VOLUME 9 ISSUE 22

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

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VOLUME 9 - No. 22

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MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FINANCIAL ABUSE EXPOSED UK FINANICAL UK MP says British consultants creaming of millions from poor countries

BY HAYDEN BOYCE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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British Member of Parliament (MP) has strongly criticised what she described as the growing practice of United Kingdom (UK) based consultants “creaming off millions of pounds” from money which is provided by the Department of International Development for (DFID).

Diane Abbott, UK Shadow Minister for Public Health, said the rise in the amount of money given to UK-based consultants is alarming.

In fact, she feels so strongly about the issue that she recently drew the matter to the attention of the House of Commons, and urged the Prime Minister David Cameron Government to examine the issues and to “introduce an internal inquiry”.

She stated: “I want to draw the House’s attention to the growing phenomenon of wealthy UK-based management consultancies creaming off millions of pounds from the aid budget. We are seeing—the process has accelerated in recent years— the emergence of lords of poverty.

People are building fat businesses and paying themselves fat salaries creamed from the budget of the Department for International Development. Lords of poverty, hardship tycoons, pin-striped famine magnates:

A TOAST TO THE HISTORY-MAKING SONIA: General Secretary of the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association Sonia Bien-Aime (centre) created history by becoming the first woman to be co-opted on the executive of world government football body FIFA, at its congress in Mauritius last week. Bien-Amie’s appointment lasts one year. Her appointment means that she will be rubbing shoulders with other FIFA executive members in making decisions on the advancement of world football. In the meantime, Oliver Smith (left) was elected to FIFA’s Appeal’s Committee, which will see him hearing appeal cases from players, clubs and countries who feel that they may have been hard-done by officials during international and club league games. His election lasts four years. A welcome party was held for the two last Saturday night at the Providenciales International Airport, immediately after they arrived into the country. At right is Paula Garland, a member of the TCIFA, and who accompanied them on the trip. whatever we call them, the phenomenon is growing, and I think the British public would deprecate it.”

500 PEOPLE IN TCI WITH AIDS PAGE 8

Just a few weeks ago, the Civil Recovery Unit announced that it had recovered $19.5million in cash for

TUBERCULOSIS HITS TUBERCOLOSIS HITS POLICE FORCE PAGE 5

SCOTIBANK NAMED BEST BANK IN CARIBBEAN

WAYNE JONES IS ACTING DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

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the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, but $13million of that amount was paid to the British lawfirm Edwards Wildman.

Laurence Harris, the law firm’s deputy managing partner, confirmed receiving the $13million, but he rejected suggestions that the Turks and Caicos Islands is not receiving value for money and that his law firm was ripping off the country, saying that there was an “investment rate of return of about 50 percent over three years, roughly speaking, which is about 17 percent annually”.

In her impassioned speech to the House of Commons, Hon. Abbott stated: “I go to Jamaica most years, and apart from UK policemen CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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on secondment, people there and in other Caribbean countries have no idea where aid money for the region goes to, because so much of it is spent on UK-based consultants who mix in an exclusive social circle in the capital. They train, and write reports and e-mails, but they do not interact with people.

Aid has a purpose, because in a 21st century global economy, I am my brother’s keeper. It has a purpose, because it is the right thing to do, and promotes global stability. The aid we give to countries…. should build general relationships with this country. If it is trousered

by UK-based consultants, and people in those countries do not see its practical benefits and believe that the only beneficiaries are those consultants who jet in and out, far from helping to build relationships, that aid raises a question mark at the very least.”

The British MP noted that for the whole time she has been a Member of Parliament, the UK has had one of the best records for aid, including individual donations, of any country in Europe. She added that Britain has had a great record under some Conservative Ministers and some Labour Ministers and they have every reason to be proud of that.

However, she stressed: “The new phenomenon of increasing amounts of money going to UKbased management consultancies—some people say it is an ideological move, but I would not—far from building a constituency in this country for high and continuing levels of aid, bids fair to undermine it.

We are a better country because we meet our commitments on aid. The very least the Government can do is to ensure transparency and accountability, and to assure the British public that they are receiving the maximum value for every penny of that aid.”

MP Abbott noted that of the 117 major DFID contracts and procurement agreements worth nearly £750 million, as published on the Government’s contracts portal since January 2011, only nine went to nonUK firms. She revealed that several of the best-paid consultants are former DFID officials, who appear to have gained substantial increases in their personal wealth since leaving the Department, even though they are still doing essentially the same work.

With the greatest respect to Adam Smith International, I must say, as someone who has travelled in Africa and travelled extensively in the Caribbean, where my family originate from, that the idea that one cannot get the skills to improve and strengthen the government and

Diane Abbott economic structures of third-world countries without paying UK-based directors £125,000 each is risible.

There are so many people of Nigerian, Afghan, Caribbean or horn of Africa origin with the skills, ability and talent, but they are unable to break into this sort of work because companies such as Adam Smith International have a death grip on it.

They use the size of their organisations to squeeze out smaller and aspirant organisations. I am concerned about aid as a British parliamentarian, on behalf of the British taxpayer, and as someone with an interest in global realities and the important role that aid can play in creating global stability, and as one who one wants to help the poorest people in the world. I am also concerned about aid because, having personal contacts in some of the countries where it is dished out, I know that it causes huge frustration to see UK-based consultants flying out for a week or a month, staying in four-star hotels, going around in 4x4 vehicles, sending a few e-mails, writing reports that simply regurgitate known facts and then flying back to the UK, when there are local people who have a better understanding of the conditions. Whether it is in Afghanistan, West Africa, the Caribbean or the horn of Africa, local people could do those jobs just as well.”

Ms. Abbott told the British MPs that if the UK employs locally based consultants, first, it would help to build the knowledge base and infrastructure of overseas countries and, secondly, we pump money into their economies.

She added: “If the only hope that people in third-world countries have when faced with those bloated UK consultancies is to get a job as a driver, a cook or a nanny, and if in the 21st century we are not prepared to start to shift funding to the skills and talent that we know exist in some of those countries, it is no wonder that the question of aid has become a talking point not only in the UK—often among people who are opposed to the principle of aid in the first place—but in Africa.

How much good has that aid really done? Part of the reason people que-

ry how much aid we give to Africa and the third world—we can all see the statistics—is that they see that the money is paid to UK-based consultants and has a minimum practical effect in the local economies.”

Commenting on who she called “the lords of poverty”, Abbott said there are dozens of staff in UKbased development consultancies— substantially funded by DFID—who pay themselves six-figure salaries.

She noted, for example, that the Hertfordshire-based HTSPE, which got a third of its turnover from DFID last year, the highest paid director is on £144,000. The company earned £12.1 million in 2010-11 and is currently involved in the Department’s numerous programmes. GRM International received large sums of money from DFID but managed to pay only £47,000 in tax in Britain last year—possibly a debate for another time. GRM International was bought out by managers in 2009 and has since merged with another aid giant, Futures Group, and secured massive contracts from the US and Australian Governments. The firm was paid £67.7 million in management consultancy fees for aid delivery to the poorest communities in Zimbabwe in August 2011. Last year, the highest-paid director in Oxford Policy Management, which runs the DFID oil sector transparency initiative—I wonder if they have heard about that in the Nigerian delta—and several other programmes, earned £125,000, up 25% in a year.

She continued: “No one says that people working for such companies should not get a living wage, to coin a phrase, or competitive rates. If we look at the absolute poverty in the countries that they are working in and recognise the possible effect on local economies if we were more willing to give money to local consultants, however, we have to query such massive salaries, profits and turnover, from DFID expenditure and with no real clarity about the outcomes. There is immense good will in this country for the concept of giving money, whether from an individual’s pocket or from the Government, to help some of the poorest people in the world. That good will, however, is being strained by the rising amount that is going to British-based consultancies and by the difficulty of seeing their outturn. I urge the Government to look at some of the margins and massive profits that some organisations are making—the salaries that bosses pay themselves, and the millions of pounds of turnover—from DFID money. They must examine whether some of those margins can be shaved. Everyone else is practising austerity, so why should the lord of poverty not do so? Why is it necessary to pay people hundreds of thou-

sands of pounds to prevail upon them to take up work to help some of the poorest people in the world?

Above all, we must consider using more local experts and consultants.

Everyone who is concerned about aid agrees that that provides better value for money, and the people involved understand local conditions and are in it for the long term.”

Making specific mention to a company which she described as “another lord of poverty”, creaming millions off the aid budget, she noted that, the Adam Smith Institute was paid a total of £37 million by DFID last year to promote the free market in the third world. Its total turnover that year was £53.6 million, with profits of £5 million, up 10% in 2010.

She stated: “Let us pause and think. We in this country, as a consequence of austerity, are seeing cuts in Government and at local government level. All Hon. Members know that some measure of austerity would have had to happen, whoever was in government, but ordinary people are seeing cuts in their local government services and at Government level. Yet one of the lords of poverty is able to drive its profits up by 10% to £5 million. It gets better. The managing director of Adam Smith International, which gets most of its money from DFID and therefore from the taxpayers— the same taxpayers who are seeing cuts to their local government services and cuts in Government— pays himself a salary with dividends that in 2010 totaled almost £1.3 million. The managing director of Adam Smith International trousers £1.3 million. Anything further removed from the public’s idea of the kind of people who go abroad to help some of the poorest people in other countries could not be imagined. I repeat that, if we are going to build a constituency for continuing high levels of aid—in my view, it should increase—we have to examine this sort of abusive business activity, with people running what are supposed to be aid organisations and paying themselves salaries in the millions. William Morrison, another member of Adam Smith International, earned £200,000 from that firm and collected dividends worth £1.06 million from its parent company, Amphion Group, which is wholly owned by him and three of his fellow directors. Amphion Group’s accounts state that its purpose is to act as a holding company for Adam Smith International. Mr Morrison’s salary rose by a quarter last year, to £253,000. He and his three fellow directors shared dividends of £7.5 million—almost £1.9 million each— which they paid to the Amphion Group. The directors collected salaries averaging £125,000 each.”

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LOCAL NEWS

The US Caribbean relationship

BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

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uch media coverage was given to the signing on May 28 in Trinidad of a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) by US Vice President, Joseph Biden, and current Chairman of the 15-nation Caribbean Community, Haiti’s President Michel Martelly.

But the TIFA must not be mistaken for what it is not. Although its name sounds grand, it is more a declaration of ambitions and desires than a concrete agreement with predictable outcomes and deliveries.

Further, it has been in negotiation for several years; it is not a timely gift to the region in light of the present economic and other difficulties being experienced by many of the Caribbean countries.

If the TIFA is to become meaningful, Caribbean States will have to pursue it energetically and vigorously. It is in their interest to do so.

As background, it should be understood that a TIFA was originally signed by the US and CARICOM in 1991 – twenty-two years ago. Over that period, it went into dormancy until in October 2006, the two sides agreed to work towards its revision to reflect global advances and to take account of regional developments, in particular, the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) launched in January 2006.

It has taken more than six years for the negotiations to be concluded – not least because CARICOM countries have themselves slowed down perfecting the Single Market that they gave as a reason for revising the TIFA. There is always the danger that, unless the new TIFA is pursued by Caribbean countries with seriousness, workable proposals, and a high level of integration, it too will fade into dormancy.

The United States market is far too important to the countries of the Caribbean for vigorous initiatives not to be taken under the TIFA so as to turn its promises to fulfillment and its potential into real outcomes. Despite the fact that US economic growth declined steadily for a number of years until recent months, the US is the major export market for the majority of CARICOM countries in both goods and services.

The economies of many Caribbean countries have benefitted from the unilateral preferences granted by the US under its two programmes – the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) and the Caribbean Ba-

sin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). These instruments provide non-reciprocal duty-free market access for nearly all goods from beneficiary countries within CARICOM. A few vital commodities are not included, but now might be the time to argue for them not on a basis of national production, but on a scheme of pan-Caribbean production rooted in the integration of the factors of production under the Caribbean Single Market.

Whether the latter most desirable development takes place or not, the point is that the US remains the biggest market for the goods and services of the majority of CARICOM countries. For example, of Trinidad and Tobago’s exports in 2010 estimated at US$12.06 billion f.o.b., the US was the number one market taking a share of 43.7 percent. Similarly, in respect of Jamaica’s exports in 2010 estimated at US$1.487 billion f.o.b., the US was again the top market accounting for a share of 37 per cent. In Guyana’s case, of its total estimated exports of US$814 million f.o.b., the US was second to Canada by less than 1 per cent at 28.6 percent.

The preferences given unilaterally by the US to the 15-nation CARICOM countries under CBERA and the CPTBA have been questioned at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and to the credit of the US, it fought to secure a waiver to allow the preferences to continue until 2014. It is doubtful that the WTO would extend the waiver in the future. This is all the more reason why the CARICOM countries should engage the US to explore new possibilities for trade, aid and investment.

What is required is a renewed US involvement in the region that goes beyond drug trafficking and money laundering, important as these are.

The United States-CARICOM Council on Trade and Investment which oversees the TIFA, is supposed to meet before yearend. CARICOM countries should be pressing for that meeting, but they should also have in place concrete and realistic proposals for enhancing aid for trade, and US investment in critically-needed infrastructural projects as well as health and education schemes. There should also be serious proposals to curb US finger-pointing at the Caribbean financial services sector as well as US extra-territoriality schemes such as the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). These latter matters should be replaced by mutually-beneficial arrangements that are co-operative.

The Caribbean also has to appreciate that

Turks and Caicos Sun Suite # 5, Airport Plaza Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands Tel: (649) 946-8542 Fax: (649) 941-3281 Email: sun@suntci.com Read us online at www.suntci.com Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Hayden Boyce Senior Editor: Vivian Tyson Offic e Manager: Dominique Rigby Information Technology and Production Manager: Kelano Howell Design by Design2pro.com The Turks and Caicos SUN is a subsidiary of The SUN Media Group Ltd. We are committed to excellence in journalism, educating and informing our readers, serving and satisfying our advertisers and assisting in the overall development of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

it is of less significance as a market to the US than the countries of Central America and many in Latin America. Over the last two decades, trade between the US and Central America, for instance, has grown while trade between the US and CARICOM countries has been flat. US exports to the CARICOM region in 2012, were valued at $11.7 billion. It has grown by 6 percent since 2011 and it does represent jobs and revenues to US companies and the US economy. Nonetheless, it is not huge. CARICOM exports, however, have not similarly increased to the US If CARICOM countries are to secure the attention of the US on development and investment issues, the US has to see a region ready to deepen its economic integration, improve its capacity for doing business and attracting investment.

As he left the Caribbean, Vice President Biden said he was aware that the Caribbean countries face unique challenges and added that the U.S. administration’s goal is “not simply growth, but it’s growth that reaches everybody.”

Caribbean governments should now hold him to his word, but they too must show themselves ready to do the work and undertake the reforms that would command the US government’s attention.

According to the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who hosted the US-CARICOM meeting on May 28, the talks with Biden were sometimes ‘brutal’. Fortunately, they could be. It is doubtful that there will be any such ‘brutal’ talks with the Caribbean’s next visitor – President Xi of China.

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LOCAL NEWS

Tuberculosis hits police force

BY VIVIAN TYSON

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he Five Cays Police Station in Providenciales was the scene of a massive sanitation exercise this past week after doctors diagnosed a female member attached to that outlet with the lung disease Tuberculosis.

The cleaning exercise was recommended by the Environmental Health, after medical practitioners at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre suggested that the facility be closed, which the police said was out of the question.

All the officers at the station were also recommended for testing to figure out whether or not they contracted the disease. The SUN can confirm that a number of the officers there have been already tested while others were due for examination on the weekend. They are expecting begin getting their results next week.

In the meantime, a source said that there are jitters among most of the officers, who are anxious about their results. He said even some of those attached to the headquarters at Old Airport

are nervous because they carry prisoners to the facility on a regular basis.

As a result, senior officers had to be going around counseling them in an attempt to bring about calm and allow the officers to concentrate on their job of crime-fighting.

The SUN learned that the female officers, who had been feeling ill for quite some time, made several visits to the doctor but each time was given medication to treat her unconfirmed illness.

Each time that she left the doctor she would return to work not knowing she was infected with tuberculosis.

Last week, it is understood that she fell severely ill and results from extensive testing revealed she was infected with the disease. During that time she had intermingled with a number of colleagues.

“We are hoping that it does not spread to other officers because that would cause catastrophe within our organization,” the source said.

When contacted, Commissioner of Police Colin Farquar, who confirmed the incident, said that

he was not sure whether or not it could be a prisoner who passed on the disease to one of his officers. He is not ruling out such possibility though.

Everybody has a little bit of apprehension that they may get some kind of a disease. But that is part of police work. We end up working with a lot of people that have various diseases and that is one of the inherent dangers of police work some ways,” Farquar said.

In the meantime, the commissioner said that he had not come to his attention of anyone seeking counseling, but if they do, he would not hesitate to provide it.

“I have not heard of anybody requesting counseling. Certainly that would be provided if requested. We know that people are going for testing and that sort of thing, and I would hope that the hospital would be providing them with certain information about the disease and what it may or may not do to each individual and what precaution they could take, and also what they should do. I am assuming that the hospital would do that,” the commissioner said.

TCIG TO IMPLEMENT CHARGE ON FREIGHT AND INSURANCE OF IMPORTED GOODS

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s part of the government’s tradeoff for not introducing VAT (Value Added Tax), and in keeping with its commitment to identify additional revenue streams, TCIG has decided to introduce a charge on the cost of insurance and freight.

This new measure will become effective on July 1, 2013, and will apply to all Bills Of Lading whether freight and insurance are prepaid or postpaid. However, Gasoline and Diesel will be exempted in order to minimise the cost to the public. In order to simplify processing, a charge of 15% on the value of Freight and Insurance will be applied.

For example: ocean freight on an

less than a container load of 120.00 cubic feet would attract a charge in the range of $300.00 and that would equate to a total of $45.00 payable to TCIG. The government intends for this temporary revenue measure to remain enforce pending the recommendations of a Blue Ribbon Commission on taxation which will be appointed later this year. This Commission will be made up of representatives of government, the private sector and external experts and will work to identify a sustainable revenue base for TCIG. A Government official told the SUN that the 15 percent which is only

being charged on freight and insurance, does not mean that merchants should increase their prices by 15 percent.

“Most of the merchants will be bringing in hundreds or thousands of items in a container or on a pallet so if they are only paying 15 percent on the freight and insurance, it means that they would have to spread that 15 percent across the whole set of items in the container or pallet, which in actually fact works out to a few cents,” the official explained. “It therefore would be wrong for supermarkets and other businesses to increase prices by 15 percent.”

INVESTORS URGED TO OPEN THEIR WALLETS TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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.S. and Chinese investors are being urged to “opevn their wallets” to investment opportunities in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The call to action came from the Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands, Dr. Rufus Ewing and his finance minister, C. Washington Misick, at the 2013 Avalon Invest Caribbean Now forum held in New York City on June 5, 2013.

Dr. Ewing shared several opportunities currently available for investment in the TCI as well as expansion and infrastructure enhancements planned by his Progressive National Party government.

These include the expansion of the Providenciales International Airport; the Caicos Causeway Project that will stretch from Providenciales to South Caicos; the development of College Park catering for medical, trade and hospitality schools and the establishment of technology parks on the island as part of a Software Development Economic Special Zone.

The Premier and Minister Misick

also disclosed opportunities for the development of AP/EP branded hotels of quality on the island to boost the island’s hotel room stock; yachting tourism via marina development; a deep water port among several others.

Other speakers and presenters at the Avalon ICN 2013 included Anthony Eterno of the Caribbean Affairs Office of the U.S. State Department; Felicia Persaud, founder of Invest Caribbean Now and CMO at Hard Beat Communications; Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Commissioner of tourism of the USVI, Beverly Nicholson Doty; Alan Loewenstein, managing partner of Wedgewood Investment Group; Miguel Reyna, director, Port Business Development and Asset Management, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.; Heather Flossiac of Belle Vue Properties of St. Lucia; E. Jay Saunders, CEO of Digicel TCI; Brian Lilly, founder of One Caribbean Television and Ganesh Ramanathan, creative director at Hard Beat Communications; Dr. Grace Lappin of Avalon Partners, Inc. and Arthur Piccolo of the Bowling

Green Association.

Private sector attendees included representatives from JP Morgan Chase, Nomura, Aegis Capital, Merrill Lynch, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd, Frontier Markets Capital, Ltd.; Waterloo Investments Holdings Ltd.; RBC Merchant Bank Caribbbean; efm Hospitality; CIBC World Markets; RBC Royal Bank and Ibis Investments among others.

Over twelve dozen delegates attended the Avalon Invest Caribbean Now Forum at the Radisson Martinique Hotel in mid-town, Manhattan, including Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands, Dr. Rufus Ewing and his Minister of Finance C. Washington Misick; Minister of Tourism & International Transport, International Trade, Industry, Commerce & Consumer Affairs St. Kitts, Ricky Skerritt; Minister for Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries, St. Lucia, Lorne Theophilus; Minister of Tourism Nevis, Mark Brantley; Minister of Tourism of Antigua & Barbuda, John Maginley.

SWIMMERS CAUTIONED TO LOOK OUT FOR JELLY FISH

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rising out recent reports of jellyfish stings, the Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) would like to caution swimmers to the possible presence of jelly fish in the Grace Bay area and urges visitors in particular to be on the look out.

On Sunday June 2 and Monday June 3 three individuals swimming in the Grace Bay, near Club Med were reportedly stung by jellyfish. The victims were treated at the Myrtle Rigby clinic and released.

DEMA Officers swam the area where the incidents took place on Tuesday June 4, but were unable to locate any jellyfish. Nevertheless, the Department is urging swimmers in the Grace Bay area to swim with caution until further notice.

Jellyfish vary in size from approximately one inch in diameter to up to 12 inches.

The stings come from tentacles that can drag as much as 36 inches from their bodies. Swimmers are therefore advised to avoid jellyfish whenever they see them and report any sightings to DEMA at 941-5122.

Jellyfish problems in near shore areas, usually resolve themselves in a few days, as tides take the animals back out to sea. DEMA appreciates the cooperation of visitors and the public in this matter.

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LOCAL NEWS

About 500 people in TCI living with AIDS

BY VIVIAN TYSON

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ora Tyndall, Care & Treatment and Contact Investigator in the Ministry of Health and Human Services, said that there about approximately 500 persons in the Turks and Caicos Islands living with HIV or AIDS, which she said is a very high number judging from the size of the country.

Tyndall made the disclosure on Wednesday (June 5) while delivering a presentation at the PAHO-sponsored HIV Anti-Stigma and Discrimination Workshop at the Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) in the Bight, Providenciales.

Tyndall said that many of the infected persons are afraid to come forward and get the necessary treatment out of fear of being discriminated against, which she said was not only bad for their health but also poses a danger to society.

“Local people are scared to come for health care. They know that they will not die from the disease but still afraid to come forward,” Tyndall said.

Tyndall revealed also that it is a great challenge getting some people infected with HIV to take their medication simply because most of

Aldora Robinson them are not mentally and emotionally ready. According to her, if one is not mentally ready there is hardly anything that can be done to make them take their medication.

In the meantime, Aldora Robinson, Head of the National AIDS Programme told The SUN that discrimination among health workers of persons with HIV/AIDS still exists and so the workshop was held to first sensitize those within the sector, before moving on to the wider community.

“We found that there are some

discriminatory stigmatized behaviors at our healthcare centres and that is why we are first addressing stigma and discrimination within the healthcare settings, within the Turks and Caicos Islands.

We have had our Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior and Practice (KABP) study done, and that has told us that there is a high level of stigma and discrimination still within our country.

“And so, the persons who go to work within our healthcare settings are individuals, even though they are healthcare workers. And even as healthcare workers they still have fear and what we need to do is to dispel the myths, because HIV has now been classified as a chronic illness,” Robinson said.

She pointed out that the smallness of the Turks and Caicos Islands is one of the driving factors of discrimination, stressing that those inflicted with the disease are sometimes discriminated even by family members.

“We know that we live in a small country and that in itself causes discrimination and stigma of certain issues within our society, and HIV is one of them. Actually it is the one that is most discriminated against, as far as jobs, as far as education, as

far as families are concerns, and as far as friends. Discrimination isolates persons living with HIV,” she said.

Once persons are educated on the matter, according to Robinson, they would drop their preconceived beliefs and begin to treat those living with the disease with dignity and respect.

“Actually HIV is not very easy to contract, so why should people be fearful? You can’t get HIV from somebody kissing you, hugging you, sharing the same utensils, sleeping in the same bed. So, we need to dispel these myths by having continuous sessions that would get us to zero discrimination, zero new infections and zero deaths as well,” she said.

Robinson also made a presentation at the event. Other presentations were done by Dr. Jamillah Berry, Health Planner in the Ministry of Health, Human Services; Hezron Henry, of the National AIDS Programme; Dr. Dawn O’Sullivan; and Government Psychologist Dr. Patrick Prince.

Porsha Clarke, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Human Services and Dr. Nadia Astwood, Director of Health Services brought greetings at the event.

BUTTERFIELD GOLD GROUP OF COMPANIES POSITIONS AVAILABLE Island Pride Foods One (1) Store Manager Over ten (10) years experience in supermarket retail and wholesale management.

Applicant must have current product knowledge of the retail industry and record ability to achieve the budget financial and operating results including sales profitability and wage percentage.

Must have experience in managing the human resource activities.

Must have the ability to identify, develop and direct the implementation of business strategy and report to owners on organizational plans.

Applicant must be able to work extended hours including nights, weekend and holidays.

Pay commensurate with experience salary range form $65,000.00 - $75,000.00

Submit applications to by June 20, 2013 to: Butterfield Gold Ltd., Human Resource Department, Town Center Mall Providenciales Tel: 649-946-4211

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LOCAL NEWS

Scotiabank named Best Overall Trade Bank in Central America and the Caribbean

MINISTER OF HEALTH TO ATTEND THIRD PAN-AMERICAN CONFERENCE

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inister with responsibility for Health and Human Services Hon. Porsha Stubbs -Smith left the island on June 5, 2013 for Aruba where she will attend the “The Third Pan-American Conference on Obesity, with Special Attention on Childhood Obesity” (PACO III).

PACO III is supported by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and aims to identify regional actions to prevent childhood obesity and promote regional cooperation on the prevention of childhood obesity in interested countries.

The meeting is expected to provide ministers and delegates with an increase awareness of the importance of preventing childhood obesity as well as a compilation of technical documents on practical activities to promote physical activity and healthy food.

During the meeting will run from June 5 to 8, and cover the following: The development of partnerships to conduct activities with communities and families Procedures to conduct physical activity and for food culture at the population level.

Identification of indicators to evaluate the training / intervention Development of healthy environments in the community, schools, and workplaces.

One of the objectives of this meeting is to increase well qualified human resources and health educators to prevent childhood obesity in countries participating in this project.

Minister Stubbs -Smith will be accompanied

by TCIG Epidemiologist Dr. Terese Maitland.

The Minister will return to the TCI on June 9.

S

cotiabank has been recognized as the Best Overall Trade Bank in Central America and the Caribbean by Trade Finance Magazine for the fourth time in 5 years. In addition, Scotiabank was highly commended by the magazine for placing second in the Best Trade Bank in Canada category.

“We are honoured to accept this award from Trade Finance Magazine and would like to thank the readers for recognizing Scotiabank’s outstanding service,” said Paul LeBlanc, Senior Vice-President, Trade Services and Financial Institutions, Global Transaction Banking (GTB), Scotiabank. “Receiving this award reinforces Scotiabank’s continued success and strength in Central America and the Caribbean and our commitment to providing our clients with industry-leading trade products and services around the world.”

Scotiabank’s GTB unit offers corporate and commercial clients integrated business solu-

tions to support operations in their country of origin and internationally.

“We are dedicated to providing our clients with expanded and integrated trade finance solutions and we are proud to be recognized for our expertise and capabilities in these regions,” added Mr. LeBlanc.

The 2013 Best Overall Trade Bank Award represents a combination of reader nominations and a market assessment carried out by Euromoney’s Trade Finance Magazine.

Scotiabank’s Global Transaction Banking (GTB) business provides financial solutions including cash management, payments, trade finance and correspondent banking services to commercial and corporate clients domestically and around the world by drawing on more than 180 years of banking experience to meet evolving client needs. Scotiabank, through its Global Transaction Banking (GTB) unit, currently offers a wide variety of domestic

and cross-border trade finance solutions including specialized vendor programs, cross-border buyer credits and subsidiary financing.

Scotiabank is a leading multinational financial services provider and Canada’s most international bank. With more than 83,000 employees, Scotiabank and its affiliates serve some 19 million customers in more than 55 countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. In December 2012, Scotiabank became the first Canadian bank to be named Global Bank of the Year and Bank of the Year in the Americas by The Banker magazine, a Financial Times publication. With assets of $754 billion (as at April 30, 2013), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit www. scotiabank.com.

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2007

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8500.00

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2007

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9700.00

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9000.00

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8000.00

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Ford Focus

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7500.00

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7500.00

Hyundai Accent

2009

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6800

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8500.00

Dodge Caravan

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8000.00

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9500.00

Hyundai Accent

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29900.00

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16000.00

Hyundai Accent

2009

7657

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12000.00

Daihatsu Terios

2008

7332

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16000.00

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2009

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12000.00

Ford Explorer

2009

7593

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30500.00

Ford Taurus

2006

6790

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6500.00

Mazda CX5

2014

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39900.00

Toyota Corolla

2006

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Ford Explorer

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Newer vehicles are available for information please call the Office 941-3910.

Page 10

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

Turks and Caicos Islands maintains its efforts to meet requisite international standards in the fight against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing T

urks and Caicos Islands’ active membership in the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), the organisation of 29 members state with a mission to implement common countermeasures to address the problem of criminal money laundering, continues to demonstrate that the small jurisdiction does it utmost to prevent and recognise the risk of financial crimes.

Since joining the Institution in the mid-1990’s Turks and Caicos Islands has been actively involved in and committed to the work of the CFATF through participation to the ongoing programme of mutual evaluation of members, co-ordination of, and participation in training and technical assistance programmes, and most importantly through self-assessment of the implementation of recommendations made by the organisation.

Despite the country aspiration and efforts to attain full compliance, the latest CFATF report in November 2012, noted that the TCI was in compliance with only four of the 16 core and key recommendations to meet accepted standards.

The country was, however, partially compliant with 13 of the recommendations and only non-compliant with one.

“The Turks and Caicos Islands continue to address the outstanding issues with regard to their Anti Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance in the face of an enormous legislative and administrative agenda to deal with Constitutional issues,” the report said of the TCI’s recent return to elected government. “… TCI is again urged to deal with some of the longer outstanding issues especially as they

pertain to implementation, and it is recommended that they report back to the May 2013 Plenary (meeting).”

Nonetheless, progress has been made in the past year and the TCI Financial Services Commission (FSC) as well as the Financial Intelligence Unit ( FIU) through a public awareness campaign, AML /CTF and compliance seminars as well as interactive discussions with the media has been seeking to inform and train financial services providers in the latest countermeasures in Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. These events have underlined that implementation of global standards to prevent money-laundering safeguards both the reputation and balances bottom line of TCI financial institutions.

Indeed, as stressed by AML /CTF experts during the latest FSC seminar held in Providenciales in late April, legitimate investors want to know that their money and any other investment into the TCI is safe. An imbalance can be created when an influx of laundered money enters a country’s financial system. More often than not this influx can distort capital flows and drive away or make it difficult for legitimate investors to compete in the financial and other investment markets.

This week, TCI officials from the Attorney’s General Chambers, the Financial Services Commission and the Police Force will attend a Biannual plenary meeting of the CFATF in Nicaragua, and will report on the country’s progress in meeting standards and seek to get the organisation’s support in reaching their goals One can safely assume that another effort by the TCI to comply with international standards in AML/CTF will certainly be at the centre of the TCI delegation’s presentation at this week plenary, when the registration and regulation of Designated Non Financial Business and Professions (DNFBP), namely Lawyers, Accountants, Real Estate agents and Dealers in high value goods, is discussed.

Following the recent appointment of the FSC as the responsible authority for this group under the Proceeds of Crime Ordinance (POCO), anti money laundering awareness sessions are being held by the regulator as part of a worldwide campaign to register and regulate the new category of businesses often exposed to the threat of financial crimes. Latest press releases issued by the FSC suggest a proactive involvement of leaders

of these relevant businesses. This positive reception has prompted the regulatory authority to confirm that training will continue throughout this year and into 2014 in order to equip management and staff of DNFBP with sufficient knowledge to achieve full compliance.

Despite the noticeable progress made by the FSC in the fight against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, it cannot possibly bear the sole responsibility of combating financial crimes. Though the authority arguably initiates the process by first developing appropriate legal, regulatory and supervisory mechanisms and by ultimately imposing sanctions for non compliant businesses and institutions, the FSC needs the assistance and partnership of investigating and prosecuting agencies such as the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Financial Crime Unit (FCI) which are both specific departments within the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force.

Judiciously, CFATF Secretariat, in collaboration with United Nations International Drug Control Programme, developed a regional strategy for technical assistance and training to aid in the effective investigation and prosecution of money laundering and related asset forfeiture cases.

The TCI Financial Intelligence Unit’s 2012 annual report says it investigated 23 reports of suspicious transactions last year.

According to FIU the TCI has seen offences ranging from cheque fraud, false accounting, obtaining property by deception, and in relation to offences under POCO – converting, concealment and possession of criminal property, to name a few.

The FIU had some notable success last year in seizing assets based on their investigations. The unit made its first seizure of $187,000 in March 2012. A month later, it obtained a confiscation order for $21 million in relation to the 2010 conviction of David Smith for his OLINT Ponzi scheme. This was seen as a real achievement for a small team in a jurisdiction emerging from serious financial difficulties.

While there is no specific budget for meeting CFATF requirements, POCO provides for a national forfeiture fund of certain recovered money. After consultation with Cabinet, the Governor can spend money from the fund on things like training, public awareness and investigation of money laundering, terrorist financing and drug trafficking.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 11

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

LOCAL NEWS

Police displays guns recovered recently

BY VIVIAN TYSON

T

he Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force put on display some of the more than 100 guns recovered up to recently so that the community would appreciate the level of firearm confiscation work that local law enforcement officers have been doing to keep our communities safe.

Acting Superintendent in charge of the Firearms Division, Darron Williams, said that the guns have been accumulated in recent time.

The display was made on Monday, June 3, at the Police Headquarters along Old Airport Road in Providenciales, during the official launch of the one-month gun amnesty, which runs from June 1 to July 1.

According to him, the arsenal includes high powered weapons, such as an SKS and AR15 rifles. The SKS was recovered last month during a traffic stop in the Blue Hills area, Providenciales. There were two tables on display. One bore guns that the police seized off the street and the other was for guns that persons in the community volunteered to bring in.

“When you look at the display you can tell what the police goes through on a daily basis, and it tells you that our community is not safe,” Williams said. “We have collected well over a hundred guns from

From left – HE Governor Ric Todd, Commissioner of Police Colin Farquar, Deputy Premier Hon. Akierra Missick Head of the Firearms Division of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Acting Superintendent Darron Williams view firearms that were either handed in or seized by the police over the years. around the Turks and Caicos, including South Caicos and Grand Turk.

On Provo, we get them almost on a daily basis.”

He continued: “We have about seven are high-powered weapons among the intake. We have got an SKS off the streets a few weeks ago.

We classified it as an assault weapon; the reason being is that it carries high calibre ammunition such as 7.62. We also have on display the AR15, which carries the 5.56 calibre ammunition. That is also a high

Our company consist of a diversified group of companies, ranging from financial services to hotels and resorts as well as other industries.

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powered weapon,” Williams said.

Williams said that some of the weapons have already gone through the court procedure, while others are still being used as evidence in other matters.

“Some of them have already been before the courts and we have many more that are in pending court cases,” he said.

Williams said that a number of persons in the community also volunteered over the years to turn in weapons that they believe they no

longer need.

“People do turn in firearms to us,” he said.

In the meantime, Williams said that the police are looking at ways to increase penalties for firearm offenders, since despite more stringent laws being put in place to combat illegal firearms use in the country, hoodlums continue to use them in illicit activities.

“We are looking at different laws as it relates to firearms at this moment. I know recently the government has given us stiffer penalties in terms of firearms. But if you look at daily activities you will see that people are still committing offenses with firearms. Therefore that tells you that more firearms are on the street.

“You may ask the police, what are we doing in terms of combating these firearms? There are different measures in place. First, we have the different penalties that are much stiffer than we had in the past.

Secondly, we are reviewing all our licensing processes. We are viewing laws in respect to firearms and firearms offenses.

“There are some laws I think should be on the book that are not there. We have people committing these offenses and so, we are to make sure that we include these laws that are not there,” Williams said.

Page 12

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

Governor and Commissioner of Police refute Opposition Leader’s charge that gun amnesty is a sham

BY VIVIAN TYSON

G

overnor for the Turks and Caicos Islands HE Ric Todd and Commissioner of Police Colin Farquhar have butted heads with the Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson-led Opposition over the way the month-long gun amnesty is being crafted.

Cartwright-Robinson, during a news conference at the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) headquarters last month, labeled the gun amnesty as a set-up designed to herd more of our young people into prison.

Under the amnesty, which runs from June 1 to July 1, persons with illegal guns, who turn them in would face no charges for having them illegally.

However, if after ballistic testing the weapons are found to have been involved in any crimes, an investigation would be launched and the guilty party could face criminal charges.

Cartwright-Robinson and her opposition team see this as a paradox to what the police set out to achieve. “I am not sure how successful the last one (gun amnesty) was, but it was not as successful as they had hoped, and they were able to retrieve, I think, two ďŹ rearms. This time around, the commissioner of police has made a statement that the period would happen, and there would be persons to receive them (guns). But they would test the guns to see if they were involved in any robberies – any offenses – and charges would be brought. That is

a sure way to make sure that not one gun is off the street. “You will not hear the Opposition supporting that. We don’t know that that is an amnesty – it’s a set-up. The PDM supports gun amnesty programmes but cannot support the gun amnesty programme under the terms set out recently by the commissioner of police. We believe that this term will doom the programme to fail and we believe that no one is going to turn in illegal guns under these conditions,� Cartwright-Robinson said in the May 7 news conference.

However, the police commissioner and the governor defended the terms of the amnesty, stating that it is meant to rid the streets of gun and not to incriminate anyone. “I don’t know what it means by a ‘set-up’. One of the things that we have to do is to investigate any ďŹ rearm that comes in our possession. So the question is, a career criminal is going to bring in a ďŹ rearm that was used in a murder and turned it in and then we are going to destroy it without even checking it? I think we need to be realistic, we can’t be naĂŻve,â€? the commissioner said.

He said that the testing of the ďŹ rearms is a routine exercise to ensure that the guns are clean. He assured those contemplating on whether or not to bring in a gun obtained from someone else that if the gun is found to be used in the commission of a crime they would not be prosecution. “For all the ďŹ rearms that come in we are going to do some sort of ballistic testing, and we do

that with any of the ďŹ rearms that we have – any of the ones that we have recovered. And is just to do a proper investigation, because perhaps that ďŹ rearm was used in a murder and homicide in another jurisdiction or maybe it had been used here.

So, I think we need to be realistic.

The amnesty is to allow people who illegally posses a ďŹ rearm to bring it in without any charges laid against them. You are saying if somebody turns in a ďŹ rearm we should not ballistically test it? And it may link somebody to a criminal activity. It is about being realistic,â€? the police commissioner said.

In the meantime, Governor Todd dismissed the idea that there is a sinister plot behind the amnesty, which is to trick people into prison. “There is a saying in Britain, ‘it does exactly what it says on the tin’. Now an amnesty, it says on the tin ‘amnesty’. And that is exactly what it is.

So anyone who brings a ďŹ rearm legal or illegal, to the police, can hand it over and there would be no consequences for them for the possession of that weapon illegally or illegally. There is no trick.

It does exactly what is said on the tin, it is simply meant to get ďŹ rearms off the streets,â€? Governor Todd said.

In the meantime, Head of the Firearms Division of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, Acting Superintendent Darron Williams, said that two previous gun amnesties were held, on the ďŹ rst occasion eight guns were collected, while the second yielded 14 guns.

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JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

Page 13

PUBLIC NOTICE The National Health Insurance Board wishes to request the following persons who are registered as “SelfEmployed Persons” to visit the Office of the National Health Insurance Board, Salt Mills Plaza, Providenciales between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from June 11th, 2013 until June 21st, 2013.

Management of the National Health Insurance Board

Page 14

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

LOCAL NEWS

SMOKEYS RESTAURANT SHAY CAFE COFFE SHOP in the grace bay area is looking for a GELATO MIXOLOGIST and ASSISANT MANGER with gelato storage and production experience and excellent customer service and truoble shooting skills

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NHIB/NIB AMNESTY HINGES ON ACTUARIAL REVIEW

BY VIVIAN TYSON

P

remier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing said that government would be waiting on an actuarial review and possible changes to the ordinance before considering granting an amnesty to those outstanding in their National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP) payments.

Premier Ewing was ďŹ elding questions from members of the local media in a post cabinet news brieďŹ ng on Thursday, May 30, at the Tourist Board ofďŹ ce, when he made the statement.

ROSHEEDA RUSSELL He said one of IS SEEKING TO EMPLOY A the changes has to do with whether or not it was necessary for someone who was working but now unemployed TO WORK to notify the Board DAYS A WEEK of their employSALARY ment status, so that they would not be PER HOUR billed before winCONTACT ning another job. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have not ˸ ˸ ,/ given any case ROSHEEDA@YAHOO.COM to the amnesty as yet simply beFOUNTAINHEAD cause some internal procedures CONTRUCTION have to take place.

One of the changes in the ordinance or amendments speaks to whether or not someone does not write in to say they or not employed, whether or not they should continue to be charged or whether or not you would require them to write in to allow to be discontinued.

D R E A D Z â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot of situations where S E E K S individuals may have not engaged in any unemploy1 Hairdresser ment activities and hence have no reSalary $6.00 per hour turn. So those nil returns actually mean that those 6 d a y s p e r we e k persons are unemployed or nil return Interested person should means they failed to make notes of their earnings,â&#x20AC;? the contact 342-2182 Premier said.

Also asked about an amnesty for the National Insurance, Premier said that it would also depend on a review that IS LOOKING FOR that body is also considering to assess its operation.

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 15

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

LOCAL NEWS

Turks & Caicos First Insurance Company Ltd. celebrates 20th anniversary T

urks & Caicos First Insurance Company Ltd. (TCFIC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Speaking about the occasion, Mr. Stanley Williams Chairman of the TCFIC Board of Directors said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As the chairman and a shareholder of Turks & Caicos First Insurance I am very proud of the accomplishment of our company in reaching the twenty year mark of protecting and helping the businesses and people of TCI manage their risk. We were the ďŹ rst indigenous Insurance Company in TCI and 20 years later we remain secure, strong and successful. I attribute this success to our many loyal clients, our past and present shareholders and board or directors, our involvement in 2007 with The Insurance Company of the West Indies and our knowledgeable and service oriented staff. I am excited to celebrate this occasion with our clients and our fellow business

partners both local and international and look forward to the future where we can build and expand our success to serve our clients even more.â&#x20AC;?

Margaret Smith, Financial Controller and Branch Manager, speaking on behalf of the staff of Turks & Caicos First Insurance Ltd. said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are delighted to be celebrating 20 years of service to the businesses and people of the Turks & Caicos Islands! Our staff have a total of over 100 years of experience between them, are dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service. Of course, we could not have done this without the support and loyalty of our hundreds of longtime clients and business partners, some of whom have been with us since the beginning in1993! We have also had the unending support and guidance of our local Directors/Shareholders and our Directors/shareholders from The Insurance Company of the West Indies Ltd. We

MANDELAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GRANDDAUGHTER FOR TCI FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

BY VIVIAN TYSON

T

ukwini Mandela, granddaughter of the legendary South African President Nelson Mandela and the celebrated leaderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal chef Xoliswa (pronounced Ko-lees-wah) Ndoyiya are booked to attend the 2013 renewal of the Turks and Caicos Islands Food and Wine Festival set for October 31st to November 3rd.

Tukwini will be here to showcase her brand of spirits - House of Mandela Wines - that she and her mother Makaziwe (Maki) Mandela founded.

Her presence at the TCI food and Wine Festival was announced on Monday, June 3, at a news conference at Grace Bay Club. And it is sure to exponentially raise the proďŹ le of the already mega popular event, which was sold out last year long before the date of the event arrived.

Nikheel Advani, Committee Member of the event, was very pleased with Mandela being here and what her presence means for the Turks and Caicos Islands. He also talks of the historical signiďŹ cance that she and her fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s their presence mean for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having Nelson Mandelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal chef and the House of Mandela Wines, which is Mandelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter coming in to serve wines, realizes that we are exposing our clients to many different options and different types of food. You will see that European food is very different from what Mr. Nelson Mandela used to eat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And also with the sacriďŹ ce he had brought in South Africa and the freedom that he has brought. It also shows how cuisine is involved integrally with different parts of life and different parts of history. And I think having them here will be an historical moment for us. So during this event you will be sitting down and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be trying what Mr. Nelson Mandela used to eat on a regular basis. Now, if that is not historical what is,â&#x20AC;? Advani said.

Stacy Cox, Executive for Turks and Caicos Islands Hotel Association (TCHTI) also underscores the scale that the visit of two could have on this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staging and going forward as a calendar event.

are proud of our accomplishments over the last 20 years and we are committed to providing the same high level of service going forward!â&#x20AC;?

Mr. Paul Lalor, President of ICWI, Speaking on behalf of ICWI said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our involvement with Turks and Caicos First over the last ďŹ ve years has been extremely rewarding and we are extremely proud to have played some part in the company achieving this milestone. The support the company has received from the outset from our many clients and business partners has been incredible and continues into our 21st year.  Turks and Caicos First is a very important part of our regional expansion plans and as such we will continue to provide any assistance needed by the very professional and service oriented staff at TCFIC to deliver unsurpassed service quality and protection to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.â&#x20AC;?

IMMEDIATE OPENING COSMETOLOGIST Requirements: ƴ 1SJPS FYQFSJFODF XPSLJOH BT B $PTNFUPMPHJTU JO UIF TQB EFQBSUNFOU JO B MVYVSZ SFTPSU ƴ &YDFMMFOU DPNNVOJDBUJPO TLJMMT ƴ "CJMJUZ UP VOEFSTUBOE UIF HVFTU JOUFSOBM BOE FYUFSOBM BOE NFFU BOE FYDFFE UIF OFFET PG CPUI UIF HVFTU BOE UIF DPNQBOZ ƴ "CJMJUZ UP QSPWJEF HFOVJOF TFSWJDF UISPVHI BDUJPOT UIBU EJTQMBZ TFMG DPOˡEFODF HSBDF BOE DPVSUFTZ UP HVFTUT BOE DPMMFBHVFT ƴ .VTU CF BCMF BOE XJMMJOH UP XPSL BMM EBZT BOE TIJGUT Duties Include: ƴ 1SPWJEFT DPOTJTUFOU QSPGFTTJPOBM IBJS USFBUNFOUT JO BDDPSEBODF XJUI TQB QSPUPDPMT BOE BDDFQUFE DFSUJˡDBUJPO QSBDUJDFT ƴ $PNQMFUF LOPXMFEHF BOE VOEFSTUBOEJOH PG BMM TFSWJDFT BOE QSPEVDUT XIJMF FEVDBUJOH HVFTUT JO UIFTF BSFBT ƴ 6QIPMEJOH UIF TUBOEBSET PG TBOJUBUJPO BOE TUFSJMJ[BUJPO BT EJSFDUFE CZ MBX BOE UIF TQBƭT QPMJDJFT BOE QSPDFEVSFT ƴ 1FSGPSNJOH QSFQ XPSL BOE QSPQFSMZ DMFBOJOH BOE SFTUPDLJOH XPSL BSFB BT SFRVJSFE

4UBSUJOH TBMBSZ QFS IPVS OPU JODMVEJOH TFSWJDF DIBSHF BOE UJQT HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR Requirements: ƴ .VTU IBWF NJOJNVN ZFBST FYQFSJFODF BT B IPVTFLFFQJOH TVQFSWJTPS JO MVYVSZ IPUFM SFTPSU ƴ .VTU IBWF EJSFDU LOPXMFEHF PG IPVTFLFFQJOH DMFBOJOH QSPDFTTFT BOE QSPDFEVSFT DPNQVUFS 1.4 TZTUFNT BOE UFMFQIPOF FUJRVFUUF ƴ .VTU CF BCMF UP SFBE XSJUF BOE TQFBL &OHMJTI ˸VFOUMZ ƴ .VTU CF BCMF UP IBOEMF NVMUJQMF CVJMEJOHT ˸PPST BOE HVFTU SFRVFTUT ƴ .VTU CF IJHIMZ PSHBOJ[FE FOHBHFE XJUI FNQMPZFFT HVFTUT BOE PXOFST ƴ .VTU IBWF FYDFMMFOU UJNF NBOBHFNFOU BOE DPNNVOJDBUJPO TLJMMT ƴ .VTU CF BCMF UP XPSL JO BO PQFO BJS FOWJSPONFOU BOE IBWF ˸FYJCMF TDIFEVMJOH ƴ .VTU CF BCMF BOE XJMMJOH UP XPSL BMM TIJGUT

4UBSUJOH TBMBSZ QFS IPVS OPU JODMVEJOH TFSWJDF DIBSHF LABOURER/GARDENER Duties Include: Ć´ (FOFSBM MBCPSFS EVUJFT BT BTTJHOFE CZ UIF TVQFSWJTPS PS NBOBHFS Ć´ 8JMMJOHOFTT UP XPSL WBSZJOH TDIFEVMFT TQMJU TIJGUT OJHIUT XFFLFOET BOE IPMJEBZT

4BMBSZ BO IPVS OPU JODMVEJOH TFSWJDF DIBSHF MANAGER OF TRAVEL INDUSTRY SALES

3FHFOU 1BMNT 5VSLT BOE $BJDPT JT B TVJUF MVYVSZ SFTPSU XIJDI GFBUVSFT FMFHBOUMZ BQQPJOUFE MVYVSZ SPPNT XJUI POF UXP BOE UISFF CFESPPN TVJUFT 8PSME DMBTT BNFOJUJFT JODMVEF B TRVBSF GPPU TQB CBORVFU GBDJMJUJFT BOE UXP TJHOBUVSF SFTUBVSBOUT 5IF .BOHFS PG 5SBWFM *OEVTUSZ 4BMFT JT B LFZ QBSU PG PVS 6 4 CBTFE TBMFT UFBN SFTQPOTJCMF GPS HSPVQ BOE MFJTVSF TBMFT Requirements: ƴ 1PTU TFDPOEBSZ EFHSFF PS FRVJWBMFOU RVBMJˡDBUJPO CZ FYQFSJFODF ƴ 4USPOH XSJUUFO BOE WFSCBM TLJMMT XJUI EPDVNFOUFE SFTQPOTJCJMJUZ GPS QSPNPUJPOT TBMFT BOE NBSLFUJOH ƴ 1SPWFO TVDDFTT JO MVYVSZ USBWFM IPTQJUBMJUZ TBMFT XJUI FTUBCMJTIFE SFMBUJPOTIJQT XJUI UPQ MVYVSZ UPVS PQFSBUPST USBWFM BHFOUT JODFOUJWF IPVTFT BOE NFFUJOH QMBOOFST ƴ .VTU IBWF FYQFSJFODF TFMMJOH MVYVSZ $BSJCCFBO QSPQFSUJFT BOE VOEFSTUBOE XIPMFTBMFST '*5 BOE IJHI FOE USBWFM BHFODZ QSPGFTTJPOBMT ƴ Must be able and willing to work all days and shift

4UBSUJOH TBMBSZ QFS BOOVN OPU JODMVEJOH TFSWJDF DIBSHF Ć´ Ć´ Ć´ Ć´ Ć´

BGG UP NFFU 3FHFOUƭT TUBOEBSE PG MVYVSZ BOE FOTVSF 3FHFOU &YQFSJFODF GPS HVFTUT %FWFMPQJOH CVTJOFTT TUSBUFHJFT GPS GPPE CFWFSBHF PVUMFUT BMJHOFE XJUI CVTJOFTT PCKFDUJWFT GPS NBYJNJ[JOH SFWFOVF BOE HVFTU TBUJTGBDUJPO 1BSUJDJQBUJOH JO EFWFMPQNFOU PG CVEHFUT BOE NPOJUPST TUBUVT SFHVMBSMZ UP FOTVSF BDIJFWFNFOU PG ˡOBODJBM UBSHFUT "TTJTUJOH JO EFWFMPQJOH BOE JNQMFNFOUJOH NBSLFUJOH BOE QSPNPUJPOT UP JODSFBTF CVTJOFTT BOE SFWFOVF 8PSLJOH DMPTFMZ XJUI DVMJOBSZ UFBN UP DSFBUF BOE JNQMFNFOU NFOVT DPOTJTUFOU XJUI HVFTU FYQFDUBUJPOT BOE 3FHFOU TUBOEBSET PG MVYVSZ BOE RVBMJUZ

"MM JOUFSFTUFE BQQMJDBOUT TIPVME TVCNJU BO VQEBUFE SFTVNF UP 3FHFOU 1BMNT )VNBO 3FTPVSDFT %FQBSUNFOU PS CZ FNBJMJOH NBSKPSJF EPSTFUU! SFHFOUIPUFMT DPN OP MBUFS 'SJEBZ +VOF RESTAURANT AND BARS MANAGER

5IF 3FTUBVSBOU BOE #BST .BOBHFS XJMM PWFSTFF UIF EBJMZ PQFSBUJPO PG 1 ˡOF EJOJOH SFTUBVSBOU 1MVOHF DBTVBM PVUEPPS SFTUBVSBOU BOE CBS (SFFO 'MBNJOHP CBS BOE *O SPPN %JOJOH Requirements: ƴ .JOJNVN PG ZFBST NBOBHFNFOU FYQFSJFODF JO MVYVSZ TFUUJOH JO BU MFBTU JOUFSOBUJPOBM MPDBUJPOT ƴ 1PTU TFDPOEBSZ EFHSFF PS FRVJWBMFOU RVBMJˡDBUJPO CZ FYQFSJFODF ƴ 4USPOH LOPXMFEHF PG B WBSJFUZ PG DVJTJOFT BOE XJOFT CFWFSBHF ƴ 4USPOH VOEFSTUBOEJOH BOE QSPWFO USBDL SFDPSE PG PQFSBUJPOBM DPOUSPMT BOE TBMFT ƴ 1SPWFO BCJMJUZ UP USBJO BOE EFWFMPQ UFBN NFNCFST ƴ "CJMJUZ UP UBLF JOJUJBUJWF XIJMF XPSLJOH FGGFDUJWFMZ JO B UFBN FOWJSPONFOU ƴ &YDFMMFOU PSHBOJ[BUJPOBM TLJMMT ƴ 1BTTJPO GPS MVYVSZ GPPE BOE CFWFSBHF TFSWJDF QPTJUJWF BOE DIFFSGVM BUUJUVEF XJUI IJHI FOFSHZ ƴ $PNQVUFS TLJMMT BU BEWBODFE MFWFM 8PSE &YDFM BOE 1PXFS1PJOU

ƴ Must be able and willing to work all days and shifts Duties include: ƴ 4VQFSWJTJOH USBJOJOH BOE DPBDIJOH TUBGG UP NFFU 3FHFOUƭT TUBOEBSE PG MVYVSZ BOE FOTVSF 3FHFOU &YQFSJFODF GPS HVFTUT ƴ %FWFMPQJOH CVTJOFTT TUSBUFHJFT GPS GPPE CFWFSBHF PVUMFUT BMJHOFE XJUI CVTJOFTT PCKFDUJWFT GPS NBYJNJ[JOH SFWFOVF BOE HVFTU TBUJTGBDUJPO ƴ 1BSUJDJQBUJOH JO EFWFMPQNFOU PG CVEHFUT BOE NPOJUPST TUBUVT SFHVMBSMZ UP FOTVSF BDIJFWFNFOU PG ˡOBODJBM UBSHFUT ƴ "TTJTUJOH JO EFWFMPQJOH BOE JNQMFNFOUJOH NBSLFUJOH BOE QSPNPUJPOT UP JODSFBTF CVTJOFTT BOE SFWFOVF ƴ 8PSLJOH DMPTFMZ XJUI DVMJOBSZ UFBN UP DSFBUF BOE JNQMFNFOU NFOVT DPOTJTUFOU XJUI HVFTU FYQFDUBUJPOT BOE 3FHFOU TUBOEBSET PG MVYVSZ BOE RVBMJUZ ƴ 4UBSUJOH TBMBSZ QFS BOOVN OPU JODMVEJOH TFSWJDF DIBSHF

Page 16

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

Wayne Jones is Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police

BY VIVIAN TYSON

V

eteran police officer Superintendent Wayne Jones has assumed the position of Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations.

Commission of Police Colin Farquhar made the announcement during the gun amnesty official start on Monday, June 3, at the Police Headquarters on Old Airport Road in Providenciales.

Jones took up the new post after Acting Deputy Commissioner Rodney Adams was placed on administrative leave for alleged interference in the Kaziah Burke murder investigation. Adams son, Roderick Adams, was originally jointly-charged with Burke’s murder but those charges have been dropped.

Later in the week, Jones was given the position, after consultation with governor and senior ranks of the force, including Jones himself.

The haste to find someone to give the position stems from the consideration that without a deputy commissioner in charge of operation, Commissioner Farquar would have to assume the position with all its responsibilities.

“Right now (Monday) I am taking on those responsibilities, but there are certain responsibilities that I can’t take on, such as discipline matters – internal discipline – and so some of those matters will be turned over to another officer, most likely Superintendent Wayne Jones,” Commissioner Farquhar told the news conference.

He told The SUN that Jones’ position will be tentative depending on the outcome of the in-

Wayne Jones vestigation, which he said is being carried out by the Integrity Commission. It is also not clear as to how long the investigations will take.

It (Jones’ elevation) will be a temporary position until a decision is made on Mr. Adams,” Commissioner Farquhar said.

Fielding question from the press as to what led to Adams abrupt hiatus from the force, Commis-

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT COORDINATOR/MANAGER REQUIRED Seeking a Construction Contract Coordinator to spearhead the construction and design of luxury single family homes, and small commercial projects in the Turks & Caicos Islands. The successful candidate will be expected to: • Oversee all aspects of operations for the construction division • Prepare cost estimates, schedules and cash-flow projections • Manage the procurement process • Manage the public tendering process and bid analysis • Write subcontract agreements and scopes of work • Prepare monthly project status reports for clients • Handle all accounting for the construction division • Assist with Business Development efforts Successful applicant will possess a comprehensive understanding of building science and architectural design. Applicant must have good communication skills and a team attitude. Minimum requirement of BS in Building Construction and or a degree in Construction Engineering is required, with at least 15 years experience in the industry.

Remuneration will commensurate with education and experience.

Work hours will be dictated by work load. No less than 60 hours per week.

Computer literacy shall include: • Sage - Master Builder • Word processing • Excel - spreadsheet applications • Primavera’s SureTrak - critical path scheduling • AutoCAD - Architectural Desktop and 3D imaging • Timberline Estimating Extended • Adobe Photoshop Qualified individuals shall submit resumes before June 15th, 2013 to: R.A. Shaw Designs ProjectHouse, Leeward Hwy Providenciales Fax #:941-4395

sioner Farquhar noted: “There was an allegation of improper involvement in the Burke Homicide investigation, and so the Integrity Commission is doing the investigation, and so he (Adams) will remain on administrative leave until the investigation is completed.”

In the meantime, Commissioner Farquhar, asked if the charges dropped against former co-accused Roderick Adams – son of the suspended assistant deputy commissioner - are temporary, declared that it was up to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution to make such determination.

“Well, it is a question for the director of public prosecutions. Investigation continues, as you know there has been a charge laid, but investigations will continue right up until court proceedings – the next one being June 7,” he said.

Burke, a 25 year-old Avis Rent-a-car sales clerk was cut down in a hail of bullets by gunmen on Saturday night, April 13, on the premises of the New Era Gas Station along Airport Road in Providenciales. The incident reportedly took place at about 8:30p.m. Burke was pronounced dead on arrival at the Cheshire Medical Centre.

Cortez Simmons, who was taken into custody almost immediately after the shooting was charged along with Burke in connection to the incident and taken before the court, where they were given a June 7 return date for a sufficiency hearing before the Grand Turk Supreme Court. But on Friday (May 31) a release from the DPP’s office said that charges against Adams were dropped.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 17

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

LOCAL NEWS

Turks and Caicos Islands celebrates as Sonia Fulford-Bien-Aime is appointed to FIFA’s Executive Committee

BY VIVIAN TYSON

T

he Turks and Caicos Islands has a whole lot to celebrate after two members of the TCI Football Association - its General Secretary Sonia Fulford-Bien-Aime and executive member Oliver Smith - left the FIFA Congress in Mauritius with envious positions.

FIFA is the world governing body for football and, for Bien-Aime to be co-opted on that body is a big deal not only for the Turks and Caicos Islands but especially the Caribbean Region in general, owing to the fact that she has secured the position over fellow Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) members, especially powerhouses Mexico, the U.S.A., and Canada.

Bien-Aime was co-opted on FIFA Executive for a year’s term, while Smith was elected on the Appeals Committee for a four-year term. Being co-opted on the FIFA Executive Committee affords the Bien-Aime authority, along with the body’s elected members to make decision on the direction of world football.

The two who returned to the country on Sunday night (June 2) arrived to a large welcoming party comprising Deputy Premier and Minister of Sports Hon. Akierra Misick, Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Porsha Stubbs-Smith, Opposition Leader Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, the Sports Commission and the TCIFA. The elated duo was overwhelmed by the level of welcome they received on arrival back home. Bien-Aime said that she was thrilled

to have been appointed on the committee for the 12-month period.

“This year FIFA held its first ever election for a member to serve on that board. A female member has not served on the FIFA ExCo (Executive Committee) for more than 100 years. I stood for election for a female member to serve on the FIFA ExCo for four years. Even though I haven’t won by votes, you cannot imagine how important it is. What this means to be co-opted to the FIFA ExCo. It is not just an ordinary gift,” she said.

Owing to the fact that Bien-Aime made the grade ahead of individuals from higher profiling nations, speaks volume of her esteem within the regional and world football.

“It is something very special, something people have been working in the football arena for hundreds of years to aspire to, and some may never see it. So for me coming from the Turks and Caicos Islands little Turks and Caicos Islands – to be recognized, first of all, by CONCACAF, to be nominated in the CONCACAF region, it is an honour. You have USAs, Mexico the Canada.

“You have a lot of women very qualified, very experienced women in football within the CONCACAF confederation, who, I believe were just as worthy of the nomination as I am. So to be chosen and nominated by my confederation, first of all to serve is an honour in itself. Winning the election meant nothing to me because it already raised the profile for women’s football in the Caribbean by just being nominated period, for that position,” she said.

In the meantime, Oliver Smith,

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

The following positions are available for a construction site based in South Caicos. Applicants must have a minimum of five (5) years work experience in the relevant area, must be able to work well with others and must be prepared to live in South Caicos.

Salary Starts at $18/hr or $900 weekly MASON (2)

INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD FAX THEIR RESUMES TO 9463611 OR CALL 9463612

explaining his role on the FIFA Appeals noted: “There is a judicial branch that deals with discipline within FIFA, within world football.

And if there are certain infractions it goes to the disciplinary committee. That country or person who is affected by it gets the opportunity to appeal to the Appeals Committee, and that’s where my role comes in,” Smith said.

The weights of the positions held by Bien-Aime and Smith did not escape the grasp of Deputy Premier Misick, who reminded that the two have raised the prominence of the TCI in world football.

“It is just an honour that we have our local people, our residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands who are flying the flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands on the international stage. Football, soccer or whatever you want to call it is the world’s largest sports. And to know that our little country in the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea, whatever region you want to call it, is on this executive body and on the appeals body, it’s an honour,” Deputy Premier Missick said.

Opposition Leader Cartwright-Robinson Classified the attainment by the two is astounding and worthy of celebrating.

“I know Sonia for a very, very long time, and I know her true commitment to sports. I am very proud to see where she has come to in terms of running football. It has been a very, very important achievement. It shows that women are coming up in different areas of society, where we can rightfully be placed. Oliver, I will not forget you, Mr. Sharp-shooter in

the courts. I see you are sharp-shooter somewhere else. And I say congratulations to both of you.

“I believe that this is going to be inspiration for players. I have a six and am eight year-old daughter and the only sport they play is football aka soccer. We are excited to know that when they get older that this started when they started and, I am sure that they will remain committed because you inspired them,” Cartwright-Robinson said.

In the meantime, President for the TCIFA Chris Bryan, who himself is a member of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Beach Soccer Committee, said that football in the Turks and Caicos has come a long way since the country joining FIFA some 15 years ago.

“The whole football association is extremely proud. We have come a long way. We have basically been in FIFA since 1998, so we have come a long way – 15 years – so I don’t think many nations have made so much progress in such a short time. You don’t get these rewards if you don’t serve especially in a big organization. They have done the hard work and they deserve the rewards that they receive,” Bryan said.

Last year Bien-Aime became the first female to be elected on the Caribbean Football Union Executive Committee. She now serves on the CFU as an executive committee member. She is currently the chairperson for the Caribbean Football Union’s Women’s Committee.

She also served on the FIFA Under 20 Women’s World Cup Organizing Committee and CONCACAF Women’s Championship Committee.

RegulaƟon 7 of the Physical Planning (Development Permission) RegulaƟons, 1990 An applicaƟon, registered as PR-11178 by Leeward Limited, has been submiƩed to the Department of Planning, to remove and replace an exisƟng coastal groyne structure with associated beach nourishment along Pelican Beach in Grace Bay. Anyone wishing to make any representaƟon(s) may do so in wriƟng to the Director of Planning, South Base, Grand Turk, or through the Department of Planning, Downtown, Town Center Mall, Providenciales within twenty eight (28) days of publicaƟon of this NoƟce.

NoƟce dated: May 31, 2013

Page 18

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

Mr. Cecil Arnold, Managing Director of Scotiabank Turks and Caicos introduces the members of his Scotiabank Premium Banking team who will be operating from the Gracebay Centre to guests at the launch of the new Premium banking service held last week at the Regent Palms hotel. The event which was attended by several well-known local business people and local personalities was used to unveil the new product which is a service designed for clients looking for a personal banking relationship, priority service, and a tailored suite of products to meet their unique needs.

Scotiabank Premium Banking Launches in Turks and Caicos O

n Thursday, May 30th Scotiabank launched its newest product Scotiabank Premium Banking, a service designed for clients looking for a personal banking relationship, priority service, and a tailored suite of products to meet their unique needs.

“We’re excited to bring Scotiabank Premium Banking to clients in Turks and Caicos who are looking for a more personalised banking experience,” said Cecil Arnold, Managing Director of Scotiabank Turks and Caicos Islands. “Premium Banking is designed to provide our clients with the products, services and professional advice they

need all through a relationship officer who understands their financial goals.”

Mr Arnold added that as Scotiabank continues to evolve its services to align with being in a premium destination, he was delighted for the ideal opportunity that this product presents in providing high level service to the Bank’s clientele.

“From a service perspective, this product will be great for our business as Scotiabank continues to cement its name in the market for producing an excellent experience to our clients when they do business with us. Meanwhile, from a financial standpoint, this product will

also assist us in improving the business we do as it expands our range of products and helps us to focus the mass affluent niche which was previously underserved.”

THROUGH SCOTIABANK PREMIUM BANKING CLIENTS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO: Priority service: A designated Premium Banking Relationship Officer and team of specialists; priority processing and teller services, dedicated branch space and a Premium Banking Contact Centre available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Preferred Products: A specialized Premium Banking package that in-

cludes a deposit account, ScotiaCard card and a credit card.

Exclusive Privileges: An annual priority pass membership with four annual complimentary passes to more than 600 lounges around the world and invitations local events.

“The Scotiabank Premium Banking offer is focused on clients who want a more personal service and who need more tailored products and solutions,” added Mr Arnold.

“The goal of every Scotiabank Premium Relationship Officer is to understand their customers’ financial goals and find the solutions to help them discover what’s possible.”

SOUTH DOCK ROAD, PROVIDENCIALES TEL: (649) 941-7872 / 941-7873 FAX: (649) 941-7874

COMMERCIAL LAWYER POSITION: Griffiths & Partners are looking for a senior Commercial Lawyer with significant experience (10 to 15 years) dealing with corporate, commercial, finance and real estate/development work.

Must have relevant professional qualifications, be admitted to practice in the Turks and Caicos Islands (or eligible for admission) or admitted in a common law jurisdiction. The applicant must have worked in practice at senior/partner level, preferably with an international law firm. Recent experience should include corporate and commercial law advice, real estate finance work, and development, construction and investment schemes.

Salary commensurate with experience.

LABOURER

Cleaning and maintaining of yard and help with the loading and off loading of fuel tankers. Assist with warehouse duties. Must be willing to work weekends, and some holidays.

WAGES/SALARY: 7.50 per hour.

Interested persons should submit their resume along with a cover letter to the following:

Closing date for application: 12th June 2013 Belongers only need apply.

Apply with Curriculum Vitae to: Griffiths & Partners P.O. Box 143 Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands Email: recruitment@griffithsandpartneres.com Fax: 649-941-8251

The Manager Mr. McAllister Hanchell Caicos Oil Ltd., P.O. Box 653, South Dock Road, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands or email at mhanchell.caicosoil@gmail.com

cc: smillscaicosoil@gmail.com and jwilliamscaicosoil@gmail.com The deadline for receipt of all applications is June 28th, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 19

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

LOCAL NEWS

Ice-T and Coco take vacation to Turks and Caicos Islands amid AP.9 cheating and divorce rumours V

acation seems to be Ice-T and Coco Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remedy of choice for months of tabloid gossip. The couple, who have been plagued by endless rumors about their marriage after photos of Coco snuggling up to West Coast rapper AP.9 were leaked earlier this year, put the limelight behind them with a trip to Turks and Caicos Islands.

The couple, whose E! show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ice Loves Cocoâ&#x20AC;? is currently on hiatus, appeared eager for some downtime together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ice & I just arrived in Turks & Caicos..its seriously paradise down here..were out here for a weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vacation ...beach time!â&#x20AC;? Coco tweeted on Monday. She later posted an ultra-revealing photo of herself tanning face down, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t beat the tanning in Turks & Caicos sun.â&#x20AC;?

The reality TV couple became the source of controversy back in December when AP.9 released some photos of himself posing with the pinup star, some of which included his hands on her curves. The photos might have passed without much notice -- Coco has certainly released far-more-risquĂŠ images on her own Twitter -- if Ice-T hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t personally called her out, writing in a Twitter rant that he felt disrespected by his wife. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of [the pics are] disrespectful and in bad taste,â&#x20AC;? Ice-T tweeted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made me look and feel like s--t.â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The scandal escalated weeks later when a friend of AP.9 named Moose Diesel shared simi-

Coco Austin took a romantic vacation together with Ice-T in Turks and Caicos Islands amid rumors theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting divorced. larly ďŹ&#x201A;irtatious photos and then nearly exploded when AP.9 himself claimed in an interview that

he had had an affair with Coco.

In March, gossip website 24hourhiphop claimed that Ice-T ďŹ led for divorce after AP.9 allegedly mailed him nude photos of Coco.

The story went on to claim that Ice-T demanded in court that Coco reimburse him for plastic surgeries he had paid for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t unbreak my heart, but I can take that a-- back though,â&#x20AC;? Ice-T said, according to the story. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ma let her start March off with nobody and no body.â&#x20AC;?

Coco brieďŹ&#x201A;y addressed the rumors that she and Ice-T were headed for divorce in a recent interview with the Celebrity CafĂŠ. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Internet is complete rubbish,â&#x20AC;? Coco said of the ongoing gossip. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We never like to read anything off the Internet. We hear rumors, but we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feed into it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our relationship is very strong,â&#x20AC;? Coco added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been together for 12 years and will continue to be for many years. Simple as that.â&#x20AC;?

Coco admitted that the show was currently on a break, however, although she blamed it on conďŹ&#x201A;icting obligations, not fallout with the network from the scandal as has been speculated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just ďŹ nished season three.

Ice has ďŹ nished â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Law & Orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Peepshow,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; so we are going to ďŹ gure it from there,â&#x20AC;? Coco added, referring to the Las Vegas, Nev., burlesque show she currently stars in. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of work doing three shows at once. You never really know.â&#x20AC;?

Our company consist of a diversified group of companies, ranging from financial services to hotels and resorts as well as other industries.

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Ask for money, and get advice Ask for advice, get money twice I’m from the Dirty, but that chico nice Ya’ll call it a moment, I call it life One day when the light is glowing I’ll be in my castle golden But until the gates are open I just wanna feel this moment (ohhh) I just wanna feel this moment (ohhh) I just wanna feel this moment Mr Worldwide Christina Aguilera Oye mamita, come on, dale, que la cosa esta rica (I wanna feel this moment)

JUNE 8TH - JUNE 15TH, 2013

305 all day Now baby we can parlé, Or baby we can part-ay She read books, especially about red rooms and tie ups I got her hooked, Cause she seen me in a suit with the red tie tied up Meet and greet, nice to meet ya, but time is money Only difference is I own it, Now let’s stop time and enjoy this moment One day when the light is glowing, I’ll be in my castle golden, But until the gates are open, I just wanna feel this moment (ohhh) I just wanna feel this moment (ohhh) I just wanna feel this moment

[Beat break] [Beat break] Feel this moment...

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Now I make dollars, I mean billions, I’m a genius, I mean brilliance, This street is what schooled ‘em, And made em slicker, too slick with the ruler I’ve lost a lot, and learned a lot But I’m still undefeated like Shula I’m far from cheap, I break down companies with all my peeps Baby we can travel the world And not given view, and all you can see Time is money Only difference is I own it,Like a stop watch, let’s stop time and enjoy this moment One day when the light is glowing I’ll be in my castle golden But until the gates are open I just wanna feel this moment (ohhh) I just wanna feel this moment (ohhh) I just wanna feel this moment

Feel this moment...

Reporting live, from the tallest building in Tokyo Long ways from the hard ways Filled with so’s, and oh yeas Dade county it always,

I see the future, But live for the moment, Makes sense don’t it? Ha!

[Beat break] Come on, feel this moment....(ohhh) I just wanna feel this moment (ohhh) I just wanna feel this moment

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ENTERTAINMENT

Beyonce wants you to know she’s not pregnant … any questions?

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ay-Z’s wife has subtly been dropping hints that she’s not expecting baby number two (yet!) by posting photos on Tumblr that show her drinking wine and eating tuna salad (both are no-no’s, if you are pregnant). Now for the first time, Beyoncé’s rep is going on the record emphatically denying the rumors.

Gayle King revealed on “CBS This Morning” that she spoke with Knowles’s publicist who said there is no truth to the pregnancy rumors.

This is the first official denial Team Beyoncé has given since The New York Post first exclaimed last month that the singer was expecting a child.

“I got a call yesterday from Team Beyoncé you guys, and they’re basically saying stop the crazy, she is absolutely positively not pregnant at this time,” King said. “It’s a crazy rumor that started that they can’t seem to stop, and so they wanted us to.”

Jay-Z and Beyonce at Chime for Change charity concert on 6/1/13 Continued King: “It’s a very personal question, and it’s true she and Jay-Z absolutely want to have another baby and when the time is right, when they decide the time is

right, they will share it. So, they have standing invitations to come here anytime. But she’s absolutely not pregnant.”

So, where did the persistent ru-

mor come from?

After Page Six’s report stemming from Bey’s appearance at the Met Gala, Knowles had to cancel a concert due to exhaustion, only fueling the rumors. E! News then claimed in mid-May that Knowles was in fact pregnant for the second time.

This prompted Hot 97 Program Director Ebro Darden to reportedly email his pal Jay-Z congratulations, to which the rapper replied: “It’s not true, the news is worse than blogs.”

Meanwhile, Beyoncé continued the European leg of “The Mrs. Carter World Tour” and showed no signs of a bump, flaunting her slim waist in various costumes.

So … now that Bey’s rep has gone on record, do you believe once and for all the singer isn’t pregnant? Or are we all being duped until Beyoncé and Jay-Z are ready to announce the news themselves?

Michael Jackson’s teen daughter attempts suicide L

OS ANGELES - Paris Jackson, the 15-year-old daughter of late pop star Michael Jackson, was rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital on Wednesday after an apparent suicide attempt, her mother said, but her family later reported she is “physically fine.”

“Paris is physically fine and is getting appropriate medical attention,” Perry Sanders, an attorney for Paris’ grandmother and guardian, Katherine Jackson, said in a statement.

“Being a sensitive 15-year-old is difficult no matter who you are,” the statement added. “It is especially difficult when you lose the person closest to you.”

Pop singer Jackson died in 2009 at age 50 from a lethal dose of surgical anaesthetic propofol while preparing for his “This Is It” series of concerts in London.

The Jackson family’s wrongful-death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG Live is currently at trial in Los Angeles and family attorneys have been expected to call Paris as a witness.

Paris’ mother, Debbie Rowe, told entertainment TV program “Entertainment Tonight” that her daughter attempted suicide and had “a lot going on (lately).”

“We appreciate everyone’s thoughts for Paris at this time and their respect for the family’s privacy,” an attorney for Rowe said in a statement.

Celebrity website TMZ.com, which first reported the suicide attempt, said Paris had been taken from her family’s home in Calabasas, California, by ambulance at about 2 a.m. time, citing unnamed sources.

Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies responded to a medical situation in Calabasas at 1:27 a.m., sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said, declining to provide additional details because of privacy laws.

Jackson was married to Rowe from 1996 to 1999, and the couple had two children together, Prince Michael in 1997 and Paris in 1998. Jackson later had a third child, Prince Michael II, also

PARIS JACKSON known as Blanket.

Rowe turned over full custody of the children to Jackson as part of their divorce but she had recently rekindled her relationship with Paris.

Jackson’s children live under the custody of their 83-year-old grandmother, Katherine, and their cousin, T.J. Jackson.

Whitney Houston’s daughter raises ruckus after being evicted T he late R&B legend Whitney Houston may have sung like an angel, but her daughter, Bobbi Kristina is becoming better known for making noise – literally and figuratively.

Tuesday, Kristina was evicted from her Atlanta-area apartment after her landlord, Josh Morse, filed more than 10 noise complaints against her and her boyfriend Nick Gordon over a period of six months. Morse lives in the apartment below the couple and insists

the situation was unbearable.

Before she turned in her keys, Kristina taped a hateful letter to Morse’s door. The landlord responded by filing a report with the Alpharetta Police Department because of the “ongoing issues he has been having with the couple,” according to TMZ. In addition, Kristina’s neighbor, Matt Schechter called Fulton County Animal Services because he thought she had left her Yorkie behind. Schechter saw the

pooch outside in the hot sun at 10 a.m. and when it was still there at 6 p.m. he made the call. As it turned out, the owners picked up their pet and the complaint was canceled. Morse told TMZ that Kristina left the note for him at around the same time.

Here’s what the letter said: “You are sh-t at the bottom of our shoe. Thank You for making a hard year harder. You are a miserable couple and always will be. You were honored to have us

Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown living above you and you couldn’t stand such a young beautiful couple far more successful than you ever will be. I pray your misery doesn’t rub off on your inno-

cent little baby.”

Police are not investigating the incident because there were no direct threats or “allegations of criminal acts.”

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News CARIBBEAN

Prime Minister Perry Christie says The Bahamas needs US help on crime

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ASSAU, The Bahamas -- The Bahamas needs additional help from the United States of America to effectively deal with criminal deportees from that country, Prime Minister Perry Christie said on Wednesday.

According to the Nassau Guardian, Christie said the United States’ policy of deporting people who commit crimes is a major issue for The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean.

He said the issue came up at a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden and Caribbean leaders in Trinidad last week.

“When I was at the office in Miami two days ago, I was given a list of a dozen young persons who the Americans are waiting on The Bahamas to agree to be returned to The Bahamas because America is expelling them,” said Christie outside the House of Assembly.

“What happens is that these people who are exposed to criminal practices, they come home.

“Obviously some of them don’t even know about The Bahamas because they left as a child, but because the Americans have this policy, they have to come here and we cannot resist their coming here.

“So what we are concerned about in the region, and that’s what we

Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Perry Christie spoke to the vice president about, is that we need additional resources, additional cooperation and additional levels of intelligence so that we are able to more effectively deal with the export to the region, of people who were connected to criminal enterprises in the United States of America.”

Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell recently criticized the United States for issuing warnings to its citizens traveling to The

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GRANNY BUSTED FOR COCAINE AND HEROIN STASH IN WHEELCHAIR

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EW YORK, United States – Fior Daliza Garcia didn’t have a leg to stand on when she caught the attention of keen-eyed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities while attempting to smuggle drugs from the Dominican Republic into the United States.

Garcia was on a roll in her wheelchair until she was “pulled over” at JFK International Airport by Customs inspectors who put the brakes on her crafty crack at smuggling cocaine and heroin into the country.

The 58-year-old grandmother rolled into Kennedy Airport off JetBlue flight No. 838 from the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and soon aroused the federal officers’ suspicions.

According to a complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, Garcia appeared nervous to Customs and Border Protection inspectors who also noted that her wheelchair appeared

to be “freshly painted.”

The elderly woman was accordingly escorted to a private room where she was transferred to another wheelchair. After an examination of her luggage came up clean, the inspectors turned their attention to the wheelchair.

“During the subsequent search, CBP officers lifted [Garcia’s] wheelchair and noticed that it was unusually heavy and flimsy,” US Homeland Security special agent Edward Romeo stated in the complaint.

Further investigation revealed a quantity of heroin and cocaine stashed in the “body” of the woman’s wheelchair.

The wheelchair-bound drug mule, who lives in Boston, reportedly skipped any attempt at lame excuses and confessed that she was due to be paid US$12,000 for smuggling the drugs into the United States from the Dominican Republic.

Bahamas when it has deported a large number of criminals to this country over the years.

According to the Immigration Enforcement Actions: 2011 report, 957 Bahamians convicted of criminal offences were deported from the United States to The Bahamas between 2002 and 2011.

According to Bell, convicted criminals, who are either Bahamians, stateless or The Bahamas was their last port of entry before entering the

United States, are deported to The Bahamas on an almost weekly basis.

He said some of these deportees are engaged in crime.

The US Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires John Armstrong told reporters that the Bahamian government is informed before any criminal deportees are sent back to the country.

He also noted that the United States deported 123 people to The Bahamas last year, some of whom had just completed prison time.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson previously said police are aware when criminal deportees are sent to The Bahamas.

However, police are not required under the law to monitor these deportees.

Speaking generally about crime in The Bahamas, Christie said it concerns him.

“I cannot for the life of me understand why we have young men with a complete disregard for life who are wreaking havoc in our country,” he said.

“They do not have the right to cause the majority of people in our country to suffer because of the reputation they are giving this country.”

Two men were murdered on Tuesday. The murder count stands at 53 for the year.

HOTELIERS IN ST LUCIA AGAINST INCREASES IN VAT

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ASTRIES, St Lucia – A leading tourism official is warning that an increase in the value added tax (VAT) on the tourism sector, especially on small operators, will make St Lucia uncompetitive as a cruise destination and further aggravate a sharp decline in cruise ship arrivals.

Independent Senator and former president of the Caribbean Hotels and Tourism Association (CHTA), Berthia Parle, is also cautioning against what she termed the government’s “threat” of increasing VAT from eight to 9.5 per cent on hotel accommodation and to 15 per cent on attractions and tours from April 1 next year.

Parle said the VAT announcement had caused “much alarm” among the smaller, private sector companies within the tourism industry, as well as all the other smaller players who depended on the tourist dollar to stay afloat.

Noting that St. Lucia was now the most taxed country in the sub-region-

al Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), “contrary to popular belief,” Parle told legislators that it seemed like the government’s only solution to grow the economy was “to threaten increases in taxation, increases in utility, increases in interest rates on capital financing” and yet still expect the private sector to generate jobs and enrich livelihoods.

“The solution to St. Lucia’s problem is to stimulate greater foreign exchange, direct investment,” said the hotelier, adding that tourism was indeed the best avenue to achieve that investment.

“The industry continues to stress the debilitating effect this will have on businesses, especially the small ones, as they struggle to absorb the increased tax, diverting capital from investment, upgrades, electrical retrofitting and capital from investment and growth to pay taxes. This diversion will stagnate potential employment creation and also economic activity.”

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

Caribbean tourism barely keeping its head above water N

EW YORK, United – A senior official of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) warned that the Caribbean “is barely keeping its head above water” amid predictions that the sector will record a slight increase in tourist arrivals in 2013.

CTO Director of Research and Information Technology, Winfield Griffith, told a workshop that forms part of the Caribbean Week activities here, that the figures show the region did not outperform areas such as Asia and the Pacific last year.

He said overall, worldwide, there had been a 3.8 per cent increase in visitor arrivals in 2012 and that “Asia and the Pacific, they were ahead of Africa slightly and the Caribbean followed in third position”.

He said five years ago, the Middle East, which was a major competitor to the Caribbean and other destinations “had fallen back due to what is happening in those areas.

‘We know that these areas are quite politically unstable and it reflects in their numbers,” he said.

But Griffith told the workshop attended by representatives from the National Trust Offices (NTO’s), the Caribbean was losing its “a bit of market share” with regards to stay over arrivals even when the figures were showing an increase globally.

He said French Caribbean islands recorded a decline between 201112, while the United States and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean were recording significant increases.

He said Cuba and the Dominican Republic continue to be front runners and that they were continuing to “do so even though they are not showing the numbers at the beginning of the year”.

But the director of tourism for the Americas in Martinique, Muriel Wiltord-Latamie told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that a turnaround is on the horizon.

“In Latin America and South America the numbers are improving, we a quite satisfied with the numbers for the USA, we have (seen) a notable increase and we were able

to put more transportation between Miami and Martinique.

“From Canada we have also improved airlift to the island. We had an increase for 2012 of 14 per cent which is a good number for us but we don’t have any numbers for 2013 as yet. We are doing good, we have to a lot to improve of course we want to make progress, we had a significant year in terms of airlift,” she added.

Griffith said that for the first quarter of this year, “the region did not do every well” with arrivals actually declining by 0.5 per cent for the entire Caribbean.

“When you look at the CARICOM region it declined by 3.4 percent so it was not a bright start for the Caribbean this year.”

In addition to the poor start, the Caribbean has had to deal with Britain’s Air Passenger Duty (APD that regional governments say make the region much more expensive to visit.

“The United Kingdom visitors are taking shorter trips, the length of stay is not as long as it used to be, so that has compounded the issue in addition to the APD. So overall we are taking about a situation where stay over arrivals are under severe pressure from out of Europe (and) it is counter balance from some improvements from the US market.”

Regarding the cruise industry, Griffith said “there has not been a lot of increase activity in cruise either.

“Cruise has been rather stagnant in the last few years. Between 2009 and 2010 it showed some increase which we were hoping would be sustained but thereafter it has not moved much, the growth has been very flat.

“The activity continues to trough between may and September and you would be aware in some countries not even a single cruise arrival is experience during the summer months. It continues to peak more in the months of April and then it declines and then starts again in October. In the first quarter, there was zero increase over last year,” Griffith added.

HAVANA, CUBA – A RUSSIAN STATE OIL COMPANY DRILLING OFF CUBA’S NORTHERN SHORES SAYS IT IS TEMPORARILY HALTING ITS EXPLORATION.

Z

arubezhneft said it was halting work because of “geological” problems but will resume oil exploration next year. The announcement signaled an end to the only active exploration program in Cuba which now relies on highly subsidized oil from Venezuela. Cuba reportedly relies on an estimated 96,000 barrels of oil it receives daily from Venezuela which amounts to about two thirds of its consumption.

The Russians’ withdrawal comes as the Norwegian company that owns the drilling platform they have been leasing, the Songa

Mercur, said it would be leaving Cuban waters in July for another contract.

Zarubezhneft’s decision signals “another disappointment” for Cuba’s dreams of finding oil - according to Jorge Pinon, a Cuba energy expert at the University of Texas in Austin.

The US Geological Survey has estimated that Cuba’s offshore waters have “significant undiscovered conventional oil potential” – between 4.6 billion and 9.3 billion barrels. Cuban officials estimate the potential reserves at 20 billion.

Barbados calls for assistance for countries to deal with recession B

RIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Third Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Annual Retreat of Caribbean Civil Society Consultative Groups (ConSoC) is ending here on Friday with Barbados urging the Washington-based financial institution to create new, interesting, innovative and adaptable strategies to countries deal with the ongoing global economic recession.

“We believe that the IDB, through its extensive research and human resource capacity, should be able and will be able to meet the challenge of working with our countries to safely navigate the choppy waters of this international recession,” said Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Christopher Sinckler.

He said the new strategies should be implemented “even as we work with our partners in civil society to ensure that those marginalised in our communities can continue to participate in the life and livelihood of their own countries.

“It means, therefore, that what we require of the IDB is that it truly continues to live up to its mantra as a development bank.

“We see the IDB as a development institution, understanding development in ways that other international financial institutions do not and, therefore, the responsibility of all of the members and the management of the Bank is to ensure that that process continues into the future,” Sinckler said.

He told the meeting that the Washington-based financial institution should never regard itself as a second rate version of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“It is not. It should not see itself as aspiring to become the World Bank, it will never be that. It is a development institution constructed and established to serve its members and to ensure that those who are going through difficulties are able to manage those successfully.

“Successful member countries need a successful bank, the failure of your membership means essentially a failure of the bank,” he said, adding that whether a project or financing options were being offered by the bank to a country, realistic and achievable goals had to be established.

“Setting unrealistic goals, establishing unrealistic mechanisms of compliance, whether it is in projects or otherwise, and then lamenting that we have not been able to achieve what we said we wanted to achieve, is not a remedy for success.

It actually is a remedy for failure.

It is a remedy for defeatism, and it does not achieve the goals which we want to achieve,” he added.

Barbados Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler Sinckler said that over the last two decades, many Caribbean countries had suffered successive hits by international economic actions, most of which they had very little control over.

“For Barbados it has been clear as well, we have been cut off from concessional financing from the World Bank and many other institutions because of our level of economic development. We are, therefore, forced to go on the international capital markets to borrow money or to borrow money in other cases at very high interest rates.

Equally, we have had to suffer the problem of liberalising our markets in international global trading agreements.

“We no longer have preferential access for our products into the European Union with the United States and we are currently negotiating liberalisation of market access into Canada. It means, therefore, that not only do we have to access resources at higher prices and really at world competitive prices on the private capital markets, we also have little leeway into markets on a preferential basis because our preferential arrangements have been removed.

“But added to that, we have to have the constant battle of fighting to protect our international financial and business sub sectors against repeated claims of being tax havens, which is not true, of course. We are a low tax regime but we do tax and we do regulate,” Sinckler said.

ConSoC is a forum for exchanging information, strengthening dialogue and facilitating ongoing consultations between the IDB and the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that are pertinent to the Bank’s operations in its 26 member countries.

Through ConSoc, the IDB seeks to obtain comments and suggestions from Caribbean CSOs regarding the IDB’s initiatives, in order to improve its effectiveness in the social and economic development of borrowing countries.

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

UK Police say Cayman Islands AG and former Governor should be investigated

MAJOR CREDIT RATING AGENCY SAYS BOND RESTRUCTURINGS STILL FAIL TO IGNITE CARIBBEAN GROWTH

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EW YORK – A major international credit rating agency says three bond restructurings in the Caribbean this year, totaling about US $9.7 billion, have still failed to ignite economic growth and may not help the region avoid more defaults.

Moody’s Investors Service said the bond swaps this year did not go far enough to fixing the Caribbean’s “unsustainable” mix of debt and deficits.

It said, among Caribbean island economies, only The Bahamas is expected to grow more than 1.5 per cent this year, compared with four per cent for Latin America.

The Wall Street-based rating agency said the average debt for a Caribbean nation compared with the size of its economy stands at 70 per cent, with Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada above the 93 per cent ratio that forced Cyprus to seek a European Union-brokered March bailout.

Moody’s said Jamaica’s debt-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio reached 140 per cent last year.

“A sustained reduction in debt in the region over the next decade will require a combination of aggressive fiscal consolidation and increased economic growth,” said Edward Al-Hussainy, Moody’s analyst for the Caribbean, in the latest report. However, both goals are increasingly out of reach.

Referring to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, Al-Hussainy said higher interest rates tied to previous restructuring agreements contributed to a 12.7 per cent jump in Caribbean debt from 2008 to 2011, reversing a 15 per cent decline over the previous three years.

He noted that Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis restructured their debt in 2010 and 2012, respectively, making the past three years the highest on record for Caribbean defaults.

“It’s a self-reinforcing cycle,” Al-Hussainy said. “Other governments may be looking around and, instead of waiting for a crunch, decide to take their chances now.”

The Wall Street-based JPMorgan Chase & Co. indexes said that Central American and Caribbean bonds have returned 1.8 per cent this year, compared with declines of 1.3 per cent for emerging market bonds and 2.1 per cent for Latin American debt.

Carl Ross, managing director at brokerage Oppenheimer & Co. in Atlanta, Georgia, said investors are taking advantage of higher yields for Caribbean debt now and betting they can sell ahead of any payment problems.

He said the results are also skewed by a 53 per cent return on Belize’s debt this year, which covers a period in which the country emerged from default after skipping a US $23 million coupon payment last year.

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he UK Metropolitan Police Service has recommended that a criminal investigation be commenced against the Cayman Islands attorney general, one of the territory’s former governors and an American-based adviser with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in connection with the ill-fated Operation Tempura corruption probe.

The Met has recorded the allegations against three men – former Governor Stuart Jack, Attorney General Sam Bulgin and FCO adviser Larry Covington – in its “crime-related incident system”. But the police force has declined to take up the probe itself.

All three men have denied any wrongdoing.

“It is the [Metropolitan Police Services’] view that we are conflicted, and in order to ensure that both transparency and independence is maintained, we should not conduct this new investigation,” read a letter sent to Cayman Islands Governor Duncan Taylor on 9 May by UK Met police commander Allan Gibson.

Mr. Gibson’s letter was sent to Governor Taylor following a criminal complaint made to the UK Met by former Operation Tempura senior investigating officer Martin Bridger.

Mr. Bridger has alleged that “very senior Crown servants” lied to him during the course of that nearly two-year long probe, thereby drawing out what should have been a quick case.

The former senior investigator’s statements are backed up by claims made by former Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Commissioner Stuart Kernohan, who said that former Governor Jack knew of and authorised a covert entry into the offices of the Cayman Net News newspaper in September 2007, looking for evidence of a “corrupt relationship” between the newspaper’s publisher and an RCIPS deputy police commissioner. Significant detail contained in Mr. Kernohan’s statement to the UK Met in April 2013 alleged a level of involvement by former Governor Jack, up to and including authorisation of the use of Net News employees to perform the covert search as part of the police investigation, that had not previously been revealed.

“If [Mr. Jack] had admitted that, I would’ve been gone in two weeks,” Mr. Bridger said last month during an interview with the Caymanian Compass.

As it turned out, the retired UK lawman ended up staying in Cayman from September 2007 to April 2009 to investigate allegations of corruption in the local police force. No one was ever convicted of a crime in connection with that investigation.

“In essence, the offences being alleged are against Stuart Jack; [Samuel Bulgin] and Larry Covington and amount to misconduct in public office, attempting to pervert the [course] of justice and possibly wasting police time,” read the letter to Governor Taylor from Mr. Gibson. “It is my view that the allegations are serious and contain sufficient detail to warrant a criminal investigation.

“However, given that the allegations have been made by the very same officer who was sent by the [Met Police Service] to the Cayman Islands to carry out a scoping exercise ... it is the [Met Police Service’s] view that we are conflicted.”

The allegations made by Mr. Bridger are just that; no one has been arrested, charged or – at this stage – even questioned in connection with the matter.

Attorney General Bulgin told the Compass that he viewed Mr. Bridger’s allegations as “extremely defamatory”, given separate court reviews of the matter by Cayman Islands Chief Justice Anthony Smellie,

Former Cayman Islands Governor Stuart Jack UK Lord Chief Justice Alan Moses and then-visiting Judge Sir Peter Cresswell had all criticised one aspect or another of the Operation Tempura investigation as conducted by Mr. Bridger and/or his onetime legal adviser Martin Polaine.

“It would be understandable for me to refrain from making any comments given that there are civil proceedings pending before the courts concerning the very issues raised in the story,” Mr. Bulgin said in a written statement sent to the Caymanian Compass. “However, I am content to note that this is yet another scandalous move in an ongoing campaign

by Mr. Bridger, whom I am told has now joined forces with Mr. Kernohan.

“The combined activities of these two men to date have already cost the Cayman Islands government millions of dollars, but for some reason they are bent on conduct which causes further financial and reputational damage to these islands and its various institutions.

“Not only do I strongly deny, but also resent any assertions of my being untruthful to the Tempura investigators. There is not a shred of independent or contemporaneous evidence to support such a scurrilous claim and, to the contrary, the documents from that time demonstrate conclusively that the allegation is not true.

Mr. Jack sent the following comment to the Caymanian Compass: “I categorically deny the allegations made by Martin Bridger. One can only assume that Mr Bridger’s continued attempts to undermine my credibility are designed to further his own interests in relation to the forthcoming civil proceedings in the Cayman Islands. Such baseless accusations are deeply upsetting to my family and harmful to my reputation. I look forward to giving evidence as a witness when those civil proceedings come for trial in the Cayman Islands Grand Court. I have no doubt that the Court will find Mr Bridger’s remarks to be wholly unsubstantiated.”

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News W

RLD

US Government secretly gathering data from Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube and Apple

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he National Security Agency and the FBI are tapping directly into the central servers of nine leading U.S. Internet companies, extracting audio and video chats, photographs, e-mails, documents, and connection logs that enable analysts to track one target or trace a whole network of associates, according to a top-secret document obtained by The Washington Post.

The program, code-named PRISM, has not been made public until now. It may be the first of its kind. The NSA prides itself on stealing secrets and breaking codes, and it is accustomed to corporate partnerships that help it divert data traffic or sidestep barriers. But there has never been a Google or Facebook before, and it is unlikely that there are richer troves of valuable intelligence than the ones in Silicon Valley.

Equally unusual is the way the NSA extracts what it wants, according to the document: “Collection directly from the servers of these U.S. Service Providers: Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, Apple.”

PRISM was launched from the ashes of President George W. Bush’s secret program of warrantless domestic surveillance in 2007, after news media disclosures, lawsuits and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court forced the president to look for new authority.

Congress obliged with the Protect America Act in 2007 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which immunized private companies that cooperated voluntarily with U.S. intelligence collection. PRISM recruited its first partner, Microsoft, and began six years of rapidly growing col-

lection beneath the surface of a roiling national debate on surveillance and privacy. Late last year, when critics in Congress sought changes in the FISA Amendments Act, the only lawmakers who knew about PRISM were bound by oaths of office to hold their tongues.

The court-approved program is focused on foreign communications traffic, which often flows through U.S. servers even when sent from one overseas location to another. Between 2004 and 2007, Bush administration lawyers persuaded federal FISA judges to issue surveillance orders in a fundamentally new form.

Until then the government had to show probable cause that a particular “target” and “facility” were both connected to terrorism or espionage.

In four new orders, which remain classified, the court defined massive data sets as “facilities” and agreed to occasionally certify that the government had reasonable procedures in place to minimize collection of “U.S. persons” data without a warrant.

Several companies contacted by The Post said they had no knowledge of the program and responded only to individual requests for information.

“We do not provide any government organization with direct access to Facebook servers,” said Joe Sullivan, chief security officer for Facebook. “When Facebook is asked for data or information about specific individuals, we carefully scrutinize any such request for compliance with all applicable laws, and provide information only to the extent required by law.”

“We have never heard of PRISM,” an Apple spokesman said. “We do

not provide any government agency with direct access to our servers, and any government agency requesting customer data must get a court order.”

Government officials and the document itself made clear that the NSA regarded the identities of its private partners as PRISM’s most sensitive secret, fearing that they would withdraw from the program if exposed. “98 percent of PRISM production is based on Yahoo, Google and Microsoft; we need to make sure we don’t harm these sources,” the briefing’s author wrote in his speaker’s notes.

An internal presentation of 41 briefing slides on PRISM, dated April 2013 and intended for senior analysts in the NSA’s Signals Intelligence Directorate, described the new tool as the most prolific contributor to the President’s Daily Brief, which cited PRISM data in 1,477 articles last year. According to the slides and other supporting materials obtained by The Post, “NSA reporting increasingly relies on PRISM” as its leading source of raw material, accounting for nearly 1 in 7 intelligence reports.

That is a remarkable figure in an agency that measures annual intake in the trillions of communications.

It is all the more striking because the NSA, whose lawful mission is foreign intelligence, is reaching deep inside the machinery of American companies that host hundreds of millions of American-held accounts on American soil.

The technology companies, which knowingly participate in PRISM operations, include most of the dominant global players of Silicon Valley, according to the document. They are

listed on a roster that bears their logos in order of entry into the program: “Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, Apple.” PalTalk, although much smaller, has hosted significant traffic during the Arab Spring and in the ongoing Syrian civil war.

Dropbox, the cloud storage and synchronization service, is described as “coming soon.”

Government officials declined to comment for this article.

“I would just push back on the idea that the court has signed off on it, so why worry?” said Jamil Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “This is a court that meets in secret, allows only the government to appear before it, and publishes almost none of its opinions. It has never been an effective check on government.”

Roots in the ’70s PRISM is an heir, in one sense, to a history of intelligence alliances with as many as 100 trusted U.S. companies since the 1970s. The NSA calls these Special Source Operations, and PRISM falls under that rubric.

The Silicon Valley operation works alongside a parallel program, code-named BLARNEY, that gathers up “metadata” — address packets, device signatures and the like — as it streams past choke points along the backbone of the Internet. BLARNEY’s top-secret program summary, set down alongside a cartoon insignia of a shamrock and a leprechaun hat, describes it as “an ongoing collection program that leverages IC [intelligence community] and commercial partnerships to gain access and exploit foreign intelligence obtained from global networks.”

OBAMA PICKS LOYALIST SUSAN RICE AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER

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resident Barack Obama chose close confidante Susan Rice as his new national security adviser on Wednesday, increasing White House control over foreign policy and defying Republican critics of her handling of last year’s deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya.

Rice, selected to replace Tom Donilon in the post, is expected to play a high-profile role in defending Obama’s foreign policy, particularly on the civil war in Syria. Obama has come under fire for his cautious approach to mounting evidence that President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against rebels seeking to oust him.

Obama will nominate Samantha Power - a Pulitzer Prize-winning author about genocide, for-

mer White House aide and Harvard professor - to replace Rice as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, White House officials said.

The selection of the pair raises the question of whether Obama’s foreign policy might place more emphasis on human rights issues during his second term.

Rice’s appointment could anger Republicans who have sharply criticized her role in the handling of last September’s attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

Obama had been expected to pick Rice, 48, as national security adviser since she withdrew last December from consideration to replace Hillary

Clinton as secretary of state under intense criticism from Republicans about Benghazi. She had been Obama’s first choice to replace Clinton, but the job instead went to John Kerry.

Rice will take over from Donilon in July as the official who coordinates U.S. foreign policy from the White House. Obama will avoid a congressional fight, though, because the post does not require Senate confirmation.

“She is at once passionate and pragmatic,” Obama said, flanked by Donilon, Rice and Power in the White House Rose Garden. “I think everybody understands Susan is a fierce champion for justice and human dignity, but she’s also mindful that we have to exercise our power wisely and deliberately.”

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WORLD NEWS

84-year-old Florida woman claims record Powerball jackpot

PUTIN AND WIFE SAY THEIR MARRIAGE IS OVER

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OSCOW - President Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, told Russians on Thursday that their 30-year marriage was over, confirming longstanding speculation that they had separated.

In a rare appearance together on state television, Putin was asked about rumors that they no longer lived together and answered: “That is true.”

The announcement removes a big question mark about the private life of a president who has increasingly touted traditional values and championed the conservative Russian Orthodox Church as a moral authority.

Politically, Putin may have calculated that it was better to be seen coming clean about a separation many Russians have long taken as fact than to be suspected of hiding the truth or living a secret second life.

The couple looked nervous as they stood side by side in the Kremlin, speaking to a lone reporter. They referred to each other formally by first name and patronymic, adding a respectful but uncomfortable touch.

Putin smiled woodenly and nodded as Lyudmila spoke, though they both appeared more relaxed after making the announcement.

Lyudmila, a former airline stewardess five years younger than the 60-year-old president, said it had been “our common decision”.

“Our marriage is over due to the fact that we barely see each other,” she said. Putin also said it had been “a joint decision”.

The Putins married in 1983 and have two daughters, both in their 20s. The announcement came 13 months into a third presidential term for Putin, who came to power in 2000 and has not ruled out seeking re-election in 2018.

The couple have made only rare, sometimes awkward, appearances together over recent years, prompting media speculation that they had secretly divorced.

In 2008, Putin said there was no truth to a newspaper report that he was preparing to marry Olympic rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabayeva, who was born the same year he married Lyudmila.

Putin told journalists to keep their “snotty noses” out of his private life and the newspaper folded shortly afterwards.

Kabayeva has dismissed speculation she had a child by Putin.

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ALLAHASSEE, Florida - An 84-yearold Florida woman claimed last month’s record Powerball jackpot on Wednesday and opted to take a lumpsum payment of nearly $371 million, Florida Lottery officials said.

Winner Gloria MacKenzie of Zephyrhills, central Florida, chose the lump sum rather than collecting $590.5 million in 30 annual payments, Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell said in a news conference at the state lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.

MacKenzie bought the only $2 ticket that matched all six winning numbers in the May 18 multistate Powerball drawing, making her the largest sole jackpot winner in U.S. lottery history.

MacKenzie wore dark sunglasses and linked arms with her son, Scott MacKenzie, as she walked through a phalanx of cameras facing straight ahead. She left the lottery office without saying anything but left behind a statement to be read by O’Connell.

MacKenzie said she and her son had an agreement to split any winnings. She bought the winning ticket at a Publix grocery store after previously buying four other tickets, her statement said.

“While in line at Publix, another lottery player was kind enough to let me go ahead of them in line to purchase the winning Quick Pick ticket,” she said.

“We are grateful for this blessing of winning the Florida Lottery Powerball jackpot and appreciate the interest of the public, the State of Florida and the lottery.”

She asked for privacy and referred

Powerball winner Gloria C. Mackenzie, 84, leaves the lottery office escorted by her son Scott Mackenzie, right, after claiming a single lump-sum payment of about $370.9 million before taxes on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, in Tallahassee, Fla. any further inquiries to her lawyer and her financial adviser.

MacKenzie lived in a small bluegray concrete block duplex surrounded by oak trees, mobile home parks and across from a cow pasture. She was not home on Wednesday but her tan four-door Taurus sat in the yard.

No one knew she had won until news crews started lining up on their small country road on Wednesday afternoon.

The last time neighbors saw her was about a week ago when she returned to the home with her son after being gone for a week or more.

The winner’s name had to be revealed under Florida law, but the re-

cipient had no obligation to publicly acknowledge the prize, lottery officials said.

The winning numbers from the drawing were: 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball number of 11. The odds of winning were put at 1 in 175 million.

The grand prize in the May 18 drawing had accumulated over two months, and surpassed the previous record Powerball payout of $587.5 million set in November 2012.

The largest jackpot in U.S. history stands at $656 million, won in the Mega Millions lottery in March 2012.

That prize was split between winners in Maryland, Kansas and Illinois.

Woman from wealthy NY suburb grew $3M in weed in a warehouse A

woman from a wealthy New York suburb is accused of growing and attempting to sell nearly 3,000 marijuana plants from a city warehouse.

A federal complaint says Andrea Sanderlin, of Scarsdale, operated a warehouse in Queens that contained a “sophisticated operation to grow and process marijuana.”

The complaint was filed May 20 by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. A DEA spokeswoman said Wednesday that the 2,800 marijuana plants would have been worth $3 The complaint says agents with a search warrant entered the warehouse and found two rooms designed to grow marijuana. It says each had state-of-the-art lighting, irrigation and ventilation systems.

A federal complaint says author-

ities began investigating Andrea Sanderlin in April after a confidential witness reported her to law enforcement and said she was running a marijuana growing operation in Brooklyn or Queens.

Officials then reached out to Con Edison, looking for accounts under her name, and the utility advised them that one location in Queens was associated with her telephone number, and was using an “unusually high amount of electricity,” the complaint said. The Virginia native cultivated 2,800 plants there, racking up suspicious Con Ed bills of $9,000 a month, which she typically paid in cash, the feds said.

Con Edison also told agents that the utility bills were paid in cash.

Agents say they observed her gray Mercedes SUV several times at the Queens location.

When agents executed a search warrant there several days later, they found a “sophisticated operation to grow and process marijuana,” including state-of-the-art lighting, irrigation and ventilation systems.

Taking a page right out of the Showtime hit “Weeds,” a blond, equestrian mom living with her daughters in an exclusive Scarsdale enclave doubled as the cultivator of a $3 million marijuana-growing empire, authorities said.

Mom-of-three Andrea Sanderlin, 45, would routinely drive her gray Mercedes SUV from her mansion in the tony Westchester suburb to check on her massive pot crops at a warehouse in Queens, according to Brooklyn federal court documents.

It just goes to show “you never know who your neighbor could be,’’ a law-enforcement source quipped.

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WORLD NEWS

Turkish PM Erdogan says protests must end immediately T

urkey’s prime minister took a combative stance on his closely watched return to the country early Friday, telling supporters who thronged to greet him that the protests that have swept the country must come to an end.

In the first extensive public show of support since anti-anti-government protests erupted last week, more than 10,000 supporters cheered Recep Tayyip Erdogan with rapturous applause outside an Istanbul airport.

Despite earlier comments that suggested he could be softening his stand, Erdogan delivered a fiery speech on his return from a four-day trip to North Africa. “These protests that are bordering on illegality must come to an end immediately,” he said.

Erdogan’s reaction has been seen as decisive in determining whether the demonstrations fizzle out or rage on. His tough tone could be an attempt not to appear weak to the base that has helped him win three landslide elections.

“Those who raise their hands against the police should have their hands broken,” his supporters chanted. Rights groups say thousands of people have been injured in the demonstrations. Three people have died — two protesters and a policeman.

The protests have attracted tens of thousands of people from all walks of life who criticize Erdogan for what they say is an increasingly arrogant and autocratic nature — charges he rejects.

“They say I am the prime minister of only 50

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan per cent. It’s not true. We have served the whole of the 76 million from the east to the west,” he said at the airport, referring to his election win in 2011, when he took 50 per cent of the vote.

Speaking before leaving Tunisia to fly back to Istanbul, Erdogan had attempted more of a balancing act, appearing to moderate his tone in an effort not to further inflame protesters.

Those comments don’t appear to have swayed many of the thousands of protesters who thronged central Istanbul’s Taksim Square for a sixth day Thursday. More than 10,000 others filled a busy street in a middle class area of Ankara.

“I do not believe his sincerity,” said protester Hazer Berk Buyukturca.

Turkey’s main stock market revealed the fears

Suu Kyi announces bid for presidency M

yanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday said that she aspires to be the president of Southeast Asian country although the Constitution bars her from contesting elections in 2015.

The Nobel laureate’s candidature for the job has been speculated for the past few weeks. “I want to run for president and I’m quite frank about it. If I pretended that I didn’t want to be president I wouldn’t be honest,” she said at a conference organised by the World Economic Forum, an event seen to bring Myanmar into the mainstream after five decades of military rule.

The 67-year-old leader, who studied at Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College, recognized her bid for the top office wouldn’t be easy given that the military still controlled 25% of the seats in Parliament and major Constitutional amendments, required to enable her to contest, required at least 75% support. It then had to be followed by a referendum where at least 50% voters would have to support the move.

At present, Myanmar nationals with a foreign spouse or children are barred from holding the top job.

“I am told it’s the most difficult Constitution to amend... Twenty-five per cent (MPs) are unelected military appointments. What we need is that all the civilian seats are filled and we have an agreement on the amendments. Then, we need at least one brave soldier who must support it. It’s very difficult, but not impossible,” she told reporters later in the evening.

For a country that is in the midst of change, there is growing expectation, especially abroad, that she would be elected president and the army would ease out of power. After keeping Suu Kyi under house arrest for 15 years, the rulers not only released but even allowed to contest elections and she has been a member of parliament since 2010. Her party, National League for Democracy, is

that Erdogan’s comments would do little to defuse the protesters, with the general price index plunging by 8 per cent after his comments on concerns that continuing unrest would hit the country’s economy.

In his comments in Tunisia, Erdogan acknowledged that some Turks were involved in the protests out of environmental concerns, and said he had “love and respect” for them.

“His messages were a lot softer than when he left. But they were not soft enough,” said Sukru Kucuksahin, columnist and political commentator for Hurriyet Newspaper. “On the other hand, I don’t think that the demonstrations will continue with such intensity forever.”

Protests over park development The protests started last week over objections to Erdogan’s plan to uproot the square’s Gezi Park to make way for a replica Ottoman barracks and shopping mall. Police’s extensive use of tear gas and water cannons outraged many and sent thousands flooding into the square to support what had, until then, been a small protest.

Over the past week the demonstrations have spread to 78 cities, growing into public venting of what protesters perceive to be Erdogan’s increasing arrogance. That includes attempts to impose what many say are restrictive mores on their personal lives, such as how many children to have or whether to drink alcohol.

UNTOUCHED WATER AS OLD AS 2.6 BILLION YEARS IS FOUND: DON’T DRINK IT

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Aung San Suu Kyi widely expected to come to power if free and fair elections are held.

Although Myanmar is changing, Suu Kyi called for faster pace of reforms so that the benefits of inclusion reach everyone. “The government can do more. It has concentrated enough on good intentions but the results are not as fantastic as they can be. Three years is not a short period... We don’t want people to lose faith in the reforms process,” she told journalists while identifying job creation as the biggest challenge.

Asked identified better infrastructure, improved healthcare and education systems as well as land reforms as the other priority areas.

While Suu Kyi is hailed across the world, her recent silence over ethnic violence has been criticized. But she defended it saying she did not want to come out in support of one group or another as it would result in more extremism. “At the moment nobody seems to be very satisfied with me because I’m not taking sides... It’s just that they are not hearing what they want to hear from me.”

early 1.5 miles beneath Earth’s surface, scientists have discovered pockets of water that have remained in isolation for more than a billion years.

It is probably some of the oldest water on the planet, and scientists say it could be teeming with microscopic life.

The ancient water bubbling up from the floor of a zinc and copper mine near Timmins in Canada’s Ontario province looks crystal clear, but it would not make a cool refreshing drink.

Scientists say it is warm to the touch and much saltier than seawater.

The water is also rich in dissolved hydrogen and methane gas as well as noble gases and their isotopes.

The chemical reactions of the gases could build up enough energy to support life that has been hidden from the sun for more than a billion years, a team of researchers report in a study published in the journal Nature.

Scientists have already found evidence of microbes living in much younger but similarly isolated underground waters in a mine in South Africa.

A team of British scientists developed a way of telling the age of water by measuring how many isotopes of noble gases had built up in it over time.

Using this technique, they concluded that the water is 1 billion to 2.6 billion years old.

The ancient water was trapped in a network of fractures in granite-like rock that is also billions of years old.

Microscopic amounts of very old water and gas have been found before, but in this mine, the old isolated water was trickling out of the rock at nearly 2 liters per minute.

“If it is as old as 2.6 billion years, it could have been trapped at the same time that the rock formed,” Sherwood Lollar said.

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WORLD NEWS

UK to compensate more than 5,000 Kenyans over colonial-era torture D

ecades after the end of colonial rule, thousands of elderly Kenyans are getting compensation and an apology from Britain for years of torture during the fight for independence.

Britain announced a £19.9 million ($30 million) settlement Thursday for human rights violations during its colonial rule in the East African nation.

“The British government sincerely regrets that these abuses took place and that they marred Kenya’s progress towards independence,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

The victims had accused the former colonial master of a series of human rights violations, including rape, illegal detentions and castration.

“The elderly victims of torture now at last have the recognition and justice they have sought for many years,”said Martyn Day of Leigh Day, the law firm that represented the plaintiffs. “For them, this significance of this moment cannot be overemphasized.”

In addition to the payout for the 5,228 victims, the UK said it plans to

fund the construction of a memorial in Kenya to honor the freedom fighters.

“This is part of a process of reconciliation,” Hague said. He denied that the settlement could potentially open the floodgates for colonial-era claims from other former British colonies.

Plaintiffs provided evidence of torture, and the amount of payout will be based on the scale, according to Donald Rabala, another attorney representing some of the fighters.

The abuse occurred between 1952 and 1961, when fighters from the Mau Mau movement battled British forces for land and freedom. Colonial forces killed thousands of fighters and detained others, including Kenyans who were not part of the rebel group.

Kenya went on to gain independence from Britain in 1963.

Secret files Day said the “long, hard struggle for justice” took four years.

The Mau Mau veterans’ claims, issued in 2009, faced resistance from Britain, which said the statute of limitations had expired. The veterans filed a lawsuit, but the Brit-

PRINCE PHILIP ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL FOR OPERATION

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he Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital for an exploratory operation, Buckingham Palace has said.

The duke was admitted to the London Clinic “following abdominal investigations” and is expected to stay in the hospital for up to two weeks.

The operation will take place on Friday under general anaesthetic. It is a planned, not an emergency, admittance.

Prince Philip, who will be 92 on 10 June, pulled out of an official engagement earlier this week.

In the past week, the duke has been having unannounced “abdominal investigations” at the hospital in central London, said BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt.

The Palace said in a statement that “further updates will be issued when appropriate”.

On Monday, Prince Philip pulled out of an engagement for the Royal National Institute of Blind People after becoming unwell ahead of last week’s service marking 60 years since the Queen’s coronation. Philip attended the service at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday and was present at a garden party attended by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Thursday afternoon.

In April, Buckingham Palace played down fears about the Duke of Edinburgh’s health after he was pictured with purplish skin round his eye in Canada. It said he did not fall and simply woke up with the discoloration.

Prince Philip, 91, has been admitted to hospital three other times in the past two years after suffering health scares.

In August 2012, he was treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for a bladder infection.

He spent four days in hospital over Christmas 2011, following an operation to clear a blocked heart artery.

ish government asked the judge to throw out the case, saying it transferred all liability to Kenya when the country gained independence.

Kenya rebuffed the blame and stood behind the victims.

In January 2011, Britain found secret documents detailing the torture, which provided a big break for the case, Day said.

Britain kept immaculate records that revealed systemic human rights violations, including graphic accounts of prisoner abuse, he said.

The Foreign Office was ordered to produce all evidence relevant to the Kenya case, including hundreds of boxes of files, secretly smuggled out of Kenya ahead of independence.

Court paves way for lawsuit After the revelation of the secret files, a court ruled that there was enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Last year, the London high court ruled that three Kenyans tortured during the colonial rebellion could sue the United Kingdom for compensation. Thousands of others followed suit.

The three men who filed the original case made numerous trips to London to give their testimony.

They are among the group that will be compensated.

After the ruling last year, thousands of miles away in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, jubilant colonial-era fighters, balancing on canes, gingerly danced.

Others prayed and wept.

“It’s a great day. I am as happy as the day I was released” from the detention camp, said Wambugu Wa Nyingi, one of the three original plaintiffs.

Who are the Mau Mau? The Mau Mau insurgency was made up of Kenya’s largest tribe, the Kikuyu. Its members were against British domination and fought colonial forces for years.

During the uprising, as many as 150,000 Kenyans were incarcerated in what was then British East Africa, accused of joining resistance movements started by marginalized tribes. Among them were many civilians, including U.S. President Barack Obama’s grandfather.

Obama referred to his grandfather’s incarceration in his memoir “Dreams from My Father,” writing that he was held for six months by the British, but found innocent.

Pakistani lawmakers elect Nawaz Sharif as prime minister I

SLAMABAD, Pakistan — Nawaz Sharif was elected Pakistan’s prime minister Wednesday, taking the reins of a country burdened by an entrenched insurgency, rampant corruption and a power-starved economy.

Parliament, dominated by Sharif’s party after it trounced parties headed by President Asif Ali Zardari and former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan in national elections last month, overwhelmingly voted for Sharif. Afterward in his first speech to lawmakers, Sharif vowed to tackle Pakistan’s “jungle of problems.”

“The nation knows that our economy is in extremely poor condition,” Sharif told parliament after receiving 244 votes in the 342-seat assembly. “We have little in financial resources. We have to pay back billions of rupees of debt. But I ensure the nation that we will struggle to change the country’s destiny.”

Sharif pledged to reshape Pakistan into a nation that would no longer be known for “extremism, insecurity, corruption, poverty and dictatorship — but a Pakistan known for good governance, development, prosperity and respect within the international community.”

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Unlike the previous ruling party, Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party, Sharif’s team received a convincing mandate in the May 11 elections and did not need to cobble together a coalition government to take power.

Sharif enjoys a comfortable majority in parliament, and also oversees governance in Punjab, the country’s wealthiest and most populous province.

Zardari’s support during his five-year term as president, which ends in September, was much more diluted, and he was forced to rely on patronage politics to keep his ruling coalition in place. That forced him to focus more on political survival than on the country’s most troubling ailments, including power blackouts that in some cities last up to 19 hours.

Pakistanis hope Sharif’s industrialist background will help him put the economy back on track. A former steel baron

and one of Pakistan’s wealthiest man, Sharif, 63, is widely viewed as pro-business and a proponent of forging stronger economic ties with neighboring India, the country’s nuclear archrival but also one of the world’s leading emerging markets.

Sharif’s selection marks an unprecedented third term as the country’s prime minister.

He served from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1997 to 1999, when the army chief at the time, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, ousted him from power. Sharif lived in exile in Saudi Arabia until he returned in 2007. His party won the Punjab provincial assembly elections in 2008 and garnered enough seats in parliament to become the main opposition rival to Zardari’s party.

One of Sharif’s biggest challenges will be the relationship he carves with the United States. Intense anti-American sentiment courses through every strata of Pakistani society, but Sharif’s team also knows it cannot afford to alienate Washington, which has channeled billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan and wields strong influence with international lenders such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

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usiness B AND

O TGlobal $200 million credit ECHN

LOGY

card hacking ring busted

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EW YORK - Eleven people in the United States, the UK and Vietnam have been arrested and accused of running a $200 million worldwide credit card fraud ring, U.S. and UK law enforcement officials said on Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors in New Jersey said they had filed charges against a 23-year-old man from Vietnam.

They said in a statement that authorities in Vietnam had arrested Duy Hai Truong on May 29 in an effort to break up a ring he is accused of running with co-conspirators, who were not named in the statement.

“One of the world’s major facilitation networks for online card fraud has been dismantled by this operation, and those engaged in this type of crime should know that they are neither anonymous, nor beyond the reach of law enforcement agencies,”

Andy Archibald, interim deputy director of the National Cyber Crime Unit, said in a statement on the British government’s Serious Organized Crime Agency website. (http://www. soca.gov.uk/news/552-eleven-arrests-as-global-investigation-dismantles-criminal-web-forum) The arrests were coordinated by the three countries, the statement said.

The arrests come as law enforcement officials around the world are cracking down on Internet-related heists. Two weeks ago, authorities raided Liberty Reserve, a Costa Rica-based company that provided a virtual currency system used frequently by criminals to move money around the world without using the traditional banking system.

Earlier last month, authorities arrested seven people involved in

a $45 million heist in which hackers removed limits on prepaid debit cards and used ATM withdrawals to drain cash from two Middle Eastern banks.

Prosecutors claim Truong and accomplices stole information related to more than a million credit cards and resold it to criminal customers through the websites www.matteuter.biz and www.mattfeuter.com, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey.

According to the complaint, Truong hacked into websites that sold goods and services over the Internet and collected personal credit card information from the sites’ customers. “The victims’ credit cards incurred, cumulatively, more than $200 million in fraudulent charges,” the complaint said. The scheme began in 2007.

Chrysler to recall 630,000 SUVs worldwide D

ETROIT — Just two days after refusing a government request to recall 2.7 million older-model Jeeps, Chrysler has decided to do two other recalls totaling 630,000 vehicles worldwide.

The automaker will recall more than 409,000 Jeep Patriot and Compass small SUVs across the globe from the 2010 and 2012 model years to fix air bag and seat-belt problems. It’s also recalling 221,000 Jeep Wranglers worldwide from 2012 and 2013 to fix transmission fluid leaks, according to documents posted Thursday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

In the Patriots and Compasses, a software error could cause late deployment of the side air bags and

BLACKBERRY SAYS MAJORITY OF TOP US FIRMS TESTING ITS NEW DEVICES

S

ixty percent of U.S. Fortune 500 companies are already testing or using the system to manage BlackBerry’s new line of devices, the company said on Wednesday, as U.S. carriers began to roll out its new keyboard-equipped Q10 smartphone.

The Q10, which comes with the tiny physical keyboard that many BlackBerry fans admire, is the second device pow-

seat-belt tightening mechanisms, and that could cause injuries in rollover crashes. Dealers will repair the software for free starting in July.

For Wranglers with 3.6-liter V-6 engines, Chrysler says a power steering fluid line can wear a hole in the transmission oil cooler line.

The SUVs can leak fluid, damaging automatic transmissions. Dealers will inspect the lines for free and replace them or install a protective sleeve. The recall begins in July.

No crashes or injuries have been reported in either case, Chrysler spokesman Eric Mayne said Thursday.

The Compass and Patriot recall includes 254,400 vehicles in the U.S., 45,400 in Canada and another 109,400 outside North America, according to Chrysler.

The Wrangler recall includes 181,000 vehicles in the U.S. as well as 18,400 in Canada, 3,300 in Mexico and another 18,400 outside North America.

Concerned customers in either case can call Chrysler at (800) 8531403.

On Tuesday, Chrysler refused a request from NHTSA to recall 2.7 million older Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty SUVs, saying the vehicles are safe and met federal safety standards when they were built.

The government, however, says the 1993-2004 Grand Cherokees and 2002-2007 Liberty models have fuel tanks that can leak and catch fire in rear-end collisions. The tanks are mounted behind the rear axle, which NHTSA says is a design flaw.

ered by the new BlackBerry 10 operating system.

The touchscreen Z10 launched earlier this year.

The U.S. market is crucial for Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry as it seeks to win back market share ceded to Apple Inc’s iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and other devices powered by Google’s Android operating system.

“This is a very exciting day for us, launching with all four major U.S. carriers,” BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer

Kristian Tear said in an interview.

Tear said BlackBerry, which has long had a strong base of corporate and government users, expected the Q10 to allow it to win back customers who have been using other devices.

He believed demand for the smartphones would be helped by the fact that a majority of top U.S. companies were testing or installing the BlackBerry Enterprise Service system that would allow them to manage the new devices on their internal networks.

ITC RULES FOR SAMSUNG, BANS IPHONE 4 IMPORTS

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EW YORK — A U.S. trade agency has issued a ban on imports of Apple’s iPhone 4 and a variant of the iPad 2 after finding the devices violate a patent held

by South Korean rival Samsung Electronics.

Because the devices are assembled in China, the import ban would end Apple’s ability to sell them in the U.S. However, President Barack Obama has 60 days to invalidate the order from the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington. Obama is against import bans on the basis of the type of patent at issue in the Samsung case. On Tuesday, the White House issued a recommendation to Congress that it limit the ITC’s ability to impose import bans in these cases.

Apple Inc. said it was “disappointed” with the ruling and will appeal.

Samsung and Apple are engaged in a global legal battle over their smartphones, with Apple arguing that Samsung and its Android phones copy vital features of the iPhone. Samsung is fighting back with its own complaints.

Last year, a federal court in San Francisco ruled that Samsung owed Apple $1 billion in damages for infringing on non-essential Apple patents. But the judge refused to impose an import ban on Samsung phones, and later struck $450 million from the verdict, saying the jurors miscalculated. The case is set for a rematch in appeals court.

The iPhone 4 was launched in 2010 and is the oldest iPhone still sold by Apple. Tuesday’s ITC ruling applies only to the AT&T version of the phone. Apple is likely to retire the model in a few months with the launch of this year’s new iPhone model.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple launched the iPad 2 in 2011. The ruling applies only to the version equipped with a cellular modem for AT&T’s network.

The ruling also applies to older iPhones, though these are no longer sold by Apple.

Samsung Electronics Co. is the world’s largest maker of smartphones. Analysts estimate it outsold Apple nearly 2 to 1 in the first three months of the year. However, Apple’s smartphone business is more profitable.

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

BUSINESS AND T ECHNOLOGY

Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad leaves board, makes room for son A

sked if he would ever quit IKEA, 87-year-old founder Ingvar Kamprad told an interviewer last year he “had no time to die”. But his latest step back from the world’s biggest furniture group has pushed a younger generation to the fore.

Kamprad, who founded the business 70 years ago and is one of Europe’s wealthiest men, will leave the board of a major company within the business, Inter IKEA Group, which owns the brand and directs strategy. He had already stepped down as chief executive as long ago as 1986. His youngest son Mathias becomes chairman.

Beneath the title changes, a big business with over 300 stores and 690 million visitors is shifting to Mathias and older brothers Jonas and Peter, all in their mid-to-late forties.

“These children have grown up talking IKEA at the breakfast table, at the lunch table and at the dinner table. You can’t get a more thorough education,” said Bertil Torekull, author of ‘Leading by Design: The IKEA

Story’. “They come in with their generation’s ideas.”

Some say Kamprad is being gently eased out.

“My impression is that at IKEA ... they let him say what he wants, but they don’t pay much attention,” said Bosse Vikingson, a journalist who has followed IKEA for more than a decade.

Earlier this year, IKEA Group’s chief executive said he planned to double the rate of expansion to around 20-25 new stores a year. Kamprad later told a Swedish daily he had not been informed.

IKEA has grown despite austerity in Europe, and now the three sons must now take up the challenge of spreading in markets like China and India and making further inroads online.

They have the advantage of instant brand recognition; the company claims its catalogue - 212 million copies last year in 29 languages - is the second most read publication after the Bible.

The sons each focus on one of

United offers subscriptions for baggage fees, legroom W

ould you pay $349 for a year’s worth of checked bags? Or $499 for extra legroom for a year?

United Airlines hopes so.

United announced two new subscription programs this week where travelers prepay for a year of checked baggage fees or the ability to reserve seats in the so-called “Economy Plus” section near the front of the plane, which boasts extra legroom.

United says its the only airline to offer the subscription programs, which are priced based on travel destinations and number of travelers.

The new programs come as many airlines continue to tack on extra fees and upgrades -- from early boarding fees to charging for carry-on baggage.

United’s checked baggage subscription starts at $349 a year for a single traveler checking one bag and flying within the continental United States, and climbs to $399 for the addition of a second checked bag. An Economy Plus subscription costs $499 a year for a single traveler in the continental U.S. An additional $50 initiation fee for both subscriptions is currently being waived. Charges for overweight baggage would still apply, according to United.

Both price tags tag rise significantly if extra travelers and destinations further abroad are tacked on. For example, a subscription

for two free checked bags during a year’s worth of global travel for a husband and wife would cost $899.

A year of Economy Plus travel in North and Central America for a family of four would run $999.

“We know fees are a concern to our customers,” said Karen May, a United spokesperson. “What we are hoping they will see is the convenience of having prepaid for the bags.”

Currently, United charges $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second for U.S. travel. So for a single traveler checking two bags, a subscription would start paying off by the fourth round-trip flight.

The cost of Upgrading to Economy Plus varies depending on the flight, according to United. A search of United’s website shows that an Economy Plus upgrade for a one-way flight from New York to Los Angeles in July would cost between $71 and $89 depending on the seat.

Some frequent travelers should make sure they aren’t already receiving these perks. United credit card holders receive one or two free checked bags depending on the card, while some frequent fliers receive free bags depending on mileage status, according to United’s website. And customers with Premier-level mileage status will continue to receive complimentary Economy Plus seating when available, United said.

Ingvar Kamprad built IKEA from a shop in his garden shed in the 1940s the three groups that make up the empire: Jonas on IKEA Group, Mathias on Inter IKEA Group and Peter on Ikano Group. The groups all have separate ownership structures

and the sons are on their respective boards.

But their reclusive father’s shadow is still everywhere. He formally acts as “a senior advisor” to IKEA Group, the owner of most stores, and has key positions in foundations that control the empire.

After flirting with Nazism during World War II, for which he has apologized, he built the business from a shop in his garden shed in the 1940s, selling watches and Christmas cards.

His “flat-pack” furniture concept, begun in 1956, helped save a fortune in transport, storage and sales.

Saving money has become something of a hallmark for billionaire Kamprad; he reportedly flies economy class and still frets about the number of meatballs served in the store restaurants.

But he knows how to make it, too. Having more than doubled sales in the past decade to 27.6 billion euros ($36 billion) last year, IKEA Group, which owns most of the stores, plans to double them again by 2020.

US worker productivity increases as hourly compensation drops A

merican workers increased their productivity in the first quarter as hourly compensation fell.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a productivity increase of 0.5% at an annual rate during the first quarter of 2013. The increase reflects a 2.1% increase in output and a 1.6% increase in hours worked.

Compared with the first quarter of 2012, productivity was up 0.9%.

That compares with an average annual gain of 2.3% in the 11 years that ended in 2011, according to Bloomberg News.

Meanwhile hourly compensation fell 3.8% in the first quarter. That decline was the largest in the series, kept since 1947.

Patrick Newport, an economist with IHS Global Insight, said the drop in compensation was not worrisome but the weak productivity was.

“Hourly compensation jumped in the fourth quarter of 2012, in part because of bonuses granted earlier than planned (to avoid higher anticipated tax rates),” he wrote in an

email analysis. “The first quarter drop was payback for the previous quarter’s windfall. “ The weak growth in productivity should be worrisome because it is linked to research and development, Newport noted, and it is the best gauge of a nation’s long-term success.

Employers have been getting more out of their workers during the years of the recession.

A Los Angeles Times series earlier this year explored how employers are using technology that creates a harsher work environment.

According to the series, employers now: “read emails and monitor keystrokes, measure which employees spend the most time on social networking websites and track their movements inside and outside the office. They can see who works fastest and who talks the most on the phone. They can monitor how much time people spend talking to coworkers — and how much time they spend in the bathroom.”

SPIRIT AIRLINES NEWEST OFFER: WINE IN A CAN Spirit Airlines Chief Executive Ben Baldanza recently compared his Florida-based airline to a fast-food restaurant--cheap, with no frills.

So it’s no surprise that Spirit announced Wednesday that passengers can now relax on a flight with cheap, no-frills wine--in a can.

Spirit Airlines has teamed up with another Florida company, Friends Beverage Group, makers of Friends Wine in a Can, to offer what the airline calls “delectable wine products in a convenient, environmentally friendly container with 6% alcohol content.”

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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Sports LOCAL

Pink Marlins are Captain Marvin’s Women’s Beach soccer champions

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he Captain Marvin’s Women’s Beach Soccer league came to a dramatic finale last Sunday as the Pink Mermaids scored in the last ten seconds of extra time to defeat the Purple Pirates and claim the title for the second year running with a 5-4 win.

The game could not have been more exciting and after an excellent season of football it was fitting that the competition ended with such drama. The game started at a frenetic pace with both teams exchanging goals to go in at the interval locked at 3-3. Monae Gooden opened the scoring for the Pirates but 2 goals from Gaya Smith and one from Kadine Delphin saw the Mermaids take an early lead. However, Sarah Cenary scored twice to ensure the

scores were level.

The second period was very tight as Cenary scored again to give her team a 4-3 lead which they held until two minutes from the final whistle. Yarileny De La Cruz who had been playing in a more defensive role pushed forward and converted Guerline Hall’s well placed pass.

Both teams continued to fight hard for a winning goal and Cenary twice saw her shots come of the post and Alande Rosima pulled off some great saves to give the Mermaids a chance of victory. With the game looking like it would head into a penalty shoot-out De La Cruz broke the hearts of the Pirates as she broke away from her marker and turned and fired off a powerful shot into the back of the net.

Both teams intermingle before the game

The Mermaids were ecstatic with their victory but were very gracious to their opponents who they applauded after the final whistle before lining up for a group photo.

Earlier in the day the Great White Sharks pushed the Blue Marlins all the way before they ended up losing 4-2. The Blue Marlins deserved the overall third place as the likes of Patrice Senior, Briandie Brooks and Trincy Reid had played some attractive football. Jacinda Alfrena and one of the league’s most improved players, Maniella Pierre scored for the Sharks but goals from Trincy Reid, Rosemaine, Maiya Madden and an own goal ensured a final day victory for the Marlins.

Technical Director Matthew Green was delighted with the final

day of games. “The league has been a great success this season. Thanks to our sponsors (Captain Marvin’s), coaches, referees, fans and players who have all played their part in a wonderful season.

The standard of play was excellent and the level of competition was a big increase from when we started in 2011. It was shame that there had to be a losing team, but the Pirates were incredible today and were seconds away from winning the final before Yarileny De La Cruz came up with those late goals.

However, football can be a cruel sport but it is pleasing to see players responding under pressure and rising to the occasion. Hopefully Beach Soccer will continue to grow in popularity over the coming years”.

Purple Pirate players tried desperately to clear the ball from the danger area as a Pink Marlins player closing in

LIME’s backs HJ Rugby Team L

IME Turks & Caicos helped to see a real life Cinderella story in the making. The company sponsored the tickets to assist the Helena Jones Robinson High School’s Rugby team to make their debut during the recently held Rugby Tournament.

Mr. Austin Dickenson, Leader of the HJ Robinson’s team recounted, “This team was put together to get students to do something positive with their free time.” He continued, “Many of them had not even played the game before but they were excited about being a part of the team.” He said, “I decided that I would step up and be a part of this because someone took time out to be there for me and I felt the need to do the same.”

The HJ Robinson’s Rugby team came and played and they came in second place; one point separated them from the top spot. Their performance was a true Cinderella story. They came in second in a field of about 20 teams. Two of the players were chosen to be on the National Team and will be travelling to a game that will be held in Trinidad and Tobago.

LIME’s GM, Drexwell Seymour said, “This is what it means when a contribution is more than dollars and cents. It is when our young people get an opportunity to move forward and progress.” He continued, “LIME has always been active in contribution to the area of Sports in the Turks & Caicos Islands and the company is very pleased of this outcome.”

HJ Robinson High Rugby Team

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL SPORTS

Quality Kings, Beaches Erode prevail in HAB T20 cricket

BY MICHAEL PEREIRA

Q

uality Kings easily defeat3ed Jaguars on Saturday 1st June 2013 as the HAB Group sponsored T20 cricket competition continued at the Down Town Ball Park on Providenciales.

Jaguars won the toss and elected to bat, reaching 163 runs for the loss of nine wickets from their allotted 20 overs. Top scorers were Walter Henry with an unbeaten 35 runs, which consisted of four 4’s. He received able support from Mark Henry with an unbeaten 30 runs, which included five 4’s and Christopher McFarlane, contributed 23 runs, which comprised five boundaries.

Bowling for Quality Kings, Lyndon Tyson claimed three wickets for 24 runs from 4 overs and Naga Khutlingham took two wickets for 15 runs from one over. Erion Charles bagged two wickets for 30 runs off four overs.

When Quality Kings batted they reached the required target from 19.2 overs for the loss of four wickets. Ira Baptiste top scored with 58 runs, which was decorated with four 6’s and seven 4’s. Earl Henry contributed an unbeaten 30 runs, which involved five 4’s. Erion Charles scored 29 runs, which included 4’s.

Bowling for Jaguars, Walter Henry captured 4 wickets for 27 runs off 3.2 overs Iran Baptiste was named man of the match.

In a game played on Sunday, 2nd June 2013, Beaches recorded their second win of the season beating JamTurk.

The Beaches Team Batting first after winning the toss, JamTurk posted 138 runs from 19.5 overs for the loss of eight wickets. The main contributors were Dane Ritchie with 47 runs, which included five 4’s and one 6.

Jeffrey Bascoe supported with 21 runs comprising three 4s and Douglas Brown with 20 runs, three of which came by the boundary route.

Bowling for Beaches, Ancell Williams claimed two wickets for 19 runs off four overs and Sidue

Hunter took two wickets for 23 runs from 2.3 overs.

In reply Beaches reached 139 runs from 16.4 overs for the loss of four wickets. Kareem Jack top scored with 54 runs, hitting nine boundaries while on his way. Sidue Hunter added 34 runs hitting three 4’s and two 6’s.

Bowling for JamTurk Delano Hall took 2 wickets for 35 runs from 4 overs. Jack was named man of the match.

Karate Do promotes a staggering 29 students

BY VIVIAN TYSON

A

whopping 29 students were promoted during the Traditional Karate Do martial arts school’s promotional exercise held at the Graceway Sports Centre in Providenciales on Wednesday, June 5 – the highest number of students ever to be promoted at one given time by the institution, according to instructor Sensei Charles Forbes.

One student, Myles Karam was promoted to brown belt, two steps from achieving his black belt. Before being belted, Karam, who will be

leaving for university in the fall, successfully performed a board-breaking demonstration, much to the amazement of the packed house.

“I am feeling very happy right now, I can’t believe I did it (attain brown belt). I am pretty proud because I am going off to university now and I already reached brown belt, and I will be continuing when I reach university. I am going to go all the way,” Karam said.

In the meantime, Forbes said that the school is not just about teaching persons how to defend themselves but also to build character, self con-

Myles Karam makes a board-breaking demonstration

fidence and believing in themselves.

One of the more promising students 9 year-old Ana-kay Brown, who was giving the opportunity demonstrate some of what she had learnt during the exercise, was showered with praise by Forbes for her diligence and ability to adapt and learn quickly.

Because of her aptitude, Ana-kay was promoted from the children’s class to the adult class, and Forbes said that she is adapting well there.

“Well Ana-Kay trains hard and her parents are very supportive and we work together as a team. I took and her and placed her in the adult class,

and so, she learns to focus. If she continues on the way she is going, I can see her at the age of 12 testing for black belt,” Forbes said.

Ana-kay told the media that initially she did not like karate when her mom enrolled her in the programme, but as time progressed, she began to enjoy it, and now she loves it.

The school has seen a significant increase in students from the last time it had its upgrading exercise earlier this year, which Forbes said was based on its dynamic programme.

“We have a very good programme here and the kids spread the word around to other kids. The parents come out to look at what we are offering them, and the kids are placed, and we just continue to instill in them not only the karate aspect but also to develop them as a whole, and that is what we are going to continue to do.

The promoted students pose for a snap with their instructor

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Sports CARIBBEAN

Justin Gatlin beats Usain Bolt in 100 meter race at Golden Gala Meet in Rome

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OME -- Justin Gatlin beat Usain Bolt by one-hundredth of a second Thursday to win the 100 meters at the Golden Gala meet – the Jamaican’s first significant loss since his false-start disqualification at the 2011 world championships in South Korea.

Gatlin was timed in 9.94 seconds and was restrained in his celebration. The American has won all five of his 100-meter races this year and is shaping up as a serious threat to Bolt at the world championships in Moscow in August.

Bolt briefly covered his face with his hands after the race, then saluted the crowd.

“That was ridiculous – a perfect start and then I just cropped off,” he said. “I think it was this perfect start that threw my game off. I have to do more strength work, I guess. I think it needs just some time to get it all back together. At the end it was just not me.”

On a delightful spring evening before a Stadio Olimpico crowd of 52,305, Bolt was second in 9.95 and Jimmy Vicaut of France third in 10.02.

Bolt, the world-record holder and six-time Olympic champion, struggled in the first 50 meters despite his strong start. He started to gain ground on Gatlin nearing the finish but would have needed a bit more track to overtake him.

“At least I got under 10 seconds,” Bolt said. “My legs did not feel the energy. At 50 meters I had some problems, but the rest of the race was not bad.”

Still, it was a vast improvement for Bolt from his first 100 this year. A month ago, he won in a relatively slow 10.09 in the Cayman Islands while he dealing with a hamstring injury. Bolt beat one of his training partners, Kemar Bailey-Cole, in a photo finish. Both recorded the same time. Bolt also was beaten by Tyson Gay in August 2010 in Stockholm.

“For me it is just going through the season,”

Justin Gatlin, of the United States, left, competes alongside Michael Rodgers, of the United States, and Usain Bolt of Jamaica on his way to win the men’s 100m event at the Golden Gala IAAF athletic meeting, at Rome’s Olympic stadium, Thursday, June 6, 2013. American sprinter Justin Gatlin handed world-record holder Usain Bolt a narrow defeat in the 100-meter race at the Golden Gala meet on Thursday. Gatlin clocked 9.94 seconds and Bolt crossed second in 9.95 Bolt said. “Put things together for the world championships. The season is still very early.”

This was Gatlin’s third Diamond League win in the 100 this year, He ran 9.97 seconds in Doha, Qatar, and a wind-aided 9.88 in Eugene, Ore., last weekend. The wind this time was well within the limit.

Gatlin was racing Bolt for the first time since last year’s London Olympics final, which was the fastest final in track history. Bolt won in 9.63 – 0.05 off his world record from 2009. Yohan Blake

took the silver in 9.75, with Gatlin the bronze medalist in 9.79 and Tyson Gay fourth in 9.80.

That was Gatlin’s first major medal since his career was derailed in 2006 by a positive drug test that led to a four-year ban. Gatlin was the reigning Olympic champion when he tested positive, having won the 100 at the 2004 Athens Games.

Bolt will next run the 200 in Oslo, Norway, next week before he returns home for the Jamaican championships. Gatlin has the U.S. trials this month.

Kirani James blames tactical error for his defeat to Merritt

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UGENE, Oregon – World and Olympic 400 metre champion Kirani James has conceded that it was a tactical error which cost him a first win over the former World and Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday.

Merritt continued his unbeaten run against James on home soil to win the Prefontaine Classic in a season’s best 44.32 seconds.

James was second in 44.39 and American Tony McQuay took the third spot in 45.31.

“I allowed LaShawn to get ahead of me too much but it was a good overall race for me,” said James.

“Hopefully in the future it can be exciting as this one”.

Last month James won the onelap event convincingly at the Diamond League in Shanghai, China.

Merritt, who will be 27 this month, is not concerned about age but rather his health and preparation for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

“I know he (Kirani) works hard and he’s growing every year. He understands the race but I am not going anywhere,” said Merrit who served a 21-month suspension for a doping violation and a hamstring injury which hampered the defence of his Olympic title.

“It’s sort of like I am the older guy in these races but I still feel young, only 26. So I take that in consideration and know that they are just younger than I am, but I am not old at all”.

The rivalry between Merrit and James, 20, is setting the stage for a major Moscow showdown in the men’s 400m at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

However, Merritt will first have to qualify at the USA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, June 20-23.

“It means I’m working hard and I’m taking a race at a time and the ultimate goal is Moscow and get-

ting there and win,” he said.

“I go to Iowa and I will try to run three smart races to make the team and I look forward to Moscow and get there and go to work.”

James, an automatic qualifier as the defending world champion, is focus on his race execution.

“A meet like this is all about execution,” said the Grenadian athlete.

“If you get your execution wrong it could hurt you. World Champs is just about executing the race a lot better”.

James will next race in Ostrava at the Golden Spike on June 27 and then the Diamond League in Paris on July 6.

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Sports W

Tiger Woods back on top of Forbes’ rich list

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iger Woods returned to the summit of golf’s world rankings in March - and now the American is back on top of the Forbes 100 Highest Paid Athletes list.

Tiger Woods banked $71million in earnings last year The American had held both positions for several years until misdemeanours in his private life were made public and he took a self-imposed exile from the sport in 2009.

But a successful comeback, which has included seven wins in 18 months and the return of several sponsors, has seen the 37-year-old return to the top of the rich list.

Woods spent 11 years at the top of Forbes’ prestigious list until 2012, when he was replaced by tennis star Roger Federer. But last year Woods banked $71.8 million (£50.7m) from earnings, sponsors and business ventures, including his golf course architecture company.

Federer drops to second in the list for 2013 having earned $71.5m (£46.4m), which includes an impressive portfolio of endorsements, with ten sponsors collectively paying the Swiss ace $65m (£42m) a year.

Basketball stars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James follow, just ahead of American football players Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. A second golfer, Phil Mickelson, also makes the top five.

The highest paid Brit is David Beckham in eighth. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder collected $47.2m (£30.6m), while fellow footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi make up the top ten.

In the top 100, baseball is the most represented sport on the list with 27 stars present.

The list is made up of athletes from 11 different sports, hailing from 23 different countries.

Forbes 100 Highest Paid Athletes: Top 10 1. Tiger Woods (Golf) $ 78.1m 2. Roger Federer (Tennis) $ 71.5m 3. Kobe Bryant (Basketball) $ 61.9m 4. LeBron James (Basketball) $ 59.8m 5. Drew Brees (American Football) $ 51m 6. Aaron Rodgers (American Football) $ 49m 7. Phil Mickelson (Golf) $ 48.7m 8. David Beckham (Football) $ 47.2m 9. Cristiano Ronaldo (Football) $ 44m 10. Lionel Messi (Football) $ 41.3m

RLD

County season could begin overseas

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ounty cricket could be played overseas as the ECB seeks a radical solution to ease fixture congestion during the English season.

ESPNcricinfo understands that, among a raft of proposals under consideration, the ECB has floated the idea of playing the first two rounds of the County Championship overseas, possibly as early as March, in a move that is designed to ease fixture congestion and avoid some of the early-season issues with the weather. This season started on painfully slow pitches and in uncomfortably cold conditions that did little for players or spectators.

The Caribbean is one potential venue. Six teams travelled to Barbados this March for pre-season training and warmup games and it is understood that several Caribbean nations would be delighted to host the

counties and their travelling supporters. The UAE, where the MCC Champion County match has taken place for the last four seasons, and South Africa are other potential destinations.

While the initial signs are that several counties are supportive of the idea, others are concerned about open rebellion from their members. It is probable that the value of a county membership would be reduced if counties offered fewer matches as part of the package. While subsidised travel to the overseas games may placate a few, for many it may prove too expensive. Whether the idea of better scheduling in more comfortable weather for the rest of the domestic season is adequate mitigation remains to be seen.

Cost is an issue for the counties, too. But it is understood that the trips could be subsidised by sponsorship and possi-

bly even host tourist boards.

Apart from allowing more time for rest, recovery and practice, the longer county season might also bring other benefits.

It might, for example, also allow counties to participate in the Champions League - no counties are appearing in the 2013 competition as it clashes with the end of the county season and it might create room for a second T20 competition, played in a small window in mid-season.

The ECB are keen to encourage radical debate on the future of the county game as they seek to improve the standard of cricketers emerging through the system and help the counties gain more financial independence.

While many of the proposals are not likely to progress beyond conversation stage, this one while in an embryonic phase at present - appears viable.

Tsonga trumps flat Federer at French Open J

o-Wilfried Tsonga stunned Roger Federer to delight the home crowd at the French Open and reach the semi-finals of the event for the first time thanks to a 7-5 6-3 6-3 win.

The Frenchman was a deserved winner as Federer looked lethargic and far from his best, and Tsonga put on a masterful display on Court Philippe Chatrier to send the 17-time grand slam champion packing and book his place in the last-four.

Tsonga banished the painful events of 12 months ago when he blew four match points to lose out to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a five-set marathon.

Federer on the other hand was one win away from setting the record for most wins at Roland Garros at 59, but the Swiss will have to wait until 2014 to etch his name into history as it appeared his tie against Gilles

Simon in five sets in the previous round took a lot of energy out of him.

Tsonga was aggressive from the beginning of the contest, but could not convert his break point in Federer’s opening service game. Instead, it was Federer who claimed the first break in the fifth game when he flashed a cross-court forehand winner.

With the break consolidated at 4-2, Tsonga hit back to take three games on the spin, reclaiming the break in the seventh game when Federer was in command at 40-15.

Federer with a forehand smash levelled at 5-5 to stay in the set, but when Tsonga once again applied the pressure on Federer to serve to keep the set alive, the Swiss failed to come up with an answer as Tsonga at the fourth attempt claimed the set thanks to a wayward Federer forehand.

The Federer forehand

which was proving to be dangerous early on was now a concern for the second seed, and Tsonga with a run of 11 out of 12 points raced into a 3-0 lead at the start of the second set.

When Federer reduced the deficit to two at 4-2, Tsonga held his nerve to go two sets in front, and now Federer was staring defeat in the face.

A double fault from Federer handed Tsonga the break immediately in the third set, but Federer quickly recovered to run around the Tsonga serve and execute a fine forehand winner past him to get the break back.

Play went up on serve until the seventh game as it was Tsonga who secured the break to go 4-3 in front, and then the Frenchman went to within one game of victory as Federer appeared to be fatigued from his match against Simon, before sealing the win on his second match point.

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WORLD SPORTS

Oscar Pistorius briefly back in court for hearing Double-amputee Olympian, Oscar Pistorius, looks on as he appears in the magistrates court in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, June 4, 2013.

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RETORIA, South Africa — Oscar Pistorius stood for his entire 15-minute court hearing Tuesday, staring straight ahead, hands clasped in front of him and giving away little emotion as the world got its first close up view of the double-amputee Olympian and murder suspect in nearly four months.

In stark contrast to the sobbing figure Pistorius presented through much of his bail hearing in February, the athlete appeared composed as Acting Chief Magistrate Daniel Thulare postponed the case until Aug. 19 to allow police more time to investigate the Val-

entine’s Day killing of his girlfriend.

Pistorius spoke just three words in court after the magistrate asked him if he understood he was still bound by the same bail conditions and must reappear then.

“Yes, your honor,” Pistorius replied in a voice which croaked at first, but which also had an air of newfound calm ahead of a trial which won’t start until September, at least, and will likely be a long, slow process.

Pistorius faces a life sentence in prison, with a minimum of 25 years, if convicted of premeditated murder, the charge against him for the Feb. 14 shooting death of Reeva Steenkamp.

In a macabre coincidence, the case will continue on what would have been Steenkamp’s 30th birthday, and the model and law graduate’s parents this week pleaded in an interview with a British television channel for answers to the killing where only Pistorius and Steen-

kamp were present.

“I want to know why he shot her because she must have been so afraid,” Steenkamp’s mother, June Steenkamp, told Channel 5.

The extension was sought by the prosecution, and will eventually give investigators six months to gather evidence, interview witnesses and prepare a case against Pistorius by the time he returns to court in August. Prosecutors said police should finish their investigation by then and the trial could start in September, but a verdict possibly won’t come until next year.

Since he was freed on bail on Feb. 22 — just over a week after killing Steenkamp in his home — Pistorius has been living as a virtual recluse, his family has said, with just two reported sightings of him in public.

The 26-year-old Pistorius has said he shot Steenkamp accidentally through a toilet stall door, thinking she was a nighttime intruder. The

LeBron James says Paul Pierce is his biggest rival T

hroughout his time in the NBA, people have been looking for the perfect rival for LeBron James. At first, it appeared that Kobe Bryant would fit this mold. Then, the media was quick to build up a potential rivalry with Kevin Durant as Durant was developing into one of the league’s best players. Of course, the matchup between the two in last year’s NBA Finals played into this.

With this being said, a clear cut rival hasn’t quite emerged for LeBron. This is fine, and part of this is certainly the media trying to create hype.

When asked who his biggest rival is, LeBron James had an interesting answer: Paul Pierce.

This makes sense, as the Boston Celtics for a little while were the team that LeBron could never seem to get by, particularly while he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Also, James and Pierce had an epic battle in the Eastern Conference Semifinals the year the Celtics won the championship. James is clearly the better player, but Pierce has always found a way to step up his game when the two square off.

Is LeBron right here?

Obviously, players such as Durant and Bryant are closer to being on LeBron’s level.

BRAZIL DROPS TO RECORD RANKINGS LOW FIVE-TIME WORLD CUP WINNER BRAZIL DROPPED TO A HISTORIC LOW OF NO. 22 IN THE FIFA RANKINGS ON THURSDAY ONLY ONE YEAR BEFORE HOSTING THE SHOWPIECE TOURNAMENT.

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LeBron James

Paul Pierce

However, LeBron has never faced Kobe’s Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs, thus making it hard for them to be true rivals. Prior to last year, the same could be said with LeBron and Durant. The Miami Heat clearly dominated Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder in the process of winning a championship, making it hard to call Durant a true rival.

It’s probably safer to say that the Boston Celtics as a whole were LeBron’s greatest rival in the earlier parts of his career, including Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo along with Pierce.

Even as recently as last year, it took LeBron’s Heat a full seven games to knock Boston out of the playoffs. With Pierce being the leader of most of

these teams, it’s not too much of a stretch to indirectly call him LeBron’s closest rival.

Looking forward, one would have to believe that Kevin Durant is the most likely candidate to become LeBron’s rival. The Thunder and Heat look fit to arrive in the NBA Finals multiple times over the next few seasons, possibly setting up some more battles between the two. Additionally, it appears that James and Durant will be the top two players in the league for the foreseeable future.

For now, this is a huge compliment for Paul Pierce.

When the best player in the world talks about you like this, you must be doing something right.

state alleges he and his 29-year-old girlfriend may have argued before her death and he intentionally killed her.

An athlete who had his lower legs amputated when he was a baby, and who then went on to run at the Olympics, Pistorius has faced up to challenges before — although none with the immensity of his looming murder trial.

The Olympian’s news-dominating case has never been far from the world’s headlines, but Acting Chief Magistrate Thulare also warned Tuesday of “scandalous and possibly contemptuous” reporting by some media in Pistorius’ case following the publication of pictures by another British television station last week. The leaked photographs purport to show the blood-spattered bathroom where Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp, firing his 9mm pistol four times through the locked door of a toilet stall and hitting his girlfriend with three bullets.

razil fell three places this month as it continues to play only friendlies, including a 2-2 draw against England on Sunday. Friendlies score less than competitive matches in FIFA’s calculations, which have ranked teams since 1993 across a fouryear results cycle.

Brazil can make up ground when it hosts the eight-nation Confederations Cup warm-up event this month. It plays No. 8 Italy, No. 17 Mexico and No. 32 Japan.

World and European champion Spain extended its lead atop the rankings since August 2011. Germany, Argentina and Croatia are next.

The Netherlands, the 2010 World Cup finalists which knocked Spain off the top two years ago, rose four spots. Portugal and Colombia are sixth and seventh.

England drops two to No. 9 and Ecuador completes the top 10.

Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which lead their World Cup qualifying groups, have risen to their highest-ever ranks of No. 12 and No. 15, respectively.

Ivory Coast leads African nations at No. 13, and 23rd-ranked Mali closed in on Brazil in its best position.

The United States rose one place to No. 28 ahead of resuming its World Cup qualifying campaign in Jamaica on Friday.

FIFA said 30 friendlies were included in the latest calculations. All World Cup qualifiers in June are calculated in the next standings published July 4.

Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, fell three places to No. 104 and could drop further after a 1-0 home defeat against Iran on Tuesday in a key 2014 qualifier.

Confederations Cup underdog Tahiti, which lost 7-0 to Chile’s Under-20 team this week, heads to Brazil at No. 138 in the world.

Tahiti will face fellow continental champions Nigeria, ranked No. 31, Spain and No. 19 Uruguay.

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