Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#Haiti, September 29, 2023 – In eight months, nearly 3,000 Haitian people have been slaughtered in their home country due to the upsurge and uprising of gangs in the republic which is struggling to hold its democracy in check.

‘Bwa Kalé’, it’s a vigilante movement that has sprung up in Haiti, and the UN says it is driving up murders.

Born out of fear and distrust in the state according to the UN, the movement is a violent strike back against the gangs that are terrorizing residents.

A recent report following an expert visit detailed it.

“Certain groups have formed allegedly to protect their neighbourhoods from gangs.  In some instances, these groups have summarily executed people suspected of being gang members.  The Bwa Kalé movement demonstrates the population’s lack of trust in the State, especially in the police and the courts.  The expert has learned that some members of the police and the judiciary have been complicit with gangs.”

Despite the obvious fear among residents, the UN is warning them not to take justice into their own hands.  However, that is easier said than done as Haitians have demonstrated their feelings of abandonment by fleeing the island in mass numbers on illegal voyages and standing up to the gangs themselves.

In the same report, one said: “The State is absent, there are no police or other officials operating there.”

According to AP, a new report to the U.N. Security Council indicated that 2,728 intentional killings were recorded between October 2022 and June 2023, including 247 women, 58 boys, and 20 girls.  Bwa Kalé is blamed partially for the increase, as life in the country is described as unbearable.

Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, September 29, 2023 – After a reported encounter with a patient and a weapon on Wednesday, the TCI Hospital had beefed up security and suspended visitation, but on Thursday afternoon, that 24-hour imposition was lifted.

“The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital would like to inform the public that the heightened security alert, previously imposed due to a reported incident involving a patient and a suspected weapon, has been lowered based on the advice of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. We are pleased to inform you that visitation to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre has now resumed. We understand the temporary suspension of visitation may have caused an inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding during this period,” the CHMC said in a statement.

The threat on Wednesday had resulted in armed officers at the facility, which caused concern for some residents.

The Hospitals say a heightened security alert had to be implemented at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Providenciales following a reported incident involving a patient and a suspected weapon.

The hospital did not provide further details into the incident.

The Police were immediately summoned to the scene and launched ‘a thorough investigation into the matter’ according to the initial press release.

Magnetic Media had received a video of heavily armed security personnel pacing through waiting rooms in the health facility.

The hospital said: “We have immediately deployed additional security personnel to reinforce our on-site security measures. They are well-trained and equipped to handle any potential threats swiftly and effectively.”

In the end, with the threat neutralized, the Hospitals resumed regular functioning at the Providenciales centre.

“The safety and well-being of our staff, patients, and visitors remain our top priority.  Accordingly, we have taken all necessary measures to ensure their protection throughout this situation.

Our security personnel and members of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force worked diligently during this investigation, and we extend our gratitude for their efforts.”

Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, September 29, 2023 – The US is bracing for the beginning of the end of the post-pandemic travel boom while bringing in less money than they expected, after arguably one of the best summer travel seasons in years.  Now, reports indicate US flight ticket prices are plunging as the Federal Reserve and top airlines predict a slowdown in travel this fall season.

Delta airlines, which saw record bookings in summer, hiked up its earnings forecast in July, expecting between $2.20 to $2.50 returns per share.  Now as the fall season begins, it is backtracking on that, expecting to pull in less revenue.

American Airlines forecasts the same.

Both companies are citing increased expenses that took a chomp out of profits, including higher fuel costs, according to a series of regulatory filings seen by our news team.

For Frontier, in their filing, it wasn’t just fuel but higher cancellations rates as well.

American media are reporting that Spirit, Southwest and Alaska Airlines are all predicting lower profits.

More concerning for international travel though, is a report from the Federal Reserve that Americans might be cooling down on luxury travel spending, the September 6th report said.

“Consumer spending on tourism was stronger than expected.”  Despite this better than expected outcome, spending on tourism is slowing and projected to continue down that path.

Specifically, the Fed said tourism spending was, “surging during what most contacts considered the last stage of pent-up demand for leisure travel from the pandemic era.”

The report also expressed concern that more US consumers were turning to borrowing rather than savings, to augment their daily spending.

The lionshare of travellers to the Turks and Caicos visit from the United States.  So far Tourism Officials are not weighing in on how these projections in the country’s leading source market may impact projections in the country.