Tag Archives: caribbean

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US: Grand Jury to Decide if Criminal Charges Warranted Against Trump

The Manhattan district attorney has convened a grand jury that is expected to weigh any criminal evidence against former President Trump, the Trump Organization and top executives of his company and decide whether to issue indictments, according to The Washington Post.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s office has reportedly been investigating an array of potential financial misconduct, including criminal fraud.

News of the grand jury is the latest sign of a quickening investigative pace for Vance’s probe, which is unfolding alongside an overlapping inquiry by the New York attorney general, whose offices are now coordinating efforts.

Representatives for Trump and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesman for Vance’s office declined to comment when asked by The Hill, and New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The grand jury is expected to hear several legal matters in addition to potential evidence of questionable financial activity linked to the former president and the Trump Organization, according to the Washington Post, which said the panel will gather three days a week for six months.

Among the millions of pages of documents in evidence are eight years’ worth of Trump’s tax returns, which Vance’s office obtained in February after a long legal battle.

One theory is that the company inflated the value of assets to get more favorable terms for bank loans, insurance and tax breaks, and deflated their value to reduce the amount owed in real estate taxes.

Investigators are also looking into possible tax fraud related to Seven Springs estate, a New York property in the Trump Organization’s portfolio, as well as hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who says she had an affair with Trump, which he denies.

Another angle prosecutors are reportedly pursuing is whether Trump’s business gave employees benefits instead of higher salaries as a way to lower the company’s payroll tax burden.

Among the alleged recipients are Trump’s longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg and his family members, who reportedly received heavily discounted or free access to Trump-owned apartments in Manhattan.

Prosecutors reportedly aim to “flip” Weisselberg, meaning gain his cooperation as a witness against the former president and his company. As a top Trump executive for four decades, Weisselberg is thought to be a potentially key source of information for investigators.

An attorney for Weisselberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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US: Senate Confirms Clarke, First Black Woman to Lead DOJ Civil Rights

Marty Johnson

The Hill

The Senate has voted to confirm Kristen Clarke as the new head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division in a tight 51-48 vote, with Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) the only Republican to cross party lines and vote for her.

Clarke will be the first Black woman to lead the influential wing of the Justice Department and will serve as assistant attorney general for civil rights.

The civil rights division’s tasks include investigating local law enforcement agencies and taking on state voting restrictions around the country.

The confirmation was held on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in April. 

Republicans opposed Clarke’s nomination, painting her as anti-police and radical, while Democrats dismissed such arguments as smear tactics.

The nomination in the Senate Judiciary Committee was deadlocked at 11-11, but that does not prevent Clarke’s nomination from going to the floor.

Clarke during her confirmation hearing in April said she did not support “defunding the police.”

“I do support finding strategies to ensure that law enforcement can carry out their jobs more safely and effectively, and channeling resources to emotional health treatment and other severely under-resourced areas, I think, is one path forward,” she said at the time.

Until being nominated for the senior Justice Department position, Clarke was the president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

In that role, she was a staunch advocate for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would revise the formula that drove the federal preclearance present in the original Voting Rights Act.

The Supreme Court in 2013 ruled the formula outdated and therefore unconstitutional, though Chief Justice John Roberts gave Congress the green light to update the formula.

The battle over Clarke’s nomination echoed the fight over Vanita Gupta’s confirmation battle for the No. 3 slot at Justice. 

Gupta was confirmed in a 51-49 vote, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) the only GOP crossover vote.

Gupta and Clarke both had the backing of law enforcement groups, even as conservative lawmakers sought to paint them as anti-police.

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PM Harris Announces Curfew for SKN

St. Kitts and Nevis will undergo a nightly curfew Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Dr Timothy Harris has announced from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am starting Tuesday night.

Dr Harris addressing the nation Tuesday made the announcement noting it came from recommendations from health experts.

He said the recommendations included 50% passengers on public transport, strict adherence to non-pharmaceutical measures a suspension of contact spots are suspended for the next two weeks.

Dr Harris announced that School closed for the next two weeks and no local exams will be administered. He said alternative arrangements for CXC exams are being discussed.
He also noted that no mass events will be allowed and that funerals must adhere to COVID-19 protocols.
Dr Harris also disclosed that only  fully vaccinated travellers will be allowed entry into SKN with an exemption to be considered for citizens and residents.
He noted they have also extended hours for administering vaccines.

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All schools closed as six new cases confirmed

Issued By: Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education

This evening, Monday May 24, 2021, I wish to update you on the present COVID-19 situation. Within the last twenty-four hours we have recorded six (6) additional cases, all from the same household. These six new cases are referred to as Case # 55 through to Case # 60. The
individuals are in isolation at a COVID-19 certified facility. These additional cases bring the total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases to 60 with 46 cases for St. Kitts and 14 cases for Nevis. Please note that 45 cases have fully recovered with zero deaths. There are now fifteen (15) active cases. These patients are stable and are being monitored.

As we continue the extensive contact tracing exercise, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education wish to inform you of the proactive decision to close all schools in the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis. All public and private schools in St. Kitts & Nevis, at the Early Childhood, primary, and secondary levels are physically closed for the next two weeks effective Tuesday May 25, 2021. This is in an effort to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The Ministry of Health continues its robust contact tracing exercise which began on Wednesday May 19, 2021 and we will update you as the situation unfolds. We will broaden our web of contact tracing and testing to identify all possible contacts. The aim is to break the chains of transmission of the COVID-19 virus and contain this cluster of cases. The Ministry of Health wishes to assure the public that all measures are being taken to restrict the spread of coronavirus.

We urge you to adhere to the COVID-19 prevention and control measures. These include wearing a face mask, maintaining good hand hygiene, maintaining physical distance of at least 6 feet from others when in public places and avoiding crowds and events. These non-pharmaceutical measures work, and we are encouraging everyone to comply with them especially at this time.

We remind you that the AstraZeneca / Oxford COVID-19 vaccine is our main tool in fighting this virus and we urge you to come forward and get vaccinated. By getting vaccinated you are not only protecting yourself but those who cannot be vaccinated such as all of our school children. We continue to encourage persons to empower themselves with the facts about the benefits of the AstraZeneca Oxford Vaccine and take advantage of this opportunity to be vaccinated.

Let us work together to maintain and protect the health and wellbeing of the people of the Federation.

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Calypso Rose, David Rudder, Hazel Scott Immortalized at Wax Museum

Three more icons from Trinidad and Tobago have been immortalised with wax figures at the Caribbean Wax Museum in Barbados.

The figures of Calypso Rose, David Rudder and Hazel Scott were unveiled on Thursday night at the Sagicor School of Business and Management at Cave Hill, Barbados.

Arthur Edwards, sculptor and co-director of the museum said they are offering something that keeps our icons before the public forever.

“We honour people; that is what we do. We are in the business of offering them perpetuity, a way that they will never be forgotten. A moment in time in three dimensions, I don’t think you can beat,” he said.

“Of course in the Caribbean, we honour people in different ways…you put plaques on walls and rename buildings, we do everything which probably does make sense in a way but after those people pass on the meaning passes on because the name attached to a building no longer becomes the name of the person it becomes the name of a building, a geographical location so the honour is dead when the person passes on. We are offering something that keeps these people before the public forever. Three-dimensional art does that,” he added.

Edwards, who runs the museum with his wife Frances Ross, appealed for support from regional Governments calling specifically on public policy design people to include them in the conversation.

Edwards came under criticism last year after he unveiled a sculpture of renowned calypsonian The Mighty Sparrow.

Addressing the controversy, which he said was the fault of a badly composed photo, he said they made sure they are covering all bases this time around with proper lighting.

“We will take lashes tomorrow, we know it, but my shoulders broad,” he said.

John King, Barbados’ Minister of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports, said in his address that institutions like the Caribbean Wax Museum act as vehicles to encourage and renew our interest in culture and what it means to our societies.

“Creating an imagery of persons we love and look up to can positively impact on our lives and emotions and it is through these type of institutions our stories are told,” he said.

He said the three West Indian icons honoured have impacted our lives in one way or another. He said they championed the causes of social injustice, racial discrimination and sexism through their works.

“They brought awareness to social issues as well as Caribbean pride and togetherness,” he said.

The three sculptures were shown positioned next to each other with Scott’s statue positioned sitting at a piano.

Speaking via Zoom, David Rudder said not in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would be sharing a stage with Calypso Rose and Scott. He said he is standing with two women who broke the glass ceiling.

Speaking on behalf of Calypso Rose, her manager Lorraine O’Connor revealed that the 81-year-old singer recently did knee replacement surgery and is recuperating. She, however, conveyed Rose’s gratitude for the honour.

Adam Clayton Powell III, son of the late Scott, said many are discovering his mother through the internet and videos on YouTube. He said she is more famous today than when she was the highest-paid black woman in Hollywood in her heyday.

Scott was a Trinidadian-born jazz and classical pianist, singer, and actor credited for ensuring black actresses in Hollywood were given respectable roles. She was the first black entertainer to host her own show and appeared in five films.

Powell said a book The Women Who Invented Television credited his mother as one of four women who invented television.  He said she invented the television variety show that laid the blueprint for all subsequent shows of that nature.

He said another children’s book details her life as an activist.

He said: “She is becoming more known now than anytime in recent years

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Ana, 1st Storm of the 2021 Hurricane Season

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) has said that Sub-Tropical Storm Ana has now transitioned into a tropical storm, the first of the 2021 hurricane season, a bit early. The season officially begins June 1.

The reclassification of Ana comes as satellite images indicate it has contracted significantly since yesterday and now has a compact area of moderate convection around the centre.

At 5 am Atlantic Standard Time (AST) on Sunday, the centre of now Tropical Storm Ana was located over the Atlantic Ocean about 340 miles (545 km) northeast of Bermuda.

The path of Tropical Storm Ana. Photo: NOAA

 

(The path of Tropical Storm Ana. Photo: NOAA)

NHC has forecast that Ana is moving toward the northeast near 12 mph (19 km/h) and this heading with an increase in forward speed is expected to occur during the next day.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the centre.

Slight weakening is expected to take place during the next 24 hours and Ana is expected to dissipate by Monday.

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COVID: Mandatory Masks, Curfew for Haiti

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse has imposed a nightly curfew and mask mandate as the country is going through a eight-day “health emergency” over an outbreak of COVID-19.

The Associated Press reported on Monday that the government will ban all outdoor activity from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Social distancing of at least 5 feet will be observed and Moïse ordered public institutions to reduce staff by half.

Temperature checks and hand-washing stations are required in banks, schools, hospitals and markets as well.

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Haiti hasn’t begun to distribute vaccines to the general population yet, but will begin its vaccine program in June, the AP said.

Haiti has seen 13,906 COVID-19 cases and 208 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to government statistics in the AP report.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention lists the country at a level three in its travel health lists

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World View: Blinken in Israel, US Election, Mid East Airbase Mystery, More

May 25, 2021

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The Associated Press

The Rundown

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JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at shoring up the Gaza cease-fire. He will face the same obstacles that have stifled a wider peace process for more than a decade,…Read More

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ATLANTA (AP) — Six months after Donald Trump’s loss, conspiracy theorists and Trump backers are continuing their push for repeated examinations of ballots and finding limited successes. A Georgia judge last week awarded a group the chance to review m…Read More

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The intersection where George Floyd took his final breaths was to be transformed Tuesday into an outdoor festival on the one-year anniversary of his death, with food, children’s activities and a long list of musical performers. …Read More

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A mysterious air base is being built on a volcanic island off Yemen that sits in one of the world’s crucial maritime chokepoints for both energy shipments and commercial cargo. …Read More

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TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese government Tuesday was quick to deny a U.S. warning for Americans to avoid traveling to Japan would have an impact on Olympians wanting to compete in the postponed Tokyo Games. …Read More

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ROME (AP) — One night in early 2019, Rome street artist Alessia Babrow glued a stylized image of Christ she had made onto a bridge near the Vatican. A year later, she was …Read More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — As more companies start selling tickets to space, a question looms: Who gets to call themselves an astronaut? It’s already a complicated issue …Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan is hitting roadblocks. A policing overhaul after the killing of George Floyd is up in the air. Even a seemingly…Read More

AKSU, China (AP) — A backlash against reports of forced labor and other abuses of the largely Muslim Uyghur ethnic group in Xinjiang is taking a toll on China’s cotton ind…Read More

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On the Run: Brazilian Police Arrest Italian Drug Lord

REUTERS- Brazil’s Federal Police on Monday arrested Rocco Morabito, a fugitive Italian drug lord with ties to the powerful ‘Ndrangheta criminal gang, underlining the growing importance of Brazil in the Europe-bound cocaine trade.

Morabito was arrested in a hotel room in the northeastern coastal city of João Pessoa, along with two other foreigners, Brazil’s Justice Ministry said in a statement. One of the foreigners was another Italian fugitive it said, without giving further information.

In a separate statement, the Federal Police said that Morabito had been arrested in Uruguay in 2017, after 22 years on the run from Italian justice. He escaped from jail in Uruguay in 2019, when Brazilian authorities began investigating him.

The Federal Police said that Italian police traveled to Brazil for the arrest and were involved in the operation.

“(Morabito) was considered the second most wanted criminal in Italy and accused of involvement with the ‘Ndrangheta, considered one of the largest and most powerful criminal organizations in the world,” the Justice Ministry said.

It added that Morabito has already been sentenced to 30 years in prison in Italy.

In recent years, Brazil has become a key player in the trans-Atlantic drug trade, with its gangs tying up with Italian, Dutch and Balkan players to move record loads of cocaine to Europe, lured by high prices and growing demand.

Morabito’s arrest in the northeast of Brazil also hints at a growing trend in cocaine shipments from the poorer region of the country due to growing scrutiny in the major ports of southeastern Brazil.

The ‘Ndrangheta is based in the southern region of Calabria, the toe of Italy’s boot, and has surpassed Cosa Nostra to become the most powerful mafia group in the country – and one of the largest crime gangs in the world.

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Bahamas Announces Lockdown of Two Islands Over Virus

The Bahamas government has announced a two-week lockdown for Cat Island and North and Central Andros, effective 8:00 pm on Monday as the country moves to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Bahamas recorded 52 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including seven in Cat Island and nine in Andros. The country has recorded 222 deaths and 11, 296 positive cases since March last year.

Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, in a nationwide radio and television broadcast, said that only essential workers will be allowed to visit the islands during the lockdown.

The Bahamas recorded 52 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including seven in Cat Island and nine in Andros.

“Every agency, business or establishment shall remain closed, except for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Government community clinics, and COVID-19 vaccination sites.

“No individual, other than an essential worker, shall leave his or her place of residence for any purpose other than for the purpose of seeking urgent medical attention, to go to a vaccination site, or on prescribed days, to purchase food, water and other essential items. The administrator or a designee, is permitted to distribute food and water on behalf of the Government,” he said in the broadcast.

He said that food store owners may be permitted to restock their stores, after the arrival of the respective mailboat and the Seacorp.

“Food stores may be opened for two days, between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm after the mailboat has arrived. Residents may leave their homes, to go to the food store during the two days, immediately following the arrival of the mailboat only. Farmers are permitted to water their crops, between the hours of 5:00 am to 9:00 am.”

Prime Minister Minnis said that subsistence fishing will be permitted and that the commercial banks may reload their Automated Banking Machines.

“Gas stations may open on Fridays from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm for government agencies only. Customs and Immigration will be able to fulfill their duties as needed. Security guard services will be permitted. Hotel workers carrying identification will be permitted to traverse to and from their places of employment.

Prime Minister Minnis said that residents of North and Central Andros will be allowed to harvest crabs during the lockdown.

He said also that the AUTEC’s Navy Base will be allowed to operate and Emile Knowles Construction Company will also be allowed to work on the government’s bridge project in Stainard Creek during a 12 hour period.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, has already dispatched officers to Cat Island, and North and Central Andros, to ensure that residents are not leaving these areas, and risking the greater spread of the COVID-19 virus, to other communities and islands,” Prime Minister Minnis said.

CMC

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