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COVID cases fluctuate across Pan Am region

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 11:50:01 +0000

COVID cases fluctuate across Pan Am region

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admin Fri, 07/23/2021 - 11:50

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NationNews Barbados — nationnews.com

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COVID cases fluctuate across Pan Am region

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While COVID positive cases are down nearly 20 per cent from last week, many countries, including the United States of America, are seeing a resurgence of infections.

That is according to director of the Pan American Health Organisation, Dr Clarissa Etienne, who was delivering remarks during a media briefing earlier today.

“This week alone the region has reported nearly 74 million cases of the COVID-19 virus, and 1.9 million deaths, accounting for more than one third of COVID cases and more than 40 per cent of deaths reported worldwide this week,” she said.

Many Central American nations are also seeing new cases including El Salvador where a consistent increase in daily cases was noted between late June and early July. Similarly, in Guatemala, at a departmental level, there were surges in COVID deaths in the past two weeks.

In North America, the United States of America and Mexico are reporting an increase in new infections across most states.

COVID infections, hospitalisations and deaths are dropping across most of the continent including Brazil, Peru, Paraguay and Chile.

Etienne once again sounded the call for countries to vaccinate as many of their citizens as they can, as they sought to reduce numbers across the globe. (RA)

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Belgium, Germany Seize Cocaine Worth Billions

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 00:50:01 +0000

Belgium, Germany Seize Cocaine Worth Billions

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admin Thu, 02/25/2021 - 00:50

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

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St. Lucia Times News

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Belgium, Germany Seize Cocaine Worth Billions

Customs authorities in Germany and Belgium have seized a record of more than 23 tonnes of cocaine that was destined for the Netherlands. German officials discovered 16 tonnes in five shipping containers that had arrived in the port of Hamburg from Paraguay earlier this month. Police in the Netherlands were notified and a further 7.2 […]

This article Belgium, Germany Seize Cocaine Worth Billions appeared first on St. Lucia Times News.

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Australia, Qatar out of Copa America

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 19:10:01 +0000

Australia, Qatar out of Copa America

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admin Wed, 02/24/2021 - 19:10

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NationNews Barbados — nationnews.com

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Australia, Qatar out of Copa America

Australia and Qatar, the two non-South American sides due to take part in this year’s Copa America, pulled out of the tournament, the secretary general of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said on Tuesday.

The two teams were set to join 10 others from South America in the tournament, which will be hosted by Argentina and Colombia in June and July.

“Qatar and Australia will not come to play in the Copa America,” Gonzalo Belloso told Argentine radio station Radio Red.

The Qatari FA apologised for the withdrawal which it said followed the Asian Football Confederation’s “decision to postpone the joint qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup to be held in June 2021, which conflicts with the schedule of matches… in the Copa America”.

As members of the Asian confederation, Australia are also affected by the changes, connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced confederations to reschedule games.

“The Socceroos’ players and staff were greatly looking forward to the unique opportunity of playing in the Copa America and it is unfortunate that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be unable to attend in 2021,” Australia’s head coach Graham Arnold said.

“On behalf of the team I thank CONMEBOL for the invitation, which would have presented our team with a fantastic opportunity to test itself against some of the world’s best.”

The Copa America, the oldest tournament in international football, was held over from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is due to be hosted in two nations for the first time.

The 12 sides were to be split into northern and southern groups, with Qatar playing in the northern section against Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and hosts Colombia.

Australia were in the southern group with Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and hosts Argentina.

A CONMEBOL source told Reuters they will look at the possibility of inviting two other teams to replace Australia and Qatar but the tournament will go ahead regardless, with 10 or 12 sides.

“Nothing will change, we will play with 10 if we have to,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

“No matter what happens, it’s the same format, same prize money, everything stays the same.”

The tournament is scheduled to kick off in Buenos Aires on June 11 and end with the final in Barranquilla, Colombia on July 10. (Reuters)

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Ronaldinho’s mum succumbs to Covid-19

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 14:40:01 +0000

Ronaldinho’s mum succumbs to Covid-19

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admin Sun, 02/21/2021 - 14:40

Sunday, February 21, 2021

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Nairobi News

Original Article

Ronaldinho’s mum succumbs to Covid-19

Ex-Brazil star Ronaldinho Gaucho's mother has succumbed to Covid-19. Media reports in Brazil indicate Dona Miguelina, 71, has been hospitalized after testing positive for Covid-19 last year while in their home city of Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. In December, the former Brazil and Barcelona player asked fans to pray for his mother, revealing she was fighting for her life at Mae de Deus Hospital. “Dear friends. My mum has Covid and we’re fighting for her to recover. She is in intensive care and is receiving all the care she needs. I’m thankful for your prayers, your positive energy, and the affection you’ve always shown. Stay strong, mum,” the Ballon dor winner wrote on Twitter. The death sums up what has been a tough past year for Ronaldinho, considered one of the most skillful players to ever play football. While detained in Paraguay over fake passports, he said he was eager to be freed, saying the first thing he would do after being freed would be to give his mum a ‘big kiss'. “She’s been experiencing a difficult time of it since the start of the coronavirus crisis," he said. In 2012, while still playing for Flamengo, the Brazilian almost quit due to his mother’s condition – cancer. “When my mum fell ill, I said I wouldn’t be able to carry on playing. I thought the time had come to stop and take care of her. Everyone gave me strength. I experienced a lot of things and it was really difficult but the fans were by my side. They took a flag with her face on it to the stadium and hugged me,” the Brazilian told the press.

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CIBC FirstCaribbean sale called off

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:30:01 +0000

CIBC FirstCaribbean sale called off

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admin Wed, 02/17/2021 - 18:30

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

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Business – The BVI Beacon

Original Article

CIBC FirstCaribbean sale called off

The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s efforts to close a $797 million sale that would see it unload FirstCaribbean banks in the Virgin Islands and 15 other Caribbean locations was abruptly scuttled last week after regional regulators stopped the proceeding, CIBC announced.

The regulators were not identified, but the Barbados-based subsidiary’s website states that it adheres to all regulatory requirements issued by its “lead central bank regulator, the Central Bank of Barbados, the Barbados Financial Services Commission and the Barbados Stock Exchange, as well as the legal and regulatory requirements, guidelines and recommendations of other central banks and regulators in the region.”

CIBC had announced in November 2019 that it would sell a two-thirds stake in FirstCaribbean to GNB, a company owned by Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilinski.

GNB is wholly owned by Starmites Corporation S.ar.L, the financial holding company of the Gilinski Group, an estimated $30 billion conglomerate with banking operations in Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, Panama and the Cayman Islands.

GNB had been slated to pay $200 million in cash and use financing provided by CIBC for the remainder of the deal.

Value

At the time the sale was announced in 2019, FirstCaribbean was valued at about $1.2 billion, less than half of its $2.8 billion value when it was acquired by CIBC in 2002 and combined its operations in the region with British bank Barclay’s.

Four years later, CIBC purchased Barclay’s 44 percent stake for $988.7 million.

In a statement issued last week, Harry Culham — the CIBC group head of capital markets, who also oversees FirstCaribbean — downplayed the blocked sale.

“While this transaction would have supported First-Caribbean’s long-term growth prospects, it is only one way of creating value for stakeholders,” he said. “FirstCaribbean is focused on building deep, long-lasting client relationships in the Caribbean, optimising our business and enhancing efficiency over time. We remain committed to executing on our long-term strategy and deliver- ing the best outcome for clients, shareholders, team members and communities.”

CIBC, which has offered banking services in the Caribbean since 1920, didn’t state the reasons for the regulators rejecting the deal. The bank has been trying to extricate itself from the region after suffering losses in recent years, but its 2018 plan to list FirstCaribbean on the New York Stock Exchange was also abandoned, with bank officials blaming “market conditions” at the time.

Like other North American banks in recent years, CIBC has sought to scale back its Caribbean holdings as the region undergoes the controversial process of de-risking, with customers in danger of losing their correspondent banking relationships with North American banks and thus ready access to funding.

The process has already affected the banking landscape in the VI, with Scotiabank last year selling branches in the VI and seven other Caribbean countries and territories to the Trinidad-based Republic Bank.

Meanwhile, a similar deal announced in 2019 by the Royal Bank of Canada to sell off its operations in five eastern Caribbean countries and territories to a consortium of Caribbean-owned banks is also awaiting approval from regulators.

The post CIBC FirstCaribbean sale called off appeared first on The BVI Beacon.

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GNB, FirstCaribbean deal not approved by regulators

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 18:30:01 +0000

GNB, FirstCaribbean deal not approved by regulators admin Thu, 02/04/2021 - 18:30

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Original Publisher

The Nassau Guardian

Original Article

GNB, FirstCaribbean deal not approved by regulators

CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank’s regulators have not approved GNB Financial Group Limited’s purchase of a majority stake in the bank, after GNB made a bid more than a year and a half ago for control of the bank, valued at $2 billion.

CIBC, which owns a majority share of FirstCaribbean, made the announcement in a press statement yesterday. CIBC FirstCaribbean Chief Executive Officer Colette Delaney said in the statement that the transaction would have

supported the bank’s long-term growth, but explained that is it not the only option for the bank.

“It is only one way of supporting growth for our bank going forward,” Delaney said.

“CIBC has held a majority ownership stake in FirstCaribbean for a number of years and there exists an excellent working relationship with a shared focus on meeting the needs of our clients.”

Delaney said FirstCaribbean continues to be well-positioned to recover in the midst of the economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We remain laser-focused on delivering on our strategy – providing our clients with first-class service through a modern, everyday banking experience and providing our employees with the best possible work experience,” she said.

According to the statement, CIBC FirstCaribbean carries $12 billion in assets and has a market capitalization of US$2 billion.

In November 2019, GNB reached an agreement with CIBC to purchase 66.73 percent of CIBC FirstCaribbean’s shares, while CIBC would continue to hold 24.9 percent stake of its Caribbean arm.

GNB’s Colombian owner Jaime Gilinski Bacal was eyeing the purchase of CIBC FirstCaribbean. Bacal said in a press release in 2019 that his company intends on keeping CIBC FirstCaribbean the strong financial institution it is today.

“I have been impressed by the strength and stability of CIBC FirstCaribbean and I am excited about its prospects for the future,” Bacal said.

The statement did not explain the reasoning behind the regulators’ denial of the transaction.

GNB is wholly owned by Starmites Corporation S.ar.L, the financial holding company of the Gilinski Group.

“The Gilinski Group has banking operations in Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, Panama and the Cayman Islands, with approximately US$15 billion in combined assets,” the 2019 release noted.

A Reuters article published in December 2017 explained CIBC’s divestment of its majority shareholding in FirstCaribbean was a result of earnings growth in the Caribbean being slow and the bank no longer considering the Caribbean a core asset.

CIBC, via its Caribbean subsidiary, has been one of the three big Canadian commercial banks operating in The Bahamas. Over the past two years, those commercial banks have been scaling back their businesses to compete in the difficult Bahamian economy.

Bad loans and high operating costs have caused the banks to close branches and decrease their workforce over the years. The financial crisis of 2008 was a catalyst for the extreme rightsizing actions of Canadian banks in the region.

The post GNB, FirstCaribbean deal not approved by regulators appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

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Virgin Islands gets $362k grant for Covid response

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 09:30:02 +0000

Virgin Islands gets $362k grant for Covid response admin Tue, 02/02/2021 - 09:30

Sunday, January 24, 2021

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Local News – The BVI Beacon

Original Article

Virgin Islands gets $362k grant for Covid response

The Virgin Islands will receive about $362,000 in funding from the United Nations Covid-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund, government announced Tuesday.

The funds will contribute to the income support programme established by the government to assist vulnerable residents affected by the pandemic, according to Government Information Services.

It will be accompanied by technical assistance provided by the International Labour Organisation, the World Food Programme, and UNICEF to enhance residents’ employability and boost social protection.

“The UN has been an indispensable partner of the British Virgin Islands since the onset of the global pandemic,” Premier Andrew Fahie said. “This new round of funding support and ongoing technical assistance from multiple UN agencies is a reflection of the maturing relationship between the British Virgin Islands and United Nations.”

The Covid-19 MPTF Fund was launched by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in 2020 to provide support to governments after the outbreak of the pandemic.

The VI will receive the funding through a joint programme that falls under the UN (Covid-19) Multi-Sectoral Response Plan for the Eastern Caribbean, and that includes the VI and Antigua and Barbuda.

UN forum

The VI also participated last week in the United Nations 13th Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, Mr. Fahie announced on his Facebook page.

At the session, the territory’s “work plan for inclusive social development for the year” was considered, according to the premier.

The VI currently serves as one of the vice presidencies of the Directive Board of the Regional Conference on Social Development along with countries including Barbados, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Uruguay.

During the forum, which was held virtually throughout last week, Health and Social Development Minister Carvin Malone also advocated for greater participation by associate members like the VI and expressed appreciation for the UN grant.

Last Thursday, Mr. Fahie also participated in the fourth roundtable discussion along with colleagues and government ministers from Bolivia, Mexico, Panama and Ecuador on “effective governance beyond recovery,” and shared the territory’s successes and challenges of managing the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Junior Minister for Tourism Sharie de Castro represented the premier at the 13th special emergency meeting of CARICOM heads of government, where the longer-term economic survival of the region was discussed, according to the premier.

The post Virgin Islands gets $362k grant for Covid response appeared first on The BVI Beacon.

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Dominican Republic’s dismal corruption rank continues

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 04:00:01 +0000

Dominican Republic’s dismal corruption rank continues admin Tue, 02/02/2021 - 04:00

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Original Publisher

Local – Dominican Today

Original Article

Dominican Republic’s dismal corruption rank continues

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic maintained in 2020 the same Corruption Perception Index of the previous year, 28 points out of 100, occupying the 137th place in the ranking of 180 participating countries.

The civic movement and Dominican chapter of Transparency International, Participación Ciudadana, on Thur. released the results of the Corruption Perception Index 2020, which places special emphasis on corruption related to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Corruption Perception Index 2020 reveals that in most countries progress in the fight against corruption has seen little or no progress in almost a decade and more than two-thirds scored below 50 out of 100.

Transparency International establishes that, even in the countries with the highest scores, there have been reports of corruption such as the lack of transparency in public spending to deal with COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is not only a health and economic crisis: it is also a corruption crisis. In the last year, reports of corruption during the pandemic have spread throughout the world,” the study states.

The highest scores in the index are for Denmark and New Zealand, with 88 points each, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland, with 85 points each.

In the Americas region, the best indices are those of Canada (77 points); Uruguay (71); Chile (67); United States (67), while the worst scores on the continent are Venezuela (15 points); Haiti (18); Nicaragua (22); Honduras (24); Guatemala (25); Paraguay and the Dominican Republic (28).

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Country remains at the top in corruption

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 04:00:01 +0000

Country remains at the top in corruption admin Tue, 02/02/2021 - 04:00

Friday, January 29, 2021

Original Publisher

Local – Dominican Today

Original Article

Country remains at the top in corruption

Santo Domingo, DR

According to the Corruption Perception Index of the Transparency International organization, the Dominican Republic is for the second time in a row among the countries with the highest levels of corruption.

The index report, released this Thursday by Citizen Participation, highlights that the country remained in 2020 with the same score on the perception of corruption of the previous year with 28 points out of 100 when occupying the 137th place of the 180 participating nations.

The General Coordinator of Citizen Participation, Sonia Díaz, commented that the country failed to reach the 51 points set for 2020.

Díaz added that the index emphasizes that most countries remained little or no progress in the fight against corruption, and many of them had a score below 50% on two consecutive occasions.

Transparency International Ranking

The highest scores (higher scores indicate lower corruption levels) on the Corruption Index correspond to Denmark and New Zealand with 88 basis points each, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden, and Switzerland with 85 points each, Díaz reported at a press conference.

Best and worst

Canada’s best indices are 77 points in the Americas region, Uruguay with 71, and Chile and the United States with 67 each.

The countries with the worst scores on the continent are Venezuela with 15, Haiti with 18, Nicaragua with 22, Honduras with 24, Guatemala with 25, and Paraguay and the Dominican Republic with 28. Díaz said that, in the Dominican Republic, the highest score The high that the country obtained since the beginning of the measurement was 25 points in 2012, while the lowest has been 28 in three years: 2009, 2019, and 2020.

KEYS

Supervision.

The report recommends that to combat COVID-19, it is essential that countries strengthen supervision so that resources reach those who need them most.

“The report suggests that the anti-corruption bodies and the supervisory committee must have sufficient funds and independence,” said Sonia Díaz.

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Warner: Joe Public FC never wore Adidas

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 11:20:01 +0000

Warner: Joe Public FC never wore Adidas admin Wed, 01/20/2021 - 11:20

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Original Publisher

News – Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Original Article

Warner: Joe Public FC never wore Adidas

FORMER FIFA vice-president and special adviser of the TTFF (now TT Football Association) Jack Warner, has refuted claims made by ex-TT goalkeeper Shaka Hislop that shirts which were intended for members of the Soca Warriors at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany were used by players of his domestic club Joe Public.

Hislop, in a video clip on ESPNFC.com, said, “In the World Cup, we (got) sponsored by Adidas. We get there, they tell us we have three shirts, that’s all. In the group stage, we play three games (against Sweden, England and Paraguay). So, the players are like ‘hold on, I want to swap shirts with an opponent and then I wouldn’t have any shirts’. It got into a big heated debate in the team hotel.”

Hislop, a football analyst at ESPNFC, continued, “We are arguing with the administrators and they are bargaining like ‘they only gave us three shirts’. So, we were like ‘what if we got through to the next round?’ (They said they) would have given us more.”

According to the former Newcastle and West Ham goalkeeper, “In the end, we couldn’t get any more. It worked out for me because I only played in the first two games, I kept my shirt from the third.”

However, Hislop pointed out, “For the start of the next domestic season in TT, Jack Warner sponsored a team called Joe Public. Joe Public played in national team shirts in the league campaign.

“If you played three games, you had to make a choice as to whether you keep the TT shirt or you swap it with the opponent, only to find out that all the extra shirts were commandeered and used as a club shirt in TT.”

Contacted on Tuesday, Warner said, “Joe Public never even wore an Adidas shirt. (Hislop) wants to bring that after (more than) ten years…I am tired of those guys. In 2021 he remembered Joe Public shirt.

“I have no issue with that, that is a pack of (expletive),” continued Warner. “After 15 years, he now remembered that Joe Public had Adidas jerseys.”

Brent Sancho, who played in all three of TT’s matches in Germany, said, “It’s well-documented that we had our challenges with the administration.”

Sancho and Hislop were among the group of 13 Soca Warriors players who were successful in their legal matter against the local governing body for unpaid bonuses from the World Cup campaign.

Sancho, the former TT central defender, said, “I know the staff and the people around the team in the World Cup were excellent. To be honest, I can’t recall that particular situation.

“Shaka was one of the vocal ones, as well as myself, Kelvin Jack and Stern (John). We always tried to fight for what was best for the players.”

The Soca Warriors had three managers during the qualifying stage, as well as their stint in Germany – Bruce Aanansen, Joseph Sam Phillip and the late George Joseph.

Like Sancho, Aanansen was unable to confirm or deny that specific incident.

Aanensen said, “To tell you the numbers of jerseys they got would be difficult for me to recall at this point in time. I didn’t deal with that. There was talk around that jerseys went to Joe Public (but) I have no way of saying if that was so or not so. Sam and George Joseph were the two who handled those things. The fact was the players were not happy with the rumours they were hearing.”

Aanansen continued, “Shaka and them didn’t make a big deal of it because I had always tried to tell them ‘let us focus on the job ahead’ and don’t let all those (stuff) disturb your brain. I’m surprised Shaka raised it now because I wasn’t aware it became an ongoing issue.

“Joe Public used to wear the national colours. To say it was the national shirts he took and gave to Joe Public, I think, would be pushing the envelope a little far.”

When reached on Tuesday, Phillip declined to comment.

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