OINTE-A-PITRE — The French overseas territory of Guadeloupe was hit by a third night of looting and rioting amid protests against COVID-19 regulations, with gunmen shooting at police and firefighters, the authorities said on Sunday.Police arrested 38 people as shops were broken into and cars set ablazeSpecial police forces were due to arrive from mainland France to the Caribbean archipelago on Sunday to restore order.“This situation cannot be accepted nor tolerated,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal told Europe 1 radio.
Guadeloupe’s prefect, Alexandre Rochatte, who represents the French government, said in a statement that armed groups had tried to loot stores in Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre and Lamentin and battled police.
Shots were fired at police and firemen trying to put out blazes. Four pharmacies were broken into and cars set on fire while barricades were erected to stop security forces from intervening, the prefect adde
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Saturday that France would send about 50 members of the GIGN and RAID elite tactical forces of the gendarmerie and police to the territory.Prime Minister Jean Castex is also due to meet on Monday in Paris with Guadeloupe officials to discuss the situation.
Rochatte on Friday had imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m following five days of civil unrest during which barricades burned in the streets and firefighters and doctors walked out on strike.
Trade unions started an indefinite strike on Monday to protest the compulsory vaccination of health workers against COVID-19 and health pass requirements. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
QUITO, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Ecuador and Colombia on Sunday agreed to the bilateral reopening of their shared border from the start of December after it was closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, and pledged to work together to combat drug trafficking.
The shared border was shut in March 2020 as both governments looked to curb the spread of coronavirus. The controlled reopening, complete with epidemiological measures, will bring greater security and economic activity to the zone.
“Opening the borders means no Ecuadorian or Colombian family will have to pay criminal bands charging to cross via alternative routes, rather than the official ones, which will be opened on December 1,” Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso said in Quito following a meeting with his Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque.
During the meeting, Colombia offered to support Ecuador in the fight against drug trafficking.
Ecuador is beset by a wave of crime that has caused homicides to spike which the country’s authorities link to the trafficking and consumption of drugs.
On Friday Lasso extended a state of emergency across Ecuador to keep military patrols on the streets in areas with high rates of homicide and other crimes associated with the drug trade.
“Ecuador will receive everything it needs from Colombia to fight against organized crime,” Colombia’s President Ivan Duque said.
The two presidents also discussed repatriation of prisoners. Duque said the process to repatriate 170 prisoners will proceed in line with laws and protocols.
Violence in Ecuador’s prisons has spiked this year as criminal gangs duke it out for supremacy. The most recent riot in the Penitenciaria del Litoral prison saw 62 prisoners killed. read more
In recent years Ecuador’s prison system has struggled with violence, overcrowding, and poor living conditions for some 39,000 prisoners.
Reporting by Alexandra Valencia Writing by Oliver Griffin; editing by Diane Craft
BRUSSELS, Nov 22 (Reuters) – A greater number of countries are sliding towards authoritarianism, while the number of established democracies under threat has never been so high, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) said on Monday.
Populist politics, the use of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to silence critics, a tendency of countries to mimic the anti-democratic behaviour of others, and disinformation used to divide societies are mainly to blame, the Stockholm-based intergovernmental organisation said in a report.
“More countries than ever are suffering from ‘democratic erosion’,” IDEA said in its 2021 study on the state of democracy, relying on data compiled since 1975.
“The number of countries undergoing ‘democratic backsliding’ has never been as high,” it said, referring to the regressive turn in areas including checks on government and judicial independence, as well as media freedom and human rights.
Afghanistan, which was taken over by Taliban militants in August after international troops withdrew, is the most dramatic case this year, while Myanmar’s Feb. 1 coup marked the collapse of a fragile democracy. Other examples include Mali, which has suffered two coups since 2020, and Tunisia, where the president has dissolved parliament and assumed emergency powers.
Large democracies such as Brazil and the United States have seen presidents question the validity of election results, while India has witnessed the prosecution of groups of people critical of government policies.
Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Serbia are the European countries with the greatest declines in democracy. Turkey has seen one of the largest declines between 2010 and 2020.
“In fact, 70 per cent of the global population now live either in non-democratic regimes or in democratically backsliding countries,” the report said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in authoritarian behaviour by governments. The study said that there was no evidence that authoritarian regimes were better at fighting the pandemic, despite Chinese state media reports to the contrary.
“The pandemic provides additional tools and justification for repressive tactics and silencing of dissent in countries as diverse as Belarus, Cuba, Myanmar, Nicaragua and Venezuela,” the report said.
(CNN) Mexican authorities have reported finding some 600 migrants hidden in two trailers traveling through the state of Veracruz, according to the country’s National Migration Institute (INM).
In a statement, the migration agency said that they discovered 145 women and 455 men in closed box cars that were heading north towards the US border.
A substantial majority of the migrants — around 400 people — come from neighboring Guatemala, while significant numbers also come from Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Bangladesh.
Twelve countries in total are represented in the migrants’ profiles, with El Salvador, Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Ghana, India and Cameroon making up the remainder.
The INM said they had started processing the people and would inform child protection agencies in the cases of unaccompanied minors and families, and will then decide whether to send them back to their home countries or give them the opportunity to remain in Mexico through a regularization procedure.
Between October 2020 and June 2021, more than 1 million migrants were arrested at the border. The crisis has prompted the US to run radio ads in Central America to try to deter people from migration.
In the 2021 fiscal year, there were 557 deaths registered by US Border Patrol — the highest number since records began and a significant increase from 254 deaths in 2020.
Migration is very common from Central American countries like Honduras, where storms, violence, corruption, food insecurity, and a lack of economic opportunity have left many with no other choice.
Elsewhere in Latin America, a crackdown on immigration policies accompanied by an exodus of Venezuelans and large numbers of Haitians moving through the continent have led to a migrant crisis in the region.
In mid-2020, international migrants represented 2.6% of South America’s whole population, a significant increase from the less than 1% registered in 2015, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
CNN’s Daniela Mohor W. and Jeevan Ravindran contributed to this report.
Chile was long held up as a model of political stability and economic growth in South America.
But that image was shattered when violent anti-government protests began to spread though the country in late 2019.
In the first general election since, voters face a choice between sharply diverging political visions for the future.
The leading candidates reflect the social tensions and political polarisation that have gripped the nation as a result of that internal upheaval.
This situation has been exacerbated by the social and economic strains of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The most recent opinion polls show far-right candidate José Antonio Kast in the lead, followed by left-wing former student leader Gabriel Boric.
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If elected, Gabriel Boric would become the youngest Chilean president
With a total of seven candidates in the running for the presidency, it is unlikely that any one candidate will get the 50% of the votes necessary to win outright in the first round.
A second round scheduled for 19 December is therefore looking highly likely.
Besides choosing a new president, Chileans will also be electing a new 155-member Chamber of Deputies and 27 members of the 50-seat Senate, as well as regional councillors.
Divisions and anger
The election is being held at a time when Chile’s political scene is unusually agitated and with the deep-rooted anger displayed during the anti-government protests of 2019 and 2020 still raw.
One of the demands made by the protesters was for a new constitution to replace the one which dates back to the military rule of Gen Augusto Pinochet.
A Constitutional Convention elected in May 2021 and installed in July has started work on drafting a new document.
Among the changes being considered are including specific guarantees of indigenous and gender rights to access to natural resources.
All of these have fed into the presidential election campaign, provoking debate and in some cases controversy.
Outgoing President Sebastián Piñera is not standing in Sunday’s election but whoever succeeds him will have to deal with the security situation in the southern La Araucanía region, where indigenous Mapuche activists have been waging a long battle for ancestral land rights.
The declaration of a state of emergency has proven controversial
President Piñera declared a state of emergency in four of the worst-hit provinces on 12 October following increased arson incidents and shooting attacks against police and residents.
Front runners and their proposals
The most recent opinion polls have 55-year-old José Antonio Kast in the lead, followed by 35-year-old Gabriel Boric.
José Antonio Kast has been leading in the polls
The race for third place is expected to be a close one between right-leaning Franco Parisi, centre-left candidate Yasna Provoste and Sebastian Sichel, the centre-right candidate of the governing “Chile Podemos Mas” coalition.
His critics have branded Mr Kast as an “ultra-right supporter of dictatorship” because of his sympathetic comments for the rule of the late General Pinochet, who seized power in a military coup in 1973.
Others are comparing Mr Kast to Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.
Mr Kast has been critical of the rewriting of the constitution and has also presented himself as tough on law and order, calling for a stronger response to illegal immigration and to the violence in La Araucanía.
Analysts say this has resonated with many Chileans who were frightened by the scenes of anarchic protest and chaotic looting that accompanied the 2019 unrest.
In contrast, Gabriel Boric’s youth and his moderate left-wing stance is proving attractive to Chileans who favour the idea of progressive reforms and a new constitution.
Mr Boric’s economic proposals include plans to increase the state’s role, replace the private pension system with a public alternative, boost taxes on big companies and wealthy individuals, and bolster state spending on social services like health insurance.
Some local analysts have presented the upcoming electoral contest as a “generational war”, with the older Mr Kast appealing to middle-aged and older voters, while Mr Boric was seen wooing the younger vote.
“Candidates are talking to different generations,” the director of the Criteria polling agency Cristian Valdivieso said.
However, surveys also showed Mr Kast’s supporters were also mostly from lower socio-economic sectors and from non-metropolitan regions, while Mr Boric’s backers mostly came from the middle and higher economic classes.
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, November 20, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — Minister of Health, the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett is lauding the work of the St. Kitts Diabetes Association, and while pledging her Ministry’s support, she is rallying for persons to assist the association as it brings awareness of the disease to the general public.
Minister Byron-Nisbett made the remarks on Saturday November 20 at the Cenotaph at the War Memorial in Fortlands where she addressed participants who had taken part in St. Kitts Diabetes Association’s 7th Annual Walk, which was held under the theme ‘Access to Diabetes care’.
“Everyone, have a blessed Saturday and do not let this awareness end today,” pleaded the Hon Byron-Nisbett. “We have to make sure the awareness continues throughout the entire year, and I would like to encourage persons to do whatever you can to assist the Diabetes Association as well.”
According to the Minister, the St. Kitts Diabetes Association has been doing some real good work, trying to assist persons with diabetes, but added that they need everyone’s help to do that. She observed that while diabetes is a huge problem in St. Kitts and Nevis, it is something that can be controlled.
She promised: “The Ministry of Health will continue to support the association, and we are hopeful that each individual who would have turned up this morning will also support in whatever way they can to assist them with the work they continue to do to bring awareness, as well as to help persons with diabetes.”
Participants had gathered at the Cenotaph from 5:30 a.m. and after warm exercises conducted by PRO of St. Kitts Diabetes Association, Dr Reginald O’Loughlin, and General Manager of Eastern Benevolent Society, Dr Lincoln Carty, they set off along the Bay Road, walking all the way to Bird Rock and on to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank roundabout and back the same route to the Cenotaph.
Representing the St. Kitts Diabetes Association on the walk were President Nurse Christine Wattley, Vice President Nurse Davida Irish, Secretary Mrs Adora Warner, Treasurer Mrs Merle Liburd-Browne, and Ex-officio members of the committee, who included Mrs Jasmine Hanley-Tacquechel, Mr Ellamorrow Levy, and Mr Anthony Evelyn.
The walk was sponsored by the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank who provided T-shirts that were sold to raise funds to assist the St. Kitts Diabetes Association as it carries out its work in the coming year.
National Bank was represented on the walk by a large contingent of its staff led by Chairman of the Bank’s Board of Directors Mr Alexis Nisbett, CEO Mr Donald Thompson, Executive Manager – Marketing Mr Anthony Morton, Chief Financial Officer Mr Anthony Galloway, and Chief IT Officer Mr Quincy Prentice, among others.
In his address to the participants after the walk, the Bank’s CEO Mr Donald Thompson told them that the Bank was pleased to have been supportive “of this very magnanimous effort by the St. Kitts Diabetes Association in support and the enhancement of health in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
He added: “National Bank is about the health and the wealth of the population of St. Kitts and Nevis, and nothing is more important in developing wealth than in maintaining and preserving health.”
In thanking the large contingent of National Bank supporters that came out, he made request of them to continue to support the St. Kitts Diabetes Association, continue to pay attention to their health, and also to pay attention to all non-communicable diseases, particularly diabetes so that they could preserve their health, and develop their wealth in partnership with the National Bank.
“So, thank you all for coming out,” said Mr Thompson. “I wish you all of the best, and we look forward to seeing you next year as we continue to make this walk bigger and better, and as we continue to bring the incidents of diabetes down in the Federation.”
Others who took part in the walk included the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Delores Stapleton-Harris, Chief Medical Officer Dr Hazel Laws, Executive Director, TDC Group of Companies Mr Nicolas Menon, and President of St. Kitts (Basseterre) Lions Club Ms Heather Grant among others.
Minister of Health the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett, and Chairman of the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank Board of Directors Mr Alexis Nisbett join other participants in doing warm-up exercises before the start of the walk.
Participants in the St. Kitts Diabetes Association’s 7th Annual Walk seen at the various stages during the walk.
Some of the participants clockwise from top: The Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett and Mr Alexis Nisbett; Mr Donald Thompson and Mr Anthony Galloway of National Bank; PS Dr Delores Stapleton-Harris; CMO Dr Hazel Laws.
At the end of the walk, clockwise from top: Dr Reginald O’Loughlin with the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett; address by Mr Donald Thompson; Prayer by Pastor Ronald Taylor; and participants being served refreshments.
Post expires at 11:28am on Sunday November 21st, 2021
The following is an address by Hon. Hazel Brandy-Williams, Junior Minister of Health and Gender Affairs in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA)
“At this time each year we pause to celebrate the men of Nevis on a day dedicated to them. International Men’s Day is recognized annually around the world on November 19th to acknowledge the cultural, economic, political and social contributions of men to their communities. We, the Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs, are always enthused to lead our local celebrations in support of the men of Nevis.
“The theme for International Men’s Day this year is, “Better Relations Between Men and Women.” This is fitting as, for too long, global discussions on gender have in a number of ways pitted us against ourselves in a battle of the sexes. If we are stronger together then we are definitely weaker apart.
“With a focus on better relations between men and women we highlight the importance of each gender in our shared progress, and the fact that we need each other to thrive. After all, that which is good and bright in our country today is the product of men and women working together – affecting positive change, instilling and exemplifying values of respect, patriotism and industry, and nurturing the steady development of our bounded islands.
“We are extremely fortunate in our blessed island of Nevis to have men who stand as pillars of their community and treasures of our nation. They have gone above the call of duty, exemplifying the theme of Men’s Day 2021 – and they have done so through the arts, sports and fitness, volunteerism, spiritual guidance, philanthropy, community involvement among other areas. I want to congratulate these men, a number of whom we will formally recognised at our Awards Ceremony on November 30th for their sterling, selfless and salient contributions.
“In further commemoration of International Men’s Day, the Department of Gender Affairs is hosting a number of events throughout the month of November. These began with a church service on the 14th. On Tuesday November 16th we launched the Boys Mentorship Programme with a training session for mentors. This is an important social intervention that will provide for our boys’ positive role models who will guide them into becoming productive citizens and committed nation builders.
“On November 25th the Department will host its ‘Better Relations Seminar’ for men and women to deal with the socially significant topic of gender-based violence. On Saturday, the 27th we look forward to partner with the Department of Agriculture for this year’s edition of “Men Can Cook” the Grill Master Competition. This promises to be an exciting event for the family and will take place on the Villa Grounds. We are happy to announce that the champion of Men Can Cook this year will win a trip to represent our island in Florida in 2022.
“I invite you the general public to join us in celebrating the men of Nevis throughout the month of November. They are your fathers, uncles, brothers, cousins, and friends. Many go unnoticed. They face, in most instances, a tremendous struggle against the strong tide of negativity that exists in their daily reality; however, it was US President, John F Kennedy who said of his country’s mission to the moon, we do it ‘not because it is easy but because it is hard’.
“We therefore salute our men who stand as giants year after year out supporting their family, community and country.
“I commend you. We commend you! Happy International Men’s Day 2021!”
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, November 19, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — Championship race for the 26th edition of Constituency Number Seven Dr the Hon Timothy Harris Domino League begun in earnest on Thursday evening November 18 with the first set of best-of-three semi-final encounters held at the new Lodge-Ottley’s Community Centre.
Top seed, and former champion team, Unity Domino Club faced fourth seed Sylvers Domino Club, a team that is in the final four for the very first time, while defending champion team and second seed Tabernacle Domino Club faced third seed Mansion Domino Club.
The first game saw Sylvers, captained by Octavia Huggins-Sewell, start on a high note scoring the first game, and were leading 3-1, 4-2 and 8-5 when the Unity pair of Bernard Wilson and Everton Boon on Table Two pulled one back to reduce the deficit to 8-6.
Playing on Table One for Unity, Simeon ‘Cuban’ Liburd and Antonio ‘Mash’ Phillip made it to 100 points before Sylvers could earn a single point to give them a bonus game. Table one did the same, and with two quick bonus games coming through on Table One, it gave Unity the undisputed overall 14-8 win.
Though on losing side, Ken Barrette of Sylvers Domino Club seen in action. Looking on is Unity’s Captain Desmond ‘Fergie’ Rawlins.
The second game between defending champion team Tabernacle Domino Club and Mansion Domino Club was a very tight one, where Mansion won the first game before Tabernacle won the next four straight games.
However, the game ended up being a see-saw one with Mansion having the slight edge as they were leading 12-10 when the pair of Ryan St. Marie and Lorna Francis for Tabernacle raced to 100 points before the Mansion players could get a point and with the ensuing bonus game, scores levelled at 12-12.
It was, however, not Tabernacle’s lucky evening as their opponents came back to win the decisive final game, a feat which gave Mansion Domino Club the 13-12 win.
Second in the best-of-three games will be played on Tuesday November 23 at the same venue, and if Unity and Mansion win, they will proceed on to the finals of the 26th edition of Constituency Number Seven Dr the Hon Timothy Harris Domino League. But should either Tabernacle and/or Sylvers win, it will call for the tie-breaker third game that will be played on Thursday November 25 for the finalists to be known.
Constituency Number Seven Dr the Hon Timothy Harris Domino League, which is the longest running such league in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, is sponsored by Prime Minister and Area Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Seven (Bellevue to Ottley’s), Dr the Hon Timothy Harris.
According to results returned in the Best of the Rest competition on Wednesday evening November 17, Phillips Domino which had the best results received a bye. Order of play on Monday November 22 when Best of the Rest competition continues will therefore have Saddlers Domino Club coming up against Guinness Domino Club, while Small Corner Bar Domino Club will face Unstoppable Domino Club.
All games will be held at the new Lodge-Ottley’s Community Centre starting from 7:00 p.m.
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