoja project, as well as others dotted around the continent.
But efforts remain to make the industry more regulated, particularly in Africa.
“High-integrity carbon registries, which sustain a supply of high-quality and trustworthy credits that are tradable in the global exchange markets, are critical and will allow African countries to succeed in those processes,” said Antonio Pedro, the executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
Pedro added that significant support from developed countries, where the demand for such high-quality carbon credits will be required, is essential to regulating markets. But for the market to not push emissions up even further, there would need to be limitations on how companies can use carbon credits.
On Wednesday, US climate envoy John Kerry announced a controversial plan to encourage big businesses to tap into carbon markets, sparking concerns from environmental groups that it would give companies a license to keep emitting at higher rates. Kerry insisted that the credits would be “highly regulated” and there were multiple “guardrails against abuse,” including the types of firms able to buy them and how they can be used.
A study released at the UN summit on Saturday by the Africa Climate Policy Centre found that the continent stands a chance of limiting global warming to temperatures set in the Paris agreement if the price of a carbon credit is pegged at $120 per ton of carbon. That would rake in about $82 billion a year, the report found.
Experts say that for carbon markets to be effective at limiting warming, they have to have credibility.
“Carbon markets need to be cushioned in integrity as they bring benefits to both the investor and the communities. There have been bad experiences in the past. Integrity in carbon markets is key,” Pedro said.
___
By WANJOHI KABUKURU Associated Press
NewsAmericasNow.com
Government of St Kitts and Nevis does NOT accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment for its Citizenship by Investment programm
Black Immigrant Daily News
News Americas, Basseterre, St. Kitts, Nov. 14, 2022: The government of St Kitts and Nevis, along with the Citizenship by Investment Unit of the country, have refuted claims that investors interested in gaining citizenship to the country can pay using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
The St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment programme is the oldest in the world, having been established in 1984 – it has been providing investors from across the globe with one of the quickest, easiest, and most affordable routes to second citizenship.
Underpinned by a robust multi-layered due diligence process undertaken by international security firms from the USA and the UK, investors need to go through a formal application process consisting of eight main steps, which include:
Step 1: Pre-approval by a verified St Kitts and Nevis government agent and preparation of the application
Step 2: Submission of the citizenship application
Step 3: Application processing by the Citizenship by Investment Unit and internal and external due diligence checks
Step 4: Approval in principle letter issued
Step 5: Contribution to either the Sustainable Growth Fund or pre-approved real estate
Step 6: Bank clearance of source of funds
Step 7: Certificate of Registration issued
Step 8: Citizen can apply for a St Kitts and Nevis passport
Throughout the whole process, an investor will engage with an approved government agent who will facilitate the application and any payments will be made via registered banks using fiat money – a government-issued currency that is not backed by a commodity such as gold. An example would be the United States Dollar, Euro or Chinese Yuan.
Investors cannot make payments to a government-approved agent or the Citizenship by Investment Unit by using cryptocurrencies directly. These would need to be liquidated into fiat currency first and an applicant would need to provide a supporting affidavit regarding their source of funds as part of the application process.
St Kitts and Nevis has not yet passed any legislation regarding cryptocurrency. The country is participating in the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) pilot program, which aims to study the utilisation of cryptocurrency as a fiat currency.
The program’s purpose is to provide a safe and secure digital financial system by utilising the advantages of blockchain and is designed to exemplify the viability and functionality of the ECCB’s ability to issue Digital Eastern Caribbean Dollars.
The ECCB is the fiscal authority for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU).
Speaking at the Electronic Cash Conference 2022, which was held on November 12 2022, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, expressed that while Bitcoin Cash – another form of cryptocurrency – is used as a method of tender by some businesses in the country, due diligence checks are presently being prioritised by his government ahead of any major decision concerning that cryptocurrency’s official use.
Prime Minister Drew stated that the financial safety and security of citizens is a matter of high priority, and the government, with the guidance of the ECCB, is prepared to explore the possibility of Bitcoin Cash being introduced as legal tender in the local financial space.
The Prime Minister explained that once all the crucial financial safeguards were in place, Bitcoin Cash could become accepted legal tender in St Kitts and Nevis by March 2023.
Benefits of gaining second citizenship to St Kitts and Nevis
Citizenship by Investment is a legal process to grant individuals – and, in some cases, their families – dual citizenship in exchange for a financial contribution to the country’s economy. The initiative permits countries to channel generated funds into developing healthcare, education, infrastructure, and more.
Being a citizen of St Kitts and Nevis offers investors a myriad of benefits including family reunification, global mobility, enhanced security, and increased economic opportunities.
St Kitts and Nevis offers award-winning and internationally acclaimed education institutions like veterinary and medical universities, attracting global-minded professionals. People from all over the world come to St Kitts and Nevis, over a million a year to be exact, because of its booming tourism sector.
In recent years, the nation has seen growing numbers of American visitors. Around 1,000 US citizens currently reside on the islands. Now, with more work-from-home policies than ever, many see the Caribbean as the perfect destination to get away from the bustle of big cities while continuing to be connected when business calls.
In addition to citizenship and global mobility, St Kitts and Nevis offers its citizens who choose to become tax residents a wide variety of insurance services in a tax-friendly environment. For example, the country guarantees financial privacy by not making any information about offshore business owners and top managers public.
Portfolio diversification is the first step in dispersing your investments so that your exposure is not limited to just one type of asset. An investment in property in St Kitts and Nevis would allow you to diversify your investment portfolio and potentially make a return upon selling that your share in real estate after the end of the minimum hold period.
This will also ensure that you retain a certain amount of your wealth outside of your home country. In uncertain political and economic climates, knowing that a portion of your portfolio is free from the grips of a potentially corrupt government can give you tremendous peace of mind.
NewsAmericasNow.com
‘Wij hebben geschiedenis geschreven’
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: De Ware Tijd Online
door Marinio Balsemhof PARAMARIBO — “Wij zijn supertrots op deze vechters. Wij hebben, sowieso voor zowel Suriname als Curaçao, geschiedenis
NewsAmericasNow.com
Le Domaine de l’Oasis et l’Espace Reprise fermés, des rencontres cette semaine
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: Martinique FranceAntilles
Rédaction web
Domaine de l’Oasis • DR / FACEBOOK DOMAINE DE L’OASIS
Les deux établissements qui accueillent des événements festifs, et notamment nocturnes, ont fait l’objet de fermetures administratives immédiates, dès vendredi soir (11 novembre), après les graves fusillades qui ont eu lieu quelques heures plus tôt.
Suite aux fusillades survenues dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi, deux établissements nocturnes où se sont déroulés les faits sont fermés provisoirement.
Dans un communiqué diffusé dès vendredi soir (11 novembre), le préfet de la Martinique a condamné avec fermeté ces faits qui ont traumatisé les Martiniquais rassemblés au sein de l’Espace Reprise et du Domaine de l’Oasis à Rivière-Salée pour passer un moment festif. Il a rappelé que, dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi, ” un groupe de motocyclistes cagoulés a fait irruption en faisant usage à plusieurs reprises d’armes à feu au sein de deux établissements “.
A lire aussi
Quelle sécurité face aux événements de violences en soirée ?
Sept blessés ont été comptabilisés au Domaine de l’Oasis, dont plusieurs par balles.
Rencontres cette semaine
La décision administrative est tombée presqu’immédiatement. Depuis vendredi soir, les deux établissements concernés font l’objet d’une fermeture administrative provisoire de 6 mois.
« Cette décision est prise à titre conservatoire », précise le communiqué de la préfecture. Dès cette semaine, le préfet rencontrera les représentants de la filière de l’événementiel ainsi que ceux des sociétés de sécurité privée. « Ces réunions de travail auront pour objectif d’examiner les conditions de l’exercice de leur profession, ainsi que les mesures à prendre, en lien avec les forces de sécurité intérieures, afin que les établissements concernés puissent répondre à la forte attente des Martiniquaises et des Martiniquais de se retrouver dans ces endroits festifs en toute sécurité », précise-t-il.
A lire aussi
Agents de sécurité : un secteur qui recrute, mais avec beaucoup de turnovers
NewsAmericasNow.com
Nederlandse AOW zou armoede in Suriname kunnen verlichten
Black Immigrant Daily News
The content originally appeared on: De Ware Tijd Online
Dennis Belfor, voorzitter van stichting Hoob (Het Overkoepelend Orgaan Bestrijding AOW-gat Suriname), kwam op 9 september, enkele dagen vóór de
NewsAmericasNow.com
