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Tag Archives: caribbean
WORLD VIEW: Fighting Rages in Ukraine, Biden Vows to Stop Russia, Economic Impact, Africa Suffers from Warming
March 02, 2022
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Today’s Headlines
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s leader decried Russia’s escalation of attacks on crowded urban areas as a blatant campaign of terror, while U.S. President Joe Biden warned that…Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Addressing a concerned nation and anxious world, President Joe Biden vowed in his…Read More
MOSCOW (AP) — As Russia’s top diplomat during the invasion of Ukraine , Foreign Minister Sergey…Read More
For more of today’s news, go to APNews.com >>
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Editor Selections
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Republican Gov. Greg Abbott will face Democrat Beto O’Rourke after voters in…Read More
MARIUPOL, Ukraine (AP) — In a makeshift maternity ward in the basement of a Ukrainian hospital, new…Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Moscow’s war on Ukraine and the ferocious financial backlash it’s unleashed are…Read More
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Cross Section
NEW YORK (AP) — Until a year ago, Stephana Ferrell’s political activism was limited to the…Read More
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Thick black smoke billowed across the grounds of New Zealand’s…Read More
Although Africa has contributed relatively little to the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions, the…Read More
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The Assassination of the Ukrainian President Foiled by Russian Intelligence Officers
| Newsweek- Russian intelligence officers opposed to their country’s invasion of Ukraine reportedly tipped off officials in Kyiv to an assassination plot against President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian official Oleksiy Danilov said two assassin groups from Chechnya had been involved, whose leader Ramzan Kadyrov is loyal to President Putin. “The Kadyrov forces unit, which came to kill our president, was eliminated,” Danilov told Ukraine 24 TV. “We will not give our president or our country to anyone. This is our land, get out of here.” Zelensky has said that he’s the Kremlin’s top target. Although a Putin loyalist, Kadyrov wrote that Russian tactics “are too slow,” “not effective” and called for harsher orders. But CNA military analyst Michael Kofman believes Chechen soldiers could change things: “A lot of Russian soldiers are young, they don’t understand why they are in this war, their morale is low, they have no interest in invading Ukraine,” Kofman told the War on the Rocks podcast. Chechen fighters are, he said, “a very different story” because they’re “brought in to engage in the viciousness of urban warfare.” What happens now? This morning, the Russian defense ministry has said the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson is now under its control. Newsweek (nor any other major news publisher) has independently verified these claims at the time of writing. Details will become clearer throughout the day but if confirmed, this would be the biggest city to fall into Russian hands and provide clear strategic benefit
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Historic Vote – NYC Confirms Barbados-Born as First-Ever Counsel
By Nelson A. King
Barbados-born jurist, Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix, has been confirmed as New York City’s new Corporation Counsel, following a historic 51-0 vote by the New York City Council.
Hinds-Radix is the first-ever Caribbean-born woman to serve in that capacity.
As Corporation Counsel, Hinds-Radix will lead the City’s Law Department, primarily responsible for providing legal representation to the City, the Mayor, other elected officials, and City agencies in all affirmative and defensive civil litigation. Her last position was an associate justice of the New York State Appellate Division, Second Department, where she served as an associate justice since 2021.
In early January, newly elected New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed Justice Hinds-Radix as the City’s Corporation Counsel. She conducted the mayor’s swearing-in ceremony on January 2 at the Times Square New Year’s Celebration in midtown Manhattan.
Mayor Adams applauded the City Council for confirming Justice Hinds-Radix and Jocelyn Strauber as the Department of Investigation (DOI) commissioner.
“I thank the Council for recognizing the tremendous talent and experience Justice Hinds-Radix and Ms. Strauber will bring to their respective roles by voting to confirm them to lead the Law Department and the Department of Investigation today,” said Adams in a statement.
“I made a commitment that our administration will be guided by the values of accountability, transparency, and fidelity to the highest ethical standards. I look forward to working with these two individuals to ensure we live up to that commitment and ‘Get Stuff Done’ on behalf of all New Yorkers.”
In appointing Justice Hinds-Radix in January, Adams, the second Black man to become Mayor of New York City after the late David N. Dinkins, said the jurist “has not only the brilliant legal mind but also the emotional intelligence needed to lead the department as our next Corporation Counsel. I congratulate her on her history-making appointment.”
Hinds-Radix – an eminent jurist who, in 2020, was designated a member of the New York State Constitutional Bench – was elated with her confirmation.
“I’m very excited, and I’m thankful that I was nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council,” Justice Hinds-Radix told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).”
“I look forward to serving as Corporation Counsel and serving the City of New York with integrity and fairness to ensure that this City is a fair and just city for all New Yorkers.”
“I have been on the bench for 20 years. I had the opportunity to serve as a judge, but I’m looking forward to this new role and to deal with issues of policy and law. I’ve also done public service, and I look forward to continue serving in that role.”
Before her appointment to the Appellate Division, Justice Hinds-Radix served as Administrative Judge for Civil Matters in the Second Judicial District for three and a half years.
Hinds-Radix, the first and current president of the Brooklyn-based Caribbean American Lawyers Association (CALA), was elected to the Supreme Court, Kings County (Brooklyn) in November 2004. She served as a New York City Civil Court Judge from 2002 through 2004, spending her first year in the Criminal Court of Kings County.
She began her legal career at District Council (DC) 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services, a supervising attorney. DC 37 is the largest union representing municipal workers in New York City.
In February 2021, New York’s Unified Court System’s Committee to Celebrate Black History Month, The Tribune Society, Inc., and the Judicial Friends Association bestowed the Hon. Theodore “Ted” Jones Lifetime Achievement Award on Justice Hinds-Radix. CMC
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DR: 3,000 Ukrainian Tourists Stranded in Dominican Republic, Short of Cash
“The (stranded) Ukrainians currently need help from the Dominican Republic, they need money, they need clothes, they need a lot of things,” Ukrainian honorary consul Ilona Oleksandrivna said during a press conference in Santo Domingo.
She said that 1,200 out of the 3,000 Ukrainians stuck in the Caribbean country had been turfed out of the hotels where they had been vacationing because they had no money to extend their stay.
Hotels in the Dominican Republic, a country renowned for its beautiful beaches, welcomed five million guests in 2021.
“Right now we have tourists on the street… Hotels have kicked them out because they can’t afford to pay,” she said.
Carlos Mesa, an immigration adviser to the consulate, said that in many cases, the tourists’ travel insurance does not cover the eventuality of war.
In retaliation for the Russian invasion, the 27 countries of the European Union have closed their airspace to Russian airlines.
Russia in turn closed — except in cases of “special permission” – its own airspace to carriers from 36 European countries and Canada.
Dominican Tourism Minister David Collado said he would hold a meeting with the private sector and tried to reassure the stranded tourists that they could “rest easy. The Dominican state will react responsibly and with human sensitivity.”
The association of Dominican tourist carriers (Adotratur), said in a press release that it will offer free transfers between hotels or to the airport to Ukrainian and Russian travelers affected by the war.
In 2021, 85,912 Ukrainian holidaymakers visited the country, according to Central Bank dat
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Putin, Maduro Discuss Increasing Partnership Between Russia, Venezuela
MOSCOW, March 1 (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro discussed increasing a strategic partnership between Russia and Venezuela in a phone call on Tuesday, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the Kremlin.
They also discussed the situation in Ukraine, and Maduro expressed support for Russia, the Kremlin was quoted as saying by Interfax.
Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Catherine Evans
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Canada Shuts Ports to Russian Ships Over Ukraine Invasion, Wants War Crimes Probe
TORONTO, March 1 (Reuters) – Canada ratcheted up pressure on Russia on Tuesday for its invasion of Ukraine by shutting ports to Russian-owned ships and saying that holdings of all Russian oligarchs and companies in the country are under review.
Canada has announced a slew of measures to isolate Russia, including imposing sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, closing Canadian airspace to Russian planes, banning oil imports and forbidding Canadian financial institutions from dealing with the Russian central bank, acting in tandem with other Western countries. read more
Ottawa expanded its crude oil import ban to include refined petroleum products and “other petroleum products from Russia,” the country’s natural resources minister tweeted on Tuesday night.
Earlier, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that while the number of Russian ships entering Canadian waters and ports is “small,” there will still be an impact, especially with other countries doing the same.
Russia represents less than 2% of Port of Montreal’s annual containerized volumes, and the ban will have little commercial impact, a port spokesperson said.
Port of Vancouver, Canada’s busiest, said the number of Russian-flagged vessels calling there is minimal. In the past, those have traded in crude oil, canola oil and copper concentrates, a spokesperson said.
Canada is tracking three Russian-flagged vessels off the East Coast, one of which is a cargo vessel, a government official told Reuters.
Canada is also scrutinizing holdings of all Russian oligarchs and Russian companies in the country, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Tuesday. “We are reviewing them and everything is on the table,” she added.
Canada is sending 1,600 bulletproof vests and almost 400,000 meal rations to Ukraine.
Canada imported C$2.14 billion ($1.68 billion) worth of goods from Russia in 2021, Statistics Canada data showed, with metals and minerals among the most valuable categories. It imported C$289 million worth of Russian energy products last year, according to the agency.
($1 = 1.2738 Canadian dollars)
Reporting by Alexander Schummer in Toronto; Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Julie Gordon and Steve Scherer in Ottawa and Rod Nickel in Winnipeg Writing by Denny Thomas; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Grant McCool and Sandra Maler
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Canada to refer ICC to probe alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly delivers a speech during a session of the UN Human Rights Council, following the Russian invasion in Ukraine, in Geneva, Switzerland February 28, 2022. Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via REUTERS
GENEVA, March 1 (Reuters) – Canada has decided to refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to probe alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russian forces in Ukraine, its government said on Tuesday.
The office of the ICC prosecutor on Monday said it will seek court approval to open an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine, just days after Russia’s invasion of its neighbour. read more
“We are working with other ICC member states to take this significant action as a result of numerous allegations of the commission of serious international crimes in Ukraine by Russian forces,” Canada’s foreign minister Melanie Joly, said in a statement.
“The ICC has our full support and confidence. We call on Russia to cooperate with the court.”
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation”.
The referral by a member state will fast-track an investigation by allowing the prosecutor to skip having to seek court approval, and according to a diplomatic source will shave months off the process of starting an investigation.
Joly earlier spoke to reporters in Geneva after taking part in a walk-out of a virtual speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the U.N. Human Rights Council, and had said that the country would petition the ICC against Russia. read more
Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, Anthony Deutsch and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Jon Boyle and Kenneth Maxwell
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Mexico Won’t Impose Economic Sanctions on Russia
MEXICO CITY, March 1 (Reuters) – Mexico will not impose any economic sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday.
He also criticized what he called censorship of Russian state-sponsored media by social media companies.
“We are not going to take any sort of economic reprisal because we want to have good relations with all the governments in the world,” Lopez Obrador told a news conference.
Lopez Obrador’s position stands in contrast to the broad international sanctions imposed on Russia for President Vladimir Putin’s actions.
Russia has built strong links to various governments in Latin America, especially authoritarian administrations in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, but its ties with Mexico are seen to be limited due to the strong U.S.-Mexico relations.
The Mexican and U.S. economies are deeply intertwined. But leftist leader Lopez Obrador has at times had testy relations with the United States and has criticized U.S. foreign policy.
Late on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he spoke with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard by phone, “reiterating the worldwide call for the withdrawal of Russia’s troops from Ukraine,” he said in a tweet.
Ebrard in a separate tweet said he shared Mexico’s perspective on Ukraine during the call, which he described as friendly. Ebrard last week condemned the invasion and demanded Russia end its military operations in Ukraine, marking a tougher stance than Lopez Obrador’s call for dialogue. read more
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”
Lopez Obrador’s comments on Tuesday morning came in response to a question about the interest in Mexico of Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil (LKOH.MM) and Russian airline Aeroflot (AFLT.MM).
Lukoil said on Friday it has completed its acquisition of a 50% operator interest in an offshore oil project in Mexico, part of its drive to expand its global reach. read more
The Mexican president also criticized what he characterized as the censorship of Russian state media.
“I don’t agree with the fact that media from Russia or any country is censored,” Lopez Obrador said.
Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google barred Russia’s state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook after the invasion of Ukraine. read more
Reporting by Anthony Esposito, Ana Isabel Martinez and Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Will Dunham, Drazen Jorgic, Angus MacSwan and Kenneth Maxwell
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Newly Elected Honduras Government to Ban Open-Pit Mining
The new government of Honduras has announced that it will ban open-pit mining in the Central American nation.
The government, which was sworn in last month, also said that it would cancel environmental permits for mining operations across the country.
It is not yet clear if the cancellation will apply only to new projects or also to those already operating.
For decades, indigenous groups have complained of legal and illegal mining in their ancestral lands.
Honduras mines gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc but on Monday the Ministry of Mining described “extractive exploitation” as “harmful to the state of Honduras”.
It argued that mining threatened natural resources and public health as well as limiting access to water.
The ministry statement also declared “the entire Honduran territory an area free of open-pit mining” and said that it would proceed with “the revision, suspension and cancellation of environmental, licences and concessions”.
It also announced that areas of high ecological value would be preserved.
Honduras is not the first country in Central America to place limits on mining. In 2002, Costa Rica banned all new open-pit mining projects and El Salvador banned mining for metals in 2017.
Environmental and indigenous activists in Honduras have for decades been warning of the damage caused to nature and communities by large-scale mining.
President Xiomara Castro included a promise to limit mining in her election manifesto.
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Nevis HPU to Observe World Obesity Day with Road Relay
NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS — World Obesity Day will be observed worldwide on Thursday, March 04, and in Nevis, the Health Promotion Unit (HPU) in the Ministry of Health plans to mark the occasion with a road relay in Charlestown dubbed “A Fun Run in the Sun” on March 03, 2022.
Ms. Shevanee Nisbett, Senior Health Educator at the unit, says the event which will be held under the international theme “Everybody needs to act” and the local sub theme “Passing the baton of good health” is about urging persons to get moving.
“This relay is geared towards encouraging the general public to exercise and get active, and this is one of the ways that we can control and prevent obesity which is one of the risk factors for [non-communicable diseases] NCDs, which is a big problem in health here on the island,” she said.
The road relay is the second of its kind. The first was staged in 2021 in which the Information Technology (IT) Department emerged winners.
The relay will commence 2 p.m. in the vicinity of Best Buy Supermarket. Ms. Nisbett provided details for the route from the beginning to the end.
There are five legs to the relay. The first leg of the relay is from Best Buy Supermarket to the Charlestown Police Station. The second leg is from the Charlestown Police Station to the Theodore L. Hobson Court Building. The third leg is from the court house to the Iron Shed which would be going on to the pier, and the fourth leg will be from the Iron Shed going along the Samuel Hunkins Drive to the intersection of Main Street and Crosses Alley. The fifth leg is along Main Street ending at the bust of The Right Excellent Dr. Sir Simeon Daniel.
The senior health educator also spoke of the preparations and the team’s mood leading up to the road race.
“It’s going to be exciting because we have eight participating teams and everybody is excited. They are all teasing each other, and so it’s going to be exciting…
The eight participating teams are Nevis Postal Services; Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC); Charlestown and Gingerland Secondary schools combined team of staff members; Inland Revenue Department; Alexandra Hospital; Ministry of Agriculture; Four Seasons Resort, Nevis; and Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (Nevis Division).
“We are all excited to see who’s going to be the winner because we have a few athletes, we have a few non athletes and then we have persons who just want to participate for a good cause,” she said.
Ms. Nisbett thanked the event sponsors and expressed gratitude to them for making the event a reality. They are major sponsor Taiwan ICDF, Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs, Bulls’ Gym, Catch It Restaurant and Grill, 5 Trees Bar and Lounge, Kaiso Bar and Lounge, Runway Grill, Oasis Bar and Lounge, Tropical Boost Smoothies, God’s Creation, and LBW Bakery Deli and Bar.
She also encouraged the public to be a part of the event.
“You can come and cheer on and encourage persons who you’d like to see win or even persons in your department, and you could go anywhere along the stretch of Charlestown where the relay will be taking place.
“It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be quick. Last year, it was really quick, and we would also like to big up our winners for last year which would be the IT Department. IT is not taking part this year because they want to be retired winners, and so we want to see who’s going to win this year,” Ms. Nisbett said.
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