The Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees have requested information on the endowments of the 56 universities with the highest endowments in the country, Bloomberg Business reported last week.With an endowment of $10.5 billion, Notre Dame remains among the wealthiest universities: Bloomberg lists the University’s endowment as the sixth-largest in the country.Vice President and Chief Investment Officer Scott Malpass said the inquiry was not unusual.“Congress from time to time in exercising its duties seeks information from various parties, both public and private, in order to better inform themselves on policy issues,” Malpass said in an email. “Notre Dame, like many other organizations around the country, often contributes to a better understanding of particular issues that are of interest to Congress.”The letter received by Harvard University president Drew Gilpin Faust obtained by the Chronicle of Higher Education included 13 questions related to endowment management, endowment spending and use, donations and conflicts of interest.Malpass said the University will supply the information sought in the letter by the two committees.“In this case, Congress is requesting information that relates to the development of tax policy, and we will assist fully in that discussion,” he said. “These are private inquiries by Congress so the content of any such responses are not made public.”Tags: Congress, Notre Dame endowment
wxbqyliz
International Cooperation Key to Drug Seizures in Colombia
By Yolima Dussán/Diálogo October 30, 2020 The Caribbean Naval Force increased cocaine hydrochloride seizures in Caribbean waters by 52 percent from January to August 2020, according to a Colombian Navy August 22 report.As of August 2020, authorities have seized 84,662 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride, while the amount seized in the same period in 2019 was 44,000 kg, the report says. With these results, Colombian authorities estimate that they have prevented more than 211 million doses from reaching international markets.“These indications are the result of interoperational […] and combined work with different countries, such as the United States, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom, mainly,” Colombian Navy Vice Admiral Andrés Vásquez Villegas, commander of the Caribbean Naval Force, told Diálogo.In addition, authorities captured 242 people and seized vehicles, aircraft, vessels, and a semisubmersible, all drug-related, the report adds.“We have the best relationships with SOUTHCOM [U.S. Southern Command] and with JIATF South [Joint Interagency Task Force South], with whom we communicate and coordinate daily. We have a Colombian Navy liaison officer at JIATF South […],” added Vice Adm. Vásquez, who mentioned the importance of the U.S. maritime shield deployed in the Caribbean: “It has enabled navy ships from other countries, such as Colombia, the Netherlands, France, [and] the United Kingdom, to cover other mobility corridors, in a combined effort to smother narcotrafficking routes.”According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the territorial sea, which covers up to 12 miles out, is the sovereign responsibility of each State, which must have the minimum capabilities to safeguard life at sea and prevent its illegal use. But different navies are free to navigate in the exclusive economic zone, which covers 200 miles, and is in international waters.“It’s here that we require countries with blue-water capabilities, with vessels that can go from mile 12 [territorial sea] to mile 200 and beyond, to have a presence, safeguarding marine life, protecting lines of maritime communications, and preventing criminals from using the sea,” Vice Adm. Vásquez concluded.
Waxing Poetic: Northport Artist’s Paintings Are Like Looking Through Stained Glass Windows
Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York Batik, the ancient art of creating patterned cloth using wax that allows artisans to selectively dye certain areas of the material, is practiced in countries around the world, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Nigeria.A year ago, longtime Northport resident Emily Eisen began to experiment with the age-old technique to create impressionistic paintings, often reminiscent of stained glass. Eisen, who lives near Crab Meadow Beach by Long Island Sound, is particularly enamored with water. She said that what she calls “batikage” lends itself particularly well to representing currents and waves as well as the ice that coats Northport Harbor each winter.She begins by loosely using textile paints as she would watercolors on silk or cotton.“I like to track the movement of the flowing colors, especially on the receptive, absorbent silk fabric,” said Eisen.She starts with a light color palette, lets the fabric dry, and then strategically paints melted wax over the entire surface in different directions and textural patterns. Next, she waits until the wax-coated fabric solidifies, refrigerating it for a short time when the weather is warm.Then Eisen taps or breaks the wax by placing her hand in different positions under the fabric to create the variety of “crackles” that imbue each piece with its unique character.Darker textile colors are painted over the crackles so that they can seep into the fabric. Eisen then covers the cloth with newspaper, ironing over it to soak up the wax until the material is soft again.What is so exciting for her is that every stage of the artistic process involves elements of surprise and experimentation. Eisen is as much the artist as she is the audience, she says.Emily Eisen was inspired to use her technique of ‘batikage’ to create “Majestic Caribbean’ after a trip to the Virgin Islands (Photo by Alan Pearlman).“I discover what it will look like when I iron the wax out,” Eisen said.As she watches the paint travel and the crackles in the wax emerge, she is entranced. It is all part of her visual journey, hence the name “batikage,” a mélange of batik and voyage.She finishes by embellishing her paintings with watercolor pastels, which imbue the surface with facets, highlights and deeper defining color, thus enhancing the dimensionality of the images. Finally the fabric is permanently attached to a canvas.“Silent Night” is an enchanting view of Northport Harbor and its dock cloaked in the solitary stillness wrought by winter. It showcases the pageantry of a glorious sunset whose jewel-like colors—fiery oranges and yellows, sapphire blues, and wisps of hot pink—are, in turn, reflected in the water. The eye is also drawn to the intriguing latticework of cracked ice, which adorns the harbor during the coldest months of the year.Viewers often comment that Eisen’s “batikage” paintings look like stained glass because the high-contrast crackle networks take on the appearance of the lead solder that frames the colored windowpanes.Eisen’s florals gravitate to the metaphoric and expressionistic. In her painting, “Hydrangea Burst,” one sees the suggestion of the delicate clusters of pastel petals that are the flower’s hallmark. Similarly, “The Butterflight Effect” and “Meadow Flowers,” are not realistic depictions, but rather playful and exuberantly flamboyant feasts of form and hue that elevate the spirit and cause one to marvel at the wonder of nature’s color wheel.“Majestic Caribbean” was the artistic culmination of a week-long trip to the tropical paradise of St. John in the Virgin Islands. As she basked in the sea, Eisen observed the ebb and flow of the mercurial turquoise water throughout the day. Networks of intersecting lines and bands of vibrant color, which hint at the sea and the sky, make this creation one of her most abstract pieces.Eisen’s work has attracted an international audience. Although her originals are currently not available for sale, limited edition giclée prints can be seen and purchased at The Firefly Artists’ gallery, 180 Main St., Northport.
Racing to serve the unbanked could have huge payoffs
Credit unions and small community banks are facing competition in one of the most unexpected banking spaces – the unbanked.Forbes.com just released a report about startup companies racing to deliver basic financial services to the 1.7 billion people on the planet who don’t have a bank account at all. Companies like Tala are loaning as little as $20 a month to people in countries like Mexico and the Philippines, where the unbanked exceed 60% of the population. Borrowers pay 15% interest and use that money to start their own businesses. As they become more profitable, Tala increases the amount they may borrow.How long do you think it will take for this race to hit American soil?Companies like Green Dot have already tapped into the U.S. unbanked market with cash cards for consumers who have bad credit or can’t afford bank fees. Cash cards are similar to debit cards except they are not tied to a checking account. ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr continue reading »
Importance of travel video marketing for the tourism industry post COVID19 | Focus
COVID has brought a lot of changes into people’s lives, and things such as travel and tourism, which were considered a necessary indulgence, have taken a strong hit. People are no longer motivated enough to travel to far-flung places because of the fear of the Coronavirus. Such a situation demands that the tourism industry adopt promotional practices that would keep the interest alive and bring tourism back on track to pre-COVD levels.Travel video marketing is one such option that offers a lot of scopes to travel operators to entice an audience. This write up seeks to look at how travel-video-marketing can play a vital role in accentuating the appeal towards travel and encourage people to become tourists even in the ‘new normal’ with all the necessary precautions. Let’s look at how video marketing is getting incorporated into the tourism industry one-by-one: – Advertisement – OlderBTN interview: Shahab Shayan, senior manager, international operations, Dubai Tourism – Advertisement – Participation in Online Communities:Tour operators are beginning to understand the importance of online communities and are notably becoming members with active participation. Such gestures allow a company to find a relevant audience online more quickly, and video messages disseminated among such audiences find more traction compared to simply posting a video on social media platforms. Targeting an audience in online communities with videos considerably improves the chances of finding relevant customers. Increased Use of Video:It is a known fact that video has overtaken all other forms of content formats in recent times. This has made tourism-related companies to adopt a strategy that prioritizes video above all else. Presently, it is being increasingly seen that putting out video-based content has more chances of getting consumed by the audience. This paved the way for enhanced utilization of video marketing as video allows companies to communicate effectively through storytelling and paves the way towards visually-driven decision making. Present Situation: The current situation brought about by the pandemic has compelled a lot of people to stay indoors, and some have even opted for remote work instead of attending office. People are stepping out only if the situation demands. This has increased the screen time among the general populace. Tourist companies have sensed the rising demand for video content and likewise have increased their video output to cater to the demand of the viewing audience. Until the situation subsides, tourist companies will continue with their video-based approach to remain relevant in the minds of the relevant audience and potential prospects.- Advertisement –
Ability to sell an Emotional Experience: Video marketing allows companies to engage an audience through visuals and sound. This makes the viewing experience more engaging, and at times, it is even able to elicit emotional responses from the audience. Such reactions are considered extremely good in terms of the possibility of turning the audience into motivated customers, who are likely to travel to places that they see on the video. In the present situation, when travel is extremely restricted, video as a medium is bound to play a crucial role in raising the level of awareness about prime tourist destinations and exotic locales. Improved Traffic to Website:Business owners of tourist companies are always on the look-out for tactics to attract more traffic to their website. One of the ways of achieving this is by having videos on the website. Video content on websites can attract and retain an audience for a longer period of time on the website, also known as ‘dwell time.’ Increased dwell time is considered a factor by Google in deciding ranking on search. Better ranking can directly translate to better online visibility and consistent traffic to the website. Overall Impact of Video:Research suggests that a 1-minute video is equivalent to 1.8 million written words. This can give you a fair idea of the kind of impact video can have on the viewing audience. A video can conclusively inform the audience about the brand and associated benefits in a crisp and concise manner that is seen as lacking in other content formats. Given the impact video has on the viewing audience, it is natural for video marketing to be adopted by tourism-related companies in a big way. Moreover, the pandemic situation has only accentuated the relevance of video in digital marketing initiatives. ConclusionThe current pandemic situation is unprecedented, and no one had anticipated such a drastic change in lifestyle in such a short period of time. But, it has made tourism-related companies adapt to the emerging situation and develop resilience. Even with the considerable drop in travel, companies are keeping the interest alive through video marketing. With time and with an effective solution in place for the Coronavirus, tourism will again thrive and prosper. Till then, companies must utilize online video editing websites like InVideo to come with content that engages, informs, and entertains the audience to turn them into avid travelers. Relevant Messaging: More and more tour operators are disseminating messages that are more relevant to the present time, such as “dream now, visit later” or “we are in this together” This kind of messaging helps prime tourist destinations to remain on top of the mind of the viewer. The messages are also including glimpses into how local businesses and communities are coping with the difficult times. This makes the viewer empathize with the local people and improve the chances of content getting shared online. Use of 360-degree Videos:Companies are trying to incorporate the latest in video technology to get the attention of potential customers. There is evidence to support the fact that tourist companies are using technology such as 360-degree videos, giving the audience a comprehensive look at exotic destinations to generate increased interest. The videos are not only providing video shots but are also including the history and facts associated with a specific site or location, which gives the video an added punch in getting the message across. Click here to know more. The advent of Virtual Reality: Technology today is making it possible for viewers to embark on virtual tours of exotic locations through the use of virtual reality-based devices. It is a subset of video marketing, wherein the audience can indulge in an immersive experience of being in the actual location without being there. Such experiences only add to the curiosities and interests of the viewers. The use of such technology will help companies to enhance audience interest towards certain locations and tourist sites. – Advertisement –
Nexans Boosts Cable Laying Fleet with High Capacity Newbuild
Nexans has announced the start of construction of a new cable-laying vessel for submarine high voltage (HV) cable systems installation.Being built by Uljanik Group, a Croatia-based shipyard, the high capacity Nexans vessel is designed for worldwide installation of large volumes of HVDC and HVAC cable systems, even in the most severe weather conditions, the company said.The vessel covers the complete Nexans submarine product range, and has a 10 000-tonne capacity turntable.“The construction of this new cable-laying vessel is a fundamental milestone in our commitment to cleaner energy,“ said Arnaud Poupart-Lafarge, Nexans CEO.“In this next exciting chapter of our capacity to meet customer expectations, the cutting-edge technology of the new ship will enable Nexans to support countries in their development of the unlimited potential of renewable power generation”.The new ship, designed by consulting agency Skipsteknisk AS, comes with Dynamic Positioning (IMO class 3) capabilities. The laying equipment allows the vessel to perform complex installation operations of flexible products in shallow to deep water.“Together with our legendary vessel CLV Nexans Skagerrak, the new ship will reinforce Nexans’ position as a leading player in the growing submarine HV cabling market,” said Dirk Steinbrink, Senior Executive Vice President High Voltage and Underwater Cable Business Group at Nexans.“With the advanced technology, impressive capacity and the many cable-laying capabilities, this vessel will be one of Nexans’ key strategic assets”.The new cable-laying vessel is expected to be delivered and start operations by the third quarter of 2020.
Part of Interior Ministry compound torched in Cairo
Share Soldiers help extinguish a fire at a building adjacent to the interior ministry set by former police officers in downtown Cairo 15 Views no discussions From Ivan Watson and Amir Ahmed, CNN Share Sharing is caring! The incident comes as Egyptians continue to work to create the new leadership structure of the country after the revolution.State-run media reported Wednesday that there have been about 1,300 official complaints against former Egyptian ministers and government officials.Interior Minister Mahmoud Wagdi said he ordered that all the complaints, many of them about government waste and corruption, be investigated, state-run EgyNews website reported.The investigation into the complaints comes after authorities in Egypt froze the assets of former President Hosni Mubarak and his family, state-run media has reported.Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud requested the action, according to EgyNews website.Along with Mubarak’s assets, those belonging to his wife, Suzanne, were also frozen, along with the assets of the former president’s eldest son, Alaa, and younger son, Gamal, and both of the sons’ wives, according to the report.After 30 years, Mubarak stepped down as Egypt’s president February 11 following 18 days of unrest.Witnesses said the fire was started by protesters upset about labor issues and the blaze could have been ignited by Molotov cocktails.Part of a building, and surrounding buildings such as the criminal records building, had been torched as well as several cars.Soldiers and police rushed to scene and a couple of men could be seen being detained.The compound is three blocks away from Tahrir Square and violent clashes occurred in the area during the Egyptian revolution. Tweet Share The incident comes as Egyptians continue to work to create the new leadership structure of the country after the revolution.State-run media reported Wednesday that there have been about 1,300 official complaints against former Egyptian ministers and government officials.Interior Minister Mahmoud Wagdi said he ordered that all the complaints, many of them about government waste and corruption, be investigated, state-run EgyNews website reported.The investigation into the complaints comes after authorities in Egypt froze the assets of former President Hosni Mubarak and his family, state-run media has reported.Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud requested the action, according to EgyNews website.Along with Mubarak’s assets, those belonging to his wife, Suzanne, were also frozen, along with the assets of the former president’s eldest son, Alaa, and younger son, Gamal, and both of the sons’ wives, according to the report.After 30 years, Mubarak stepped down as Egypt’s president February 11 following 18 days of unrest.CNN’s Amir Ahmed contributed to this report. News Part of Interior Ministry compound torched in Cairo by: – February 23, 2011
Prosecutions may be imminent in Turks and Caicos
Share NewsRegional Prosecutions may be imminent in Turks and Caicos by: – September 16, 2011 Share Share Tweet
Sharing is caring! 32 Views no discussions Andrew Mitchell QC (33knowledge.com)PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands – The visit this week to the Turks and Caicos Islands of a leading specialist in civil and criminal asset forfeiture, and who is reportedly due to return in November and December, has led to renewed speculation locally that the long-expected prosecution of former government ministers on corruption charges may well be imminent.Andrew Mitchell QC, who was in Grand Turk this week, has been described as the pre-eminent barrister in the field of confiscation, restraint and receivership. He regularly represents government agencies, defendants, receivers and third parties on matters relating to the restraint, receivership and forfeiture of property.Earlier this year, Mitchell was in Trinidad representing Lawrence Duprey, the former chairman of the collapsed CL Financial group.Meanwhile, in a press release this week, London law firm Pinsent Masons LLP and London barristers Richard Kovalevsky QC and Sean Hammond of 2 Bedford Row said they would help local law firms that might face conflicts in representing their clients.“We have joined forces with a view to assisting local firms to enable them to defend clients if the SIPT [Special Investigation and Prosecution Team] object to their involvement and to advise others who have not retained counsel,” said Barry Vitou of Pinsent Masons. “We are very keen to work with local counsel and have liaised with a firm on the island to assist us if other local firms are conflicted.”He added, “Ultimately I anticipate that we would likely only be able to assist one firm in relation to its client for conflict reasons. However, the ‘offer’ is open to all.” The recently released final report of the Turks and Caicos Islands 2008-9 Commission of Inquiry into possible corruption, or other serious dishonesty in relation to past and present elected members of the legislature recommended criminal investigation of five former Cabinet ministers in respect of possible corruption and/or other serious dishonesty including misfeasance in public office in recent years.However, according to local sources, two former ministers are currently co-operating with the SIPT, presumably in an attempt to avoid or mitigate criminal prosecution.In relation to former Premier Michael Misick, the Commission recommended criminal investigation by police or others in relation to him of possible corruption and/or other serious dishonesty including misfeasance in public office in relation to the following and other similar matters in recent years:— Misick may have abused his position as premier and as leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP) by using PNP funds for his own purposes;— Misick accepted and failed to declare many gifts of money via the client account of his brother and attorney, Chal Misick, which were not, and could not reasonably be interpreted as being political in nature, and which he appears to have applied to his personal expenditure;— The payment of $500,000 by Dr Cem Kinay, through his company, Turks Ltd, to Misick was a possibly corrupt payment;— The receipt by Misick of $250,000, purportedly by way of loan from Inazio & Gataen Caltagirone, via the client account of Chal Misick, was possibly a corrupt payment;— Undocumented and unrepaid loans to Misick, collectively amounting to about $350,000 from Jeffrey Hall, Floyd Hall or his brother and Lillian Boyce or her brother were possibly corrupt payments to him for favours given in relation to a transaction engendering the money to facilitate such payments;— Misick in recent years accepted and failed to declare to the Registrar of Interests many gifts or purported loans of money via the client account of his brother and attorney, Chal Misick, which were possibly corrupt on account of possible favours given by him in his capacity as premier;— Misick promoted the abuse of the Crown Land Policy on a number of occasions, and benefited personally from that abuse;— Misick behaved in a possibly corrupt manner and/or in misfeasance of his public duty, by securing highly paid advertising contracts for his wife with the TCI Tourist Board and with Kerwin Communications purportedly acting on behalf of the Tourist Board, thereby potentially abusing his power with a view to enriching his wife and himself;— Misick behaved in a potentially seriously dishonest manner, including misfeasance in public office and dishonest misappropriation of public funds, by his possible misuse of government funds and facilities for his personal purposes in his use of aircraft chartered or leased by the government for official purposes;— A possibility of corruption and/or other serious dishonesty, including misfeasance in public office, in relation Misick in the chain of events leading to the eventual disposal of land at Joe Grant Cay at well below market price to a consortium led by Dr Cem Kinay, following the secret payment by Kinay of $500,000 to him in January 2007, followed by the approval by Cabinet on 16 May 2007, to which Misick was a party;— Possible corrupt and/or otherwise seriously dishonest involvement, including misfeasance in public office, of Misick in relation to the government’s transactions with Mario Hoffmann of DEVCO for the development of Salt Cay.In relation to former finance minister Floyd Hall, the Commission recommended criminal investigation by police or others in relation to him of possible corruption and/or other serious dishonesty including theft and false accounting and misfeasance in public office in relation to the following and other similar matters in recent years:— Hall, in his capacity as Treasurer of the PNP: 1) failed to administer and keep proper accounts of the funds of the PNP; and 2) misled the party as a whole as to the true state of its financial affairs and the purposes to which its monies were being put;— Payment by Jak Civre, the developer of the Seven Stars Resort, to Hall of $150,000 on 8th February 2007, the day before the election, purportedly as a campaign donation, but which Hall paid into the business account of his company, Paradigm, and also other unexplained payments were possibly corrupt payments;— Hall, in accepting payment from Richard Padgett of $375,000 in February 2006 purportedly as a finder’s fee for services rendered some years before, but shortly after his planning appeal decision in Padgett’s favour, had potentially acted dishonestly, including by way of misfeasance in public office, and possibly corruptly;— Hall, in arranging with Richard Padgett in or about June 2007 for his wife, Lisa Hall, to be appointed a director of, and made a one-third shareholder a real estate brokerage company, the agreed value of her shareholding being about $280,000, but for which she was to provide little or no consideration, was a possibly corrupt transaction;— Hall possibly acted corruptly and/or in misfeasance of his public office in failing to withdraw or to declare his links with Richard Padgett, at Cabinet discussions concerning the government’s dealings with Padgett’s business affairs;— A loan of $200,000 from Richard Padgett to Hall in August 2007, which Hall did not declare to the Registrar of Interests, or to the Commission, until he was examined in the Commission’s oral proceedings, was a possibly corrupt payment;— Hall, in accepting the payment of $200,000 from Alden Smith, purportedly for services rendered, did so possibly corruptly and/or by conduct amounting to misfeasance in public office, since the payment followed the advantageous sale of Crown Land to Smith’s company, which had immediately sold the land on for a large profit to an overseas developer, making payments from that profit to Hall and Misick;— Hall took part in possibly corrupt transactions by accepting proceeds of the profits made by his brother, Quinton Hall, involving the disposal of Crown Land to an overseas developer at a large profit;— Hall, in making private requests to the Minister for Natural Resources for allocations of Crown Land for certain companies to enable them to use the land as security for loans, from which he personally derived a substantial borrowing of $1.1 million, perverted and/or undermined the Crown Land Policy for and process of distribution of Crown Land, and did so possibly corruptly and in misfeasance of his public office;— Hall’s conduct in promoting in Cabinet the award of the contract for administering the treatment abroad system to Southern Health Network was possibly corrupt and/or otherwise seriously dishonest, including misfeasance in public office, because it subverted the proper workings of government, in particular its tender processes, to ensure that the only proposal put before the Cabinet for serious consideration was that of a friend and business colleague, Delroy Howell.In relation to former minister for natural resources, McAllister Hanchell, the Commission recommended criminal investigation by police or others in relation to him of possible corruption and/or other serious dishonesty including misfeasance in public office in relation to the following and other similar matters in recent years:— Hanchell, in accepting from Arlington Musgrove payments totalling over $300,000 into the PNP South Caicos account purportedly as campaign funding for the February 2007 election, possibly entered into a corrupt transaction;— Hanchell, in his office of minister for natural resources, entered into possibly corrupt and/or otherwise seriously dishonest transactions by offering on behalf of the government grants of Crown Land to himself and/or to companies that he substantially owned or controlled;— Hanchell potentially abused his ministerial position by instructing the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Natural Resources to allocate Crown Land to individuals of his choice, or to allocate, or instruct the Permanent Secretary or other of his departmental officers to allocate Crown Land to individuals identified and notified to him by fellow Ministers, in all or most cases without proper regard to the Crown Land Policy;— Hanchell may have participated in possibly corruption arrangements in which offers of Crown Land were made to individuals, who had not applied for the land, with a view to the recipients of the offers selling the land on quickly to developers at a substantial profit for all the parties involved;— A possibility of corruption and/or other serious dishonesty, including misfeasance in public office, in relation to Hanchell in the chain of events leading to secret payment by Dr Cem Kinay of $500,000 to Misick in January 2007;— Hanchell possibly abused his ministerial position and/or acted corruptly or otherwise seriously dishonestly and/or in misfeasance of his public office, by deliberately undermining the authority of the Chief Valuation Officer, in relation to the valuation of land at Joe Grant Cay, by rejecting the valuations undertaken by him, with a view, possibly, to ensuring a swift completion of sale of the land to the consortium led by Dr Kinay at a very large undervaluation.In relation to former minister of works, Jeffrey Hall, the Commission recommended criminal investigation by police or others in relation to him of possible corruption and/or other serious dishonesty including misfeasance in public office in relation to the following and other similar matters in recent years:— Hall failed to account: 1) for his receipt and expenditure of funds in excess of $800,000 credited to his accounts; 2) for his receipt of $200,000 from Evan Harvey; and 3) for a gift to him of $10,000 from David Wex;— Hall promoted, and personally benefited from abuse of the Crown Land Policy in relation to the sale to a non-Belonger of Crown Land by participating in a possibly corrupt transaction in relation to the sale (‘flipping’) of land to an overseas developer, David Wex;Other findings by the Commission in relation to Hall in respect of which no recommendations were made are as follows:— Hall failed repeatedly to make any or any full or adequate declarations of interests to the Registrar of Interests, in breach of the Registration of Interests Ordinance, and also failed adequately to disclose his financial interests to the Commission, pursuant to the Commissions of Inquiry Ordinance.In relation to former minister of health and education, Lillian Boyce, the Commission recommended criminal investigation by police or others in relation to her of possible corruption and/or other serious dishonesty including misfeasance in public office in relation to the following matters:— Boyce participated in a possibly corrupt transaction in relation to the sale (flipping) of Crown Land by: 1) accepting the proceeds of profits made by her brother, Earlson Robinson, from the sale of a share in the interest of a company, which had involved the disposal of Crown Land for large profits to an overseas developer, David Wex; 2) loaning or giving part of those profits to Misick, or assisting her brother in doing so; and 3) failing to declare those profits to the Registrar of Interests or to disclose them Commission, and failing to declare her brother’s connection to the transaction in Cabinet discussions concerning the transaction.By Caribbean News Now contributor
Consultation on CARICOM programme to develop skills training capacity
Share Tweet Sharing is caring! Share 27 Views no discussions
EducationLocalNewsSecondary Consultation on CARICOM programme to develop skills training capacity by: – October 11, 2011 Share Facilitators of C-EFERoseau, Dominica – October 11, 2011 — Representatives of the CARICOM Education for Employment Programme (C-EFE) on Monday met with officials of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Dominica State College and secondary schools for a consultation on skills training in Dominica. The consultation, which formed Part 3 of an Inception Mission ahead of the programme’s implementation, was held at the national stadium.Also in attendance were representatives of the private sector including members of the Dominica Manufacturing Association.The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) is partnering with the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA) to develop the Caribbean-wide project to provide support for technical and vocational training.The other regional partners are the Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions and the CARICOM Secretariat which is charged with positioning the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in the region to better support a competitive economy.Linda CookeLinda Cooke of the ACCC said the consultation was intended to help the local TVET Council deliver vocational qualifications to nationals so that they may acquire certification that is “very clear and understood across the region.”“The ultimate goal is economic development for the Caribbean by training skilled workers for sectors where there is going to be employment,” said Cooke.“TVET isn’t just auto-mechanics or plumbing. It’s actually a skills based training programme. Where are the emerging skills? They may be in agriculture, in music production or in graphic design.“So let’s broaden people’s understanding of what skills training is and show that it leads to really good jobs usually and is a way to support families and economies,” she added.After two previous consultations in the region, the ACCC has already identified priority areas for technical training in Dominica including Agriculture, ICT Hardware and Software, Construction, Early Childhood Education and Hospitality and Tourism.Participants in the C-EFEParticipants at Monday’s consultation also advised the visiting delegation of the need for training in high demand areas such a Cosmetology, Craft Production, Plumbing and Music Management and Production.The TVET programme is designed to provide graduates with relevant technical knowledge and skills and industry recognized credentials to compete in a demand-driven labour market.The C-EFE will provide support to the local TVET initiative by strengthening capacity to coordinate, promote and conduct quality assurance and in the long run, increase employment of TVET graduates in targeted career areas. The C-EFE is undertaken with a $20M grant from the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).The project will be fully implemented by the ACCC in January, 2012. By: Dionne Durand
Chinese swimmer Sun Yang banned for eight years for doping offence
– Significant result – WADA director general Olivier Niggli welcomed the CAS decision as a “significant result”. “WADA decided to appeal the original FINA ruling having carefully reviewed it and having concluded that there were a number of points that seemed to be incorrect under the (World Anti-Doping) Code. Loading… China’s triple Olympic swimming gold medallist Sun Yang has been found guilty of refusing to give a doping sample and banned for eight years in an eagerly-awaited judgement from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday. China’s Sun Yang, pictured on July 24, 2019, at the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea The Swiss-based CAS upheld the appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the international swimming federation (FINA) and Sun, one of China’s most recognisable athletes who had already served a doping ban in 2014. Sun, who was accused of refusing to provide blood and urine samples when drug testers visited his home in China in September 2018, has the right to appeal the ruling at the Swiss federal court. A vial of Sun’s own blood sample was smashed with a hammer during the testing session, but the swimmer was acquitted by FINA of anti-doping violations, agreeing that testers had failed to produce adequate identification. But the ruling outraged WADA which took the matter to CAS, demanding a ban of between two and eight years for missing the out-of-competition test. CAS said its panel had “unanimously determined” that Sun had tampered with his doping control. Taking into consideration his previous doping ban, CAS said it had imposed the stiffest eight-year sanction. “The athlete failed to establish that he had a compelling justification to destroy his sample collection containers and forego the doping control when, in his opinion, the collection protocol was not in compliance with the ISTI (International Standard for Testing and Investigations),” CAS said. “It is one thing, having provided a blood sample, to question the accreditation of the testing personnel while keeping the intact samples in the possession of the testing authorities; it is quite another thing, after lengthy exchanges and warnings as to the consequences, to act in such a way that results in destroying the sample containers, thereby eliminating any chance of testing the sample at a later stage.” Read Also: NBA: Cavaliers sink 76ers as Embiid hurts shoulder “Today’s CAS ruling confirms those concerns and is a significant result.” After that initial clearance by FINA Sun was able to compete in the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, in July, where he won two golds but became a focus of protests from rivals, especially from Australia. CAS ruled that his results from Gwangju would stand “in the absence of any evidence that the athlete may have engaged in doping activity since 4 September 2018”. FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail分享 Promoted ContentA Guy Turns Gray Walls And Simple Bricks Into Works Of Art7 Ways To Understand Your Girlfriend BetterLil Nas X Is About To Beat A World Record!Playing Games For Hours Can Do This To Your BodyWho Earns More Than Ronaldo?7 Ways To Understand Your Girlfriend BetterWhat Happens To Your Brain When You Play Too Much Video Games?The Very Last Bitcoin Will Be Mined Around 2140. Read MoreWhat Are The Most Delicious Foods Out There?6 Ridiculous Health Myths That Are Actually True5 Of The World’s Most Unique Theme Parks7 Mind-Boggling Facts About Black Holes