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Corona Effect: Volunteer Carers Sought for Hard Hit Grenada Seniors Homes

The Diocese of St George’s in Grenada, which is responsible for three senior citizens’ homes,  has been affected by COVID-19 so badly volunteer care workers are being recruited.

It is so dire that an appeal has been made for persons who are available to provide care to come forward to bolster the staff shortages being faced.

The RC Bishop says with the significant reduction in the staff levels at the three homes, maintaining staff to resident ratios has now become a major challenge.

They are appealing to anyone who is a registered nurse, caregiver or retired health professional and is willing and able to assist staff in this crisis to contact the Bishop’s Office – 443-5299 or 440-2542 or their parish priest.

In a statement Roman Catholic Bishop Clyde Harvey provided a breakdown of the COVID-19 status at these three homes:

Hilarion Home —the hardest hit

  • As of September 14, there have been eight confirmed COVID-related deaths and two additional deaths, the cause of which cannot be confirmed at this time.

  • Of the remaining 21 residents, 16 are confirmed positive for the virus.

  • Six of the residents have been fully vaccinated.

  • The complement of 16 staff has been reduced to six at the moment with 10 in isolation at home.

  • Eight of the regular staff have tested positive.

Hillview Home 

  • Two deaths have been confirmed as COVID related.

  • Eight residents confirmed positive active cases of which two are vaccinated.

  • Six of the 25 residents have been fully vaccinated.

  • Of a staff of 26, ten are fully vaccinated with another three having one dose.

  • Of the seven positive cases, five are fully vaccinated.

St Martin’s Home 

  • No COVID related deaths were recorded at the Home.

  • There are seven positive cases.

  • Of the total population of 27 residents, only five have not been vaccinated.

Bishop Harvey says in his view, now is not the time for blaming, shaming or recrimination.

He says the only thing that matters now is to get the situation under control for the benefit of residents and staff.

Bishop Harvey’s statement comes following today’s Post Cabinet media briefing where the issues facing private homes for the elderly was discussed.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Shawn Charles said the Ministry of Health approached private homes and asked them to have residents and staff vaccinated, which turned out to be unsuccessful.

“It’s nothing short of tragic given that we had scientifically proven ways of avoiding this situation.”

He hopes other facilities are observing.

Minister of Health Nickolas Steele said he personally appealed to managers of these homes to have their staff and residents vaccinated.

“Grenada will not implement draconian measures. But the vulnerable persons for those homes, 10 of whom have paid a price, was unnecessary.”

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Haiti’s Political Factions Agree on Temp. Transition Government

Haiti’s main political parties have reached an agreement establishing a transition government until the holding of presidential elections and a constitutional referendum next year.

The agreement, reached over the weekend, establishes a Council of Ministers under the leadership of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Henry is also a person of interest in the investigation of President Moise’s assassination.

“I have the assurance that this agreement will make it possible to conduct the affairs of the State during the interim period as short as possible, in order to achieve our main common objective which is a return to the normal functioning of our democratic institutions on new bases, in a secure and stable environment,” Henry said.

The “agreement for peaceful and effective good governance” was signed between Henry, who has been leading the country since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July“Rest assured that no distraction, no summons or invitation, no maneuver, no threat, no rear guard combat, will distract me from my mission.

“I want to say to those who have not yet understood it, that the diversionary maneuvers to sow confusion and prevent justice from doing its job serenely, will not pass. The real culprits, the intellectual authors and the sponsors of the heinous assassination of President Jovenel Moïse will be identified, brought to justice and punished for their crime,” Henry said.

His statement is in reference to an invitation by the Government Commissioner of Port-au-Prince for him to come forward and explain to the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding two phone calls he allegedly made to Felix Badio on the day of the assassination of President Moïse.

Badio is one of the main suspects in the assassination of Moïse and has been on the police have been searching for him.

The spokesman for the opposition grouping known as “Democratic and Popular Sector” (SDP), André Michel as well as the representatives of political groups such as Edmonde Supplice de la Fusion, Saurel Yacinthe from INITE, signed this agreement.

“It was not an easy decision… But we understood that the time has come to build this country on a consensual basis of dialogue permanent. If this agreement did not contain the demands of the population, the democratic and popular sector would not sign,” said Michel.

According to the Commission for the Search for a Solution to the Haitian Crisis (CRSHC),  the course is now set on the creation of a monitoring office composed of 21 members including 13 from the CRSHC, three representatives of civil society, three representatives of political parties and two members of the popular sector.

The 25-member National Transitional Council will comprise 52 members including 27 members of the social sectors and 25 members of parties, groups and political poles which will be responsible, among other things, to choose a President and a Prime Minister who will have to lead the transition for a period of 24 months.

CRSHC said it was inviting all Haitians to read the agreement of August 30, 2021, and signed on September 11 and to append their signature online if they wish, to support this agreement.

“It was not an easy decision… But we understood that the time has come to build this country on a consensual basis of dialogue permanent. If this agreement did not contain the demands of the population, the democratic and popular sector would not sign,” said Michel.

The agreement established the holding of presidential elections by the end of 2022. It also included a national constituent assembly made of 33 members appointed by institutions and civil society organizations.

The assembly will have three months to prepare a new Constitution to be voted in a referendum by Haitians.

CMC

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CARICOM Restates Its Support for Guyana in Territorial Dispute with Venezuela

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have reiterated their “firm and unwavering support” for Guyana in its border dispute with Venezuela in light of a recent move by Caracas to strengthen national support for its claim to the ownership of a significant portion of the CARICOM country.

“CARICOM has taken note of the round of negotiations in Mexico and mediated by Norway between representatives of the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the opposition, seeking to bring an end to the protracted multidimensional crisis afflicting that country,” the regional leaders said in a statement on Tuesday, following their emergency meeting held virtually on Monday.

They said they have also taken note of the “two initial agreements that have been reached on the Social Protection of the Venezuela People, and on the Ratification and Defence of Venezuelan Sovereignty over the Guyana Essequibo”.

Last week, the government said it “firmly rejects” an agreement signed between the Venezuelan government and an opposition party in the South American country formally agreeing to unite on the question of the longstanding claim to the ownership of a large swath of Guyana.

Georgetown said that the agreement between the Nicolas Maduro government and the Unity Platform of Venezuela was signed in Mexico City on Monday.

“That agreement is an overt threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.

“Guyana cannot be used as an altar of sacrifice for settlement of Venezuela’s internal political differences. While the Government of Guyana welcomes domestic accord within Venezuela, an agreement defying international law and process is not a basis for mediating harmony,” the statement added.

In its statement, the CARICOM leaders said they wanted to reiterate their “firm and unwavering support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana” They said that they were also reaffirming their “support for the ongoing judicial process of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that is intended to bring a peaceful and definitive end to the long-standing controversy between the two countries and urges Venezuela to participate in the process”.

On Sunday, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali said he would seek CARICOM support on the border dispute following the developments in Mexico.

The ICJ ruled last December that it has jurisdiction to decide Guyana’s claim against Venezuela that the boundary between the two States was fixed in an 1899 Arbitral Award. Venezuela is opposed to the ICJ and its ruling.

Venezuela is maintaining its claim to an estimated 70 per cent of the Essequibo region including Guyana’s offshore oil reserves, with Caracas arguing that the 1899 agreement, which determined the boundaries between the two countries is null and void.

But Guyana has approached the ICJ to seek a final, binding judgement on the 1899 Arbitral Award that determines that boundary between the two countries. In December 2020, the ICJ ruled that it has the authority to rule on this case.

With the court ruling that it has the jurisdiction to hear the case filed by Guyana, the country has been given until March 8, 2022, to file written pleadings in its case against Venezuela. Meanwhile, Venezuela has until March 8, 2022, to file counterarguments.

Guyana is however seeking to obtain a final and binding judgement that will clearly state that the Essequibo region is indisputably part of this country.

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World View: Calif. Governor in Easy Win, 2 Koreas Test Missiles, Haiti Assasssination Probe,More

Sep 15, 2021

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The Associated Press

The Rundown

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday emphatically defeated a recall aimed at kicking him out of office early, a contest the Democrat framed as part of a national battle for his party’s values in the face of the…Read More

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STORRS, Conn. (AP) — At most of the largest U.S. public universities, students are under no obligation to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Some schools do require vaccines, but with leniency for those who opt out. …Read More

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The rival Koreas test-launched ballistic missiles hours apart from each other on Wednesday in a display of military assets that came amid a faltering diplomatic push to strip North Korea of its nuclear program….Read More

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A new chief prosecutor was sworn in Tuesday just hours after his predecessor asked a judge to charge Prime Minister Ariel Henry in the slaying of the president and to bar him from leaving Haiti, a move that cou…Read More

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MOSCOW (AP) — Alyona Popova’s campaign rhetoric is blunt: Unless she is elected to parliament, there won’t be much hope for a law against domestic violence in Russia. One of the country’s most ardent feminists, Popova has fought for years …Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

PARIS (AP) — Health care workers in France face suspension from their jobs starting Wednesday if they haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19. With about 300,000 workers …Read More

CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) — The house former drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán fled in 2014 when Mexican marines had him surrounded underwent some changes recently as the…Read More

Nearly every nation is coming up short — most of them far short — in their efforts to fight climate change, and the world is unlikely to hold warming to the internationall…Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three former U.S. intelligence and military officials have admitted providing sophisticated computer hacking technology to the United Arab Emirates and a…Read More

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Carnival Corp. CEO Banking on Cruise Lovers for Industry Resurrection

AP- Carnival Corp, once a US$21-billion company, saw revenue plunge to zero overnight last year when the pandemic shut down the cruise industry.

It’s CEO Arnold Donald’s job to navigate uncharted waters for the cruise giant, which operates nine brands that span the globe. The company hopes to have the entire fleet of nearly 90 ships back sailing by next spring, but regulations aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 on board have meant slow going so far.

Donald is counting on experienced cruisers being eager to sail again. He acknowledges, however, that the industry faces a challenge to attract new followers.

Donald has been CEO since 2013, when he replaced founder Micky Arison, who remains chairman. The change came after a fatal accident involving a ship off the coast of Italy and an ill-fated voyage that came to be called the ‘poop cruise’ when toilets didn’t flush as the powerless ship floated in the Caribbean for days.

Under the leadership of the New Orleans native, Carnival prospered for several years, posting a US$3-billion profit in 2019. Then came the pandemic, and the company lost US$10 billion.

Donald talked recently to The Associated Press about his company, the cruise industry, and the intersection of business and politics. Answers have been edited for length.

Q. Can you start by describing what the pandemic has done to Carnival?

A. It’s certainly been devastating to the travel and tourism sector overall, and maybe even more so to the cruise industry in particular. Even though we had no revenue, we had to continue to man the ships with minimal manning, so we had a significant burn rate with no revenue coming in.

Q. How will your company and the cruising industry recover?

A. It’s very simple. The demand for travel experience in the global population has not gone away — that demand is still there. In a very short period of time, the world has kind of made itself knowledgeable and developed solutions to address (COVID-19). It’s not perfect. It’s not foolproof, but it’s allowing us to return to the things we love in a better way. We have successfully been sailing during the pandemic, even before vaccines over in Europe.

Q. What impact has the Delta variant of COVID-19 had on bookings and cancellations?

A. I can’t talk between quarters, but, just generally, I would tell you that as we look ahead, we don’t see major barriers out in the future to cruise.

Q. Do you worry that last year’s news coverage of virus outbreaks on cruise ships will scare away passengers for a long time?

A. For people who haven’t cruised and don’t understand it and don’t know what it is, sure, those images make it a harder hill for us to climb. For those who have cruised — and there are plenty of them — we do not have an issue, because they know that when you go on a cruise there’s a medical centre on board, and there’s a doctor and nurses and hand-sanitising stations. We’ve got a lot of protocols already in place, and now we have enhanced those for the specificity of the challenge that is COVID-19. People who cruise understand that. They know the ships are not airplanes, where people are sitting right next to each other all the time.

Q. Unlike the airlines, which got a US$54-billion bailout for the pandemic, Carnival and other cruise companies didn’t get any federal aid. Is that because you’re incorporated in Panama?

A. We’re not technically a US corporation, so of course that could influence a decision like that. I don’t know why the government did what it did, but that’s a rational thought. It would have been nice to have had some assistance. We have a lot of US employees.

Q. Analysts (in a FactSet survey) expect Carnival’s revenue in 2023 will top 2019. That seems optimistic to me. Can you do that?

A. We will probably have a little bit more capacity … . There is probably going to be a potential environment for stronger pricing. That combination will lead to more revenues. So it’s certainly a possibility. We aren’t giving a forecast yet.

Q. As CEO, you replaced the founder, Micky Arison. You came in shortly after the Costa Concordia capsized off Italy and the Carnival Triumph drifted around the Caribbean with no power and no toilets after a fire knocked out power. What was that like?

A. Micky hadn’t been booted out as CEO, which some people were trying to say in the media. He was a big part of the decision to divide the chairman role and the CEO role, knowing that we had to focus attention on some of these areas that with the publicity and all of that, and other areas in the business that needed additional focus. That was all constructive, it was collaborative.

Q. You’re among the relatively few black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. When some in the business community mobilised against a Georgia law that they said would hurt minority voters, you didn’t seem to take a visible role. Is that a fair characterisation?

A. I do try to stay away from politics when you get to parties and that kind of thing because we have Democratic guests and we have Republican guests, and they’re both entitled to their points of view. But I do believe in standing up for things that are fundamentally right, and in that particular case I did sign on to that (a petition protesting the Georgia election law) with other leaders in the business community. One of the most basic rights in a democracy is the right to vote. We need to do things to encourage people to vote.

Q. You’re 66, you’ll be 67 in a few months. How long are you going to stay in the job?

A. As long as the board and the shareholders want to have me continue to do it — certainly as we navigate through the rest of this pandemic and get this corporation back on the straight road of financial success, with great returns to shareholders.

____

AP

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SoftBank Tops-Up Latin America Tech Investment Fund with $3B

SAO PAULO, Sept 14 (Reuters) – SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) on Tuesday launched a $3 billion fund to invest in technology companies in Latin America in a bid to build on the success of its initial fund for the region, which has spent most of its capital.

In a statement, the Japanese conglomerate said it plans to invest in listed and private tech companies, adding the fund may raise additional capital in the future.

SoftBank’s renewed bet on Latin America comes as venture capital is booming in countries such as Brazil and Mexico, and follows a decision to pause new investments in China after a regulatory crackdown on tech companies. read more

“There is so much innovation and disruption taking place in Latin America, and I believe the business opportunities there have never been stronger,” SoftBank Group’s chairman Masayoshi Son said in the statement. “Latin America is a critical part of our strategy.”

SoftBank’s first $5 billion Latin American fund was launched in 2019 by executive vice-president and Chief Operations Officer Marcelo Claure at a time when no deep-pocketed investor had signed big checks for startups in the region.

It has invested $3.5 billion in 48 companies from sectors ranging from education to finance and logistics, which are now valued at $6.9 billion.

Most of its portfolio companies remain private.

Still, companies such as Banco Inter SA , which SoftBank bought into when it was already listed, and e-commerce software platform VTEX (VTEX.N), which went public in July, helped the fund post gains in the last quarter.

COO Claure, who will oversee the new fund, said returns from the initial fund have exceeded SoftBank’s expectations.

Reporting by Carolina Mandl; editing by Richard Pullin

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US in Migrant Parent-Child Reunification Move

MEXICO CITY, Sept 14 (Reuters) – The United States has begun accepting new applications for a migration program revived by the Biden Administration, offering an opportunity for Central American migrants to reunite with their children legally, the State Department said on Tuesday.

The Central American Minors (CAM) program allowed children fleeing violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to apply in their home countries to settle in the United States. The Obama-era program ran between 2014 to 2017 but was shut down by President Donald Trump.

Since the CAM program was revived in March, U.S. officials have reopened some 1,400 of the approximately 3,000 cases that were closed when the Trump Administration shuttered the program in 2018, according to Marta Youth, a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. State Department focused on refugees and other migration issues.

New applications for the program became eligible on Tuesday. Though State Department officials could not estimate how many people would apply, they said tens of thousands were newly eligible.

Migrants from a trio of Central American nations – Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador – make up the bulk of people crossing Mexico to reach the United States, with many bidding to escape rampant poverty and gang violence in their home countries.

Apprehensions of undocumented immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border have leapt this year, and they include a sharp increase in the number of unaccompanied minors.

(This story corrects to clarify U.S. has already reopened 1,400 cases, not that it will reopen that many cases)

Reporting by Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by David Alire Garcia

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Mexico: 38 Abducted Hotel Guests Released by Armed Assailants

BBC- Some 22 suspected migrants and 16 Mexicans who were abducted by gunmen at a hotel in Mexico have been rescued, authorities say.

They were kidnapped when armed men stormed the Sol y Luna hotel in the central city of Matehuala in the early hours of Tuesday.

The victims, who include children and a pregnant woman, are mostly from Haiti and Cuba, Reuters news agency reported. Earlier accounts had said some were Venezuelan.

The gunmen also kidnapped 16 Mexicans.

While the Mexicans were released sooner, the foreigners were found beside a dirt road in a remote area. They are receiving medical help.

The kidnappers had arrived in three SUVs, the prosecutor’s office in San Luis Potosi state said. They also took the hotel’s logbook of guests, complicating the search.

But officials found some of the victims’ ID cards in their rooms, local media reported.

The state’s attorney general Arturo Garza Herrera said: “I am going to notify the migration institute so that they can be involved since we do not know the migratory status of these people.”

Migrants who enter Mexico hoping to cross into the US can face considerable danger, from rape and murder to conscription by drug cartels. Some are held until their families pay for their release.

In 2015, more than 100 migrants were held hostage by gang members for five weeks, before being rescued by police.

The number of migrants heading for the US via Mexico increased after President Joe Biden took office, promising to lift some of his predecessor Donald Trump’s immigration restrictions.

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Haiti PM Banned from Leaving Country as Person of Interest in Moise Assassination

BBC- Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been banned from leaving the country amid an investigation into his alleged involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

A prosecutor is seeking charges against Henry, who has been asked to explain his links with a key suspect in the killing, Joseph Felix Badio.

Records show the two men had multiple phone calls just hours after the assassination, prosecutors say. Moïse was killed at home on 7 July.

He was shot dead after gunmen stormed his private residence in a suburb of the capital, Port-au-Prince. His death triggered a political crisis which was exacerbated when a huge earthquake struck the south of Haiti a month ago.

On Monday, Henry sent a letter purportedly sacking Chief Prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude and accusing him of a “serious administrative offence”. He later nominated a replacement.

However, on Tuesday Claude appeared to remain in his post as he asked a judge investigating the murder of Moïse to charge the prime minister over his “suspected” involvement in the case.

Sources with knowledge of Haiti say it is not in the prime minister’s remit to dismiss the prosecutor.

Haiti’s justice minister has ordered extra police protection for Claude following a number of reported threats.

What’s the PM’s alleged link to the case?

Prosecutors say records obtained from phone operator Digicel have confirmed that Mr Badio – a justice ministry official accused of planning the assassination – and Henry spoke twice shortly after Moïse’s killing.

Geolocation data also showed that Badio, who disappeared after the murder and is currently being sought by police, was speaking from somewhere close to the scene of the crime. He has not publicly commented on these claims.

The prime minister recently rejected what he called “diversionary tactics” intended to “sow confusion” without responding to the specific accusations against him.

Henry has previously told local media that he knew Badio. He has defended him and said that he did not believe he was involved because he did not have the means.

The prime minister was reportedly given a deadline of Tuesday 14 September to supply the investigation with information.

It comes as authorities step up their efforts to arrest additional suspects in the assassination.

Police say there are now 44 people held in custody in connection with the plot, including 18 retired members of the Colombian military.

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Cryptocurrency no longer a millennial game as older Aussies invest

Cryptocurrency is increasingly being seen by older Australians as a legitimate investment, new data from one of the country's biggest exchanges has shown.

BTC Markets today released its annual Investor Report, revealing that one in four of today's crypto investors is aged over 44.

Over the past financial year, the exchange recorded a 15 per cent growth in investors aged over 60, marking the biggest increase of any age group after 18- to 24-year-olds.

READ MORE: New iPhones revealed with big new feature

BTC Markets noted that in general, older Australians are more likely to have larger initial deposits, bigger portfolios and higher average investments.

Unlike younger Australians, older investors trade half as frequently as their millennial counterparts.

BTC Markets CEO Caroline Bowler said the data was increasingly showing that cryptocurrency is no longer the domain of tech-focused young people.

READ MORE: Fugitive turns himself into police 30 years after NSW prison break

"Australians aged over 60 are seriously developing investment strategies for their post-work years as they approach retirement," Ms Bowler said.

"A low interest rate environment is a key factor behind them seeking investment opportunities in alternative assets like cryptocurrency.

"These Baby Boomers are often at a time in their lives when they have accumulated significant wealth and assets and have many years of experience investing in financial markets.

"They are not worried about allocating a small percentage of their portfolios to cryptocurrencies."

READ MORE: COVID-19 cases climbing in US, wiping out months of progress

An advertisement of Bitcoin, one of the cryptocurrencies, is displayed on a tram in Hong Kong.

In the past financial year, BTC Markets also saw a dramatic upswing in the number of female investors, recording a 172 per cent year-on-year growth in new users.

In FY20-21, female investors traded twice daily on average, compared to five times for males, suggesting a structured trading strategy with a smaller range of more focused positions.

Female investors also deposited larger amounts at the outset ($2381), compared to their male peers ($2060).

"More women trading cryptocurrency dispels misconceptions around cryptocurrency investors being risk lovers," Ms Bowler said.

"This is because behavioural finance studies have found women to be more risk-averse in their investment decisions than men.

"It also shows a calculated appetite for the volatility that is still a feature of this asset class."

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.