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Industry awards highlight Australia's top gaming developers

This week the Australian video games industry will highlight the work of the country's best studios and gaming professionals.

The Australian Game Developer Awards, coinciding with Melbourne International Games Week, is an annual event promoting some of Australia's best to the world.

Interactive Games and Entertainment Associations' CEO Ron Curry says the awards are there to highlight the incredible work within the video games industry.

Webbed, The Artful Escape and Unpacking video game screen shots

"The awards recognise excellence in a craft of creating video games making video games, and just as importantly, excellence in the individuals who are in the industry so whether that's a career focus on contribution or cultural focus." Mr Curry told 9News.

Studios and those individuals nominated are put forward by experts within the games industry.

RELATED: Review: FIFA 22 the most realistic and advanced soccer-sim yet

"Anyone within the industry can nominate. They can nominate themselves, they can nominate somebody else, and obviously IGEA also has some ideas on who we think should be nominated."

Games highlighted around Australia include Unpacking, developed by Brisbane-based studio Witch Beam. Witch Beam is nominated for four awards including Game of the Year.

Unpacking video game screen shot

Another studio up for an award is Melbourne based developers Hipster Whale, creators of the hugely successful Crossy Road series on mobile.

Hipster Whale's Nerissa Stephens told 9News being nominated is a great honour, but it's also the perfect moment to take a step back and reflect on all their hard work.

"When often working on a project we get very caught up in our own little bubble," she said.

"This nomination is about celebrating all the work that we've poured into Crossy Road Castle. And for us, this project has been really fun and positive and super bright and colourful, and it's about enjoying playing with friends and family."

Nerissa Stephens praises Melbourne as one of the best places for game developers to set up shop.

"Melbourne is a really great place for creative businesses, I think it always has been. And with the help of places like The Arcade and support from Film Victoria, there's a really nurturing community to help get projects off the ground."

Crossy Road Castle video game screen shot

Since the Federal Government's Digital Games Tax Offset was announced IGEA believes there has been a big confidence boost for the industry.

"We're hoping once DGTO kicks in, and within a few years' time, that we're looking at a billion dollar industry. That's a significant difference, in dollars, but really more importantly, in employment, for sure." Mr Curry told 9News.

Award winners will be announced during the AGDA show on Wednesday night starting at 7PM. Those interested can watch it live on IGEA's Twitch channel.

You can also learn all about Melbourne International Games Week, which runs until October 10, by heading to http://gamesweek.melbourne

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Royal Caribbean Resumes Limited Trips to Jamaica from November

CNW- The senior management team of Royal Caribbean International, the world’s second-largest cruise line, informed Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett that they will resume limited operations to Jamaica in November of this year.

The senior Royal Caribbean executives also stated that once a number of logistical issues – some of which are outside of Jamaica’s purview – are effectively resolved, they will be able to significantly increase cruises to Jamaica, bringing in tens of thousands of fully vaccinated cruise visitors.

The senior executives also reiterated their strong desire to hire thousands of Jamaicans across a wide range of job functions, and they are awaiting regulatory changes from the government to make this a reality.

Minister Bartlett expressed delight that the cruise line will resume calls to Jamaica after a year and a half hiatus.“After a year and a half hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal Caribbean will resume sailings to Jamaica.

We have a few pressing issues to address right away in order to increase cruises to Jamaica and, as a result, the economic and social livelihoods of thousands of Jamaicans who rely on the cruise industry directly and indirectly. Beyond that, the Government will move speedily in facilitating the cruise line’s efforts to employ thousands of Jamaicans, for what are truly exciting job opportunities that will have a positive impact for many. Our people are in demand and the cruise lines are fully cognizant of this,” Bartlett stated.

The new developments follow another meeting in Miami led by Minister Bartlett and his team with Arnold Donald, Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, and other senior company executives, where they informed of plans for 110 or more cruises with more than 200,000 fully vaccinated visitors for Jamaica in the coming months.

The goal is contingent on continued close logistical collaboration between Jamaican authorities and Carnival.

Bartlett was joined by John Lynch, Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board; Donovan White, Director of Tourism; Delano Seiveright, Senior Strategist in the Tourism Ministry; and Donnie Dawson, Deputy Director of Tourism for the Americas.

The Royal Caribbean International engagement is part of a series of meetings with travel industry leaders, including major airlines and investors, in Jamaica’s two largest source markets, the United States and Canada. This is being done to encourage more visitors to the destination in the coming weeks and months, as well as to secure additional investment in the local tourism sector.

The cruise industry was among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut it down for more than a year. However, the industry has gradually resumed operations to multiple destinations, including Jamaica, using the most stringent health and safety protocols in the global travel industry, including fully vaccinated passengers and crews.

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British Airways Resume Commercial Flights To St Kitts & Nevis

  • A beach in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
    A beach in Saint Kitts and Nevis. | Photo: Twitter/ @StKittsTouris

On Sunday, British Airways resumed its commercial flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to Basseterre Robert L. Bradshaw Airport after the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis reopened its country’s borders to tourists.

“Tourism is a major driver of our economic growth since it has a unique potential to create jobs and livelihoods. It also plays a role in preserving our natural and cultural heritage and promoting the responsible and sustainable use of the natural environment,” Saint Kitts and Nevis’ Tourism Minister Lindsay Grant recalled.

The authorities will only admit the entry of those tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days before their arrival in this Caribbean country. The exceptions are under-18-year-old tourists arriving with adults.

Travel restrictions for Brazil, India, and South Africa also remain in place since these countries were listed as areas with new coronavirus strains.

In addition to their vaccination certificate, all tourists arriving in Saint Kitts and Nevis must submit a COVID-19 PCR negative test result taken 72 hours before their travel. They also must submit a taxi fare since only travel-approved taxis will be allowed to transport tourists to their accommodations.

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'I thought it would be fun': AFL Grand Final streaker cops fine

He previously boasted he'd do it again, but the Perth prankster who ran onto Optus Stadium in his underwear on the AFL's biggest day says he has learnt his lesson.

Decked out in a green and gold Australian running outfit, Abra Bol, the cousin of Olympian Peter Bol, left Perth Magistrates Court with a $1200 fine.

Mr Bol was issued the fine for trespassing on September 25, when he jumped onto the field at three-quarter time of the AFL Grand Final, running and back-flipping for 200m before being tackled by security.

READ MORE: Mass outage hits Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp

The 22-year-old claims he'll be able to easily cover the penalty, having already raised $1400 through donations.

"I did actually expect it to be a lot bigger," Mr Bol said.

"It did catch me by surprise at $1200 so I do appreciate that, so that's good so far."

READ MORE: Why October 19 could be a 'catastrophic' day for the US economy

Mr Bol, who snuck into the ground wearing a black T-shirt with "security" written on the front, represented himself.

He told the court there were "no excuses" for his actions and that he "thought it would be fun".

But the magistrate described him as a "nuisance" and the illegal dash as "a disturbance for everyone else".

"I don't think I was a nuisance but I do understand where she was coming from 'cause I did disturb the peace," Mr Bol said.

READ MORE: Victoria's grim COVID-19 record as 1763 new infections emerge

"I think I learnt my lesson, the judge was nice, spoke to me nice and I think that's about it for now."

Mr Bol has received a three-year ban from Optus Stadium.

"Our review has also recommended alterations to the guarding of our staff entry gate and an assessment of the minimum capability requirements for security personnel assigned to it," a spokesperson for Optus Stadium said.

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World View: Calif. Oil Spill Response, France: 330,000 Kids Abused by Church, Capt. Kirk in Space Again, More

Oct 05, 2021

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The Associated Press

The Rundown

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HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard received the first report of a possible oil spill off the Southern California coast more than 12 hours before a company reported the major leak in its pipeline and a cleanup effort was launched,…Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Facebook data scientist has stunned lawmakers and the public with revelations of the company’s awareness of apparent harm to some teens from Instagram and her accusations of dishonesty in its fight against hate and misin…Read More

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PARIS (AP) — An estimated 330,000 children were victims of sex abuse within France’s Catholic Church over the past 70 years, according to a major report released Thursday that is France’s first major reckoning with the devastating phenomenon….Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is shifting strategy to sell his ambitious social spending plans by traveling outside Washington and courting Democrats who have complained they felt left out of the process. …Read More

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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservative government is facing calls to tighten the country’s defenses against “dirty money” after a massive leak of offshore data showed how London, in particular, is the destination of choice for some of the world’s ri…Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The 2021 Nobel Prize for physics is being announced Tuesday, an award that has in the past honored discoveries about fundamental forces of nature and cosmi…Read More

PARIS (AP) — The old music box factory had been abandoned for years on the outskirts of the Swiss mountain town, with paint curling at the edges of its dingy grey and yello…Read More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Star Trek’s Captain Kirk is rocketing into space this month — boldly going where no other sci-fi actors have gone. Jeff Bezos’ space travel com…Read More

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — After 40 drawings without a big Powerball winner, a single ticket sold in California matched all six numbers drawn Monday and was the lucky winner o…Read More

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U.S. Sec. of State Blinken to Hold Security Talks in Mexico Friday

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaks in the Benjamin Franklin room at the State Department, during a virtual meeting with Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, who is in Mexico City, in Washington, U.S. February 26, 2021. Manuel Balce Ceneta/Pool via REUTERS

WASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Mexico City on Friday to lead a delegation for high-level security talks between the neighboring countries, the White House said on Monday.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and other officials will accompany Blinken to take part in the Biden administration’s first U.S.-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue.

The White House said the talks would “build on discussions in previous months on protecting our people, preventing transborder crime, and pursuing criminal networks, while promoting human rights and the rule of law.”

Talks come as migration issues continue to rankle both North American countries, which share a 1,960-mile (3,155-km) border.

Most recently, thousands of Haitian migrants formed a large impromptu border camp at the Mexican-U.S. border. Some have been flown back to Haiti, while others are waiting to have their cases for asylum heard in the United States or remain scattered across Latin America seeking refuge.

But the two countries also have a broader relationship, with the United States acting as the leading supplier of military equipment to Mexico and taking special interest in the countries anti-drug initiatives.

Reporting by Mohammad Zargham, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Sandra Maler

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Barbados Added to US Don’t Visit List

WASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday warned against travel to Armenia, Austria, Barbados, Croatia and Latvia because of COVID-19 concerns.

The CDC raised its travel recommendations to “Level 4: Very High,” telling Americans they should avoid travel to the five countries.

The CDC also lowered its travel recommendations to “Level 3” to Morocco, Argentina, France, Iceland, Lesotho, Nepal, Portugal and South Africa, which urges travelers to be fully vaccinated before visiting.

Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien

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Fired Justice Minister Calls for Haiti PM To Quit Over Moise Murder Probe

(CNN) Until just a few weeks ago, Rockfeller Vincent was the ultimate insider in the investigation into the still-unsolved assassination of Haiti’s former president Jovenel Moise, who was brutally gunned down in his bedroom in July.

Now he’s on the outside looking in — and it’s an ugly view. “The Haitian nation is living the worst political crisis of its history,” Vincent told CNN.
As Haiti’s justice minister, he oversaw the sprawling presidential murder investigation, which has implicated a Haitian-American pastor, dozens of Colombian hired soldiers, and members of Haiti’s own police force.
Then, on September 14, the investigation reached sitting Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
The country’s top prosecutor, Bed-Ford Claude, said he would ask for charges against the Prime Minister in connection with the killing, citing evidence of phone calls between Henry and one of the suspected masterminds on the night of the murder. He also requested that Henry come to his office for questioning.
That week, both Claude and Vincent were abruptly fired.

Rockfeller Vincent was fired from his position as Minister of Justice and Public Security in September.

Rockfeller Vincent was fired from his position as Minister of Justice and Public Security in September.
Speaking from an undisclosed location on Friday, Vincent — who says he has gone into hiding since his firing — told CNN he thought it should have been the other way around.
“In all serious countries, once you are implicated in such an affair, the Prime Minister should offer his resignation. He should resign. And we are still waiting for him to resign. Because on the night of the president’s death, a few hours later … he had phone conversations with the president’s assassin,” Vincent said.
Vincent accuses the Prime Minister of trying to “cover his tracks” with the firings.
“When you fire the prosecutor and the justice minister and you place in his position someone who knows nothing about justice … what exactly are you trying to do?” he said.
Henry denies having anything to do with the killing. Speaking to CNN last week, he said he had “no recollection” of a phone call “or if it took place.”

‘The republic will be crushed’

Henry assumed the premiership with international backing a few weeks after Moise’s death, after a brief standoff with the previous Prime Minister. In the absence of a president, he will now lead Haiti until its long-overdue elections — which have been postponed again, until sometime next year.

The Prime Minister has often described solving the murder case as a personal mission. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No political maneuver, no media campaign, no distraction can deter me from this goal to bring justice for President Moise,” Henry told world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly last week.

According to Henry’s office, both Vincent and Claude were fired for breaking the law, which forbids prosecuting top officials without permission from the head of state — currently Henry himself.

Migration will continue as long as inequality persists, says Haiti’s prime minister as Del Rio bridge crisis ends

But Vincent says he was sacked for refusing to fire Claude, which he describes as an ethically impossible demand given the ongoing investigation. “I told [Henry], ‘This is not possible.e are going to have problems. The republic will be crushed if you dismiss the public prosecutor,” Vincent said.

In the end, Haiti’s Interior Minister Liszt Quitel stepped in to fire Claude.

Quitel, an engineer by training, was also given Vincent’s job — and is now doing double-duty as head of both Haiti’s interior and justice ministries.

Speaking to CNN this weekend, Quitel dismissed the phone calls in question as insufficient for a warrant against the Prime Minister, and noted that the investigation under Vincent’s leadership had led to no clear answers.

“I don’t see what would be the motive to ask the Prime Minister to appear before a judge, just because he had a phone call,” he said.

“This is obviously something that’s politically motivated,” he said — a claim Vincent rejects.

A troubled investigation

The probe into Moise’s death has long been troubled by allegations of obstruction and missing pieces.

In July, sources close to the case told CNN they were troubled by the fact that Justice Ministry staffers had not been given immediate access to crime scenes and key evidence, including surveillance footage from inside and around the president’s mansion during the attack.

Clerks involved in the case also received death threats, forcing some to flee the capital.

At the time, Vincent did not respond to requests for comment. Now, however, he defends his oversight of the months-long probe, insisting investigators were free to work as they needed.

He says he too receives death threats from the armed groups that control large parts of Port-au-Prince.

The assassination probe is currently with an independent investigating judge, who has not publicly called for the Prime Minister’s testimony.

Additional foreign support will also be needed to close the case, according to Henry and Vincent — a rare point of agreement.

The US and Colombia did send investigative teams to assist in the early days of the investigation. But with fingers now pointing in all directions, potential foreign partners in Haiti’s intrigue-plagued investigation may feel wary of getting involved.

 

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the first name of Justice Minister Rockfeller Vincent.

Reporting contributed by CNN’s Matt Rivers in Mexico City and Melissa Bell in Paris.

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Taiwan in War Preparations, US Warns China

Taiwan is preparing for potential war with China following a series of increasingly aggressive military activity from Beijing, with Taipei’s foreign minister warning that should the nation attack, it would “suffer tremendously.”

China on Monday sent 52 military aircraft into Taiwan’s airspace, the largest military provocation seen yet.

In anticipation of further aggression, the self-ruled island is preparing to repel any strike and has asked Australia to increase intelligence sharing and security cooperation, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told the Australian Broadcast Corporation’s “China Tonight.”

“The defense of Taiwan is in our own hands, and we are absolutely committed to that,” Wu told ABC’s Stan Grant in an interview to be broadcast Monday.

“I’m sure that if China is going to launch an attack against Taiwan, I think they are going to suffer tremendously as well.”

China, which claims that Taiwan is part of its territory, in the past week has stepped up its saber rattling against the island to press it to back down and accept Chinese rule. Taipei, meanwhile, maintains it is a sovereign country separate from Beijing.

China’s latest show of force follows a similar move on Friday, when it sent 38 military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone — at the time the largest number of aircraft it had sent in a single day — and 30 warplanes on Saturday.

In response, the State Department said Sunday that the U.S. is “very concerned” about China’s “provocative military activity near Taiwan” and urged Beijing “to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion” against the island.

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Biden Warns China  Over Provocations

President Joe Biden

The Biden administration is warning China over its increasing provocations against Taiwan, a critical flashpoint amid the ongoing poor relations between Washington and Beijing.

Taiwan raised the alarm after Chinese warplanes violated its airspace nearly 150 times over the course of nearly four days, leaving top Taiwanese — and some American — officials worried about a military confrontation.

A warning from the White House: “We urge Beijing to cease its military diplomatic and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan and we have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan strait. That’s why we will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday.

What’s the relationship?: The U.S. has a unique relationship with the tiny island territory, providing military and other types of support since Taiwan severed ties with Beijing in 1949 at the end of China’s civil war. But the U.S. has held back from creating official ties with the territory as part of agreements with Beijing.

Taiwan considers itself the legitimate government of the Chinese people while Beijing criticizes it as a rogue territory. Taipei and Beijing have gone through periods of rapprochement, but the Chinese Communist Party has increasingly threatened reunification through military intervention.

Beijing also takes exception with Washington’s support of Taipei, accusing the U.S. of meddling in internal Chinese affairs.

Worsening relations: The Biden administration says it is not seeking conflict with Beijing, but relations with China nevertheless seem to be growing more tense on a number of fronts.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Monday that she will begin direct talks with her Chinese counterpart to press Beijing about its failure to comply with aspects of the Trump-era “phase one” trade pact.

And the administration has sought to shore up its alliances to better direct resources toward countering Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region, last month announcing a new pact between the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia to cooperate on security, which in part involves helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

Lawmakers weigh in: There is strong, bipartisan support in Congress for close relations between the U.S. and Taiwan.

The island nation is viewed as a democratic bulwark against the ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party, and a key U.S.-trading partner for essential commodities like semiconductors and electronics.

“China’s intimidation tactics will only redouble our commitment to stand up for our democratic friend, Taiwan,” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted on Monday.

Likewise, Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, denounced China’s provocations in the region and called for supporting “the people of Taiwan,” in a tweet on Monday.

China’s response: “Taiwan belongs to China and the U.S. is in no position to make irresponsible remarks,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement on Monday, reacting to warnings issued by the Biden administration.

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Nevis Island Assembly Revises Order Paper for October 05 Sitting

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS — Clerk of the Nevis Island Assembly Ms. Myra Williams issued an amendment to the Order Paper which was circulated on October 01, 2021, ahead of the assembly sitting at Hamilton House in Chambers on Tuesday October 05, 2021.

According to the revised Order Paper, under the Public Business segment of the proceedings, Hon. Spencer Brand, Minister of Physical Planning and Environment will move the first, second and third readings of the Nevis Physical Planning and Development Control (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

The Bill when passed will amend the Nevis Physical Planning and Development Control Ordinance, Chapter 6.09 (N) and for matters related thereto or connected therewith.

Under the same segment, Minister Brand will also seek leave to withdraw the Nevis Building Contractors Registration Bill, 2021 which had its first reading at the July 13, 2021 sitting.

The Physical Planning Minister will also move the first, second and third readings of the Nevis Contractors Registration and Regulation Bill 2021.                          

Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Finance will move the second and third readings of the Nevis International Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2021. That Bill had its first reading during the July 13th sitting of the Assembly.

Under the Introduction of Bills and First Readings, Mr. Brantley, will seek leave to introduce and have read a first time the Nevis International Banking Bill, 2021, while Minister Brand will seek leave to introduce and have read a first time the Nevis Contractors Registration and Regulation Bill, 2021.

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