Tag Archives: caribbean

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Haiti Senate Leader Echoes Gang Chief’s Call for PM Henry to Resign

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) Haiti’s Senate leader Joseph Lambert has joined calls for embattled Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.

“Ariel Henry must resign because he has lost the trust of the country and he has failed to give results,” Lambert said on Tuesday in an exclusive interview with CNN at the senator’s home in Port-au-Prince. “We need to reestablish the state’s authority and restore security.”

Lambert said he believes a new transition government should be installed until elections can be held next — with himself as the interim president.

“This government doesn’t represent what we need now, we need a large consensus with all sectors. No one will be able to govern Haiti without a larger consensus. That’s what we have been saying and this is where I stand,” he told CNN.

The Prime Minister’s office has responded, saying Henry will not resign.

“Our doors remain open to anyone who wants to join us so we can have free, fair and credible elections. Our government wants to unite, not politicize,” the office said in a statement to CNN.

Henry has been in office since a power-sharing deal was brokered in the weeks after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on July 7.

Moise appointed Henry as Prime Minister, but he had not yet been sworn in at the time of the president’s death. Weeks of political stalemate ensued over who would become de facto leader of the Caribbean nation, with Lambert considered among the contenders. A US-backed agreement ultimately saw Henry become Prime Minster and then-acting Prime Minster Claude Joseph become Foreign Minister.

Since then, Henry has faced a series of crises, including Haiti’s worst earthquake since 2010, the expulsion of thousands of Haitian migrants from the United States and a rise in gang-related kidnappings — among them the abduction of 17 missionaries from the US and Canada more than a week ago.

Perhaps most impactful, however, has been a crushing fuel shortage that has crippled the country. Gangs, including a notorious group called G9, have all but cut off access to key fuel depots on the country’s coast, preventing delivery of fuel around the country and paralyzing capital city Port-au-Prince.

Gang leaders have called on Henry to resign, saying they will end the fuel blockades once he steps down.

Sen. Lambert himself has long had political aspirations for Haiti’s top job. Though he is not the first to call for Prime Minister Henry to step down, his critics accuse the longtime Haitian politician of seeking now to take advantage of the country’s many crises for political gain.

Lambert has also struggled to tamp down widespread rumors that he is working with gangs to delay the flow of fuel, though zero evidence of that has been presented publicly. Haitian politicians have in the past often had relationships with the country’s gangs, using them as political tools to get out or suppress the vote.

“It’s totally false, they are just accusing opponents to hide their own incompetence,” said Lambert in response. “If they have proof there is a politician that is behind the violence they should arrest them and bring them to justice.”

After Moise’s assassination, Lambert led a failed attempt to install himself as interim president. Haiti’s senate voted to place him in the position, but the body did not have a quorum, leading to questions about whether it could even make the decision. Haiti has not held parliamentary elections since 2015, and only 10 senators are still seated. Less than 24 hours after the senate vote, Lambert pulled back and said his swearing-in had been postponed.

Lambert’s Senate term expires in January.

Journalist Etant Dupain contributed reporting.

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WORLD VIEW: Reality Bites US Congress Liberals, Oil Still King in Gulf, Sudan Coup Arrests, More

Oct 27, 2021

The Associated Press

The Rundown

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Many progressives have started lining up behind an emerging social and environment bill that’s neither as big or bold as they wanted, thanks to an outnumbered but potent band of party moderates who’ve enjoyed a disproportionate say…Read More

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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Investigators plan to discuss their initial findings Wednesday in the fatal movie-set shooting in which Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun, killing a cinematographer and wounding the director….Read More

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The global energy transition is perhaps nowhere more perplexing than in the Arabian Peninsula, where Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies are caught between two daunting climate change scenarios that threaten their livel…Read More

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CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese security forces detained three prominent pro-democracy figures, family members and activists said Wednesday, as international pressure mounted on the country’s military to walk back the coup it staged earlier this week. …Read More

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SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian Senate committee is recommending that President Jair Bolsonaro face a series of criminal indictments for actions and omissions related to the world’s second highest COVID-19 death toll. …Read More

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX is taming some toilet troubles in its Dragon capsules before launching four more astronauts. The company and NASA want to make sur…Read More

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Economy: Ecuador Demonstrators Block Roads, Dozens Arrested

ECONBy

QUITO, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Thousands of demonstrators protested against the economic policies of conservative Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso on Tuesday, days after he raised gasoline prices, blocking roads in some parts of the country.

Lasso, an ex-banker who took office in May, last week scrapped planned incremental rises in gasoline charges, meant to eventually align with international costs, following pressure by indigenous and other organizations.

He opted instead to raise the price of gasoline extra, a higher octane gasoline that is Ecuador’s most-used fuel, to a fixed $2.55 a gallon and diesel to $1.90 a gallon.

But unions and other groups want Lasso to freeze prices at lower rates and exempt sectors hit hard by COVID-19.

Five police officers were injured and two members of the armed forces were being held by a community in northern Quito, but were unharmed, Defense Minister Luis Hernandez told journalists.

Thirty-seven people were detained for blocking roads, he added.

The Ecuador Confederation of Indigenous Nations said demonstrators had been injured but did not give a figure.

People march during a protest against the economic policies of conservative Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso, days after he raised gasoline prices, in Guayaquil, Ecuador October 26, 2021. REUTERS/Vicente Gaibor del Pino
People protest against the economic policies of conservative Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso, days after he raised gasoline prices, in Guayaquil, Ecuador October 26, 2021. REUTERS/Vicente Gaibor del Pino
A man participates in a protest against the economic policies of conservative Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso, days after Lasso raised gasoline prices, in Guayaquil, Ecuador October 26, 2021. REUTERS/Vicente Gaibor del Pino

People protest against the economic policies of conservative Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso, days after he raised gasoline prices, in Guayaquil, Ecuador October 26, 2021. REUTERS/Vicente Gaibor del Pino

Interior Minister Alexandra Vela said marches were peaceful except for a few incidents in the afternoon and said the government was open to dialogue.

Gasoline costs have risen significantly since Lasso’s predecessor, Lenin Moreno, began monthly increases in May 2020.

“We don’t agree that the measures implemented because of the crisis should fall on workers and the middle class,” said university professor Victor Sanchez, 55, as he marched in central Quito with about 1,000 others.

Police used tear gas in the capital amid small clashes with protesters, while officers on horseback blocked the entrance to the plaza that had been the marchers’ destination.

Marches also took place in Guayaquil and Cuenca.

Indigenous groups blocked the road that connects Quito to the country’s north with earth and trees, and others in various Andean provinces were closed.

Indigenous organization CONFENIAE said some roadways in the Amazon region had been shuttered from the early morning.

“We didn’t come to destabilize, we came to make economic demands of the government,” CONAIE president Leonidas Iza told demonstrators in Panzaleo.

Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; additional reporting by Tito Correa Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb Editing by Rosalba O’Brien, Marguerita Choy and Leslie Adler

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Haiti: Amidst Gasoline Shoratges, Gang Leader Demands Prime Minister Resign

By and

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Haiti’s streets were unusually quiet on Tuesday and gasoline stations remained dry as gangs blocked the entrance to ports that hold fuel stores and the country’s main gang boss demanded that Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign.

Days-long fuel shortages have left Haitians with few transportation options and forced the closure of some businesses. Hospitals, which rely on diesel generators to ensure electricity due to constant blackouts, may shut down as well.

The situation has put further pressure on a population already struggling under a weakening economy and a wave of gang kidnappings, which include the abduction earlier this month of a group of Canadian and American missionaries.

Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, leader of the “G9” coalition of gangs in the metropolitan area of the capital, Port-au-Prince, said in a radio interview on Monday night that he would ensure safe passage of fuel trucks if Henry leaves office.

“The areas under the control of the G9 are blocked for one reason only – we demand the resignation of Ariel Henry,” Cherizier said in an interview on Haiti’s Radio Mega.

“If Ariel Henry resigns at 8 a.m., at 8:05 a.m. we will unblock the road and all the trucks will be able to go through to get fuel.”

A spokesperson for Henry’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Reuters was unable to contact Cherizier.

His statements show how gangs have taken on an increasingly political role following the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Cherizier has said Henry should “answer questions” linking him to Moise’s murder. Henry has denied any involvement.

Elections had originally been scheduled for November but were suspended after Henry last month dismissed the council that organizes elections, which critics had accused of being biased in favor of Moise. Henry has promised to appoint a non-partisan council that will set a new date.

Kidnappings have been in the headlines for months as Haitians from all walks of life face abduction by the increasingly powerful gangs.

The missionaries traveling as part of a trip organized by Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries were abducted by a gang called 400 Mawozo that operates east of the capital and is seeking a ransom of $1 million for each person.

Christian Aid Ministries asked people in a statement on Tuesday to remember both those “being held hostage as well as those recovering from the experience of being kidnapped.”

Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, leader of the 'G9' coalition of gangs in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, looks on after speaking to members of the media, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti October 26, 2021. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol
Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, leader of the ‘G9’ coalition of gangs in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, looks on after speaking to
A sign with an image of assassinated President Jovenel Moise is seen as members of the Haitian National Police clear a street blockade set up in protest of insecurity and fuel shortages, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti October 25, 2021. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol

The State Department said last week the U.S. government had dispatched a “small team” to assist in efforts to locate and free the missionaries.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday the United States had deployed “a significant number of law enforcement specialists and hostage recovery specialists” to Haiti.

‘THE WORST I’VE SEEN’

Haiti’s foreign aid bureau, BMPAD, which oversees fuel procurement, tweeted a video saying the country had 150,000 barrels of diesel and 50,000 barrels of gasoline, with another 50,000 barrels of gasoline set to arrive on Wednesday.

A total of 100,000 barrels of diesel and gasoline would supply Haiti’s fuel needs for five to seven says, said Marc Andre Deriphonse, head of the country’s service-station owners’ association, ANAPROSS.

Businesses have been warning that they may have to halt operations for lack of fuel. Telecoms firms said some cell towers are no longer in operation.

“This is the worst I’ve seen,” said one motorcycle taxi driver waiting to pick up passengers outside Port-au-Prince, when asked about the fuel shortages. He declined to give his name.

Motorcycle drivers strap one-gallon containers to their bikes in the hopes of filling them with fuel sold on the black market. A gallon of gasoline on the street can now fetch $20, compared with typical filling-station prices of around $2.

Transportation industry leaders have called for strikes to protest the wave of kidnappings, which have disproportionately affected truck drivers and public transport workers.

United Nations children’s agency UNICEF saidon Sunday it had negotiated fuel deliveries to Haitian hospitals but that the provider later refused to make the deliveries, citing security conditions.

At one police station near Port-au-Prince, two officers had been unable to get to work due to fuel shortages, according to a police official, who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak with reporters.

“Most of our vehicles have about a quarter of a tank,” he said.

Reporting by Brian Ellsworth and Gessika Thomas in Port-au-Prince; Additional reporting by Brad Brooks; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Peter Cooney

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Russian Navy Rescues Panamanian Ship from Attack by African Pirates

BBC- Russia’s navy has foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack a Panama-registered container ship off West Africa, the Russian defence ministry has said

The MSC Lucia was en route to Cameroon from Togo when it sent out a distress call on Monday that was picked up the Russian destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov.

A unit of Russian marines were dispatched by helicopter to the Lucia’s aid, the defence ministry statement said.

The pirates immediately fled, allowing the marines to free the ship’s crew.

Pirates fleeing the scene of attempted hijacking

Photos of the mission were posted by the defence ministry on Facebook:

The Russian destroyer was patrolling the Gulf of Guinea as part of international efforts to improve security there.

The waters off West Africa’s oil-rich coastline have been some of the most dangerous in the world for shipping in recent years.

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Brazil: Senators Back Criminal Charges Against Bolsonaro Over Covid Handling

BBC- Brazilian senators have voted to recommend charging President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the devastating Covid pandemic.

A Senate panel backed a report calling for charges against Mr Bolsonaro including crimes against humanity, after 600,000 deaths from coronavirus.

The findings will be sent to the chief prosecutor, a Bolsonaro appointee.

The president has maintained he is “guilty of absolutely nothing” but the crisis has dented his popularity.

Brazil’s death toll is second only to that of the United States.

There is no guarantee this vote will lead to actual criminal charges, as the report’s recommendations must now be assessed by Prosecutor-General Augusto Aras, who is expected to protect the president.

The report alleges that Mr Bolsonaro’s government pursued a policy of allowing coronavirus to rip through the country in the hope of achieving herd immunity.

It describes the president as “the main person responsible for the errors committed by the federal government during the pandemic”.

The report’s lead author, centrist Senator Renan Calheiros, called for the panel’s recommendation to charge President Bolsonaro with crimes against humanity to be submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Brazil is a party to the Rome Statute, which created the ICC, so the international court could take up the case.

But a referral would only be a first step in a lengthy process in which it would be up to the ICC to determine the merits of the case and whether to take it forward.

In addition to crimes against humanity, the Senate committee has recommended eight further charges be brought against Mr Bolsonaro in Brazilian courts, including incitement to crime, falsification of documents and the violation of social rights.

Mr Bolsonaro is also accused of misusing public funds and spreading fake news about the pandemic.

The 1,300-page report also recommended bringing charges against two corporations and 77 other people, including three of the president’s adult sons.

Following the announcement, Senator Calheiros said that the “chaos of Jair Bolsonaro’s government will enter history as the lowest level of human destitution”.

The vote concludes a six-month inquiry which has highlighted scandals and corruption inside the government.

The Senate’s recommendation is expected to be delivered to the prosecutor-general on Wednesday morning. His office said it would be carefully reviewed as soon as it was received, the Associated Press reports.

Throughout the process, Mr Bolsonaro has insisted that his government “did the right thing from the first moment” of the pandemic and his allies have been quick to dismiss Tuesday’s recommendations as being driven entirely by “political and electoral” motivations.

“It is a totally political report, without any legal basis,” said Flavio Bolsonaro, one of the president’s sons accused in the report.

“The intent of some senators on the investigative committee is to cause the maximum amount of wear and tear on the president.”

Former US President Donald Trump, a Bolsonaro ally, said in a statement he endorsed the Brazilian president because “he fights hard for, and loves, the people of Brazil”.

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Russia Record Covid Death Toll, Coronavirus Summary, World Stats

Russia reports record COVID-19 daily death toll

A medical specialist wearing protective gear tends to a patient at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the City Clinical Hospital Number 1, where people suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are treated, in Volzhsky, Russia October 25, 2021. REUTERS/Kirill Braga

A medical specialist wearing protective gear tends to a patient at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the City Clinical Hospital Number 1, where people suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are treated, in Volzhsky, Russia October 25, 2021. REUTERS/Kirill Braga

MOSCOW, Oct 27 (Reuters) – Russia on Wednesday reported 1,123 new COVID-19 deaths, its highest one-day toll of the pandemic amid a surge in cases that has forced officials to partially reimpose some lockdown measures.

The coronavirus task force also said it had recorded 36,582 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 5,789 in Moscow.

Russia will go into a nationwide workplace shutdown in the first week of November, and the capital Moscow will reimpose a partial lockdown from Thursday, with only essential shops like pharmacies and supermarkets allowed to remain open. read more

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Agence France-Presse have a useful round-up this morning of the state of play with closed borders in Asia, to coincide with the news that Thailand will allow vaccinated travellers from 46 countries and territories to enter the kingdom without quarantining from Monday.

Singapore has started quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers from 10 countries, including the US and several European countries, and will add more soon.

Indonesia re-opened the resort island of Bali this month to tourists from select countries although, with travellers still required to do a five-day quarantine on arrival, the scheme has had a slow start.

Vietnam plans to allow foreign visitors entry to the holiday island of Phu Quoc from next month and Malaysia has a similar plan for Langkawi island, while Cambodia will reopen beach spots Sihanoukville, Koh Rong and Dara Sakor from 30 November.

Mainland China remains closed to overseas tourists, as is Japan. South Korea has started accepting visitors from 49 countries. A negative coronavirus test is required for all arrivals, with a limited exemption from a 14-day quarantine for those vaccinated in South Korea.

Some of the world’s toughest measures have been implemented in Hong Kong – with a maximum 21-day quarantine for incoming travellers.

India re-opened for foreign tourists on charter flights this month and will allow in visitors on all flights from mid-November. Fully vaccinated travellers no longer have to undergo home quarantine, provided they are arriving from countries with which India has reciprocal arrangements for acceptance of WHO-approved vaccines.

Last month, Nepal started issuing visas on arrival for vaccinated tourists and dropped quarantine requirements. Among the first countries to reopen borders was the popular holiday destination of the Maldives, which started allowing in foreign tourists in July last year.

Sri Lanka opened its international borders for fully vaccinated tourists without any quarantine requirements on 7 October, while Pakistan allows in foreign visitors as long as they have proof of vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test.

The Philippines and Myanmar remain closed to foreign tourists.

Hungary has seen a steady increase in infections over the past weeks – with today’s numbers – 3,125 new cases – jumping from 1,668 daily new cases a week ago. However, daily new infections still remain below the numbers elsewhere in central and eastern Europe.

Reuters note that Hungary, a country of 10 million, has reported 30,647 deaths since the start of the pandemic. More than 5.7 million people have been fully vaccinated against the virus so far, and more than 1.1 million have received a third, booster shot.

In Hungary there are still few restrictions, and mask wearing is not mandatory in closed spaces, only in healthcare facilities. However, Janos Szlavik, the country’s chief epidemiologist, told public television on Tuesday that some measures will become unavoidable if infection numbers worsen.

A very quick Reuters snap: Hungary reported a jump in daily Covid-19 cases to 3,125 on Wednesday, the highest daily tally since April, the government said.

China has reported nearly 250 locally transmitted cases of Covid-19 since the start of the current outbreak 10 days ago, with many infections in remote towns along porous international borders in the country’s northwest.
China had 50 new local cases for 26 October, the highest daily count since 16 September, Reuters report official data showed.
The overall number is modest compared with more than 1,200 local cases reported during China’s July-August outbreak and the more than 2,000 cases in January during the last winter.
However, the steady increase of cases in the past week and their geographical spread alarmed local authorities and prompted the return of complex sets of restrictions on travel as well as on the tourism and catering sectors.

China has said the Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge to its hosting of the Winter Olympics in February and Winter Paralympics in March. Officials suspected the current flare-up was caused by a virus source from overseas.

Prior to Covid-19, Ejina Banner, a remote administrative division on China’s border with Mongolia, saw 8 million visitors in 2019 thanks to attractions such as a drought-resistant forest that would turn a golden yellow in October.

A medical worker works at a nucleic acid sampling site in Ejina Banner.
A medical worker works at a nucleic acid sampling site in Ejina Banner. Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

But the settlement of its 36,000 residents has been hard hit in the latest outbreak. Ejina has gone into a lockdown since last week, rendering nearly 10,000 tourists unable to leave, a local official said. Nearly half of those visitors are aged over 60.

Ruili in the southwestern province of Yunnan, rocked by multiple domestic outbreaks this year, has been served with the toughest curbs ever seen in China.
People who want to leave the city, except for those leaving for a few essential reasons, must be quarantined at centralised facilities for at least seven days before departure.

======================================================

WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

245,390,261

Deaths:

4,981,291

Recovered:

222,449,372
Highlighted in green
= all cases have recovered from the infection
Highlighted in grey
= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)

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Latest News

October 27 (GMT)

Updates

  • 8,361 new cases and 133 new deaths in Poland [source]
  • 36,582 new cases and 1,123 new deaths in Russia [source]
  • 314 new cases and 14 new deaths in Japan [source]
  • 6 new cases and 1 new d

 

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St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club holds ‘Journey for Sight’ walk, presents white canes

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, October 26, 2021 (S.T.E.P.) – In observance of Blindness Awareness Month, universally celebrated in October, the St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club held the annual ‘Journey for Sight’ walk on Saturday October 23 and presented two white canes to members of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind. The walk was not held last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘Journey for Sight’ walk which involved members and prospective members of the St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club, and members of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind, started at 6:20 a.m. from the Cenotaph at the War Memorial in Fortlands. It was led by President of the Lions Club, Ms Heather Grant, who walked alongside a member of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind, Ms Sharon Fredrick.

Representing the St. Kitts Society for the Blind was its President Mr Rockliffe Bowen, who is also the Vice President of the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP)-sponsored McKnight Community Centre-based St. Kitts and Nevis Association for Persons with Disabilities, and was joined by a few members on the walk.

“Fellow Lions, prospective members, and invited guests – I just want to say a special thank you to all of you who are here who took part in the ‘Journey for Sight’ walk for the visually impaired persons here this morning,” said Ms Grant after they returned to the Cenotaph at the War Memorial at the end of the walk.

  • President of St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club Ms Heather Grant presenting one of the two white canes to President of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind Mr Rockliffe Bowen.
  • Start of the walk: On the left are Ms Sharon Fredrick assisted by Ms Heather Grant, while on the right are Dr Lincoln Carty and Dr Matthias Afortu-Ofre.
  • Group picture after the walk. Front row has from left: Mrs Sylvine Henry, Mrs Ethel Bowen, Mr Derrick Conner, Ms Letitia Murray, Ms Sharon Fredrick, Mr Rockliffe Bowen, and Ms Crannie Cranston.

Participants walked from the War Memorial and on to Bay Road through Irish Town and downtown Basseterre, and in New Town they made a detour left to the Sandown Road and at the top they turned left on to Pond Road, walked on to Cayon Street via downtown Basseterre and Greenlands, and at the CFBC turned left to Burden Street and back to the Cenotaph at the War Memorial.

“I am quite sure that the exercise was a good one and we all had our little fun as we walked along,” said President Grant. “This morning we are going to do a short presentation to Mr Rockliffe Bowen who is the President of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind. It is a presentation of two white canes that would be distributed to two of his members of the association. One of them unfortunately was not able to make it this morning because of transportation issues.”

One of the white cane, which was received by Mr Bowen, was to be given to the member of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind, Mr Michael Rawlins of Tabernacle Village, who could not make it for the walk. The second cane was presented to another member of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind, Mrs Ethel Bowen, who is the wife of Mr Rockliffe Bowen.

“This is not the first time I am participating along with the other members of our organisation,” said Mr Bowen. “It is something that we as persons who are blind and visually impaired look forward to it, every year, but unfortunately they did not have it last year because of the Covid-19. It is so refreshing and at the same time it sensitises the general public so that they can know how important sight is.”

Accompanying Mr Bowen were St. Kitts Society for the Blind members, Ms Sharon Fredrick, Ms Letitia Murray, and Mrs Sylvine Henry. Assisting them were Ms Crannie Cranston who is a member of the STEP-sponsored St. Kitts and Nevis Association for Persons with Disabilities, and Mr Derrick Conner. While present at the presentation ceremony, Mrs Ethel Bowen could not take part in the walk for health reasons.

“I would like to take this opportunity as President of the St. Kitts Society for the Blind, on behalf of our executive and our general membership, to say thanks to the President and to the other members of the Lions Club for putting on this walk every year, because this is something that we as blind and visually impaired persons look forward to,” said Mr Bowen.

He added: “I hope that the Almighty God will give them the strength to continue and to plan other activities, not only to benefit us who are blind, but to continue with the community work that they have been doing over the years.”

Representing St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club on the walk included First Vice President Mrs Adaeze Hanley, Second Vice President Mr Ellamorrow Levy, Treasurer Ms Marsha Harris, Immediate Past President Ms Bernadette Dolphin, and Past Presidents Ms Charmaine Pemberton, Ms Nikiesha Thomas, Mrs Adora Warner, and the Hon Dr Geoffrey Hanley.

Others were Director Ms Petal Rawlins, Member Mr Collins Benjamin, and Founding Member Mr Samuel Tuckett. Friends of Lions included the National HIV/AIDS Programme Coordinator Dr Matthias Afortu-Ofre, the National Health Consultant with the Ministry of Health Dr Lincoln Carty, and Mr Marvin Warner. Prospective members included Mr Vincent Fough, and Mr Austin Buchanan.

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Jamaica: Pastor Suspeced of Human Sacrifce Killed with Cop in Car Crash

Kevin Smith, the Jamaican pastor who was arrested for allegedly performing human sacrifices last week, was mysteriously killed Monday morning.

According to Nationwide News, the pastor, along with one police officer died in a car accident in St. Catherine. Several other officers were injured.

Videos circulating on social media show the body of a man, believed to be Smith, being pulled from the damaged car by first responders.

Smith was being transported to Kingston to appear before the Home Circuit Court on Tuesday, October 26. He was to be questioned in relation to the murder of two members of his congregation, whose throats were slit during a “cult-like” ritual on Sunday, October 17.

In Facebook posts on Sunday, Smith, who refers to himself as “prophet of the nations” had warned his followers of an incoming “flood” and instructed them not to take their cell phones to church that evening – which was a no-movement day for the island. He told his followers that they were being prepared to board an ark and that those who were considered “unclean” would have their blood shed.

Upon witnessing one church member killed, a member of the congregation left and called the police.

“She gave other information, which led us to believe that persons were at risk. On responding to that report by the person who was injured, the first team of police that arrived were shot at,” said Police Commissioner Antony Anderson.

“We were concerned that some form of ritualized killing was going to take place and so we did an entry. We found that there were a couple of people who had been injured. There were cult-like behaviors and a cult-like setup that we saw,” explained the police commissioner.

A total of 144 residents attended the ceremony that night. Fourteen children and 31 women were also part of the congregation. Major Anderson said that the Child Protection and Family Services Agency was involved in the rescue of the children.

Smith is the head of the Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Montego Bay, St. James.

According to reports, Smith had hundreds of followers from Montego Bay, and had been collecting up to one million dollars a week from the congregation, which he used to buy property, cars and other assets. At the scene, police found scores of potential victims, including naked men and animals, who had been lined up to be sacrificed.

Commissioner Anderson also confirmed that at least one police officer was found to be a member of the church.

Authorities were also looking into child sexual abuse allegations surrounding Smith.

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Viking’s Mammoth Orion Cruise Ship Makes Inaugural St. Kitts Call

St. Kitts & Nevis today celebrates the inaugural call of the Viking Orion, an ultra-luxury ship from Viking Ocean Cruises, a division of Viking Cruises.

Officially a stop on their winter 2021/2022 schedule, the Viking Orion will call 10 times to St. Kitts Winter 2021/20-22 season. This is the fourth vessel to call since the restart of the cruise sector and the first inaugural call of the 2021/2011 season.

Viking Cruises came to St. Kitts for the first time in the 2016-17 Season, with the Viking Sea.  Since then, the Viking Sky, Viking Star and Viking Sun have visited St. Kitts.

Welcoming the Inaugural call of the Viking Orion is significant in the global pandemic, as cruise tourism rebuilds globally.

The Honorable Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, Transport and Ports, said, “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Viking Orion today. This visit is symbolic of the continued relationship between Viking Cruises and St. Kitts. It demonstrates Viking’s confidence in St. Kitts the destination.  The restart of cruise globally requires all of us in the Federation to their part so old and new cruise visitors can experience our one-of-a-kind attractions, dynamic culture, rich history, simply the authentic Caribbean.”

While in port, passengers will have their choice of distinctive, “Travel-Approved” excursions, including the historic and one-of-a kind Brimstone Hill Fortress and National Park, Caribelle Batik, where the hot wax method of making batik cloth is still used or the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, the last and only passenger railway in the West Indies.

Passengers can also enjoy and wander along one of our beautiful beaches, South Friars or Carambola Beach Club, tour a fully restored French Plantation house at Fairview Great House or enjoy the tropical gardens at Palms Court Gardens.

Visitors can also wander freely in Port Zante and enjoy the local art and crafts from the Amina Craft Market and Black Rocks vendors or visit the retail stores, souvenir shops, bars and restaurants offering local, Caribbean and International dishes.

“We want to thank Viking Cruises for their valued partnership and for including St. Kitts & Nevis on the itinerary of the Viking Orion’s inaugural season,” said Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.

While St. Kitts has often been a destination for inaugural vessels, this visit is exceptionally significant at a time when the cruise lines and the destinations are working together to rebuild the sector in the wake of the global pandemic.  We look forward to having Viking Cruises back and look forward to our ongoing partnership for many years to come.

The Viking Orion is sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, Port Everglades on a 14-day cruise itinerary on which St. Kitts is the third (3rd) day.

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