More than EC$1M ‘compassionate pay’ unclaimed by ex-LIAT workers

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room
LIAT Staff at recent meeting with union

OBSERVER: More than half of the EC$2 million which was made available to severed LIAT workers in Antigua has gone unclaimed – eight months after the offer was made.

While the Antigua government accepted no legal liability for the collapse of LIAT, on December 20, – a year and a half after the Supreme Court appointed an administrator to control the airline’s operations – the state offered former employees 50 percent of the severance owed to them.

The offer has been made in the form of cash, bonds and land, but most of the former employees continue to reject the terms of what Prime Minister Gaston Browne described as a “compassionate” offer.

“We’ve offered them a very generous offer, and I am appealing to them to accept and let us move forward and settle this issue.

“Again, we accept no liability, but just a caring government that wants to bring them some relief. I am being told that we have over a million dollars still in the account after we made two million dollars available to them.

“So, if they so hungry and so broke, why they not taking the money?” Browne asked.

In fact, LIAT’s court-appointed administrator, Cleveland Seaforth, told state media that 150 employees have not come forward to accept the offer.

“We are presently holding another EC$1,000,060 to be distributed to 150 of the terminated employees.

“It is fair to say that in recent months, people have not really come to collect cheques. So about 50 percent of the money that the government made available for the payment of severance is still there and can easily be paid out.

“From my perspective, severance is the obligation of LIAT (1974) and it could only be paid from a disposal of assets,” Seaforth explained.

An estimated US$80,000 dollars is owed in severance to these workers, but PM Browne believes that this is as good as it may get.

LIAT has been operating a reduced schedule with a limited workforce since November 2020. Hundreds of ex-staff have been clamouring for their cash since the pandemic put the brakes on travel in March that year.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU), David Massiah, is refuting claims made by PM Browne that the resistance of LIAT employees to accept the compassionate payment offer is fuelled by the political motives of the union.

On Thursday, PM Browne implied that the union had political motives to delay the settlement and was misguiding the former employees in the hopes of sabotaging a resolution.

But Massiah told Observer media on Friday that the workers have never been opposed to the offer, nor has the ABWU ever sought help from the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) on this matter.

“I don’t know where we have gone and said we do not accept. Our challenge continues to be the way how government has rolled out this particular process and [the way that they have been treating] the workers along the way.

“In my capacity, at no time did the ABWU reach out to the UPP to ask or have any discussions on that matter of LIAT, and we are quite aware that we are an independent organisation,” Massiah said.

The problem, he said, is not with the union’s stance on behalf of their workers, but with the lack of adequate communication on the issue from the prime minister.

“What the union and the workers would have done is give the Antigua and Barbuda prime minister the option to go forward, but he has failed, and that is what it is. That is what he has not accepted.

“He has failed, because he has not communicated properly, and they expect to bully you into the position.

“So, I just want to say that the ABWU is not holding no card or grief for the UPP or any government anywhere; we are independent in our position, and the positions that we represent are that of the workers that are our paying members,” Massiah added.

Amidst the debate, a new airline has expressed interest in investing in the new version of LIAT, and Seaforth said the prospects look quite promising.

LIAT (1974) Ltd is expected to be liquidated and a new carrier, LIAT 2020, will officially be established.

The intention is for a West African-operated airline dubbed Antigua Airways to work with LIAT to fly passengers coming from West Africa to destinations near Antigua.

According to the administrator, LIAT 2020 is currently examining a draft offer, which will be followed by discussions.

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Court of Appeal upholds conviction and sentences of two men found guilty of 2010 murder of Lyndon Isaac

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeal has affirmed the conviction and sentence of two men who were found guilty of murder, and who, therefore, must continue serving the sentences imposed by a High Court Judge.

Isaiah Benjamin, Edwin Gomez and Jerome Benjamin were jointly charged, tried and convicted for the murder of Lyndon Isaac on September 24, 2010. However, only Isaiah and Gomez had appealed the judge’s ruling.

At the sentencing hearing, the Judge imposed a 30-year prison sentence on Gomez, with a review after 23 years. Isaiah was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment to be reviewed after 18 years.

The men filed several grounds of appeal, but the main substance focused on whether the judge had erred in rejecting the no-case submission made by defence attorneys and in leaving the issue of joint enterprise to the jury.

Wendel Robinson, Isaiah’s counsel, also submitted that – in deciding whether there was a case to answer – the trial judge applied the wrong test as to what constitutes joint enterprise in murder.

However, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Anthony Armstrong countered, saying that the Judge had used the correct test: that is, the Galbraith Test.

The limb of the Galbraith Test put forward by the appellants during the no-case submission hearing was that there was no evidence; therefore, the Judge was duty-bound to stop the case.

But Armstrong asserted that, at the time, the Judge had to consider that the prosecution’s case was one of joint enterprise and that Isaiah had been present to effect the escape.

After hearing from the defence attorneys, who included Sherfield Bowen, representing Gomez, and Crown Counsel Shannon Jones- Gittens, who appeared along with the DPP, the Court of Appeal issued a 19-page judgment.

It ruled that Benjamin’s appeal against conviction and sentence is dismissed and the conviction and sentence affirmed.

Gomez’ appeal against conviction was withdrawn during the appeal hearing, the appeal against sentence was dismissed, and his conviction and sentence were affirmed.

Reports are that the duo, along with Benjamin and another person, went to T’s Natural Bamboo Bar to commit robbery. All the men were inside a vehicle being driven by Isaiah, and they were masked and armed.

The men reportedly entered the bar and one of them discharged a firearm close to a patron, George Lewis, whom two of the assailants then dragged outside. One of them patted him down, took some steps backward, and fired the gun.

Lewis, the owner of a licensed firearm, returned fire, hitting Jerome. At this point, Gomez and Isaiah reportedly ran back to the vehicle and sped off, leaving the wounded man.

However, they later returned in the vehicle and picked him up. It was while leaving the scene that Gomez discharged two shots from within the car, killing a pedestrian, Lyndon Isaac.

Gomez admitted to discharging the firearm that killed Isaac. However, Isaiah said he had remained in the vehicle, was not aware of the robbery, and denied any participation in the joint unlawful enterprise.

Justices Davidson Kelvin Baptiste and Mario Michel, as well as Paul Webster, an acting Justice of Appeal, heard the matter.

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US NHC: Disturbance gathering strength in Gulf of Mexico Loop Barbados

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) has forecast that the latest tropical cyclone of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season could develop either today or tomorrow.

The system of concern is a broad area of low pressure located over the south-western Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche.

While the low pressure is producing poorly organised, NHC said environmental conditions appear favourable for slow development of a tropical depression later today or tomorrow while the system is moving north-westward across the south-western Gulf of Mexico.

If the system becomes a tropical storm, it will be called Danielle.

The low pressure is expected to move inland over north-eastern Mexico and NHC said this will end its chances of development.

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Energie : quelles solutions après le “black-out” ? Guyaweb, site d’information et d’investigation en Guyane

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Guyaweb

Afin de comprendre « le second black-out en deux ans » et les délestages qui ont eu lieu la semaine dernière et trouver des solutions, notamment pour l’Ouest, régulièrement impacté par des problèmes d’acheminement de l’énergie, une réunion de travail s’est tenue entre la CTG, EDF Guyane et les présidents des communautés de communes de l’Ouest et des Savanes. Au cours de cet échange,  le maintien de la centrale thermique de Dégrad-des-Cannes a été annoncé afin d’assurer une source de production d’énergie à la Guyane en cas de nouvelles défaillances du côté du barrage hydroélectrique de Petit-Saut. Dix jours après la coupure…

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500e jour de captivité : le gouvernement dit rester mobilisé pour libérer Olivier Dubois

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Martinique FranceAntilles

Le gouvernement français assure rester totalement engagé pour la libération du journaliste Olivier Dubois enlevé au Mali, après le retrait cette semaine de la force Barkhane de ce pays en proie à la propagation jihadiste.

Ce samedi 20 août 2022, marque le 500e jour de captivité d’Olivier Dubois, journaliste, seul otage français connu dans le monde actuellement retenu au Mali par un groupe armé.

“Le retrait de l’opération Barkhane du Mali ne diminue en rien la mobilisation de la France pour faire libérer Olivier Dubois”, a dit devant la presse le porte-parole adjoint du ministère des Affaires étrangères François Delmas.

Le dernier soldat français a quitté le Mali après neuf ans d’engagement contre les jihadistes. La junte au pouvoir à Bamako depuis le putsch d’août 2020 s’est détournée de la France et de ses alliés pour se tourner vers la Russie.

“Tous les efforts sont déployés pour obtenir la libération de notre compatriote”, a déclaré François Delmas vendredi, à la veille du 500e jour de captivité.

Le journaliste indépendant, qui vit et travaille au Mali depuis 2015, a lui-même annoncé son enlèvement dans une vidéo diffusée sur les réseaux sociaux le 5 mai 2021. Il y expliquait avoir été kidnappé le 8 avril à Gao, dans le nord du Mali, par le Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans (GSIM), principale alliance jihadiste au Sahel, liée à Al-Qaïda. Il est le seul otage français recensé dans le monde.

Le porte-parole adjoint des Affaires étrangères a assuré que les autorités françaises maintenaient un contact régulier avec ses proches. Il a répété qu’en matière d’enlèvements, “la discrétion est une condition essentielle de l’efficacité de l’action de l’État et de la sécurité des personnes”.

Une vidéo du comité de soutien

Le comité de soutien pour la libération d’Olivier Dubois, #FreeOlivierDubois a réalisé, pour les 500 jours de captivité, une vidéo de soutien avec la contribution d’acteurs de la presse, de défendeurs des droit, de personnalités ou de membres de la familles et amis.

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“Football for Schools” in Belize

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Amandala Newspaper

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Tues. Aug. 16. 2022

The Football Federation of Belize (FFB), in partnership with UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) conducted training on Monday, August 15, in preparation for the launch of its program, “Football for Schools”, at the primary school level—an initiative which falls under the umbrella of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association).

Prior to introducing the program in this region, FIFA, in 2019, had announced that the “Football for Schools” program would be tested in two other countries, and after a review of the success of the program, 211 other countries would also implement the program, with Belize being the 14th to do so.

The aim of the program is to educate, develop, and empower boys and girls around the country, and it is expected that when the program is rolled out through the introduction of football- based activities into 250 primary schools over the next four years, over 25,000 primary school students will have been beneficiaries, and more than 750 coaches will have participated.

“The ‘Football for Schools’ program is about making football more accessible to boys and girls across the world. By incorporating football activities in our curriculum we can promote specific life skills and competencies in our students which will help them to be better [and] more productive citizens of Belize,” said Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, during his remarks at the FFB event.

“… Through our education system, we want [to] produce students who have developed important skills and values

such as tolerance, humility, patience, collaboration, cooperation, empathy, positivity, and charity. These are all skills and values [that] football promotes and develops in our young people,” Hon. Fonseca added.

Minister of Sports, Hon. Rodwell Ferguson, who was also present at the event, commented, “We have been trying to excel in sports for many years. I believe in the advent of FIFA coming into our country, we have seen a transformation, so I want to give them kudos, especially our local FFB for doing a wonderful and expanded job. They have expanded football to every region in our country [and] to every level in our society. I am committing myself to collaborate with the Ministry of Education, because both of us have to work together to make sure that we reach out to our young people.”

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Municipalities receive funding for September Celebrations

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Amandala Newspaper

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Aug. 18, 2022 The National Celebrations Commission (NCC) has distributed funds to the country’s various municipalities to help finance their

September Celebrations activities. On Wednesday, mayors from the different municipalities met at the House of Culture in Belize City with National Celebrations Commission chair, Hon. Francis Fonseca, and were handed their annual allowances for the September

Celebrations activities. Hon. Fonseca spoke with the local media about some of the activities that will be taking place in the month of September, leading up to Independence Day on September 21.

“So I think we have some exciting events planned. Of course, we have the usual traditional events on the September Celebrations calendar, the September 10th, and September 21st Independence Day activities. But this year, of course, [the] Carnival is back…That is scheduled, I believe, around September 3rd, here in Belize City… We also, of course, have events like the Tribute to Belizean Patriots, [and] the National Awards. But very importantly, some of the new, innovative activities that we launched last year were largely virtual. This year we are hoping to have a bigger audience for those activities,” said Minister Fonseca.

He added, “As well, we’re having our national prizes. We started last year with these specific awards for creative excellence and cultural excellence. For example, the Andy Palacio Prize for Music, the Lela Vernon Prize for

Culture, and the Rosita Baltazar Prize for Dance, to name a few; there are seven of them. We’re also having the concert series expanded. We started that last year in four municipalities, [so] we’re trying to do that in four different municipalities this year, promoting our Belizean musicians and artists. As well as the mural project, which was a big hit last year, the mural project across the country, so this year again, we’re continuing that.”

A new event this year for the September Celebrations is a concert to honor Gerald “Lord” Rhaburn, one of Belize’s pioneers in the production and performance of calypso, soca, reggae, and brukdown music in the 1970s and 1980s.

“One of the big events that we’re having here in Belize City is Lord Rhaburn Legends Concert. We want to pay tribute to Lord Rhaburn and honor him, so we’re working along with the Belize City Council as well as the BTB. They were very excited [about] being a part of that initiative. We not only going to have a concert, [but] we’re also going to name a plaza by the Memorial Park in Belize City in honor of the great Gerald ‘Lord’ Rhaburn,” Fonseca said.

Annually Belize City is the center of the September Celebrations activities. Mayor of Belize City, Bernard Wagner noted that Belizeans will be looking forward to the festivities after not being able to enjoy them in-person for two years.

“This time of the year, people look forward [to] having interaction and face-to-face interaction. The last two years have been this type of activities that were happening in silos, everybody operating virtual, and so it was important that we bounce back this year and have that face-to-face interaction. I am certain the people of the city, people of the entire country will have a robust time,” he said.

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Roads give way following incessant rains; MIDH in overdrive

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Amandala Newspaper

BELIZE, Thurs. Aug. 18, 2022The rains pummeling the country as a result of a tropical wave that is moving across northern Guatemala have already inundated Belize City and have caused infrastructural compromise on the highways. Rains are expected to continue over the next 48 hours as the storm becomes more organized as it heads to the Bay of Campeche, where

an area of low pressure could form. The Ministry of infrastructural Development and Housing (MIDH) has reportedly been on the ground since 1:00 a.m. this morning to address roads that have been structurally compromised due to the heavy rains. This morning the Ministry shared images of a wide, deep hole that has formed at Biscayne on the Philip Goldson Highway. Teams were on the ground working on repairs for that section of road.A section of the highway near the Isabella Road junction also gave way early this morning. Teams were mobilized to replace a culvert in that area. In Caledonia, Libertad, and near San Roman, groups of Infrastructure Ministry personnel are clearing clogged drains and creating pathways, along which the water can flow.

Currently, many streets of Belize City are covered with water that in some cases is more than a foot deep, and motorists in the Ladyville area are told to drive with care, as the road in that community is also flooded. The grounds of the bus terminal in Belize were also submerged in water this morning.

Orange Walk motorists in some portions of the district are also asked to drive with caution.

“Motorists are asked to drive with caution on the Guinea Grass Road, as there is at least 18 inches of water flowing across it in one section. Drivers of small vehicles should not attempt crossing until the water level falls,” a social media post from the MIDH stated.

The University of Belize canceled face-to-face classes in Belize City for the day due to the inclement weather, but students are asked to attend online classes as they normally would.

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Desperate search to locate missing sisters in Trelawny Loop Jamaica

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News
Loop News

31 minutes ago

Tracey-Ann Cowell, otherwise called ‘TT’ (left), and 16-year-old Dahlia Cowell, otherwise called ‘Rhea’

NEWYou can now listen to Loop News articles!

An ananda alert has been activated for 16-year-old Dahlia Cowell, otherwise called ‘Rhea’, and 14-year-old Tracey-Ann Cowell, otherwise called ‘TT’, both of Butt-Up-Town, Trelawny.

The police report that the two siblings have been missing since Wednesday, August 17.

Dahlia is of dark complexion, medium build, about 142 centimetres (4 feet 8 inches) tall and Tracey-Ann is of dark complexion, slim build, about 167 centimetres (5 feet 6 inches) tall.

Reports from the Ulster Spring police are that both girls were last seen in their community at about 3:00 pm. Dahlia was dressed in a white blouse, blue jeans and a pair of black slippers while Tracey-Ann was wearing a white dress with black stripes and a pair of black slippers.

Efforts made to contact them have proven futile.

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Eagle One to strike in Arthur Jones Memorial Cup Loop Jamaica

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News

Leading trainer Jason DaCosta’s EAGLE ONE is effectively down two groups, getting a bye in the conditions of Saturday’s Arthur Jones Memorial Cup for overnight-allowance runners after beating open allowance/graded stakes company in February.

EAGLE ONE finished fourth, four lengths behind JORDON REIGN’S clocking 1:12.3 at six furlongs on July 16. JORDON REIGN’S returning to complete the hat-trick, posting 59.4 in last Saturday’s Reggae Trophy at five furlongs straight, suggests EAGLE ONE should be a shoo-in to frank the form.

United States-bred EAGLE ONE pressed stablemate LURE OF LUCY on the lead before JORDON REIGN’s ran through a furlong out.

EAGLE ONE’s main threat, RACE CAR and DEJAE’S BOY, are joint topweight with not enough races under their girths this season to outrun DaCosta’s charge. EAGLE ONE used 123lb to duel GO DEH GIRL and I’VE GOT MAGIC in the April 12 Saint Cecelia Trophy won by FURTHER AND BEYOND.

Meanwhile, EMPEROROFTHECATS, the lone three-year-old in the event, beat an average field to graduate to overnight allowance.

Champion jockey Anthony Thomas is aboard EAGLE ONE in the Arthur Jones Memorial Cup. The feature event closes the 10-race card which runs off at noon.

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Race 1 – 1600mSecret Emperor (1)

Race 2 – 900m StDotlin (7)

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—-Race 4 – 1500mRegal and Royal (4)

Race 5 – 1100mSpecial Counsel (3)

Race 6 -800m StOne Like It (5)

Race 7 – 1600mMagical Mood (10)

Race 8 – 1000m StHa Gow Siu Mei (5)

Race 9 – 1000m StLacrimae (3)

Race 10 – 1200mEagle One (8)

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Race 5 – 1100mSpecial Counsel (3)

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