Vietnam

Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:50:01 +0000

Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:50

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Original Publisher

Business - The BVI Beacon

Original Article

Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

The Virgin Islands has been added to the European Union’s “grey list” along with nine other jurisdictions in the Caribbean and elsewhere, the EU Council announced after its meeting on Feb. 24.

Besides the VI, the EU added the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Israel, Montserrat, Russia, Tunisia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vietnam, bringing the total list up to 25 jurisdictions.

Although the inclusion does not mean that any penalties or sanctions will be levied against the territory, according to the EU, the move represents a significant setback after the territory rushed through economic substance legislation at the end of 2019 in order to meet EU requirements on tax reform.

In a Feb. 24 press release, the EU Council said that the list reflects “ongoing EU cooperation with its international partners and the commitments of these countries to reform their legislation to adhere to agreed tax good governance standards.”

The countries on the grey list are working toward meeting the EU’s tax standards, the release stated.

According to the EU, criteria for the list cover tax transparency, fair taxation and preventing tax base erosion and profit shifting. The organisation called implementation of the list a “dynamic process,” and noted that the next revision is scheduled for October of this year.

Anguilla, Botswana, Costa Rica, Dominica, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Qatar, the Seychelles, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay were previously added and remain on the grey list.

The blacklist, which remained unchanged after last month’s announcement, currently includes American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States Virgin Islands, and Vanuatu.

VI response

At a press conference late last month, Premier Andrew Fahie urged onlookers not to view the move as a censure of the territory.

He said the grey-listing meant the VI has “substantially met all international tax standards set out by the EU, but that ongoing improvements are being made to implementing tax good governance.”

As a result, he said, it has been grey-listed while it implements policies and procedures in the territory’s Country-by-Country Reporting framework.

“No defensive measures flow from being on such list and the BVI is still a cooperative jurisdiction,” he said. “Once the BVI meets these commitments, it will be removed from the annex.”

He added that the territory “takes its international obligations seriously” and had already been finalising the necessary steps to ensure successful implementation of the recommendations.

This week, BVI Finance CEO Elise Donovan directed queries to the Premier’s Office. Director of Communications Dr. Arliene Penn said, “BVI’s addition to EU’s Annex II is a positive rating for us because it acknowledges that BVI is a cooperative jurisdiction that has implemented measures (in the case of the Country-by-Country Reporting) in accordance with the high international standards prescribed. The BVI remains highly committed to the transparency and international cooperation agenda.”

The EU has hinted for some time that it would seek to modify its requirements for the list, the latest iteration of which was announced last October.

In February 2021, the European parliament passed a resolution calling for a measure that would automatically blacklist British territories like the VI, the Cayman Islands and the Channel Islands that have a zero percent corporate tax rate — and that now have a weakened voice in the EU in the wake of the United Kingdom’s split from the organisation.

The resolution did not mention the VI at the time, but it came before the revelation that nearly two-thirds of companies named in the far-reaching Pandora Papers investigation last year were based in the VI.

Panama, which is already on the EU blacklist, was host to the second highest number.

World response

Meanwhile, the EU Observer reported late last month that tax-reform campaigners are already applauding the news.

Chiara Putaturo, a campaigner with the non-profit Oxfam, praised the move, but complained that the Cayman Islands was not included.

“If the [new] grey-listing … is confirmed, we will see some real tax havens finally at risk to be blacklisted [in the future],” she said. “However, there are still other tax havens that are left off the hook, … such as the Cayman Islands, because the criteria remain weak.”

History

As in other OTs, leaders in the VI have long criticised the EU’s blacklists as arbitrary and misleading, maintaining that the territory’s financial services industry is tightly regulated in keeping with international standards.

Nevertheless, the VI was grey-listed along with other jurisdictions in 2017. In March 2018, the EU concluded that the VI, the Bahamas and Cayman needed further technical guidance from the EU and had until the end of 2019 to adapt local legislation, which resulted in the Economic Substance Act being rushed through the House of Assembly in late 2018.

Thanks to this move, the VI was white-listed, alongside 16 other jurisdictions, in February 2020.

The post Territory added to EU ‘grey list’ first appeared on The BVI Beacon.

The post Territory added to EU ‘grey list’ appeared first on The BVI Beacon.

Caribbean

Business

Sue over blacklist, says economist

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:40:01 +0000

Sue over blacklist, says economist

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:40

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Original Publisher

Business - The BVI Beacon

Original Article

Sue over blacklist, says economist

Caribbean countries that live in fear of being blacklisted by the European Union should band together and take legal action, according to Barbados-based economist and Caribbean policy expert Marla Dukharan.

“I felt like there should be some legal recourse that should be pursued collectively,” Ms. Dukharan said on Feb. 23 on the regional livestreamed show “Territories Talk,” hosted by Shaina Smith-Archer, chairwoman of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association.

The EU blacklist often comes under fire in the VI for being a moving target.

Ms. Dukharan said it is also unfair. EU member states such as the Netherlands and Ireland are “well known for their extensive money laundering and tax evading activities,” but have never been included on any EU blacklist, she said.

To her, this suggests Eurocentrism or even racism, and perhaps an effort to undermine countries that are “eating part of their pie,” she said of the EU.

Grey-listed

In February, the territory was added to the EU’s “grey list,” along with nine other jurisdictions in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Besides the VI, the EU added the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Israel, Montserrat, Russia, Tunisia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vietnam, bringing the total on the list up to 25 jurisdictions.

Although the February inclusion does not mean that any penalties or sanctions will be levied against the territory, the move represents a significant setback after the VI rushed through economic substance legislation at the end of 2019 in order to meet EU requirements on tax reform.

The standards for inclusion on the EU lists have frequently changed, and Ms. Dukharan pointed out that the European Parliament itself has noted problems with the selection process.

In 2021, the legislative body proposed that the tax regimes of EU member states be scrutinised along with the rest of the world and subject to blacklisting if they don’t measure up.

“That tells you that you have a legal leg to stand on, because they, the policymakers, have acknowledged that we are not applying our own standards to our own member states, and that’s not fair,” she said. “Why is it that our countries have not come together, found a law firm that will represent us collectively, and taken them to court over this action?”

Fighting back

She added that even a statement from the Caribbean Community condemning the actions of the EU is simply “not strong enough.”

“I think if all of the countries came together from the Pacific and the Caribbean and agitated and protested, I think that there is a chance,” she said. “For example, if you appeal to the United Nations, you appeal to the World Trade Organisation, somebody is going to hear you. But when each individual little tiny micro state appeals individually, it is just white noise.”

She also recommended that countries that object to the blacklist expel EU ambassadors.

“The second thing I think we need to do is take diplomatic action,” she said.

With changing criteria, she noted, even countries that have satisfied the Financial Action Task Force and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development standards still run the risk of being blacklisted.

“But we don’t have the courage to do these things because we are small and we are insecure maybe,” she said.

Current list

In a Feb. 24 press release, the EU Council said that the grey list reflects “ongoing EU cooperation with its international partners and the commitments of these countries to reform their legislation to adhere to agreed tax good governance standards.”

The countries on the grey list are working toward meeting the EU’s tax standards, the release stated.

According to the EU, criteriafor the list cover tax transparency, fair taxation and preventing tax base erosion and profit shifting. The next revision is scheduled for October.

Anguilla, Botswana, Costa Rica, Dominica, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Qatar, the Seychelles, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay were previously added and remain on the grey list.

The blacklist for “non-cooperative” tax jurisdictions, which remained unchanged after the February announcement, currently includes American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States VI, and Vanuatu.

The post Sue over blacklist, says economist first appeared on The BVI Beacon.

The post Sue over blacklist, says economist appeared first on The BVI Beacon.

Caribbean

Business

To Beat INEC’s Deadline, Tinubu Quietly Submits Forms, Includes ‘Place Holder’ as Running Mate

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 04:40:01 +0000

To Beat INEC’s Deadline, Tinubu Quietly Submits Forms, Includes ‘Place Holder’ as Running Mate

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 04:40

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Original Publisher

THISDAYLIVE

Original Article

To Beat INEC’s Deadline, Tinubu Quietly Submits Forms, Includes ‘Place Holder’ …

•PDP screens vice-presidential nominees today

•Party’s NWC meets over c’ttee’s recommendations on running mate

•Atiku speaks on how to free up funds for social investments

Iyobosa Uwugiaren and Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Desperate to beat deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has quietly submitted his forms, with the inclusion of a ‘place holder’ as running mate.

At the same time, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has constituted a 12-man committee-led by Chief Tom Ikimi, to screen the presidential nominees of the party.

Also, following the meetings of the various elders and consultative committees of the party, on the choice of a vice presidential candidate, the National Working Committee (NWC), of the PDP, met to decide on the recommendations made by the various committees.

This is as the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said his main objective was to have Nigerians, who would be the beneficiaries of his policy framework to interrogate the policies on how to reduce infrastructure deficit and free up funds for social investments in the country.

An insider in the ruling APC told THISDAY last night in Abuja that the action by Tinubu and the APC was aimed at meeting the statutory requirement and beat the Friday, June 17, 2022 deadline by INEC for presidential candidates to submit names of their deputies to the commission.

But the choice of running mate is yet to be resolved hence the decision to include a “place holder” instead as vice-presidential candidate, while Tinubu and the APC were still making consultations for a suitable deputy that would enhance the party’s victory in 2023.

The controversy over the suitability of the APC running with a Muslim-Muslim ticket or otherwise, has been very intense in the last few days.

“The name of the running mate submitted would be changed for another northern politician in the next few weeks. The one submitted is just holding the ticket in trust for another candidate to be picked by Tinubu and the party in the next few weeks.

“The candidate is still widely consulting, because the issues around the choice of running mate are many and he is yet to address them all. So, he is still asking for more time to look into it all – whether he is running a Muslim-Muslim or a Muslim-Christian ticket.

“He personally thinks there’s a need for more consultation and that’s what he is doing. The debate on the choice of deputy has assumed a level that is currently greater than the party and the candidate, hence the need for comprehensive consultation, which is what he is doing,” a reliable party source hinted last night.

Though some names had been mentioned as possible running-mate to the former Lagos state, it was gathered that no compromise have been reached yet.

A source in the Tinubu’s camp told THISDAY that all the northern governors want the position.

The source added that if Tinubu had his way, he would have loved to pick the former Governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima as his running-mate, but he wanted the president and the governors to pick.

The source said: “All northern governors want it. If Tinubu has his way, it will be Senator Kashim. But he wants the president and governors to pick for him.”

Asked why Tinubu does not want to pick his running mate himself, the source stressed he didn’t want to be a winner takes it all.

“He does not want to be the winner takes it all. You need to respect the president. Buhari did not choose VP for himself in 2015.”

From the PDP camp, a credible party source, had disclosed that after an extensive deliberation, where Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and sacked former Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha, were considered, the vice-presidential nomination committee, settled for one of the governors.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, however, named Dr. Akilu Indabawa, as the Committee Secretary while Mr. Sunday Omobo, was nominated as Administrative Secretary.

“Pursuant to Part VI, Paragraph 14 of the the Electoral Guidelines of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the National Working Committee (NWC), has approved the nomination of the following party members to serve on the Vice Presidential Candidate Screening Committee for the screening/verifying of the nominated Vice Presidential Candidate of our Party for the 2023 general election,” the statement stated.

Other members of the committee, the statement listed, were Chief Osita Chidoka, Member; Rt. Hon. Binta Bello, Member; Chief Mrs. Alh. Mutiat Adedoja, Member; Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, Member; Prof. Aisha Madawaki, Member; Mrs. Ayotunde George-Ologun, Member; Chief Mrs. Chidiebelu Mofus, Member; and H.E. Fidelis Tapgun, Member.

The party said the screening exercise would hold at the National Working Committee (NWC) Hall, PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, today, June 16, 2022. at 10am.

Deadline for the submission of presidential candidates and the vice-presidential candidates ends tomorrow, June 17, as the INEC website shuts down automatically by 6pm.

Also, deadline for the submission of governorship and state assembly candidates ended yesterday, Wednesday, June 15, while the submission for National Assembly candidates ends tomorrow, Friday June 17.

Sources close to the party informed THISDAY that the NWC will submit the names of three vice presidential nominees to Atiku for his consideration.

The three nominees were of South South and South East zones.

Africa

News

KPMG the ‘clear choice’ for excellent service

admin — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 17:10:01 +0000

KPMG the ‘clear choice’ for excellent service

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admin Sat, 10/09/2021 - 17:10

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Original Publisher

Business – Barbados Today

Original Article

KPMG the ‘clear choice’ for excellent service

Professional services firm KPMG has announced some changes in leadership within its Barbados and Eastern Caribbean operation. In a release, the organisation said it retained many of its long-time partners – Baldwin Alcindor, Lisa Brathwaite and Christopher Brome.

“Jan Martinek and Grant McDonald, partners who have most recently joined, are highly qualified to lead our Audit and Tax and service lines, respectively, with over 65 years of combined experience serving KPMG clients around the world.

“Managing partner Grant McDonald joins KPMG Barbados and Eastern Caribbean with over 39 years’ experience at KPMG in Canada and the United States. He is also a Corporate and International Tax Partner, serving both multinational and enterprise clients with tax compliance and planning matters.

He spent the past 10 years as Managing Partner of the Ottawa, Canada office of KPMG and over his career has served clients in a variety of industries including industrial manufacturing, technology, financial services, real estate, and government.”

Meanwhile, Alcindor, audit partner in St Lucia, has a wide range of experience in providing audit services in the Caribbean, US and Offshore Industry. He has been engaged on assignments across a diverse number of industries and business sectors including the International Financial Services (Offshore) Sector, banking, Asset Management, commercial banking, insurance, credit unions, manufacturing and retail, universities and other tertiary education institutions, finance, and hospitality.

Lisa Brathwaite, the audit partner responsible for Antigua and Barbuda, works primarily in the financial services sector but has also worked on entities in various other sectors. Working on these varied audit engagements and being actively involved in the research of specific engagement issues, has enabled Lisa to acquire a solid working knowledge of international financial reporting standards (IFRS).

Martinek, the head of Audit, first joined KPMG in 1992 and became a partner in Prague in 1999. After 20 years in the Czech Republic, he moved to Barbados and subsequently Vietnam. He worked as a mergers and acquisition director from 2016 until 2019, rejoining KPMG BEC in February 2020.

Chris Brome, who leads the advisory practice, is a partner with over 22 years of experience with KPMG in Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and Canada. He is an experienced business leader with experience in strategic management, financial management and financial negotiations, corporate finance and complex valuations.

He brings a wealth of technical experience gained within a wide range of industries that include governmental institutions, insurance, banking, manufacturing, construction, telecommunications,
retail, hospitality, tourism and leisure, oil and gas and not-for-profit organisations. The firm also announced the departure of partners Carol Nicholls and Michael Edghill, who will be leaving KPMG on September 30, 2021, after a combined 80 years of service.

Nicholls joined the firm in 1980, and was admitted to the partnership in 1994. She held the office of managing partner from 2004 to 2017, and has the distinction of being the first female managing partner in a Big 4 firm in Barbados. She was appointed senior partner in 2017.

In her years with KPMG Nicholls also served in the roles of head of audit, professional development partner, professional practice partner, risk management partner and independence and ethics partner. She is also a former chairperson of KPMG Caricom.

Meanwhile, Edghill joined the Firm in 1982 and was promoted to manager in 1990, senior manager in 1992 and partner in 1997. During his tenure with KPMG he served as the statistical audit specialist, head of audit and leader of the financial services sector within the firm. Edghill is also an accredited IFRS reviewing partner. (PR)

The post KPMG the ‘clear choice’ for excellent service appeared first on Barbados Today.

Caribbean

Business

Seven More UK Deportees Arrive In Harare

admin — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 12:50:01 +0000

Seven More UK Deportees Arrive In Harare

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admin Sat, 10/09/2021 - 12:50

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Original Publisher

Diaspora | NewZimbabwe.com

Original Article

Seven More UK Deportees Arrive In Harare

By Leopold Munhende

SEVEN more Zimbabwean deportees arrived on a chartered plane from the UK at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Thursday morning.

However, two other who were supposed to board the same plane for Zimbabwe were removed at the last minute.

NewZimbabwe.com failed to confirm why they were removed.

The deportees whose names were not revealed to the media did not entertain questions from waiting journalists on their arrival.

They expressed dismay over how the earlier arrival of 14 deportees from the UK, last month, was covered by the local media.

However, the media witnessed immigration officers struggling to get some of the arrivals to sign paperwork as they resisted to perform any formalities at the airport.

The seven bring to 21 the number of deportees from the UK in the past two months. The majority have been deported from the UK after serving lengthy custodial sentences for committing crimes such as rape, drugs, fraud and murder.

An official from the Social Welfare Ministry, Totamirepi Tirivavi said the deportees would be taken to the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration (ZIPAM) in Darwendale for quarantine in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“They will be taken to ZIPAM where they will be quarantined for 10 days then after that they will be reunited with their families,” he said.

The 14 deportees that arrived in Zimbabwe last month have since reunited with their families after spending 10 days at ZIPAM.

The UK government has targeted deportations of various nationalists including Zimbabweans, Vietnamese and Jamaicans after their release from prison for committing various crimes.

Despite spirited attempts by various lobby groups and some British MPs to halt the deportations, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has maintained the forced removals will continue.

The post Seven More UK Deportees Arrive In Harare appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.

Diaspora

News

10 hunt Miss Universe Ja title

admin — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 11:00:02 +0000

10 hunt Miss Universe Ja title

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admin Sat, 10/09/2021 - 11:00

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Original Publisher

Jamaica Observer

Original Article

10 hunt Miss Universe Ja title

THE 10 finalists competing for the coveted crown and title Miss Universe Jamaica were revealed at the AC Hotel Kingston last Saturday.

The finalists appeared in swimwear by Vietnamese swimsuit manufacturer Cacdemode before they were presented with sashes by their respective sponsors.

Trudy-Ann Peart, who is also Miss Universe Jamaica North East (Miss Heaven's Fesco), said she entered the pageant to inspire others.

"I entered the Miss Universe Jamaica pageant because I wanted to inspire someone else. I also want to do what I can in assisting persons with mental health, especially among the youth in Jamaica. I want to help them to perform to their optimum in what they do," said Peart.

Keronica Lewis is sponsored by Wash on Wheels.

"I believe that this is such an instrumental platform for any young woman to express their values and give back to the community through the altruism project. I am using this platform to shed light on the homelessness in Jamaica and also youth advocacy," she explained.

For Lauren Less (Miss Donna's Caribbean Restaurant), it has been a dream of hers to enter the pageant.

"Entering this pageant has been a dream of mine. And growing up now, being interested in both beauty and altruism, the pageant offers the perfect platform for what I want to do in the future," Less shared.

Deana Soares (Miss Universe Jamaica Central), who is sponsored by Icon Megastore, is from St Elizabeth. A former student at Hampton School for Girls, she has a degree in medical sciences from The University of the West Indies.

"I've always had a love for pageantry during my younger years, but when you grow older you realise the importance of supporting your community, and I think pageants are a great platform for every young woman to do," she said.

Chavelle Kavanaugh is Miss Universe Jamaica West 2021. Sponsored by AM Shipz, she sees the pageant's focus on wellness as aligning with her goals.

"I love the idea of what they're trying to do. It's not just about beauty, it's also about promoting wellness. I'm a sports massage therapist and an exercise therapist, and I promote that and want to share that," said Kavanaugh.

In a recent interview, national director of the Miss Universe Jamaica Organisation Mark McDermoth shared that attracting sponsorship had been a challenge. A few sponsors have now come on board.

They include Lasco Curves, V8 Energy Drink (Cari-Med Limited), Body by Roxanne & Co, Heaven's Fesco, R Hotel, HTG Engineering Consultants, and Clinicare Pharmacy.

Kemeisha Oates of Body by Roxanne & Co said the alignment with the pageant was a no-brainer for her.

"We are into natural soaps and wellness, so I thought it was a good thing to do. It's a premium and luxury brand to align with and I am very excited about the partnership," said Oates.

Nadine Thomas-Hylton is senior brand manager at Cari-Med, who handles V8 Energy.

"V8 Energy is one of those energy drinks that's made from plant energy. It's very natural and good for you. This pageant can be a bit rigorous at times, and you have to always be energetic, so that's the synergy. We wish the girls all the luck in the competition," said Thomas-Hylton, who wore the Miss Universe Jamaica crown in 1997.

Nathan Heaven, who manages the Fesco Service Station in Mandeville, is happy to once again partner with the pageant.

"We've been with the brand for many years now and we support empowering women. It's really been a pleasure and its all about nation- building," said Heaven.

The grand coronation of Miss Universe Jamaica 2021 will be held virtually from a resort on the north coast on October 30.

The 10 finalists are:

* Lauren Less - Miss Donna's Caribbean Restaurant;

* Aaliyah Barnett - Miss Curves;

* Kaydean Sterling - Miss Body By Roxanne and Co;

* Keronica Lewis - Miss Wash On Wheels;

* Kim Marie Spence - Miss R Hotel Kingston;

* Deana Soares - Miss Universe Jamaica Central 2021 - Miss Icon Megastore;

* Trishani Weller - Miss Universe Jamaica East 2021 - Miss HTG Engineering Consultants Ltd;

* Trudy-Ann Peart - Miss Universe Jamaica Northeast 2021 - Miss Heaven's Fesco;

* Jianna Thompson - Miss Universe Jamaica Northwest 2021 - Miss Clinicare Pharmacy; and,

* Chavelle Kavanaugh - Miss Universe Jamaica West 2021 - Miss AM Shipz

Caribbean

Entertainment

These countries do not qualify for United States Diversity Visa program

admin — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 20:20:01 +0000

These countries do not qualify for United States Diversity Visa program admin Mon, 10/04/2021 - 20:20

Friday, October 1, 2021

Original Publisher

Local – Dominican Today

Original Article

These countries do not qualify for United States Diversity Visa program

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, and Colombia are some of the nations that do not meet the requirements of the contest to obtain permanent residence

Santo Domingo, DR.

The United States Department of State that administers the Diversity Visa Program, better known as the “green card lottery,” issued a statement listing the countries that do not qualify to receive permanent residency through the program by 2023.

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), and Vietnam are the countries listed as “ineligible” to apply for the program.

According to the regulations, the native people of these countries cannot apply because more than 50,000 individuals had already emigrated to the United States in the last five years.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1990, which originated the program, establishes that the so-called “diversity immigrants,” people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States, are those who can apply to the “lottery.”

How are they chosen?

The entity chooses those selected through a random computer algorithm. By 2023, up to 55,000 visas will be available for this concept.

The State Department distributes diversity visas among six regions worldwide, and no country can receive more than 7% of the visas available for each year.

Registration in the program is entirely free.

Apply? These are the requirements.

The first requirement is to be a native of a country with a historically low migration rate. In case you are not a native of a country that possesses this characteristic, then you could consider qualifying through the following route:

–If your spouse is a native of a country that does meet the program’s migration rate. In that case, you can claim the country of birth of your husband or wife as long as they are both listed on the selected entry and enter the United States simultaneously.

You must also complete at least a secondary education or its equivalent, qualified as “successful completion,” or two years of work experience in the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to carry out.

Registration of requests

Applicants must submit program tickets electronically via dvprogram.state.gov between 12:00 noon on Wednesday, October 6, and 12:00 noon on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.

Caribbean

News

Coffee prices soar and threaten to impact the consumer

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 22:40:01 +0000

Coffee prices soar and threaten to impact the consumer

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admin Tue, 07/20/2021 - 22:40

Monday, July 12, 2021

Original Publisher

Economy – Dominican Today

Original Article

Coffee prices soar and threaten to impact the consumer

New York – Coffee prices have soared in recent months due to poor harvests and increased demand and threaten to impact consumers internationally.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture

The increase in demand is related to the change in habits that occurred during the pandemic in many Western countries, where the purchase of coffee machines in homes increased due to the closure of coffee shops.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal affirms that Brazil is preparing for one of the most significant drops in production in two decades due to the scarcity of rainfall.

After a production record in the arabica variant in 2020, a drop was expected this year, but not as steep as feared.

Prices of this Brazilian variety reached their highest value last month since 2016, and on the New York futures market, the arabica variety has risen 18% in the previous three months, to $1.51 a pound (453 grams). Today, coffee futures contracts continued their climb in New York, with a rise of 1.5% in the early stages of the day, to 1.54 dollars.

The newspaper also notes that two other major producers, Colombia and Vietnam, while expecting much better harvests than Brazil, face additional problems.

In Colombia, anti-government protests have blocked roads and slowed down the arrival of the grain to the ports for export, and in Vietnam, where more than a third of the robusta coffee is produced, they are suffering a shortage of containers to transport the product by ship.

In addition, a fourth factor – the interest aroused in raw materials by investors – is also influencing the increase in the price of this product.

Last June, a study by the University of Arizona (USA) revealed that the restrictions and confinements imposed during the pandemic could have a negative impact on the fight against diseases such as the coffee rust fungus and, consequently, on production.

“The spread of covid-19 and coffee rust reveal systemic weaknesses and inequities in our social and economic systems,” said one of the report’s drafters, Kevon Rhiney, a professor at Rutgers University.

It is estimated that around 100 million people worldwide make their living from this commodity, especially in low-income countries.

Caribbean

Business

US records over 500 000 virus deaths

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 12:20:01 +0000

US records over 500 000 virus deaths

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admin Tue, 02/23/2021 - 12:20

Original Publisher

NationNews Barbados — nationnews.com

Original Article

US records over 500 000 virus deaths

Washington – President Joe Biden addressed the nation as the US marks 500 000 deaths from COVID, the most for any country in the world.

“As a nation, we can’t accept such a cruel fate. We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow,” he said.

The president and vice-president, and their spouses, then observed a moment of silence outside the White House during a candle-lighting ceremony.

More than 28.1 million Americans have been infected – another global record.

“Today I ask all Americans to remember. Remember those we lost and remember those we left behind,” he said, calling for Americans to fight COVID together.

Biden ordered all flags on federal property to be lowered to half mast for the next five days.

At the White House, Biden opened his speech by noting that the number of American deaths from Covid is higher than the death toll from World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War combined.

“We often hear people described as ordinary Americans. There’s no such thing,” he said.

“There’s nothing ordinary about them. The people we lost were extraordinary. They span generations. Born in America, emigrated to America.”

“So many of them took their final breath alone in America,” he continued.

He drew on his own experience with grief – his wife and daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972 and one of his son’s died from brain cancer in 2015.

“For me, the way through sorrow and grief is to find purpose,” he said in his live speech to the country.

Biden’s approach to the pandemic is different to his predecessor Donald Trump, who cast doubt on the impact of the deadly virus and was viewed as having politicised the wearing of masks and other measures to prevent the spread of the virus. (BBC)

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BBC: Trump offered Kim Jong-un a ride on Air Force One

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:50:01 +0000

BBC: Trump offered Kim Jong-un a ride on Air Force One

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admin Mon, 02/22/2021 - 16:50

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NationNews Barbados — nationnews.com

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BBC: Trump offered Kim Jong-un a ride on Air Force One

Washington – Former United States President Donald Trump’s meetings with Kim Jong-un were among the most eye-catching moments of his presidency.

In the third and final episode of a new BBC series Trump Takes On The World, directed by Tim Stirzaker, we discover new details about how these summits came about, and speak to those who were in the room when the two men met.

What they saw stunned even the most seasoned diplomats – not least when Trump offered the North Korean dictator a lift home on Air Force One.

Trump’s second summit with Kim Jong-un, in Hanoi, Vietnam, did not go to plan. As negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear programme broke down, Trump left abruptly, saying to the press: “Sometimes you just have to walk.”

But before he departed, the then US president did make one astonishing offer to Kim.

Matthew Pottinger, the top Asia expert on Trump’s National Security Council told us: “President Trump offered Kim a lift home on Air Force One. The president knew that Kim had arrived on a multi-day train ride through China into Hanoi and the president said: ‘I can get you home in two hours if you want.’ Kim declined.” (BBC)

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