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NIA announces CARICOM ‘Green Economy’ skills training opportunity in Canada

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Nevis Island Administration Ministry of Human Resources has announced the availability short-term Canada-Caribbean Community Skills Training for the Green Economy Scholarships programme.

This new short-term exchange opportunity, funded by Global Affairs Canada, targets people interested in pursuing certificates, diplomas and associate degrees in areas such as:
• Climate-smart agriculture;
• Coastal and fisheries management;
• Renewable energy;
• Sustainable building techniques; and
• Agro-forestry.

The benefits of the scholarship include:
• Visa/study/work permit fees;
• Airfare;
• Health insurance;
• Living expenses;
• Ground transportation; and
• Books and supplies.

The duration of the scholarship is a minimum of four months or one academic term and a maximum of eight months or two academic terms. The application period is from January to March 2021.

For further assistance and/or information, please visit the following link or contact the following persons:
https://www.educanada.ca/scholarships-bourses/can/institutions/ccstge-ccfpev.aspx?lang=eng

Kalima Ali-Jagnarine
Development Officer
High Commission of Canada
Phone: (592) 227-2081-5 ext. 398 3453
Email: Ka******************@**************gc.ca

OECS Communications
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
Phone: (758) 455-6327
Email: me***@**cs.int

The post NIA announces CARICOM ‘Green Economy’ skills training opportunity in Canada appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

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Another Assault on Wash. DC Predicted for Biden Inauguration

Washington (CNN)Thousands of armed pro-Donald Trump extremists are plotting to surround the US Capitol ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, according to a member of Congress who was among those briefed late Monday on a series of new threats against lawmakers and the Capitol itself.

“They were talking about 4,000 armed ‘patriots’ to surround the Capitol and prevent any Democrat from going in,” Rep. Conor Lamb, a Pennsylvania Democrat, told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day.” “They have published rules of engagement, meaning when you shoot and when you don’t. So this is an organized group that has a plan. They are committed to doing what they’re doing because I think in their minds, you know, they are patriots and they’re talking about 1776 and so this is now a contest of wills.”
He continued, “We are not negotiating with or reasoning with these people. They have to be prosecuted. They have to be stopped. And unfortunately, that includes the President, which is why he needs to be impeached and removed from office.”

“They were talking about 4,000 armed ‘patriots’ to surround the Capitol and prevent any Democrat from going in,” Rep. Conor Lamb, a Pennsylvania Democrat, told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day.” “They have published rules of engagement, meaning when you shoot and when you don’t. So this is an organized group that has a plan. They are committed to doing what they’re doing blarmecause I think in their minds, you know, they are patriots and they’re talking about 1776 and so this is now a contest of wills.”

He continued, “We are not negotiating with or reasoning with these people. They have to be prosecuted. They have to be stopped. And unfortunately, that includes the President, which is why he needs to be impeached and removed from office.”

Monday’s briefing followed an FBI bulletin warning of “armed protests” being planned at all 50 state capitols and in Washington, DC, and provides the latest sense of a heightened state of a among lawmakers and law enforcement officials following last week’s deadly siege at the US Capitol.

Two Democratic lawmakers who participated in the briefing told CNN that they were walked through several scenarios on a call Monday and officers were sober about the threats. An effort was made to emphasize how different security is right now, the members said.

“They are very strong when we are weak. That is when the mob psychology takes hold and they are emboldened, but when met with actual determined force, I think a lot of these fantasy world beliefs about what will happen when they come to Washington will melt away,” one of the members said.

The member added that lawmakers are hoping National Guard troops who are being dispatched to the capital are vetted, because while lawmakers trust most of them, many will be coming in from all over the country.

Security stepped up in DC

Mayor urges people to avoid DC as Secret Service begins inauguration prep early

 

Security measures are being stepped up ahead of Inauguration Day, with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies preparing for the possibility of more violence.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday urged Americans to avoid the city during Biden’s inauguration next week and to participate virtually, referring at a news conference to “very extreme factions in our country that are armed and dangerous.”

At the mayor’s request, Trump approved an emergency declaration for the city ahead of the ceremony.

In addition to warning of possibly more armed demonstrations by right-wing groups in coming days, the FBI is tracking reports of “various threats to harm President-Elect Biden ahead of the presidential inauguration,” the bulletin states. “Additional reports indicate threats against VP-Elect Harris and Speaker Pelosi.

Asked if Biden should still do a traditional outside inauguration given the information he has received, Lamb said if Biden wants to have one outside, he will be there beside him.

“I believe that Joe Biden was elected President by a huge margin because the American people trust him to exercise powers of commander in chief. And I saw him on TV yesterday saying he’s not afraid to do this outside. And I agree with him and I believe him,” Lamb said. “So if that’s what he wants to do, I’ll be right there beside him because I think the most important thing is to continue showing all Americans that no matter how impassioned and, you know, committed these people who attacked the Capitol are, we are more committed.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting and background information.

CNN’s Daniella Diaz and Chandelis Duster contributed to this report.

FBI warns 'armed protests' being planned at all 50 state capitols and in Washington DC

FBI warns ‘armed protests’ being planned at all 50 state capitols and in Washington DC
Two Democratic lawmakers who participated in the briefing told CNN that they were walked through several scenarios on a call Monday and officers were sober about the threats. An effort was made to emphasize how different security is right now, the members said.
“They are very strong when we are weak. That is when the mob psychology takes hold and they are emboldened, but when met with actual determined force, I think a lot of these fantasy world beliefs about what will happen when they come to Washington will melt away,” one of the members said.
The member added that lawmakers are hoping National Guard troops who are being dispatched to the capital are vetted, because while lawmakers trust most of them, many will be coming in from all over the country.

Security stepped up in DC

Mayor urges people to avoid DC as Secret Service begins inauguration prep early

Mayor urges people to avoid DC as Secret Service begins inauguration prep early
Security measures are being stepped up ahead of Inauguration Day, with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies preparing for the possibility of more violence.
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday urged Americans to avoid the city during Biden’s inauguration next week and to participate virtually, referring at a news conference to “very extreme factions in our country that are armed and dangerous.”
At the mayor’s request, Trump approved an emergency declaration for the city ahead of the ceremony.
In addition to warning of possibly more armed demonstrations by right-wing groups in coming days, the FBI is tracking reports of “various threats to harm President-Elect Biden ahead of the presidential inauguration,” the bulletin states. “Additional reports indicate threats against VP-Elect Harris and Speaker Pelosi.
Asked if Biden should still do a traditional outside inauguration given the information he has received, Lamb said if Biden wants to have one outside, he will be there beside him.
“I believe that Joe Biden was elected President by a huge margin because the American people trust him to exercise powers of commander in chief. And I saw him on TV yesterday saying he’s not afraid to do this outside. And I agree with him and I believe him,” Lamb said. “So if that’s what he wants to do, I’ll be right there beside him because I think the most important thing is to continue showing all Americans that no matter how impassioned and, you know, committed these people who attacked the Capitol are, we are more committed.”
This story has been updated with additional reporting and background information.

CNN’s Daniella Diaz and Chandelis Duster contributed to this report.

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The post Another Assault on Wash. DC Predicted for Biden Inauguration appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

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Black box recovered from missing Indonesia flight

Indonesian navy divers searching the ocean floor on Tuesday recovered the flight data recorder from a Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea with 62 people on board.

The device is expected to help investigators determine what caused the Boeing 737-500 plane to nosedive into the ocean in heavy rain shortly after taking off from Jakarta on Saturday.

TV stations showed divers on an inflatable vessel with a large white container carrying the device heading to a Jakarta port.

READ MORE: Pregnant mum, family of five among victims of Sriwijaya Air crash

Military chief Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said the plane's other "black box", the cockpit voice recorder, was likely to be found soon because its beacon was being emitted in the same area.

The devices were buried in seabed mud under tons of sharp objects in the plane's wreckage, navy Chief Admiral Yudo Margono said.

He said at least 160 divers were deployed on Tuesday in the search.

More than 3600 rescue personnel, 13 helicopters, 54 large ships and 20 small boats are searching the area just north of Jakarta where Flight 182 crashed and have found parts of the plane and human remains in the water at a depth of 23 meters.

So far, the searchers have sent 74 body bags containing human remains to police identification experts who on Monday said they had identified their first victim, 29-year-old flight attendant Okky Bisma.

His wife, Aldha Refa, who is also a flight attendant for Sriwijaya Air, shared her grief in a series of posts on social media.

"My husband is a loving, devout and super kind man," she wrote on Instagram.

"Heaven is your place, dear … be peaceful there."

Anguished family members have been providing samples for DNA tests, and the National Police disaster victim identification unit said it has identified three more victims, including the co-pilot.

Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee said the US National Transportation Safety Board will join in investigating the crash.

The NTSC chairman, Soerjanto Tjahjono, ruled out a possible midair breakup after seeing the condition of the wreckage found by searchers.

He said the jet was intact until it struck the water, concentrating the debris field, rather than spreading it out over a large area as would be seen with a midair event.

Mr Tjahjono said the plane had continued to send altitude data until it descended to75 metres above the water's surface.

The disaster has reignited concerns about safety in Indonesia's aviation industry, which grew fast after the economy was opened following the fall of dictator Suharto in the late 1990s.

The US had banned Indonesian carriers from operating in the country in 2007, lifting the action in 2016, citing improvements in compliance with international aviation standards.

The European Union lifted a similar ban in 2018.

In the past year, Indonesian aviation was affected significantly by the coronavirus pandemic that caused travel restrictions and a slump in demand among travellers.

Sriwijaya Air has had only minor safety incidents in the past, though a farmer was killed in 2008 when a plane went off the runway while landing due to a hydraulic issue.

In 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet operated by Lion Air crashed, killing 189 people.

An automated flight-control system played a role in that crash, but the Sriwijaya Air jet did not have that system on board.

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Trump says 'tremendous anger' in nation over impeachment

Impeachment ahead, the House on Tuesday will first try to convince the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy in the remaining days of his presidency.

House politicians are reconvening at the Capitol for the first time since the deadly pro-Trump riot to approve a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unable to serve. Pence is not expected to take any such action. The House would next move swiftly to impeach Trump.

Trump told reporters at the White House the prospect of impeachment is causing "tremendous anger" in the nation. But he said he wants "no violence".

READ MORE: Twitter blocks 70,000 QAnon accounts after US Capitol riot

The president spoke as he left for Texas to survey the border wall with Mexico. His remarks were his first to reporters since the Capitol attack. He took no questions.

On impeachment, Trump said it's "a really terrible thing that they're doing." But he said, "We want no violence. Never violence."

Trump faces a single charge — "incitement of insurrection" — in the impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating Wednesday, a week before Democrat Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated, January 20.

The unprecedented events, only the first US president to be twice impeached, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has warned ominously of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of Biden's inauguration. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public and the inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public.

It all added up to stunning final moments for Trump's presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently ransacked the US Capitol last Wednesday.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three others died in what authorities said were medical emergencies.

READ MORE: Trump heads to Texas border in final days to showcase wall

"We have to be very tough and very strong right now in defending the Constitution and democracy," said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., an author of both pieces of legislation, in an interview.

Late Monday, the entire Congressional Hispanic Caucus, all 34 members, unanimously agreed to support impeachment, calling for Trump's immediate removal.

"It is clear that every moment Trump remains in office, America is at risk," said a statement from the caucus, led by Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Ca. It said Trump "must be held accountable" for his actions.

Democrats aren't the only ones who say Trump needs to go.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., encouraged House GOP colleagues late Monday to "vote your conscience," according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trump's actions but has not said publicly how she will vote.

Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to "go away as soon as possible."

Pence and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, and had a "good conversation" pledging to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.

READ MORE: Outrage after Acting Australian PM's comments on US Capitol riots

Pence has given no indication he would proceed with invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. No member of the Cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment process.

As security tightened, Biden said Monday he was "not afraid" of taking the oath of office outside at the Capitol.

As for the rioters, Biden said, "It is critically important that there'll be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage — that they be held accountable."

Biden said he's had conversations with senators ahead of a possible impeachment trial, which some have worried would cloud the opening days of his administration.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, though Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senate's time, perhaps "go a half day on dealing with impeachment, a half day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package" for more COVID relief.

As Congress resumes, an uneasiness swept government. Another lawmaker, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., announced Tuesday she had tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege.

Many lawmakers may choose to vote by proxy rather than come to Washington, a process that was put in place last year to limit the health risks of travel.

READ MORE: Cops suspended for posing for selfies during US Capitol riots

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has discouraged GOP lawmakers from using the proxy option. But during a call with them he loosened his strict opposition for this week's votes, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private call.

Among Trump's closest allies in Congress, McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues that "impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together."

He said he would review possible censure of the president. But House Republicans are split and a few may vote to impeach.

Democrats say they have the votes for impeachment. The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump's own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.

Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.

The impeachment legislation also details Trump's pressure on state officials in Georgia to "find" him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to "fight like hell" and march to the building.

The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalising Biden's victory over Trump in the Electoral College.

While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, Democrats and others argue he must be prevented from holding future public office.

There is precedent for pursuing impeachment after an official leaves office. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.