World News

The African Development Bank Group and the Republic of Tanzania have launched the Skills Development for Youth Employability in Blue Economy project. This is a project that will enable Zanzibari youth to find well-paying maritime and other blue economy jobs.

The Bank is providing grant financing of $48.65 million for the project, with the Tanzanian government contributing an additional $5.42 million. Both parties signed the grant agreement on the 21st of November 2022, with its official launch taking place on 17 May 2023. The project will benefit about 43,000 youth (40% of them female) and prepare over 1,500 of them to start their own enterprises.

The US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has reported that Kīlauea Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island is currently experiencing a new eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater that started at approximately 4:44 a.m.

The summit eruption of Kīlauea that began within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at 4:44 a.m. HST today, June 7, 2023, continues at this time.  All activity is confined to Kīlauea summit region, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. There are no indications of activity migrating out of the summit region.

Trillions of dollars in reparations are owed to nations affected by slavery, a recently concluded study on the quantification of reparations for Transatlantic Chattel Slavery (TCS) in the Americas and the Caribbean has found.

The report identifies the reparations that are due in respect of 31 countries in which TCS was practised, according to Judge Patrick Robinson, former honorary president of the American Society of International Law and the project’s initiator, who spoke at the report’s launch yesterday at the Regional Headquarters of The University of the West Indies. To assess the reparations that are due, it must be established that the injuries or harm suffered by the enslaved are the consequence of wrongful conduct by those who carried out TCS.

The United States is the largest provider of international food assistance in the world, and it takes care that the food that feeds hungry people is safe and nutritious. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that food products are inspected and meet quality standards. What’s more, it requires packaging to keep the food safe and alerts the U.S. Agency for International Development, responsible for managing food aid to other countries, about any issues.

With USAID, the Agriculture Department conducts annual on-site audits of U.S. food commodity suppliers as part of its food safety/quality efforts, says Rufino Perez, senior food technology advisor for USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. And all food provided by USAID adheres to the “Codex Alimentarius Recommended International Code of Practice” — a collection of internationally adopted food standards.

The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) have introduced its first-ever destination magazine, ‘Uniquely Anguilla’, a glossy new publication that brings the destination to life. Compelling imagery, in-depth features covering every aspect of Anguilla’s rich and vibrant heritage and culture, along with helpful travel tips on getting to and around the island, make this magazine the most comprehensive source for information about the island.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo has assumed her duties as Chair of the IATA Board of Governors (BoG) for a one-year term, effective from the conclusion of the 79th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Istanbul, Türkiye on 5 June.

Makolo is the 81st chair of the IATA BoG and the first woman to take on this role. She has served on the BoG since November 2020. She succeeds Pegasus Airlines Chairperson of the Board Mehmet Tevfik Nane who will continue to serve on the BoG.

Jamaican Jemar Bather, who is a native of the parish of Saint Catherine in Jamaica, has completed his Ph.D. in Biostatistics at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is now working at Merck as a senior scientist in biostatistics. In his new role, Dr. Bather will collaborate with physicians to develop new medications for individuals living with infectious diseases.

Jemar Bather was born in Jamaica and raised in the Bronx, New York. He credits his mother, who had migrated to the United States to pursue a better life, with encouraging him in his interest in mathematics.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has identified sustainability of the national economy as key to his vision for tourism in the immediate future. As a step in that direction, the Ministry of Tourism has embarked on the creation of a tourism strategy for Jamaica in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and stakeholders from a wide cross-section of industries and government agencies.

The first in a series of strategy development workshops being staged in resort destinations was held on Friday (June 2) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James. Mr. Bartlett related that his vision was “to make tourism inclusive and the driver of the economy of Jamaica, but most importantly, to make it the centre of community enrichment and human development.”

The first face-to-face Skal Asia Congress since the pandemic opened to a fanfare welcome to Asia Skalleagues.

Once again highlighting the association’s strong bonds of friendship and camaraderie in the association’s long 91-year-old history. The Asia Area represents almost 18% of all global members worldwide. Members from more than a dozen countries make up the dynamic Skal International Asia region.

In 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives officially designated June as Caribbean American Heritage Month, a time when Americans celebrate Caribbean history, culture and the vast contributions Caribbeans have made to American society.

Some of the United States’ greatest achievements — in education, literature, LGBTQ+ rights, public health and science — were made possible thanks to its Caribbean American population.

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority in partnership with the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority has launched its second instalment of its ‘Love Lane’ fast track service for couples travelling to the destination during Antigua and Barbuda’s Romance Month in June.

Couples entering the ‘Love Lane’ on arrival at the award-winning V.C. Bird International Airport from June 1 – June 30, will be fast-tracked through immigration via a special couples-only lane for the month of June celebrations.

Arçelik, one of Europe's leading home appliances companies, announced a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to sustainability. Through its innovative initiatives, in 2022 alone, the company utilized a total of 13,207 tons of recycled plastic in the production of its appliances.

The company has successfully recycled 192 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfill from 2017 to 2022. By using recycled PET bottles, the company has built sustainability and inventive resource solutions into its products such as its washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers and air conditioners.

Train officials have reported at least 280 people were killed and over 900 injured when the two passenger trains collided in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. Railroad ministry spokesperson, Amitabh Sharma, stated that 10 to 12 coaches of one train derailed, and debris from some of the mangled coaches fell onto a nearby track. It was hit by another passenger train coming from the opposite direction. Up to 3 coaches of the second train also derailed.

The President of ATB, Hon. Cuthbert Ncube, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with HE Albert Muchanga, AU Commissioner for Economic Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry, and Mining (ETTIM), today at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The African Tourism Board is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from, and within the African region. Also in attendance to witness the signing was the Hon. Silesh Girma, State Minister of the Ministry of Tourism for Ethiopia.

When Virgin Galactic astronaut and mission specialist Christopher Huie took his first space flight on Unity 25 on May 25, 2023, he wore Jamaican and United States flag patches to reflect his conviction that the trip represents the completion of a journey that had its beginnings on the Caribbean island of Jamaica.

The son of Jamaican immigrants, Huie’s personal origin story begins when his mother moved from Harvey River in the parish of Hanover to Chicago at the age of 17 to live with her aunt and pursue better life opportunities. She then went to Florida where Huie grew up. Huie’s mother flew to New Mexico to watch her son take his first space flight from Spaceport.

“Ever since I was a young child, my adoration for the game of tennis has run deep. Starting at a tender age, I competed fervently and proudly represented Barbados on multiple occasions during my formative years, even earning a couple of CARIFTA medals along the way.

“Before the end of my teenage years, my passion for the art of communication and storytelling began to take shape. Over the years I served as a sports reporter, foreign correspondent, United Nations correspondent, communications consultant, news anchor, talk show host, non-profit communications director, airline and event communications advisor, columnist, and now, full-time public relations consultant.