WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) – The Biden administration on Thursday urged Canada to use federal powers to ease the disruption at the U.S.-Canada border caused by a protest against anti-coronavirus mandates that has blocked a vital U.S.-Canada trade route, a White House official said.
“(U.S. Homeland Security) Secretary (Alejandro) Mayorkas and (Transportation Secretary Pete) Buttigieg each spoke with their Canadian counterparts, urging them to use Federal powers to resolve this situation at our joint border,” the official said in a statement.
The Biden administration is mainly focused on ending the blockage at the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, as well as at other ports of entry, the official said. The bridge is one of North America’s busiest border crossings and a supply route for Detroit’s carmakers.
Canadian truckers started the protests as a “Freedom Convoy” occupying the capital Ottawa in opposition to a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border drivers mirrored by the U.S. government. They began blocking the Ambassador Bridge on Monday and have since shut two smaller border crossings.
The U.S. Homeland Security Department is adding staff to its command post at the National Football League’s Super Bowl in Los Angeles in response to reports of a convoy that could cause disruptions at Sunday’s game, the official, who provided the statement on condition of anonymity, said.
The department is also aware of reports of a convoy event in Washington, D.C., in early March and “is taking all necessary steps” to ensure it doesn’t disrupt transportation or the federal government, according to the official
“At this time, we have no indication that individuals involved are engaged in anything other than First Amendment-protected activity,” the official said.
Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Costas Pitas and Eric Beech; editing by Tim Ahmann and Sandra Maler
MEXICO CITY, Feb 10 (Reuters) – A Mexican journalist was shot and killed in the southern state of Oaxaca on Thursday, police said, the latest in a string of journalist deaths that have prompted U.S. lawmakers to pressure Mexico to step up protections.
Heber Lopez, an independent journalist who ran NoticiasWeb, was shot and killed, police officials told Mexican news outlet Milenio. Lopez was attacked at his recording studio, outlet RCP Noticias said on social media.
The attorney general for Oaxaca said two people were arrested in relation with the crime, though the investigation was still ongoing.
Lopez, who worked in the port city of Salina Cruz, had received death threats in 2019, according to some local media reports.
The journalist regularly wrote about politics and corruption in local government, Rodolfo Canseco, the director of RCP Noticias, told Reuters.
His death is the latest in a spate of attacks against journalists in Mexico in recent weeks. Three journalists and one media worker were killed in the month of January alone, and a former journalist was killed on Saturday evening. read more
United States Senators Tim Kaine and Marco Rubio urged Mexico on Tuesday to do more to protect journalists, criticizing Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for lashing out against his critics in the media.
According to human rights organization Article 19, around 145 journalists were killed in Mexico from 2000 to 2021, making Mexico one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists.
Article 19 called on Mexico’s federal program to protect journalists to “contact (Lopez’s) family members, colleagues and friends as soon as possible, in order to provide the necessary protection measures,” the organization wrote on Twitter.
Reporting by Kylie Madry and Noe Torres; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan
Congressional Democrats are increasing pressure on the Biden administration to step up its efforts to vaccinate the world, arguing more needs to be done to prevent a new COVID-19 variant from emerging to threaten the United States after omicron.
A group of more than 80 Democratic lawmakers is pushing for $17 billion to support global vaccinations in a coming government funding package, but there is no certainty yet on what will be provided.
The Biden administration has touted its pledge of 1.2 billion doses for other countries, of which 400 million have been delivered so far, as more than any other country in the world has provided.
But some Democratic lawmakers say simply donating doses is not enough, given that many poor countries still have extremely low vaccination rates.
““The truth is we just have to do more,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said, adding she had talked “extensively” with the administration about her push.
More funds could be coming: Roughly $10 billion in funding for global COVID-19 needs has been under discussion, sources told The Hill, but there’s no clarity yet.
Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) said his understanding is that now that there has been progress on the top-line numbers for a government funding deal, the White House will be putting forward a request with a “generous” number for global COVID-19 needs.
The Biden administration on Thursday said it purchased 600,000 treatments worth of a new COVID-19 antibody drug that officials said works against the omicron variant.
The drug from Eli Lilly has not yet been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. But the Department of Health and Human Services said if the authorization occurs, the treatment will be made available to states immediately, free of charge.
Under the $720 million contract, HHS said it would receive approximately 300,000 treatment courses of the monoclonal antibody in February and about another 300,000 treatment courses in March. They would be ready to ship immediately following authorization.
Context: The announcement comes after the FDA last month significantly restricted the use of a pair of monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 because they are ineffective against the omicron variant.
According to HHS, early data suggests that the new antibody drug is effective against both omicron and the BA.2 omicron subvariant.
Emmanuel Macron refused a Kremlin request that he take a Russian Covid-19 test when he arrived to see Vladimir Putin this week, and was therefore kept at a distance from the Russian leader, two sources in Macron’s entourage told Reuters.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and French president Emmanuel Macron sitting at the very long table. Photograph: SPUTNIK/Reuters
But the two sources, who have knowledge of the French president’s health protocol, told Reuters Macron had been given a choice: either he accepted a PCR test done by the Russian authorities and was allowed to get close to Putin, or he refused and had to abide by more stringent social distancing.
“We knew very well that meant no handshake and that long table. But we could not accept that they get their hands on the president’s DNA,” one of the sources told Reuters, referring to security concerns if the French leader was tested by Russian doctors.
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52 New Covid Cases on Tobago
Fifty-two new COVID-19 cases have been reported on Tobago. No new deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded there over the past 24 hours, according to the update for Wednesday 9th February 2022, released by the Division of Health, Wellness and Social Protection, in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).
This means the number of lives lost on the island, since March 2020, remains at 238. The most recent death was recorded on Tuesday February 8th—an unvaccinated person.
According to the update, there has been a sharp uptick in the number of new COVID-19 infections—some 52 new cases were recorded, bringing the current number of active positive cases to 440.
The Division’s update also reports that some 17 people currently are hospitalised with COVID-19. Of these, 14 have not been vaccinated at all against the disease, while three persons have been fully vaccinated.
The update also notes that a total of 6,149 people in Tobago have managed to recover from COVID-19.
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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — Tourism sector which remains the mainstay of Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis’ economy was adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but according to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, it is on the rebound and is off to a respectable start.
“The rebound of the tourism sector is quite evident,” said Dr Harris on Thursday February 10 when he hosted the first Prime Minister’s Press Conference of the year at the NEMA Conference Room in Lime Kiln, West Basseterre. He pointed out that people see the rebound regularly by the seaside in Basseterre at Port Zante. There were four cruise ships docked at Port Zante as the press conference was going on.
While not yet close to the buoyancy of 2018-2019 season, Prime Minister Harris noted that the 2021-2022 cruise season is off to an encouraging start, in the context of the Federation’s liveability with Covid and the restrictions placed on cruise travel, both by the Centres of Disease Control in the USA and other governments to protect their citizens.
According to the Honourable Prime Minister, the cruise season typically would start in October, and carry on to September the next year during which time there would be a peak and a lull. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mrs Carlene Henry-Morton, was present at the Prime Minister’s Monthly Press Conference.
“I am advised that we have had 158 cruise calls so far, with 138,022 cruise passengers,” he advised the nation. “This compares well to the prior season, 2020-2021, when for 9 months (October 2020 to June 2021) there was zero cruise calls and consequently zero passengers. Given the COVID-19 situation, the cruise ships are not sailing at their usual maximum capacity as a precautionary health response.”
He was supported at the head table by Deputy Prime Minister the Hon Shawn Richards, Minister of Environment and Cooperatives the Hon Eric Evelyn, Minister of Human Settlement et al the Hon Eugene Hamilton, and Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs the Hon Vincent Byron Jr.
“Turning to air arrivals: For January 2022, I am advised we have had 6,683 passengers arriving in the Federation, and this is up 5,324 over the 1,350 passengers recorded in January of 2021,” said the Prime Minister. “Of course, in January of 2021 we were in the throes of a community related outbreak, so again, this we are off to a respectable start according to the data provided by St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA).”
Also present at the press conference were Minister of Health et al the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett, Minister of International Trade, Industry, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Labour the Hon Wendy Phipps, Deputy Speaker Senator the Hon Dr Bernicia Nisbett, Ambassadors, His Excellency Michael Powell and His Excellency Sydney Osborne, Chief Medical Officer Dr Hazel Laws, and other senior government officials.
A street in Croix-des-Bouquets, a town near Port-au-Prince. Photo via Fandom
CROIX-DES-BOUQUETS — Heavily armed gangs erected barricades around Croix-des-Bouquets, cutting off access to Port-au-Prince and neighboring towns for six days, according to residents who spoke with local media.
On Feb. 3, residents said, armed individuals seized a truck and beat the driver, forcing him to put the vehicle across the National Road #8 located in eastern Croix-des-Bouquets. Since then, the road leading on one way to Port-au-prince and on the other to the Dominican Republic has been blocked to travelers.
Gunfire has been heard daily for the past two weeks, residents said. It was particularly intense in the early morning hours of Feb.7 around Cotard and Michaud, where the blocked road is located.
Croix-des-Bouquets residents who were interviewed on several local stations said different communes are totally paralyzed. Residents have stayed inside their homes and no cars were seen on the roads. The armed men thoroughly search the passengers of the rare motorcycles that manage to make their way alongside the truck erected in the street.
Numerous families have fled their houses after armed bandits broke in to steal their belongings or set fires to the homes. The families who stayed behind cannot leave their homes because of the daily gunfire.
Local media also reported that at least one person was killed over the weekend.
On Feb. 2, the Haitian National Police said police carried out several operations aimed at weakening the gangs in downtown Croix-des-Bouquets. Some bandits were arrested and others killed, PNH had said in its twitter account.
NEW YORK (AP) — Senate Republicans blame the Republican National Committee. The RNC blames two Republican House members. They blame former President Donald Trump. And Trump…Read More
On February 6 this year, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. This event marks 70 years of service to the United Kingdom (UK), the Realms, and the Commonwealth. Celebrations will continue throughout June. Among these is a Caribbean tour by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Queen Elizabeth is no stranger to historic jubilee celebrations. She became the longest-living British Monarch and commemorated her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Grand events that garner the country’s participation have marked jubilees, such as concerts, competitions, and parades.
This year’s event roster is no less exciting, with festivities stretching as far as the Commonwealth countries, where jubilee beacons will be lit in each capital city to acknowledge The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Over 1,500 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, and UK Overseas Territories.
Other celebrations this year include The Derby at Epsom Downs, Platinum Party at the Palace, and The Queen’s Green Canopy- an initiative that has seen over 60,000 trees being planted in the UK and will continue to generate the planting of large celebration trees, majestic new avenues of trees, urban planting, and expansive new forests that will benefit future generations.
Past Royal Visits
The royal family has a tradition of visiting Jamaica. The last member of the royal family to visit Jamaica was Prince Harry in 2012, who came as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of that year. He made quite a splash during his time here as he took to the tracks to run alongside the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt.
Queen Elizabeth II has also had a memorable track record of frequent visits to Jamaica, with the reigning monarch visiting every decade from the 1950s to the early 2000s. Perhaps the most notable visit was her trip in 2002 when she infamously dined in darkness after two power outages at King’s House, the official home of the Governor-General.
This rich history began, however, with Princess Margaret. She was the official envoy of the Royal family to hand over independence to Jamaica from the colonial power of Britain on August 6, 1962.
Grenada marked the 48th anniversary of independence this week, and despite the looming pandemic, the island’s leaders met the commemorative day with a military parade at the National Stadium.
Gathered under the theme “Overcoming our Adversity – Safeguarding Livelihoods – Protecting our Future,” each person spoke to the struggles of the previous years and the path towards a prosperous future.
While guests were not allowed to attend due to the pandemic, many joined the live broadcast to see the parade on full display. Making his trademark address, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell noted how the “dark cloud of the pandemic” had changed their lives forever. He used the platform to express his concern about the island’s vaccination uptake and encouraged Grenadians to get vaccinated.
“We are concerned about the level of vaccine hesitancy that exists in Grenada… We believe in the science and remain optimistic that vaccination and achieving herd immunity will help bring an end to this crisis.”
An advocate for vaccination, the Prime Minister added, “…ultimately there is only so much the government can do and say. What we need more than ever is a solid partnership – government and people working side by side to overcome this pandemic.”
Grenada has recorded 211 deaths and 12,862 infections linked to COVID-19.
Grenada continues to provide COVID-19 relief to residents
As with other Caribbean islands, the pandemic has increased the onus on local governments to provide economic and social assistance to ease the burden of their people. This matter was a strong focal point in the Prime Minister’s address.
He spoke of his administration’s work in providing COVID-19 stimulus packages, some of which have already assisted hundreds of citizens and businesses. He highlighted that the 2022 budget presented to Parliament outlined further incentives for Grenadians this year. As it relates to a start date, he affirmed that “We are still in the early stages of implementation.”
The Prime Minister left no stone unturned. He ventured into talks of national pride, students returning to face-to-face tutoring, full months’ salary for front-line public health workers, and the government absorbing any increase in fuel prices above EC$15/gallon among other initiatives.
CARICOM proud
In her congratulatory message to Prime Minister Mitchell, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett shared, “There is much for the Government and People of Grenada to be proud of since achieving independence 48 years ago, as the country has moved resolutely along the path to development. Grenada’s contribution globally in academia, sports, culture, and diplomacy is well documented.”
“Honourable Prime Minister,” she continued, “Grenada continues to make significant contributions to the promotion of regional integration. In particular, the Community welcomes Grenada’s steadfast leadership on Science and Technology (including Information and Communications), for which you, Prime Minister, have portfolio responsibilities in the Quasi-Cabinet of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government.”
As the leaders of many countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, insist that the time has come to ‘live with Covid-19’, the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) says the relevant authorities must collaborate to achieve this delicate balance.
“We have been mentioning several times that each country must consider a proper balance between population health and wellbeing, and progressively re-establishing activity in all [business] sectors to recover their economies.
“In that regard, close coordination between corresponding authorities is needed to make the best decisions in the context of the pandemic, where we see a sharp increase in cases when we relax the public health and social measures,” PAHO’s Director of Health Emergencies, Dr Ciro Ugarte, told a media briefing yesterday.
Though economic activity in Antigua and Barbuda has scaled up significantly since the start of the pandemic, sectors like entertainment and sports continue to struggle due to continued restrictions on events and activities.
Players in both sectors have been very vocal about what they perceive to be unfair treatment – in comparison to the tourism sector, for example – but the government maintains that it will take its time before granting approval for movement in these sectors, as that could potentially result in super-spreader events.
Dr Ugarte advised that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the issue, and told countries that they must take their individual circumstances into account, to determine the most appropriate time to relax certain public health measures.
“It is important to consider the current epidemiological situation, the current capacity of the health services – particularly ICU and [general] hospital beds – and the vaccination rate, to decide which restrictions may be relaxed and at what level,” he said.
“A good, operational monitoring system is a must when we adopt any relaxation of measures, in order to identify a localised surge in cases early, and prevent community transmission. And accordingly, all the measures must be adjusted with that monitoring information.”
This advice will, no doubt, be echoed by sporting bodies and event promoters alike, as they constantly urge the government to allow some activity when the infection rate slows.
It remains to be seen, however, when the government will take its own advice and finally submit to living with Covid-19.
Known as the most important global energy award for sustainability, the Energy Globe Award was established 20 years ago and honors the best projects addressing environmental issues. There are 5 award categories – Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Youth, and a special category which varies from year to year.
This year, the award was given to a project implemented in destination Barbados. The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) won, for the third time, the coveted national Energy Globe Award by Arthur D. Little
This time, the award was conferred on a project funded by Green Climate Fund (GCF) that is being implemented in Barbados by the CCCCC in collaboration with the Barbados Water Authority.
The project entitled, Water Sector Resilience Nexus for Sustainability in Barbados (WSRN S-Barbados), seeks to increase the supply, distribution, quality, availability, access, and utilization of water through the incorporation of renewable energy technologies.
The CCCCC won in the water category at the end of 2021 for its tremendous work transforming the water sector in Barbados.
“The WSRN S-Barbados project is a flagship GCF project being implemented by the CCCCC, a regional Direct Access Entity to the GCF and it is one of the best performing projects globally among Small Island Development States (SIDS),” said Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director at the CCCCC.
“We are honored to have won this award; it demonstrates the capacity and experience of the CCCCC to develop and implement, in partnership with CARICOM Member States, innovative and transformative projects that build the climate resilience and sustainable development of our Caribbean people,” he added.
According to Dr. Elon Cadogan, Project Manager of the WSRN S-Barbados in a recent article: “With climate change, Barbados has experienced negative impacts to its water resources, where water scarcity has increased the vulnerability of its population, especially to small farmers, and entrepreneurs. During drought periods, the island has experienced decreasing underground recharge rates of its aquifers, which provide 95% of the island’s potable water.”
Droughts have also affected the agricultural sector by reducing crop yields and productivity, in addition to causing premature death of livestock and poultry.
Image courtesy of PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
In an effort to improve the water resilience of Barbados to the effects of climate change, the Government of Barbados and the CCCCC secured a grant of US$27.6 million from the Green Climate Fund in 2015. Combined, with the co-financing from the BWA, the total project will invest over US$45.2 million to improve the water resilience of Barbados over 5 years.
To date, the project has installed PV systems at the Bowmanston pumping station on the island, to be followed by installing additional PV systems at the Belle and Hampton pumping stations, thus providing renewable energy power to support the distribution of potable water to households and the surrounding distribution network, inclusive of farms and hurricane shelters.
At the Belle pumping station, a station that supports most of the essential services, a natural gas micro-turbine will provide backup power on the possible occurrence of utility grid failure, automatically switching on, allowing for a continuous supply of water to highly populated areas. This helps not only residents and businesses but the hospitality sector as well and insures a constant supply of clean flowing water for tourists.
The energy globe award is presented annually, with award ceremonies held nationally and internationally. Over 180 countries submit environmental projects for consideration. Awards are given to agencies and individuals worldwide in both the private and public sectors and the NGO community.
