Opposition explains absence from historic swearing-in of Chief Justice Loop Cayman Islands

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Cayman Compass
Loop News

1 hrs ago

The Opposition has now issued a statement explaining their absence from the sweating-in of the Hon. Margaret Ramsey-Hale as first female Chief Justice of the Cayman Islands.

In summary, the Opposition said that only Sir Alden McLaughlin KC received an invitation, however, this was after the event.

The Opposition also clarified that no other members of the Opposition received an invite.

The full statement of the Opposition is set out below:

There have been assertions and criticisms in various media outlets that the Opposition members of Parliament did not attend the swearing-in of the new Chief Justice of the Cayman Islands, the Hon. Margaret Ramsey-Hale. An invitation was sent to Sir Alden McLaughlin KC, the MP for Red Bay, however, it was not received by him until after the event. No other member of the Opposition was invited to this event. At the very least, the Leader of the Opposition, which is a Constitutionally defined position, should have been invited, as would normally be the protocol.

The Opposition members of Parliament again congratulate the new Chief Justice on her appointment to this high office and wish her every success. It should be noted that this is a momentous occasion for women in the Cayman Islands with the appointment of Justice Ramsay-Hale to the top post in the Judiciary.

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MP Hew responds to media article on pre-election spending by the NRA Loop Cayman Islands

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Cayman Compass

MP Joseph Hew, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, issued a statement responding to a media article indicating that there was pre-election of abuse of public cash at the National Roads Authority (NRA).

According to Hew, “there was no abuse of public funds” and, in fact, the report of the office of the auditor general didn’t say that the Auditor General found any abuse at all.

Hew added: “As the Minister responsible, it was my role to support the NRA and work with them to ensure they could deliver their programme and to hold them to account for their effectiveness. That is the role I carried out throughout my time in office, including in the pre-election period. I did not interfere with the work of the NRA.”

Hew further stated his view that the media “headline is disappointing and misleading,” was not based on evidence, but only on “ill-conceived presumptions.”

The full statement by MP Hew is set out below:

OAG report did not say that the Auditor General found any abuse at all. There was a concern that abuse could occur, but there was no indication that any abuse was found. There is a good reason for that – it’s because there was no abuse of public funds.

An article on the Cayman News Service blog site had a headline stating that a recent report by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) “finds pre-election abuse of public cash” with work carried out by the National Roads Authority (NRA).

In fact, the OAG report did not say that the Auditor General found any abuse at all. There was a concern that abuse could occur, but there was no indication that any abuse was found. There is a good reason for that – it’s because there was no abuse of public funds.

What should be obvious is that the NRA working to complete the road works that were budgeted for and that it had committed to doing should be a positive thing. The NRA had indicated in mid-2020 that it would be accelerating the road infrastructure projects to make up for time lost due to the pandemic. This was reported widely in the media, including by CNS. These included work on the East West Arterial extension, Shamrock Road widening, the Kings connector, the airport connector road, and the Godfrey Nixon Way extension.

I supported the NRA’s decision to accelerate delivery and welcomed their commitment to getting more road improvements delivered. Acceleration was necessary to make up for time lost because of the pandemic, and with reduced traffic volumes on our roads, this was an ideal time to get as much work completed as possible prior to the country opening to tourism again.

At the time, I said: “We are using this time as an opportunity for the National Roads Authority to proceed with critical road construction and pavement rehabilitation projects that would prove more difficult and costly to achieve during regular traffic conditions.”

So, the CNS headline is disappointing and misleading as it wrongly paints the men and the women who lead the NRA as possibly being ‘corrupt’. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially with no evidence provided, only ill-conceived presumptions.

The NRA is an independent Authority that is charged with one task – to use public funds to build the road infrastructure that it deems necessary for the benefit of the people of the Cayman Islands. There is no abuse of public funds in the NRA spending those funds for the purpose they were intended.

As the Minister responsible, it was my role to support the NRA and work with them to ensure they could deliver their programme and to hold them to account for their effectiveness. That is the role I carried out throughout my time in office, including in the pre-election period. I did not interfere with the work of the NRA.

In closing, I am surely glad that the NRA sought to fix the problems facing the travelling public, especially those coming from the Eastern Districts and all those from Prospect & Red Bay who must traverse the Tomlinson, Prospect and Hurleys roundabouts. I am equally glad that the now Minister has continued the roadworks that we started, and I am hopeful that he will get these much-needed projects completed.

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St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2022 Successfully Passed in Federal Parliament

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation

Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 27, 2022 (SKNIS): An Act to amend the St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency Act, Cap. 20.26 otherwise known as the St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency Bill, 2022, was successfully passed in the Federal Parliament after much debate on Thursday, October 27, 2022.

Mover of the Bill and Minister responsible for Investment, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas described the amendment as simple, but significantly important.

“The Bill, therefore, that is before us is of extreme importance. I have taken time to whet the appetites of my colleagues who will come after me, but also to give guidance to the citizens of our country that the Government is not yet three months old but it is fast at work on their behalf because there is a lot of work to be done especially in the area of investment,” said the Right Honourable Dr. Douglas.

Minister Douglas said that the successful passage of the Bill will create opportunities for job creation.

“We have to create opportunities for investment and that is why I give credit to the Prime Minister, [the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew] for selecting this piece of legislation to be the first to be debated in our Parliament because it is all about job creation, getting our people working,” said Dr. Douglas. “Remove the people from STEP dependence, remove the people from the gang dependency and put them to work and this is going to facilitate…this piece of legislation is going to go a long way in ensuring that those policies which we spoke about during the campaign, that they come to fruition. This piece of legislation is critical. It is a very simple piece of legislation that is short but critically important.”

The Bill was supported by members on both sides of the aisle.

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IMF Recruitment Outreach Mission to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation

Please see a pdf link below with a vacancy from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Re: IMF Recruitment Outreach Mission to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

https://mcusercontent.com/f9c18edcb5e81ee00df9977e6/files/fa284b91-1da3-1b47-12c0-61ec827aadd4/2022_Latin_America_and_the_Caribbean_LAC_Recruitment_Mission_Flyer_221027_135832.pdf

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Toco man jailed for robberies in west Trinidad

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

News

A TOCO man was sentenced on Thursday to a total of 16 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for robbing two women in the Western Division policing district in November 2020.

Senior magistrate Brian Dabideen sentenced Jaleel Ashton, of 64 Lucan Drive, Toco, in the Port of Spain 4B magistrates court after he was found guilty of all four charges of robbery with aggravation, robbery with violence and two of kidnapping.

The sentences imposed will run concurrently, so Ashton will serve four years in prison.

In the first incident, which took place on November 17, 2020, Ashton robbed a woman who got into his car at Chaguaramas at 6.30 pm, asking to be taken to Port of Spain. On reaching George Cabral Street, St James, Ashton put his hand in a side bag and grasped an object he told his victim was a gun.

He grabbed a brown bag the victim had, which held a carton of cigarettes, and her handbag, which contained $3,079 in cash. After taking her to several off-route areas, he eventually dropped the woman off at Shine and Duke Streets in Port of Spain, instructing her not to look back.

The victim went to the St James police station to report the incident. When Ashton was arrested, he told PC Rael Ramkripaul, who charged him, he did not have a car on the day in question.

In the other incident, Ashton robbed a woman who got into his car on the Western Main Road at Massy Stores, Westmoorings, on November 24, 2020, just before 10 pm, thinking it was a taxi.

On reaching Massy Stores in Glencoe, a back-seat passenger wrapped his hands around the woman’s neck, grabbing her gold chain and her iPhone cellphone. The items were worth $9,500.

Ashton and his accomplice took the woman to Macqueripe, where they released her. She reported the incident to the Carenage police.

Ashton was arrested by Western Division task force officers, He told acting Cpl Damany Bentic, “Dem fellas trying to set me up,” when told of the report.

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Temporary Relocation of Emergency Department

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room
SLB-MSJMC

 Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) will temporarily relocate its Emergency Department due to renovations. The temporary relocation will take place from October 28 to November 1.

Starting at 3pm on Friday, October 28, patients will access emergency services at the Outpatient Clinic located on the second floor.

During this period, patients are asked to observe signage around the hospital directing them to the temporary location.

“We appreciate the patience and cooperation of our patients and families and the SLBMC team,” said Salma Crump SLBMC Head of Marketing & Communications.

“Care will not be compromised in any way by this relocation—Our patients and families can count on the same level of care they’ve come to expect from our emergency room experts.”

For more information call 484-2700 or send an email to [email protected]

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

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Chief Sec: Tobago benefited from Trini company building roads

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

News

Chief Secretary Farley Augustine. – THA Info Dept

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said Tobago has benefited in a number of ways despite Trinidad company California Stucco Ltd being awarded the contract to construct the Smithsfield-Dutchfort connector roads in Scarborough.

The Charlieville-based company completed the entire project with its own money.

Augustine said this is because the THA simply did not have enough money in its development budget to carry out the project, which links the communities of Mt Marie and Dutchfort.

Last week, THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris urged the THA to come clean about the project after it had awarded the company the contract within 24 hours of receiving its proposal.

The project began on October 7 and was completed on October 26.

At the opening of the connector roads on Friday, Augustine told a small audience, “Many of you are unaware that the THA paid zero dollars and zero cents to have the roads that you are driving on today.”

He said the first payment is due in July 2023, and the second in April 2024.

“In other words, that contractor that had to do this work had to have their own money up front.”

Augustine said the contractor also used Tobago workers and equipment from hardwares on the island.

“I am sure the cost of material from the hardware is substantially cheaper in Trinidad than it is in in Tobago, but they used all Tobago products to execute this work with their own money. That is the nature of the contract of these two connector roads that you are seeing here.”

He said the same model is being used on all of the THA’s road infrastructure projects currently being undertaken.

“Because you will appreciate, you are coming to the end of the fiscal year, we inherited a fiscal year that was already started and did not have any $300 million for development anywhere, because they (the previous PNM administration) spent most of it on careless projects in the lead up to an election.

“And given the constraints we have with funding for development, we have to continuously use some of these alternative financing mechanisms in order to get projects completed.”

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Wallerfield man murdered in Sangre Grande

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

News

Anderson Cudjoe

POLICE say the shooting of a Wallerfield man at a shopping mall carpark in Guaico, Tamana on Thursday evening was a revenge killing.

Anderson “Andy” Cudjoe, who police said had “a long rap sheet” of past offences, including kidnapping, drug offences and car theft, is alleged to have angered others in the underworld.

Cudjoe posted a video in April alleging that a man, whom he named, was giving drugs to children to stash for him. The video showed Cudjoe taking something from the child, which he later returned. Police said this is one of the factors they are considering that may have caused his death.

They reported that at about 6 pm, Cudjoe, 46, of Antigua Road, Wallerfield, had just dropped off a woman and her ten-year-old son at a fast-food outlet in the shopping plaza along the Eastern Main Road, Guiaco. At the time Cudjoe was leading a convoy to sell gravel in Sangre Grande, police said.

While he was waiting for the woman and child to return, two gunmen got out of a car, headed towards Cudjoe’s black Nissan X-trail and started shooting. The car then sped off.

Cudjoe was found dead in the driver’s seat of his X-trail.

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Chastanet Talks Agriculture, Tourism With Egyptian Ambassador – St. Lucia Times News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: St. Lucia Times News

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Opposition leader Allen Chastanet said he discussed several areas with Egypt’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, including tourism and agriculture.

Chastanet wrote on Facebook that he met Ambassador Maher El-Adawy earlier this week.

“Given that relations between our two countries have been relatively dormant, I was happy to discuss with Ambassador El-Adawy areas where Saint Lucia and Egypt could improve and deepen cooperation, particularly in the areas of agriculture, tourism, and cultural preservation,” Chastanet stated.

The former Saint Lucia Prime Minister said he was particularly impressed with the ambassador’s appreciation and concern for the threats that small island developing states like Saint Lucia face, including climate change.

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And Chastanet, a former Tourism Minister, spoke of the Egyptian diplomat’s desire to see more international assistance to help with mitigation and adaptation.

The Micoud South MP looked forward to the opportunities that the Government and people of Saint Lucia could benefit from by working with their Egyptian colleagues to develop further and strengthen Saint Lucia.

Chastanet concluded his Facebook post by wishing the Egyptian diplomat and his wife the ‘very best’.

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Rihanna’s First Solo Song In 6 Years “Lift Me Up” Invoke Fans Emotions

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Rihanna released her first solo single in six years, “Lift Me Up,” and fans can’t contain themselves.

The song was released around midnight across platforms and YouTube as fans heard new music from Rihanna for the first time in six years. “Lift Me Up” is expected to be one of two solo tracks Rihanna is set to release in the coming weeks ahead of the release of Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The second installation of the movie features Chadwick Boseman as the Marvel superhero, but the tone of the song is already hinting at what fans will expect from the storyline. The song isn’t like Rihanna’s usual music, with traces of Nigerian singer Tems, who co-wrote the song. Rihanna’s vocals are nevertheless a breath of fresh air as the pop singer holds several high notes and deep inflections.

The movie is set to be released on November 11, but Rihanna’s song has a touch of sorrow and mourning and brings the feels.

“Life me up, Hold me down, Keep me close, Safe and sound, Burning in a hopeless dream, hold me when you go to sleep, keep me in the warmth of your love when you depart, keep me safe, safe and sound,” the first verse of the song says.

The verse and song give an idea of what fans can expect as Wakanda Forever is sure to be very emotional and sad as the main character is speculated to have died in the show.

Boseman, who played Black Panther protagonist T’Challa, died in 2020 after battling colorectal cancer, and Marvel producers opted to keep the scenes he filmed and continue the movie with him as the superhero rather than re-cast for a replacement.

On Thursday night, fans reacted to the song, with some sharing their approval while others expressed the longing for Rihanna’s usual sounds.

“I was 3 seconds into the song and i was crying in the street already,” one person wrote on Twitter.

“Song is incredible. Music like that lasts for years to come not just for the moment forsho,” another person wrote on Instagram.

“It was a beautiful song! It was perfect for the movie… I just wish they gave her a record like All thé stars with Kendrick ft SZA but her voice is still there!” another person said.

“Tems was all over the song I could hear her,” one person wrote.

“It’s not gone be a dry eye in that theatre do you hear me,” another said.

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