CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration has announced that the Government of India is conducting a series of short training online courses under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
The ITEC programs are diversified in areas of:
1. Solar energy technologies;
2 Water transmission and distribution engineering;
3.Policies on biomedical devices;
4.Large data analytics for policy planners;
5.Data analytics for beginners;
6. Finance for non-finance background leaders;
7. Financial inclusion and development;
8. Entrepreneurship and small business development trainers/promoters;
9. Institutional planning and management for heads of educational institutions;
10 Management systems;
11. Promotion of start-ups in healthcare sector; and
12. Laboratory quality management systems and internal audit.
Interested persons must register online at least four days before the start of the course at https://itecgoi.in/e-itec.
Courses begin as early as March however, the commencement date for each program differs.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Team Unity Cabinet of Ministers met on Monday, February 22, at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris. Several issues affecting the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis were deliberated on.
• The National COVID-19 Task Force gave its weekly briefing to the Cabinet where the usual update on statistics with respect to infections, recoveries, and deaths locally, regionally, and internationally was given. Apart from the customary update on statistics, the Cabinet was advised about the detailed plan for the rollout of the COVID-19 immunization programme to be launched on Monday, February 22, 2021, at the Newtown Dental Clinic. Four health centers on St. Kitts and three on Nevis were identified for the vaccination rollout. The health centers on St. Kitts are the Basseterre Health Center, the Sandy Point Health Center, the Newtown Health Center, and the Tabernacle Health Center. On Nevis, they are the Charlestown Health Center, the Gingerland Health Center, and the Combermere Health Center. Additionally, the Task Force shared with the Cabinet that a private sector entity was offering physical space and human resources in the vaccination rollout process, and support in diagnostics going forward. The phasing protocols according to the WHO (World Health Organization) were explained to the Cabinet. Cabinet members were willing and ready to participate and accept the COVID-19 vaccine. The Task Force also informed the Cabinet of several stakeholder meetings which were to take place during the upcoming week, one at the Ross University Veterinary School of Medicine (RUSVM) campus and the other at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Headquarters.
• Cabinet approved one submission dealing with parliamentary matters.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Prime Minister’s Monthly Health Walk on Saturday February 27 will take participants on the regular route from Bellevue to Ottley’s. At the end of the walk there will be a special session during which participants and members of the public will be sensitised on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.
“This particular health walk is special because Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris will join in the educational drive on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout bringing it to his constituency level, and his constituents, Health officials will provide information on the vaccination and the importance of becoming vaccinated,” said Ms. Myrtilla Williams, one of the organisers of the Prime Minister’s Monthly Health Walk.
Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, second from the left, at the start of a previous Prime Minister’s Monthly Health Walk, seen walking alongside walk organiser Ms. Myrtilla Williams.
Three regular Health Walk participants will be Minister of Health the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Delores Stapleton-Harris; and District Medical Officer, who is also the Deputy Speaker, Senator the Honourable Dr. Bernicia Nisbett.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Delores Stapleton-Harris, a regular participant in the Prime Minister’s Monthly Health Walk, said information about the vaccine rollout will be provided by National HIV/AIDS Programme Coordinator and Health Educator, Dr. Mathias Afortu-Ofre; and medical practitioners, Dr. Dail Crawford, and Dr. Leroy Richardson.
“The Prime Minister, in his responsibility to his constituents, nation and also on a regional level as the Caribbean Community’s lead spokesperson for health, is once more giving persons the opportunity to take part in the walk for their own health benefits,” said Ms Williams.
Participants will assemble at the bus stop in Bellevue when the walk starts at 5:30 a.m. They will proceed along the Island Main Road to Ottley’s.
“St. Kitts and Nevis has been managing the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are at a stage now where we have a vaccine,” noted Ms Williams.
A national vaccine rollout began on February 22 at the New Town Community Centre, where Dr. Harris was the second person to receive the vaccination, after the Chief of Medical Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson.
“We know a lot of people and maybe there is some resistance to taking the vaccine,” said Ms. Williams. “There is some concern because the internet sometimes gives misleading information and we do not know which is true or which is not true. These persons will be there to assist us with answering any questions.
“Directly after the walk, we are inviting people to come and get informed. It is the health of the individual person, your family, your seniors, your children, and the nation on a whole, and as they say, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.”
The Health Walk is held with the support of SKN Moves. It will provide support to the health team by reassuring the public about the safety of vaccines being rolled out in St. Kitts and Nevis.
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) has announced the Romanian Scholarship Program 2021. This scholarship opportunity funded by the Romanian state targets candidates interested in pursuing studies at the undergraduate, graduate, and post graduate levels.
The benefits of the scholarship include:
• Registration and admission fees
• Tuition fees
• Monthly allowance
• Accommodation expenses
• Medical assistance
• Transportation
Candidates can choose a maximum of two study options from the educational programs being offered. It is important to note that scholarships are NOT offered in the fields of medicine, dental medicine and pharmacy.
The deadline for applications to be received by the Ministry of Human Resources is Monday, April 5, 2021. The Romanian state’s scholarship publication specifies a deadline of April 30, 2021. Kindly note that this date is for applications to be received by the Embassy, not Human Resources. Therefore, the Ministry will refuse all applications received after April 5, 2021.
For further information on the scholarship selection process, eligibility and more, kindly contact the following persons:
Mrs. Shanola Murrey-Gill or Ms. Ronice Williams
Ministry of Human Resources
Nevis Island Administration
Tel No.: 469-5521 Ext. 5163/4
EA former member of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s secret police was convicted Wednesday by a German court of facilitating the torture of prisoners in a landmark ruling that human rights activists hope will set a precedent for other cases.
Eyad Al-Gharib was convicted of accessory to crimes against humanity and sentenced by the Koblenz state court to four-and-a-half years in prison, the DPA news agency reported.
It was the first time that a court outside Syria ruled in a case alleging Syrian government officials committed crimes against humanity. German prosecutors invoked the principle of universal jurisdiction for serious crimes to bring the case that involved victims and defendants who were in Germany.
Details of the ruling were not immediately available, but Al-Gharib could have been sentenced to more than a decade behind bars. However, judges considered his defection and court testimony as mitigating factors.
The 44-year-old was accused of having participated in the arrest and incarceration in a secret detention centre of the regime, “branch 251” or Al-Khatib, of at least 30 demonstrators at the end of a rally in Douma, capital of Eastern Ghouta, in September or October 2011.
The evidence reviewed during the trial included photographs of thousands of alleged victims of torture by the Syrian government. The images were smuggled out of Syria by a police officer.
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As the tenth anniversary of the start of the popular uprising in Syria approaches on March 15, 2011, it is the first time in the world that a court has ruled on a case related to the brutal and bloody repression by Damascus of protests for the freedom organized as part of the “Arab Spring”.
He was the first of the two defendants who appear since April 23 before the High Regional Court of Koblenz (west) to receive his sentence, the judges having chosen to split the proceedings in two.
The second accused, Anwar Raslan, 58, considered much more central in the vast Syrian security apparatus, is being prosecuted for crimes against humanity for the death of 58 people and the torture of 4,000 detainees in particular.
The trial of this former colonel is expected to last at least until the end of October.
To try them, Germany applies the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows the perpetrators of the most serious crimes to be prosecuted regardless of their nationality and where the crimes were committed.
Moreover, the influx of refugees from Syria’s conflict into the country since 2015 has provided prosecutors with first-hand evidence and access to witnesses.
Heiko Maas, Germany’s foreign minister, said it was a “historic verdict”.
“This is the first judgment that demands accountability from those responsible for torture in Syria,” he said.
“The decision has a high symbolic meaning for many people, not just in Syria.”
Tourists in quarantine on the Caribbean island of Anguilla won’t be spending the whole time locked away in their room – in fact, they can hit the beach, go out for dinner at restaurants, or even enjoy some watersports.
Anguilla currently offers a resort bubble where visitors stay in one of the approved hotels, while they wait for the result of their Covid test at the end of a 10-14 day isolation period. (Travellers need to have proof of a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of travel to enter the island at all, and will also receive a Covid test on arrival).
Until now, this resort bubble meant that guests could explore their hotel or the stretch of beach directly in front of the property – but Anguilla is now expanding the offering for visitors.
The new policy means that tourists will be able to not only access their hotel and beach, but they will be able to go exploring the other properties and stretches of beach which are part of the resort bubble programme.
Anguilla has a pretty dreamy setting for tourists in quarantine (Image: Getty Images)
Considering this scheme is in the resorts along Meads Bay Beach, it’s a pretty dreamy setting that comes with a white sand beach, swim-friendly waters and heaps of restaurants.
Tourists will be able to enjoy activities such as golf, kayaking, snorkeling and even boat trips, while also being able to dine at the other hotels’ restaurant.
All activities and restaurants will need to be booked via the hotel they are staying at. (You can find out more on the Anguilla Tourist Board’s website at ivisitanguilla.com/escape ).
A view of Meads Bay’s beautiful sandy shores (Image: Getty Images)
Of course currently international travel is banned for Brits as part of national lockdowns across the UK. Boris Johnson recently unveiled the lockdown roadmap in England, which included that foreign travel may be allowed to resume from May 17, subject to a review in April. Until then, it remains illegal to travel abroad for leisure.
Anyone travelling will need to provide proof that it is for one of the legally permitted reasons (such as work or health) or risk being sent home or fined.
The roll out of Covid-19 vaccinations does offer light at the end of the tunnel. For a start, a number of countries have said they will lift quarantine rules for vaccinated travellers, including hotspots such as Cyprus and Iceland.
For those who really want a change of scenery, some countries – Anguilla included – have also launched new visas for remote workers who want to come and stay for up to a year.
HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge late Tuesday indefinitely banned President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations.
U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a preliminary injunction sought by Texas, which argued the moratorium violated federal law and risked imposing additional costs on the state.
Biden proposed the 100-day pause on deportations during his campaign as part of a larger review of immigration enforcement and an attempt to reverse the priorities of former President Donald Trump. Biden has proposed a sweeping immigration bill that would allow the legalization of an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. He has also instituted other guidelines on whom immigration and border agents should target for enforcement.
Tipton, a Trump appointee, initially ruled on Jan. 26 that the moratorium violated federal law on administrative procedure and that the U.S. failed to show why a deportation pause was justified. A temporary restraining order the judge issued was set to expire Tuesday
Tipton’s ruling did not require deportations to resume at their previous pace. Even without a moratorium, immigration agencies have wide latitude in enforcing removals and processing cases.
But in the days that followed his ruling, authorities deported hundreds of people to Jamaica, Haiti and Central America. Haitians specifically have been deported at an alarming rate.
Jamaican-American Congresswoman Yvette Clarke has called on the acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, Tae Johnson, to immediately stop the “targeted” deportations of Haitians.
“As the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, I can confidently say, our immigration system is broken,” she said.
“The targeted deportation to Haiti illustrates the violence exacted on immigrant communities – particularly immigrant communities of colour.
It is not yet clear if the Biden administration will appeal Tipton’s latest ruling. The Justice Department did not seek a stay of Tipton’s earlier temporary restraining order.
The Sussexes pledged to fund four “Community Relief Centers” in regions frequently struck by climate disasters—and on Wednesday, World Central Kitchen announced that construction on the first center, built in Dominica, was complete.
Dominica suffered serious damage from Hurricane Erika in 2015 and Hurricane Irma in 2017; Hurricane Maria, which struck weeks after Irma, “destroyed over 90% of the island’s infrastructure,” World Central Kitchen said in a press release.
The new community relief center, developed in collaboration with non-profit the Resilient Dominica Project and the Ministry of Education, is located inside the reconstructed Soufriere Primary School, which was seriously damaged by Maria. The school “was constructed under Dominica’s climate resiliency plan to be a safe shelter against future hurricanes,” World Central Kitchen explained.
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The Community Relief Center’s kitchen features solar powered refrigerators and freezers, enabling them to function outside of the electrical grid. School staff can use the kitchen to prepare food for students and the wider community, while World Central Kitchen will soon start a chef training program. “From this Community Relief Center, we anticipate being able to prepare thousands of meals per day in the direct aftermath of any future storm,” the nonprofit said in their press release.
The next Community Relief Center to be built in collaboration with the Archewell Foundation will be located in Puerto Rico. Planning has already begun on the project, World Central Kitchen said.
Last year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke to Bloomberg about their work with World Central Kitchen. “The health of our communities depends on our ability to connect to our shared humanity,” Meghan and Harry said via email. “When we think about Chef Andrés and his incredible team at World Central Kitchen, we’re reminded that even during a year of unimaginable hardship, there are so many amazing people willing—and working tirelessly—to support each other. World Central Kitchen inspires us through compassion in action.”
Andrés told the magazine, “We are more energized than ever to continue this vital work,” adding, “We’re proud that it will be hand in hand with Archewell Foundation and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. I have come to know both of them well, and believe that their values are directly aligned with what we stand for at World Central Kitchen.”
United States President Joe Biden expressed a desire to strengthen bilateral relations with Guyana, as the CARICOM nation celebrated its 51st Republic Anniversary, on Tuesday.
In a congratulatory message to President Irfaan Ali, Biden also said he wanted the two governments to address security issues and other matters that affect both countries.
“Guyana is a strong democracy, and I look forward to strengthening our bilateral relationship based on shared principles of good governance, prosperity, and security. The challenges of COVID-19 affect all of us and make clear that we must advance our partnership to face the global pandemic, together,” he wrote.
“In the year ahead, I look forward to our teams addressing the issues and security concerns that threaten our shared interests, while building on Guyana’s economic growth and development.”
In his address to the nation, President Ali urged citizens to work and live together in peace and harmony.
“Our country’s national motto, ‘One people, One nation, One destiny’, is the tripod upon which our independent and republican statehood rests. The elements of our national motto commit us to the pursuit of unity; it affirms our sovereignty and shapes our ambitions,” he said.
President Ali recently announced, in the National Assembly, the establishment of a One Guyana Commission that is aimed at “excising the vices of ethnic rancor, hatred and divisiveness; breaking down barriers of mistrust, suspicion, and stereotypes; and fostering greater tolerance and understanding”.
In his address on Tuesday, he said the establishment of that commission “attests to the inclusive approach which is necessary to realize the ambitions which we set ourselves both at Independence and upon becoming a Republic”.
Ali said the commission, which will be given legislative effect, “will harness the goodwill which exists in our society and to take the practical steps which are necessary and desirable to cement our society while respecting the diversity from which our oneness springs”.
He said the purpose of the commission would be to take practical steps to “cement our one society, encompassing and respecting the diversity from which our oneness springs”.
“The commission will foster the free contention of our people’s voices, honour our ancestral heritage while celebrating our multiculturalism,” President Ali added.
At least 79 inmates have been killed in simultaneous fights in four jails in Ecuador, one of the deadliest incidents in the country’s prisons in years.
The military and riot police have been deployed in an effort to quell the violence, which started on Tuesday.
Experts say the fights were prompted by a battle for control of the jails after a gang leader was killed in December.
The number of dead is higher than the total of inmates killed in 2019 and 2020 combined.
Early on Wednesday local time, prison authorities said the situation was now “under control”.
They updated the number of dead and said the violence had also engulfed a fourth jail.
The deadliest incident happened in Turi prison, in the city of Cuenca, where 34 were killed. There were also fatalities in two prisons in the city of Guayaquil and in a jail in Latacunga. All of those killed were inmates, officials said.
Relatives of inmates gathered outside Guayaquil’s jail in the hope of getting any news
The first reports of fights came in at about 09:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Mr Moncayo said tension had been running high since the killing in December of Jorge Luis Zambrano, the leader of the Choneros gang.
Zambrano, alias Itch, was shot dead in a cafeteria just months after being released from jail.
During his time in prison, he and his gang ran a lucrative smuggling, drug dealing and extortion ring which mainly – but not exclusively – operates inside Ecuador’s jails.
image copyrightReuters
image captionTroops have been deployed to help quell the violence
Tuesday’s deadly fights are thought to have been over who should replace Zambrano and were said to have been planned and highly organised, according to Interior Minister Patricio Pazmiño.
Over the past two years, the government has twice declared emergency measures in Ecuador’s jails – in May 2019, when 10 inmates were killed within weeks, and in August 2020, when a key witness in a corruption case was murdered inside his cell.
