VOLUME 9 ISSUE 28

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

VOLUME 9 - No. 28

$1.00

PIPER WINS CASE

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BY HAYDEN BOYCE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

F

ormer Minister of Natural Resources McAllister “Piper” Hanchell secured a significant legal victory on Friday July 19th when Supreme Court judge Madame Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale ruled against claims which Attorney General Huw Shepheard and the Civil Recovery Unit brought against the politician and businessman.

The Attorney General had alleged that Hanchell and his company Akita Holdings were unjustly enriched by benefits received from land (at the South Dock Road headquarters of Caicos Oil) being transferred to them by the Crown which was obtained at an undervalue, or alternatively, that Hanchell and his company were in knowing receipt of the land which was transferred to it in breach of a fiduciary duty.

The AG also brought claims against Hanchell and his company for arrears of rent which fell due under the Commercial Conditional Purchase Lease of land in South Caicos. These sums have since been paid, so the AG’s claim was limited to a claim for interest.

During the trial which was heard between June 4th and June 6th, 2013, Hanchell was represented by Queen’s Counsel Ariel Misick of the law firm Misick & Stanbrook, while the Attorney General’s lawyers were British lawyers David Phillips, QC and Patrick Patterson and Khalila Astwood.

Integrity Commission clears Premier Ewing and Minister Gardiner PAGE 7

SCOTIABANK MAKES COMPUTER PRESENTATION TO PROVO LIBRARY: The Providenciales Library received five refurbished desktop computers on Friday (July 19), thanks to the benevolent gesture of Scotiabank Cherokee Road Branch. The donation was made in person by Managing Director Cecil Arnold and Assistant Manager for Business Support, Judy Deane. Arnold expressed the hope that the computers would broaden the usage of those who visit the library on a regular basis. He said all the computers were in good working order and should be able to serve their purposes. Margaret Forbes, Assistant Librarian at the Providenciale Library, described the donation as extremely important for the library. She said the five computers would now increase the number at the facility to 15, which should provide more accessible computer usage among its clients. She also assured the bank that the machines would be taken care of in the best possible way. Here, Arnold (left) and Deane (right) making the presentation to Forbes. Sharing in the occasion are three young users of the library.

In her eight-page judgment, Madame Justice Ramsay-Hale noted that the primary issue which she had to resolve was whether Hanchell acquired the land at an undervalue, because it was that

particular allegation that essentially underlies both the claim of unjust enrichment and the claim for knowing receipt.

Ruling in Hanchell’s favour, the judge stated that the AG failed in the

claim he brought against Hanchell and his company for “knowing receipt of trust property in respect of the land”.

Butch Stewart gets beach access

Adelphine Pitter is new GM at West Bay Club

PNP gets tough questions at town hall meeting

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Madame Justice Ramsay-Hale ruled: “The Crown’s case is that Mr. Hanchell breached his fiduciary duty by taking a lease of Crown Land for a value which he knew, or ought to have known, was wrong and that the Akita (Holdings) received the property with the knowledge of his breach. For the reasons which I have already given, I am not prepared to make such a finding.”

She added: My finding with respect to Mr. Hanchell’s knowledge of the undervalue is not affected by the valuation of 2006 in which Mr. Alwell expresses the opinion that the Land’s value had increased to $600,000. The value he ascribes to the land is still not based on any comparable evidence of value. In my view, in the absence of any comparables or any evidence of sales indicating strong or rising demand for land in the area for commercial purposes which could account for the increase in value, the Court should be slow to dismiss Mr. Hanchell’s evidence that he believed the increase in the value to be attributable to his own investment in the Land.”

The judgment continued: “Even if I were wrong, and the proper inference to be drawn is that by the time of the second valuation Mr. Hanchell was in no doubt that the Government had in fact agreed to transfer the land to him at an undervalue, it would be irrelevant to the question before the Court as by 2006 he had the benefit of a concluded agreement with the Crown for the purchase of the freehold for a contractually agreed price. Mr. (David) Phillips submits that there was no concluded agreement to transfer the freehold title to Mr. Hanchell until the Crown had consented to it and in the result, there was a continuing duty on Mr. Hanchell to bring the possibility of the land being sold at an undervalue to the attention of the government. I cannot accept this submission. Leaving aside for the time being the question of whether or not Mr. Hanchell had in fact complied with the conditions in the CPLs under

Former Minister of Natural Resources McAllister Hanchell

Madame Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale

Ariel Misick, QC

Attorney Khalila Astwood

consideration, he had a contractual right to demand the transfer of the freehold to him for the amount stated. The Governor may have refused to transfer the Land to him on the basis that he had not performed his obligations under the CPL but would not have been entitled to refuse to transfer the property on the ground that, two years after the bargain was struck, the Crown had discovered that the Land had been undervalued.

It would only have been able to do so if it were determined that Mr. Hanchell knew of the undervalue at the time of the execution of the CPL and not by reference to what he knew at the time of the transfer.”

obligations under the CPLs. In fact, the development could be said to exemplify the aim of the Crown Land Policy to increase the role of Belongers in commercial land development.”

She also stated: “There is no doubt that the value of the Land was greater than the value at which Mr. Hanchell obtained it, but the question for the Court is if it is satisfied on a balance of probability that Mr. Hanchell knew as a result of the valuation he had obtained that he was acquiring the Land at an under-value.

In the absence of any comparable evidence justifying the valuator’s opinion, there is nothing in the report prepared by Construction Advisory Services that would cause me to say that he knew the land was worth more than it was being offered to him by the Crown.”

NO UNJUST ENRICHMENT Commenting on the unjust factors relied on by the Crown in support of their claim of unjust enrichment, the judge stated: “Insofar as any of the pleaded allegations involve assertions of breach of fiduciary duties they do not establish a claim for unjust enrichment….”

In another critical part of her ruling, Madame Justice Ramsay-Hale noted: “There was ultimately no breach of the Crown Land Policy as Akita Holdings thereafter made substantial investments in the land consistent with Mr. Hanchell’s original

AG’S CLAIM FOR INTEREST DISMISSED In dismissing the Attorney General’s claim for interest, the judge ruled: The Plaintiff (Attorney General) claims interest in respect of the leasehold land in South Caicos, the Defendant (Hanchell) having paid the arrears of rent at the commencement of the proceedings. The Defendant (Hanchell) resists the application, Mr. (Ariel) Misick submitting that the Plaintiff (AG) has no contractu-

Attorney Patrick Patterson

David Phillips, QC

al entitlement to interest, and that while the Court has a discretion under section 19 of the CPO to award pre-judgment interest on a claim for debt or damages, it (the court) is not obliged to do so and, in the circumstances where the arrears were settled out of Court, the Court should decline to do so. I accept this submission and dismiss the (AG’s) claim for interest.”

Madame Justice Ramsay-Hale said there is a measure of subjectivity involved in valuing property and it would appear that there is usually a disparity between the values ascribed to land by Government valuators and the valuations obtained from private valuators for commercial purposes.

She continued: “The fact that Hanchell intended to, and did, rely on the valuation to obtain financing from the bank to fund the development of the Land is not evidence in my respectful view that he believed that $500,000 was what the land was worth.

There is nothing to suggest that he should have considered that the Government’s valuators were less competent than Mr. (Russell) Alwell or that he had reason to doubt the bona fides of the government valuation officers charged with advising government on the appropriate value of Crown Land. He (Hanchell) said, and I accept there being no evidence to suggest otherwise, that he had no reason to know, and did not know, that the Government was using outdated valuations when it offered him the CPLs. Even if he knew an out-of-date valuation had been used, I could not without more

draw the inference that he knew a more recent valuation would have yielded a higher value (as that would suggest that the movement in the value of land is always upward, which present trends in land values demonstrate quite clearly is not the case).”

The judge added: “In fact, according to Mr. Hanchell, the original lessee had been given the option to purchase the freehold at $16,500, so the $50,000 freehold price which had been offered represented a substantial revision in the value of the Land by the Government valuators. Having considered Mr. Hanchell’s evidence and the language used by Mr. Alwell in his Report and the absence of any information of comparable sales of land, I am not prepared to reject Mr. Hanchell’s evidence that he did not accept the value that Mr. Alwell put on the land as its true current market value and to find, as the as the Crown invites me to do, that he knew that the land had been offered to him at an undervalue.”

Responding to the judgment, a statement from Akita Holdings said: “The directors and shareholders of Akita Holdings are pleased that the claim against Akita has been dismissed by the Supreme Court after a full hearing which lasted three days. Akita never considered that there was any merit in the Attorney General’s claim that it acquired the land on which it has spent significant sums in developing its petroleum facilities in breach of trust. We look forward to continuing to serve the needs of the Turks and Caicos Islands population as a wholesale and retail provider of petroleum products.”

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LOCAL NEWS

Rethinking Taxing Tourism in the Caribbean

BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

A

re governments in the Caribbean killing the goose that lays the golden egg? This question relates to the number of taxes that governments are applying to the tourism industry and, particularly, to the cost of airplane tickets for flights originating in their countries.

In some cases, the cost of government taxes far exceeds the actual fare charged by the airline. Intra-Caribbean travel has been seriously affected. For instance, it is cheaper to travel from some Caribbean countries to New York, Miami and Toronto than it is to journey to nearby Caribbean states.

This, of course, has a harmful effect on tourism apart from the fact that people to people contact, that should be at the heart of a Caribbean “community”, is also undermined. Caribbean people are also tourists. For some Caribbean countries, Caribbean tourists represent their second largest market.

The taxes applied by governments on tourism-related activity is akin to adding costs to exports making them more expensive and

less competitive in the global market. In other words, it is like shooting yourself in the foot, and thereby giving your competitors in a race for tourists an unrestrained opportunity to beat you. This leads to tourists choosing less expensive destinations.

The consequence is that fewer tourists come to the Caribbean, foreign exchange

earnings decline, income of tourism related businesses falls and workers are laid off.

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, the former Tourism Minister of The Bahamas and also former Head of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), recently produced an important paper on Caribbean tourism in which he pointed out the following: “Hotel occupancies across the region average 60% annually and tourism represents some 15% of regional GDP. In some Caribbean countries, the tourism contribution to GDP is as high as 80%. It does not take much arithmetic to see that if occupancies could be advanced to 90%, the tourism contribution could be increased by some 50%.”

He also makes the telling point that: “It is very odd that world

trade agreements have removed so many of the taxes on goods travelling across borders yet we have seen steady increases in tariffs on people crossing borders”.

For Caribbean countries increased taxes on people travelling is not good for any of their economies – certainly not good for the countries that are highly tour-

ism dependent, such as Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas and Barbados, and not good for countries that have lost preferential markets for their main agricultural products and are trying to develop a tourism industry to earn foreign exchange and create jobs.

Vanderpool-Wallace in his carefully argued paper drew attention to a PriceWaterHouseCoopers study on the effects of the Airline Passenger Duty (APD) on the economy of the United Kingdom. Apart from the negative effects of the APD on travel to the Caribbean, the study showed that “the removal of that APD would result in a US$788 million net gain in UK taxes”.

That study has lessons for Caribbean governments that now apply taxes to their vi-

tal export – tourism.

But maybe finance ministers, hardpressed to find monies to pay for myriad demands, need convincing that the removal of these taxes would bring in greater revenues. In this connection, perhaps the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) might join with the CTO and the Caribbean Hotels and Tourism Association (CHTA) to conduct such a study for governments.

The European Union and the Canadian International Development Agency have regional funds to which application could be made to finance such a study. Why not take advantage of the opportunity and get an informed and scientific basis for the judgement being made about taxes on the tourism industry including air travel?

On the subject of the APD that the United Kingdom government has applied to Caribbean travellers, while Caribbean governments and tourism officials have been fighting this issue at the political level for some years, it should be evident now that no amount of political lobbying will shift the British policy position. The Caribbean grievance has to be taken to an independent body for redress or, with polite apologies and offers to address the problem as soon as the UK’s own economic circumstances improve, nothing will be done.

Caribbean governments that are complaining about the APD could also lead the way in influencing the British government by eliminating or reducing their own taxes. Such action would also have the beneficial effect of lowering the cost of air travel to the region, making it more

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.

competitive, bringing in more visitors, increasing foreign exchange and revenues, and producing more jobs.

On a related matter, 10 Caribbean countries (9 CARICOM states and Cuba) have “Approved Destination Status” for tourists from China now the world’s second largest economy with a middle-class that will overtake the size of the US middle-class in a few years. The number of Chinese tourists was 70.3 million in 2011, expected to rise to 82 million this year. Yet, no real effort has been made to develop this market. To its credit, the Barbados Tourism Authority has recently started doing so by inviting representatives of three Chinese tour operating companies to visit. They are: Shanghai Airlines Tours International, China CYES, and Huamei Holdings. Barbados is trying to target the wealthier end of the Chinese market.

But three vital steps remain. The first is to remove the requirement for Chinese to have visas to visit the designated Caribbean countries;

the second is to create awareness of the Caribbean in China; and the third is to build strategic partnerships with tour operators and China Airlines to bring tourists to the region.

China Airlines flies to New York and to Brazil. Part of the strategy should be either to encourage China airlines to fly on to different Caribbean destinations in the course of a week, or to work out arrangements for other airlines to pick up Chinese passengers bound for the Caribbean from New York and Boa Vista.

Removing taxes on tourism in the Caribbean would also help to reduce the high costs of travel from distant China.

Getting tourists from China is a big leap. It requires attention now to build the structures to make it work. Meanwhile, the Caribbean continues to have nearby markets in North America and traditional markets in Europe from which they can still benefit. But, the benefits won’t come if taxes on tourism discourage tourists. It’s time to re-think taxing this vital export.

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LOCAL NEWS

Integrity Commission clears Premier and Immigration Minister of misconduct T

he Integrity Commission wishes to inform the general public that in accordance with section 102(3) of the Constitution and section 58A of the Integrity Commission Ordinance (the Ordinance), it has carried out investigations into allegations of contravention of the Code of Conduct by the Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing and the Minister Don-Hue Gardiner.

The following is the summary of the allegations and the Commission’s findings and conclusions in relation to the allegations: (a) Allegation against the Premier, Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing: (i) The substance of the allegation was that Dr. Ewing abused his powers as Premier and broke the laws and airport security regulations in the course of boarding a domestic flight from Providenciales to Grand Turk on 28th of May 2013. (ii) The Commissioners found that the Premier did not abuse his powers and did not

(b) Allegation against the Minister, Don-Hue Gardiner: (i) The substance of the allegation was that his conduct at the incident involving the discharge of firearm at Grace Bay, Providenciales in the early hours of March 31, 2013 fell short of the highest standards

Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing break any laws or Airport security regulations, as alleged, and were accordingly satisfied that the Premier, Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing, did not contravene the Conduct of Conduct.

Minister of Immigration Hon. DonHue Gardiner

of integrity, honesty and propriety expected of a Minister of the Government. (ii) The Commissioners found that there were no reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the alleged conduct of the Hon. Don-Hue Gardiner derogated from, or fell short of the highest standards of integrity, honesty and propriety expected of a Minister of Government. (iii) Accordingly, the Commissioners were satisfied that Minister Gardiner did not contravene the Code of Conduct.

2. In accordance with the requirement of section 58(C) of the Ordinance, the Commission has prepared written reports of these investigations, containing its findings and conclusions. These reports have been delivered to the relevant statutory recipients, including H.E. the Acting Governor and the Hon. Speaker of the House of Assembly.

Government gives self good grade on 120 day achievement target

BY VIVIAN TYSON

I

f premier for the Turks and Caicos Islands Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing was to give his administration a grade based on traffic light colours, on the achievement after its first 120 days in office, it would be mostly green, which signifies good grades.

The premier told a meeting in Grand Turk on Monday (July 17) that a number of targets that his Progressive National Party (PNP) set out to do in 120 days after being elected have been achieved.

The goals include the overhauling of the aging Grand Turk Reverse Osmosis plant and the water distribution system; making improvements to the Ona Glinton Primary School and H.J. Robinson High School; commence repair work on the North Caicos/Middle Caicos Causeway; conduct a review of the education system; create a national development plan and host a major tourism conference.

The Premier said that, except for two reds – the hosting of the tourism conference and the national de-

velopment plan - government has seen mostly green.

He said that government would take amber on the education policy, since consultations had already been held and is now awaiting a final report.

He said that there would be green for the H.J. Robinson High School and the Ona Glinton Primary School, since work on those schools have commenced.

He said that there would green for the North Caicos/Middle Caicos Causeway, because work has started and expect to complete later this year.

Amber, going green would also be the order of the day for the creating of the Water Corporation and Restoration of reliable water supply in Grand Turk because the new RO plant has been purchased and shipped from overseas. He said that the building to house the plant is on scheduled for completion, saying also that a new metering and piping system is being put in place.

The premier pointed out that the forming of the Water Corporation

for Restoration and Reliable Supply on that island is mainly to look at whether or not to privatize the city water project, enter into a joint venture with the private sector or to wholly retain it.

A green is also taken for the general urban clean-up and restoration of Grand Turk. Premier Ewing said that the project was contingent upon the Carnival Development Fund, which is financially supported by government and the Carnival Cruise Line.

“Government has budgeted 300,000 to go towards that fund.

The fund is up to $2million, and government, plus Carnival, plus the committee will have to come together and decide how these funds are going to be used to improve Grand Turk for tourist-related activities,” he said.

He said government would take red grade for the failed National Development Plan.

“The National Development Plan would be a red, because we were not able to achieve that, but we are still working to see how best we can achieve that,” he said.

He also slapped his government with the red grade for none staging of the proposed tourism conference in the Turks and Caicos Islands, blaming it on the lack of finance.

“The next object for the 120 days was to have a major tourism and investment conference. As you would imagine, to have major a tourism and investment conference requires significant injection of capital and injection by the government. And since we did not have a budget of our own coming in as yet, that conference could not be held. And so, that conference has been pushed back to next year,” he outlined.

He said that provisions have been made in the budget for the staging of the conference next year, but will be seeking private sector intervention, since both government and the private sector will benefit from the spinoffs.

The premier said that even though TCI did not have a major conference this year, it was the featured country at both the Invest Caribbean Now Tourism Conference in New York and another conference in Canadian.

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LOCAL NEWS

BUTCH STEWART GETS BEACH ACCESS

BY HAYDEN BOYCE – PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

B

eaches Resort and Spa has been granted the controversial beach access between its property and the former Veranda Hotel which was bought by Gordon “Butch” Stewart last November.

According to an email of the minutes from Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting which was chaired by Acting Governor Hon. Anya Williams, the Governor was advised to grant a long-term (99 year) lease to Vista Properties Limited (Beaches Resort & Spa) over the parcel of land.

“The subject parcel was publicly tendered in accordance with the procedures of the Crown Land Ordinance 2012 and no competing bids were received,” said the email which came from Patrick Boyle, Director, Reform and Political Strategy in the Governor’s office.

The email said Cabinet also received an update from the Attorney General Huw Shepheard on the discussions relating to the Beaches development agreement which are continuing.

In an exclusive interview with The SUN a few weeks ago, when asked about some of the major issues that were affecting Beaches operations in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Stewart identified the beach access and the labour protocol as the two main ones, and he also touched on the ongoing negotiations over a revised development agreement.

Regarding the beach access between Veranda and Beaches, he said: “We are going to have to cut holes in a chain link fence

es has proposed to close the one between Veranda and its property and it has already gone ahead and spent close to $500,000 constructing a new and wider beach access with fenced parking at Forbes Road, in The Bight, west of Beaches property.

Commenting on the Development Agreement the 71-year-old Stewart told The SUN: “It’s going around in circles, but at this point I am not in a hurry. I have a good development agreement right now that goes back to 2006, but they want a new one. I like what I have now…until they are ready. You know, I hear the country saying that they have to collect money to pay off the loan. Well, they could have collected another $1.5million or $2million easily in accommodation tax if we were up and running (Veranda) for the winter, and you also would have had more taxi drivers benefitting, more duty benefits and more people paying rent and so on.”

Beaches will be closing for six weeks, from September 1st to October 19th, this year, a move that will have an adverse effect on airlift into the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Beaches, which is the second largest emGordon “Butch” Stewart ployer in the Turks and Caicos Islands after Government, has 1537 staff now, but still for our guests (from Veranda) to go through needs another 537 more employees. to access the services, restaurants and pools According to information provided by (at Beaches) and when the trade magazines Beaches’ management, in 2012 the compatake pictures of that, it is going to look very ny held 16 job fairs and conducted 542 interbad on the Turks and Caicos Islands. If that’s views but there were 435 no-shows. In 2012 how you treat a Five-Star set of guests, it is Beaches hired 317 persons who were either not good.”

Belongers or PRC holders, and 75 non-naAs it now stands, there are two beach ac- tionals. So far this year, the company had 10 cesses on either side of the Veranda; one be- job fairs and 402 persons did not show up. tween Beaches and Veranda and the oth- This year, Beaches hired 149 persons who er between Veranda and The Alexandra, were either Belongers or permanent resiwhich is less than 100 metres away. Beach- dents and 76 non-nationals.

SUMMARY OF LAST CABINET MEETING

T

he Acting Governor, the Hon. Anya Williams chaired the 16th meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday 17th July 2013 at the House of Assembly Building on Grand Turk.

All Ministers were present at the meeting except the Minister for Health and the Minister for Government Support Services who are out of the country on official business.

At this meeting Cabinet: • Noted the recommendations of the Scholarship Board for 2013 presented by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports. The Scholarship Board considered some 117 applications to study overseas. The Board recommended the issuance of the following awards: 9 Full Scholarships; 17 Partial Scholarships and 9 Grants. The full details of the awardees will be published in the Gazette. Cabinet also noted that there were124 Applications for local studies which will be considered by the Board in August after receipt of the CXC/IGCSE results.

• Agreed a proposal from the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports to seek assistance from a specialist sports

•

•

consultant to work with the British tial customers in arrears should be Olympic Association to secure memoffered a 50% discount and 25% for bership on the International Olympic commercial customers. Discounts are Committee (IOC). As a member of the conditional on the arrears being setIOC the Turks and Caicos Islands will tled by the 1st December 2013. Customreceive assistance with the developers in arrears will not have access to ment of sports programmes and infrathe new water system in Grand Turk, structure. when it is available, while arrears are Approved the submission of the outstanding.

2012/13 Statement of Net Excess Ex• Advised HE. The Governor to grant a penditure to the House of Assembly to long-term (99 year) lease to Vista Propbe considered as part of the Charge to erties Limited (Beaches Resort & Spa) Public Funds. The Statement of Excess over Parcel 60803/96pt. The subject will be laid on the table (in accordance parcel was publicly tendered in acwith section 117 of the constitution) at cordance with the procedures of the the next sitting of the House of AssemCrown Land Ordinance 2012 and no bly for onward submission to the Apcompeting bids were received. propriations Committee.

• Received an update from the Attorney Approved a proposal from the MinisGeneral on the discussions relating to ter for Government Support Services the Beaches development agreement to regularise the payment of arrears which are continuing. from customers in Grand Turk for waFurther information on the issues adter consumption. Cabinet heard that dressed by Cabinet will be provided by Minsome 837 customers residing in Grand isters in due course.

Turk are shown to be in arrears and

owe the Government a total amount Cabinet will hold its next meeting on 31st of $1.4M. Cabinet agreed that residen- July 2013.

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Hotel Association president downplays impact of Beaches closure

BY VIVIAN TYSON

M

ichel Neutelings, President for the Turks and Caicos Islands Hotel and Tourist Association has downplayed the stated bearings that the temporary closure of Beaches Resort will have on airlifts to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Some hotels are on jitters in the wake of some airlines mulling over cutting flights for the almost two month period –September 1/ October 19 – that Beaches Resort is scheduled to close.

Beaches announced in May, that it would be closing its doors from September 1 to October 19, to facilitate repairs and make improvements to the property.

The news release said in part: “Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages and Spa will close temporarily from September 1 to October 19 for a wide-ranging enhancement programme. The decision to close was prompted by the level of guest interruption during the improvement work, which will include installation of a sky slide, water park feature and a re-organization of back-of-house operations that will directly impact service standards” Some in the community said that the closure was out of spite on the part of the hotel management vis-à-vis the chronic impasse between its operators and the government, concerning a new development agreement. They said the controversy also surrounds Beaches’ attempt at purchasing a beach access that separates the main hotel from its new acquisition – the Veranda Resort - which has now renamed Key West Village.

Beaches Resort and Spa wants to incorporate Key West Village with the main hotel, and so, seeking ownership of the beach access – which is Crown Land.

However, Neutelings said that while the closure of the resort will impact flights, it will not affect as many resorts as people are making it out to be, since there will be more property closures this year than years past, during September and October. He said that records have shown that there is a perennial slump in flights coming into the TCI during the period.

“It (The Beaches closure) will affect the flights for sure. Forty per-

Michel Neutelings cent of all passengers coming into the country are going to Beaches, so it would reduce the amount of flights for sure. But you know every year in September and October, you do get reduced flights anyway, it is nothing new as far as I am concerned. Flights have always been reduced in September and October. It is going to reduce even more this September and October because Beaches is closing for two months,” Neutelings explained.

He said that persons are probably panicky because over the past two years, resorts have been operating without such level of closure during the period.

“The last two years everyone was open in September and October, so we probably all benefitted, especially last year. There are a few more hotels that would be closed this year anyway, so business is going to be a lot slower, September and October. Then again, it is nothing dramatically new because it has always been like that.

“Last year it was nice because a lot of the hotels were open and there were more flights because they were open. But this year I think a lot more hotels will undergo renovation. I am not overly concerned because it is expected for September/October, and we have to design our operations accordingly,” he said.

In the meantime, Sandals Resorts International said all guests will receive a credit for the original value of their Beaches Turks & Caicos vacation.

LOCAL NEWS TCIG Implements Charge on Freight and Insurance of Imports

T

HE TCIG Cabinet has agreed to the application of a 15 per cent charge on the freight and insurance cost of goods imported into the Turks and Caicos Islands. This is one of several new revenue measures being implemented as part of government’s Financial Strategy and Policy Statement (FSPS) to improve the finances of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

As a result, the Ministry of Finance is advising members of the Trading and Business Communities in the Turks and Caicos Islands, that as of July 8, 2013, Government began collecting a fee on the Freight and Insurance of Goods imported. This charge only applies to imported goods both prepaid (internationally) and post paid (locally).

This fee, in addition to increases in the Accommodation Tax and Stamp Duty are among ways government have sought to increase its revenue as part of its financial projections that must be met in order to meet the country’s financial obligations.

Examples have been worked out below: This new charge is disbursed among all items in the container resulting in the following effects: CONTAINER OF BEVERAGES:

Quantity of beer in a container: $25,920

FREIGHT: $4,000.00 INSURANCE (OPTIONAL): $500.00

New Charges on Freight and Insurance: FREIGHT: $4,000.00 * 15% = $600.00 INSURANCE: $500.00 * 15% = $75.00 $675.00

Total Additional Charges: ($675.00/25,920 beers) = $0.02 per beer

CONTAINER OF REFRIGERATORS: Quantity of Refrigerators: 15

FREIGHT: $4,000.00 INSURANCE (OPTIONAL): $500.00

New Charges on Freight and Insurance: FREIGHT: $4000.00 * 15% = $600.00 INSURANCE: $500.00 * 15% = $75.00

Total Additional Charges ($675.00/15 refrigerators) = $45.00 per refrigerator

Page 10

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

Veteran Grace Bay Club Hotelier Adelphine Pitter is new West Bay Club GM

BY VIVIAN TYSON

L

ongstanding employee at the Grace Bay Club, Adelphine Pitter, has become the first female Turks and Caicos Islander to put in charge of a luxury five star property, after being entrusted by the Grace Bay Resorts directorship to become the new General Manager at West Bay Club.

“I have to give the Almighty God a tremendous amount of thanks, for taking me through this very, very long journey, to get me where I am today. I have a lot of faith in God, and he has truly been a blessing to me, and I have to thank him,” Pitter said.

Dr. Carlton Mills

Adelphine Pitter, A section of the West Bay Club Property (West Bay Club) Grace Bay Resorts – operators of Grace Bay Club - has recently assumed the management of the West Bay Club. Grace Bay Resorts is being operated by Mark Durliat, who is the Chief Executive Officer and principal, and Nikheel Advani, the Chief Operations Officer and principal.

The property is described in this manner by its new management: “With 74 keys, including 47 luxuriously appointed oceanfront suites, the hotel blends Caribbean charm with modern chic design. West Bay Club currently operates one restaurant – Atlantic Bar & Grill – that offers a casual, poolside dining experience.

“West Bay Club’s striking architecture combines traditional Caribbean design with Barbadian-inspired décor elements, such as cedar shingles roofing, expansive balconies with ocean views and an elegant, central courtyard. Guest rooms are contemporary in style.”

Pitter, originally from Bottle Creek, North Caicos, and the daughter of Mary and Albert Higgs, is not the only one celebrating her latest success. Carlton Mills PhD., Manager for Talent Growth and Local Affairs

at Grace Bay Resorts has described Pitter’s ascendency as historic for the company.

“Adelphine’s appointment is a testament of her dedication, positive attitude and passion for what she does. It also indicates that once Turks and Caicos Islanders demonstrate those same qualities, they can achieve a similar level of success. She is a role model in our most promising industry for locals to emulate,” Mills said.

Billy Been, Chief Engineer at West Bay Club was equally elated about the partnership and that the new charge is being led by Pitter.

“We have always believed in West Bay Club’s enormous potential and our team has worked hard to achieve our strong position in the market. We are thrilled that West Bay Club will move to a new level in its partnership with Grace Bay Resorts as we believe the resort will benefit from the type of handmade hospitality that they are known for.

We are also impressed with the selection of Adelphine Pitter, a North Caicos native, to manage this property. It is a very exciting and motivating time for all staff here at West Bay Club,” Been said.

Affectionately known in North Caicos as “Delphine” and “D” by all, Pitter, who describes herself as “a mother of three beautiful children” and “the wife of a very patient and understanding husband”, has worked with Grace Bay Club for a staggering 17 years. She has been with the company from the ownership days of Martin Van Wagenberg and Pamela Ewing.

Interestingly, Pitter possesses a first class bachelor’s degree in medical technology and only joined the hospitality industry after exhausting all local avenues in obtaining a job in the area for which she obtained her tertiary education.

Even at the beginning while working at Grace Bay Club as a front desk receptionist, she did not see

herself as a permanent figure in hospitality. However, after working in the industry for some months, she developed a passion for the industry, which fueled her drive to climb the corporate ladder in the field.

“The more I became a part of the job, the more the job became a part of me. I knew that one day this moment would come. I wasn’t expecting it right then. This is my fifth promotion in this industry, working for Grace Bay Club. But what is really special for me about this promotion is being a general manager under the Grace Bay Resorts umbrella.

Being able to hold the title as general manager under that company, means a lot to me,” she said.

She added: “After returning home from college with my bachelor’s degree in medical technology, unfortunately, or maybe, looking back today I can say fortunately, I was not able to find a job in that industry, so I decided to seek employment elsewhere. And I ended up on the doorsteps of Grace Bay Club. I started as a front desk receptionist.

“I had absolutely no intentions of staying in this industry. For me, it

Nikheel Advani was about finding a job at that time, so I could stop nagging my mommy and daddy for money for everything.

I just wanted to have job to make some money, and push hard to get a job in the medical industry that I studied, which is in the lab.”

She started out in the field as a receptionist for a number of years, then added reservations to her task, in a bid to spread her horizon. From receptionist and reservations agent, Pitter’s first promotion was front office manager, under Van Wagenberg and Ewing.

After Durliat came in and bought the property, he convinced Pitter to stay on, which she did after much consideration. And upon the expansion of the property, she received her first promotion under Durliat’’s

ownership.

“Shortly after I opened the Villas, I was promoted to Executive Assistant Manager of the Rooms Division, where I was responsible for a number of departments. My next promotion after that was the manager of the Estates on Grace Bay. That was the cream of the pie for me. I became the Estates Manager on July 1, 2007 – that is probably the only date of any promotion that I can remember,” Pitter joked.

“It was a huge challenge for me; it was a tremendous learning experience. I believed I became a lot more mature. It was just a tremendous experience in my career path.

After opening the Estates successfully, I managed all aspects of the operation. The Estates is operated as a resort within a resort at Grace Bay Club. It is an exclusive section of the property,” she said.

In 2010, she was promoted to Resident Manager for the entire property of the Grace Bay Club, second in command to General Manager, Thierry Grandsire. As Resident Manager, she was responsible for every department except Food & Beverage and Accounts. That was her last promotion at Grace Bay Club, before being named General Manager for West Bay Club.

As general manager, Pitter’s responsibility covers every aspect of operation from sales & marketing, food & beverage to finance.

“At the Grace Bay Club, as I gained a lot of experience, working under the management of Thierry Grandsire. Here (West Bay Club), I am the General Manager. Now, I have the opportunity of taking all of those experiences that I have gained over the years and implement standards, procedures and processes that are going to grow this property and all of the staff that are here. Me being the general manager, it means that a lot of the decision would have to be decided by me,” Pitter said.

Explaining her journey in the hospitality industry, Pitter said: “First of all, with any job, not just hospitality, you have to have certain level of discipline within yourself. You have to know what you want. You have to believe in what you want. Believe that you can achieve it. That’s where it starts. I would like to say to persons out there, ‘give the industry an opportunity’. This is out bread and butter, and this industry needs us.

“In the future, more local persons will be named general manager of luxury resorts here in Turks and Caicos. I always say, when I am doing orientation with new employees, ‘be flexible. Work with a flexible mind.

Never limit yourself to what you were hired to do.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 11

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

LOCAL NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

She explained that sometimes fellow employees would try to persuade others not to work beyond their job description limits, but that is a destructive advice, since it allows you to remain stagnant in the profession for years, or the rest of your life.

“Every opportunity you get to go into another department and learn something different, help somebody with something that is probable not in your job description, do it. Those are also the qualities that employers are looking for. That sends a strong message that you want to grow, you have the potential to grow. I believe that is one quality that Mark and Nikheel saw in me, many years ago,” she said.

Pitter asserted that West Bay Club has great potential and can become the number one boutique hotel not only in the TCI, but the Caribbean and possibly the world.

“I truly believe that. And I would like to accomplish those goals step by step. As far as the staff members are concerned, there is a lot of potential. All they need is leadership and some good time and energy invested in them,” she said.

She told The SUN that a great deal of Grace Bay Resorts’ standards would be implemented at West Bay

Mark Durliat Club. Those standards, she said, include service delivery.

In the meantime, Pitter has described Durliat as one of most generous and caring persons she has ever known. She said he is a developer who understands the industry.

“Just the fact that the ownership of West Bay Club approached him to come and take over this property’s management and take it to the next level, speaks exactly for who he is. You can speak to any Grace Bay staff, past and present, and they can tell you the same thing (about Durliat’s kindness).

“He didn’t’ just come here as a developer, just looking some big mon-

ey and become a millionaire in a long or short period of time. That was not his focus. Mark’s focus was to contribute to the growth of the tourism industry in the Turks and Caicos Islands. And by doing that, he first believe that he has to contribute to the people, which are the staff. He has always been pushing to see locals and Belongers grow in the Grace Bay Resorts family,” Pitter said.

Pitter also heaped a great deal of praise on Advani, with whom she confessed to have had an initial rocky relationship, but later found out that the difference was a mere result of culture clashes. However, she said that a great deal of the professionalism she now possesses was through Advani’s efforts.

“Nikheel is a professional…a very professional person. And a lot of my professionalism, I must say that I learnt it from him… how to always remain professional even when you are being bashed and battered. So, because of the professional that he is, we overcame our differences.

“Later on, Nikheel began to mentor me. He would take me on a monthly basis where we sat down in one-on-one meetings. And he would pretty much create a path for my growth and planned how I would get there. He did that for years,” Pitter said.

Pitter further noted that Thierry Grandsire, the current general manager at Grace Bay Club also joined in on the mentoring campaign when he later joined the team there.

“He helped me to continue to grow…as I said, I am always learning. There are some values that he has instilled in me over the last three years, that I can truly say have helped to prepare me for this new position. And I want to thank him also,” she said.

Pitter has also thanked a number of persons at Grace Bay club, including other managers and staff across departments, who she assisted her development.

“I want to say a big thank you to each and every one of them,” Pitter said.

In the meantime, Durliat said that he is gratified to have been given the awesome responsibility to manage West Bay Club.

“We are honoured to have been invited by the existing ownership to include West Bay Club in the Grace Bay Resorts group. Ownership and the dedicated staff of the resort deserve high praise for creating and maintaining such a beautiful property. We look forward to building on this legacy as we work to further elevate the hotel’s prominence in the Turks and Caicos,” Durliat said.

Dolphin Cove plans Bora Bora-type resort development for Grand Turk

BY VIVIAN TYSON

T

he operators of the Dolphin Cove are to build an expansive luxury aqua-centric Bora Bora-style resort on Grand Turk in addition to its dolphin park there.

The construction of the chic over-water bungalows by that company is to international flights to once again fly into the capital island.

Neil Burrowes, Director of the Cayman operation of Dolphin Cove, said though that the resort aspect of that project will fall in phase two, should approval be granted.

“We are thinking of doing some overwater cabin like Bora Bora styles. But we are going to follow the process. It is very high-end, luxury, nature-type accommodation.

And if we build enough, we can get a small American Eagle to fly over twice a week,” Burrowes said.

Dolphin Cove has recently acquired 14 acres of land, abandoning its initial plan to purchase a mere half acres on that island. And while Burrowes did not say how much the entire project would cost, noted that phase one, which comprised just dolphins, could carry a price tag of between $3 million and $3.5 million.

“The phase one investment in Grand Turk, which is just dolphins, could be $3 million or $3.5 million, maybe,” he said. “We bought a much bigger piece of land than we expected. We had difficulties closing the

initial piece, so we bought a much bigger piece,” he said.

Burrowes said that plans are in the stew to train a number of other TCI wildlife land and water creatures.

“We have a bunch of other animals that we are training – donkeys, Ospreys, Flamingos, if permission is granted of course. But dolphin is the first, and once it (dolphin park) is open, with the demand from Provo and the cruise ships, it will clearly state that we are a fabulous facility or we are not a fabulous facility.”

He added: “We may also add bird-watching, nature tours and whatever the cruise ship wants. We won’t add stingrays, because there is a stingray guy down the Islands, and we are not competing with any locals.”

Burrowes reasoned that getting direct international flights into Grand Turk would assist in the monetary sustenance of project.

“We have closed down some land and we are pressing on with the process, which is in the outlined submission, detailed submission, and terms of referee – all the necessary processes that need to be followed. We are looking to build accommodations and get a direct flight (to Grand Turk). We have an expensive operation, and when there is no cruise ship in port, we need to survive. And the hotel base is so small, there is not enough people there (to support the project),” he said.

Neil Burrowes Dolphin Cove plans to develop overwater bungalows akin to this one in Bora Bora (Bungalows) Burrowes said that he is pleased with the overwhelming response the proposal got when they held a town hall meeting in Grand Turk recently. He noted that despite the presence of a small band of objectors, the majority of the residents were supportive of the project to go ahead.

“The feedback we got from the town hall meeting was very encouraging. We are following the guidance (of the government). The town hall meeting in Grand Turk was a request, and it was overwhelming.

The desire of the people to have investments and jobs was overwhelming. In the meeting, we made a few commitments, and we stand by them. Those commitments we made through lawyers, we put into documentation and anybody can have a hold of them,” he said.

He said the first phase of Dolphin Cove should open in four months tops, barring chronic delays in the bureaucratic process.

“Phase one of the project should open within three to four months, hopefully. There are people in government that can make this thing short of fast. In other words, when you write your terms of reference, the questions you ask can take a long time to answer or a short time.

The facility in Cayman took six months to build, but I hope the one in Grand Turk won’t take more than three months.

“We are not breaking the rules and we are not in any rush. We are in several islands that the governments have encouraged us to come into, and we love Grand Turk. And if the people get on plane and fly from Provo to Grand Turk, then the country will realize that this thing is pretty nice. If they don’t fly across, and we don’t get any money, then we go bankrupt,” he said.

Ask if he was discouraged by the pushback he has been receiving from some Provo residents, Burrowes was emphatic in his terse answer.

“Not at all. It is no question (that we are interested),” he said.

Page 12

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

Premier Ewing rebukes limited power over Civil Service

BY VIVIAN TYSON

O

ther than setting the budget and a few other roles, the elected Turks and Caicos Islands Government has no inuence in the public service, and that is awfully frustrating for the Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing administration.

The Premier made his annoyance known during a government town hall meeting in Grand Turk on Monday (July 15). He told a small gathering that government would have like to have a better handle on the management of the public sector, but was not being given that latitude.

And while he pointed no ďŹ ngers as to who is stymieing his government in that respect, it was no doubt that he was talking about the British. “We, as an elected government, one of the most frustrating things for me, and for us, as elected members, is that we have no inuence whatsoever, other than setting the budget, how much is allocated for stafďŹ ng. We have no inuence on who is employed in the public service and who is terminated within the public service. It is frustrating when we know that there may be Turks and Caicos Islanders who

Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing are qualiďŹ ed, willing and able and are overlooked, bypassed or cannot get employed within the public service,â€? the premier bemoaned.

He said that while the overwhelming majority of employments within the civil service are Turks and Caicos Islanders, not many of them are enjoying the take-home packages enjoyed by their expatriate counterparts. “Currently we have about 2,000 employees in the public service, and I can say that, based on recent sta-

Turks and Caicos Islands highlights Luxury in London I

t was all about the Turks and Caicos on July 10th at the Metropolitan Hotel in London as the Tourist Board’s UK OfďŹ ce partnered with Amanyara, Gansevoort, Grace Bay Club, Parrot Cay, Point Grace and the Regent Palms to showcase the Turks and Caicos Islands to more than 40 tour operators and travel agents specializing in luxury travel.

The evening commenced with a cocktail reception in the Metropolitan Hotel’s famous Met Bar, followed by a workshop during which each hotel showcased their property. The event provided a great opportunity for the invitees to learn about the Islands and to meet and network with the representatives from each participating hotel, as well as the Tourist Board. “The feedback from all resorts, tours operators and travel agents who participated in the event has been very encouraging,â€? says Traci Knight, Regional Marketing Executive (UK) for the Tourist Board. “The event carried an excellent format, making for a highly informative evening. Our UK travel partners noted that they feel more conďŹ dent and fully prepared to promote

the Turks and Caicos, not just to their clients who request information about the destination, but also as a suggestion to potential travellers in need of ideas.�

The showcase ended with the ultimate grand prize drawing; Ms. Alice Booth, a representative from the tour operator Scott Dunn, won an amazing 14-night holiday for two persons to the Turks and Caicos Islands, including economy class air tickets. During her visit to the islands, Ms. Booth will have the opportunity to stay at and personally experience each of the hotels that participated in the showcase.

Interest in our destination from the European markets continues to expand. Throughout this summer and fall, the Tourist Board will lead initiatives to increase our Islands visibility in all of its source markets. This push will include exhibits in Canadian, US and other European gateways and an increase in our social media endeavours.

The Tourist Board expresses sincere gratitude to all of its private sector partners for making this event at the Metropolitan a success.

tistics brought forward because of a question that was raised in the House (of Assembly), 93 percent are Turks and Caicos Islanders. About seven percent are expatriates. “The problem however, is that the majority of that seven percent falls in the senior and upper management - high-paying job position.

So our goal going forward is to ensure that Turks and Caicos Islanders can capitalize on those jobs that are in high middle, upper management position, that are higher-paying jobs within the civil service,� he said.

For that to take place, the premier said that he intends to fashion a policy that would allow for Turks and Caicos Islanders to ďŹ rst be interviewed for jobs within the sector before they are advertised overseas. “When jobs are advertised, they may be advertised locally or internationally, and normally when you don’t have persons who are included in the so called â€œďŹ t the billâ€? among our local Turks and Caicos Islanders, it is then advertised internationally, to recruit individuals from overseas. “I am of the view that when this occurs, that such decision for recruitment from overseas should at least past through cabinet for cabinet to make a decision on whether

or not there should be overseas advertising. At least let our ministers have some input as to whether or not it is necessary for us to recruit from overseas, when there are local persons available to ďŹ ll the job market. At least that would give us the opportunity to control how we spend the money that we allocate for employment within the public service,â€? he said.

The premier noted also that by 2020, government would like to scale down expatriate employment in the public to less than one percent. “It would also be our goal to increase employment of Turks and Caicos Islanders from 93 percent to, hopefully, 99.9 percent by 2020. That may be another ambitious goal, but hey, we have to aim for it. We must admit that there are certain positions that are in high-ranking government that we may not have anyone qualiďŹ ed for, and have to go overseas for recruitment. “And so, we accept that. But we must do everything to ensure that Turks and Caicos Islanders identiďŹ ed, trained and put in job placement programmes and (implement) proper succession plans to ensure that they reach the highest level within the service,â€? he said.

OPERATORS DECK HAND STEVEDORES & JANITOR JOB PURPOSE: Â? A_N[`]\_a` ZNaR_VNY N[Q R^bV]ZR[a a\ S_\Z cR``RY` N[Q W\O `VaR` Â? <SS Y\NQ N[Q /NPX Y\NQ P\[aNV[R_ `UV]` :b`a OR NOYR a\ \]R_NaR A\] =VPX Reach Stacker, Excavator, Front End Loader & Forklift. Â? :b`a OR NOYR a\ d\_X b[`b]R_cV`RQ

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Â? 8[\dYRQTR \S cN_V\b` a_bPX af]R` N[Q aURV_ b`R \S ZNV[aR[N[PR Â? .OVYVaf a\ \]R_NaR W\PXRf a_bPX SYNaORQ a_bPX N[Q ]VPX b] a_bPX Â? .OVYVaf a\ b`R UN[Q a\\Y` N[Q ON`VP T_\b[Q` XRR]V[T a\\Y` N[Q R^bV]ZR[a Â? 8[\dYRQTR \S `aN[QN_Q P_N[R `VT[NY N[Q `NSRaf ]_\PRQb_R`

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: Â? :b`a UNcR N UVTU `PU\\Y QV]Y\ZN \_ 421 Â? :b`a UNcR Na YRN`a " fRN_` Re]R_VR[PR Â? :b`a `bZZVa N PYRN[ ]\YVPR _RP\_Q Â? :b`a `bZZVa N cNYVQ Q_VcV[T YVPR[`R Â? :b`a `bZZVa N PYRN[ Q_bT ZRQVPNY Â? :b`a OR dVYYV[T a\ d\_X ReaR[QRQ U\b_` [VTUa QNf dRRXR[Q N[Q ]bOYVP U\YVQNf` Â? :b`a OR dVYYV[T a\ P\\]R_NaR N[Q d\_X N` N W\V[a aRNZ dVaU \aUR_ `aNSS ZRZOR_`

PHYSICAL REQUIRMENTS: Sitting, standing, walking, driving, climbing/ladders, squatting/kneeling, reaching, grasping, pushing/pulling, twisting/bending, lifting/carrying up to 50 lbs multiple times per shift, fingering, talking, hearing, and seeing.

WORKING CONDITIONS: Spends most time outdoors, frequent exposure to extreme hot or cold temperature S\_ \[R U\b_ ]Yb` =\``VOYR Re]\`b_R a\ distraction/uncomfortable noise levels and vibration of body or extremities. Risk of bodily V[Wb_f S_\Z ZRPUN[VPNY ]N_a` RYRPa_VPVaf RaP =\``VOYR Re]\`b_R a\ SbZR` \Q\_` RaP aUNa may effect respiration and skin.

Please apply before August 1 to:

CRYSTAL GREENE Human Resources Manager P.O. Box 427 Ports Administration Building South Dock, Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 13

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

LOCAL NEWS

PNP Government challenged on key issues at heated town hall meeting in Provo

BY VIVIAN TYSON

T

he crowd gathered at the Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Complex in Providenciales on Thursday (July 18) made up for its small number by raising hot-button issues with passion and flare, as the government’s country-wide town hall meeting rolled onto that island.

The meeting was dominated by immigration and labour issues. However, a host of other topical matters were raised, including Turks and Caicos Islands being denied access to duty-free licenses, illegal jitneys, larger businesses competing with straw vendors, and expat vendors selling mangoes at the side of the road without possessing the requisite documentation.

The Providenciales International Airport Expansion Project came in for heavy criticisms by attendees, who complained that they were either laid off or refused employment at the facility in favour of expatriates from the Dominican Republic, who are being paid much cheaper than what locals would bargain for.

One construction worker told the panel of ministers that he was employed for about three days then laid off contractors at the airport. He said the contractors told him they would

A section of the crowd at the Providenciales town hall meeting call him in a few days but never did.

The complainant said he understood that workers from the Dominican Republic were flown in to fill his slot.

A woman at the meeting, who said that her husband is a carpenter, applied for job at the project but was rejected. She said that had he been employed on the site, that job would have broken his longstanding unemployment spell.

In response, the premier said that investigations had already launched probe into the labour situation there, by his government with the intention of striking a balance between local and expatriate Belonger employment at the facility.

Persons also complained that when they applied to establishments for vacancies that they see in the newspaper, often times they are denied those jobs in favour of foreign

nationals, who the businesses either have on the job already or intend to bring them in.

Regarding that concern, the premier said that under the new employment ordinance, provisions would be made for succession planning, and after certain time of expatriate employment, Belongers should be ushered into those positions.

Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa was also taken to task by some of the attendees, who pleaded with government to stand its ground in negotiations with that company, on development agreement negotiations.

It did not rest well with some of the attendees, when they were told by the premier that the controversial beach access between the Beaches Resort and its new acquisition – the former Veranda Resort, now Key West Village – was granted to that company, after no other bidders emerged to compete for sale of the space.

The Premier told the meeting though that government would not budge on the things it wants from the negotiation, even while Beaches continues to drive a hard bargain.

One female member of the audience highlighted that in recent time duty-free shops have been mushrooming all over the country and all

were being owned by Indians. She quickly pointed out that she was not anti-foreign, but told the panel that she had applied for a duty free license but was taken through the hoops by the authorities, who did not grant it at the end of the process.

She also complained that the duty free shops that were supposed to specialize in high-end merchandise were selling low-cost trinkets, which she said was triggering a direct competition with local craft vendors. The attendee said that vendors would not be able to compete against the duty-free shops, since the vendors purchase their merchandise in Miami, while the duty-free stores obtained theirs in China.

Constitutional matters were also raised. Pastor for the Bethany Baptist Church, Rev. Derek Hamilton, said that the country is aware that the Constitution has restricted the elected government from doing certain big things, but said he expects the administration to work on the little things that the Constitution gives leeway to do.

There was also a rallying cry by a member of the group to march on the Providenciales International Airport, to demand jobs there. The matter of minimum wage also came up for mention.

Page 14

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

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ometimes it seems as if I am the lone voice crying for some meaningful change to take place in our country. It really seems as if a pall has descended on us and we are paralyzed into inaction! We have become absolutely docile and are accepting of everything foreign that is meted out to us. That surely cannot be our continued lot! In the 1970’s when we had less at our disposal, we did more to see to it that whatever we perceived as our God-given rights were given to us or protected! In these days of total interconnectivity, we seem in 2013 to not be able to discern the atrocities that we are experiencing daily, and have the gumption to want to do something about the situation!

Take it as a given that there had to be some measures put in place to mitigate against some of the perceived accesses that took place in our recent past. But the bitter cup that we are asked to drink from does not seem to be the remedy for past discretions. In any wrongful activity that involves more than one party, all of the players are punished. The one with seniority or oversight, more so than the lower down the food chain. In our situation, it is quite evident that the overseer is being exonerat-

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ed, elevated and given more powers and the lesser lights are being disproportionately punished!

We all know that the process that gave us our present Constitution was flawed and skewed to suit the British few.

Advantage was taken of us because we were in a state of flux. No way could it have been right or fair, for persons who represented their own narrow views, to have a greater say in how our Constitution was structured, than representatives of the people. But lest we forget, when many of us clamored for what we wanted at a town hall meeting, most of those aspects too were for the most part totally ignored.

So we have reached a point now where the 2012 Constitution is being put to the test.

Many of the key sections that are designed

for the smooth workings of government are seen as being fatally flawed. Four pieces of legislation that have been enacted as a result of those sections of the Constitution equally make governance a real farce! It is really “all head and no cattle” as far as the welfare of the people are concerned. The four that give me the greatest heartburn are those dealing with the management of Crown land, the Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management and Procurement.

The whole theme of these pieces of Legislation is to call all Turks and Caicos Islanders thieves and robbers, and that is totally sad.

If we as a people are to be treated with due respect in our country and be able to chart our own future, then there must be an immediate amendment to our Constitution and these pieces of legislation that offend the sensibilities of our people, to must be amended, I say first, or totally scrapped and replaced by legislation that have the Turks and Caicos Islands people’s interest at heart!

There may, or maybe not, an appetite for independence in the immediate future, but

that has not been tested. The recent Caricom fact-finding mission recommended a referendum to see what the people want as it relates to our relationship with the UK our administering power. That I think must take place against the backdrop of the proposed changes to the 2012 Constitution and taking into account some of the offending pieces of legislation that had been enacted by the Interim Administration that are causing us to chafe under the saddle of direct rule by whatever name!

Equally troubling must be the ability of the Governor who is paid by us to have a slew of paid advisors to do what, I don’t know, but the Premier and members of his Cabinet are denied such, save as if they pay for such persons out of the paltry salary that they are getting. Paltry in the sense of when being compared to heads of statutory bodies, watchdog institutions, Governor’s advisors and some senior civil servants!

A paradigm shift must take place now or we as a people would be relegated to the dung hill of history and cease to be relevant in our own country!

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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LOCAL NEWS

Harold Charles says Premier Ewing should take his message world-wide private sector joint ventures. And Charles said that a great deal of the ideas that Ambassador Young proposed, he had approached past administrations with, but they were yet to be implemented.

“I have spent a lot of time with Ambassador Ewing. I have been around him for years now. In fact

BY VIVIAN TYSON

B

uoyed by the enthusiastic presentation made by civil rights activist and former mayor for Atlanta, Ambassador Andrew Young, at the Annual Fortis TCI Plenary Session on Tuesday, July 9, on how he was able to significantly turn around the economy of that city, businessman Harold Charles is once again urging government to campaign for investment into new regions of the world.

Charles said that while he congratulated Premier Dr. Rufus Ewing on his presentation made in New York last month at the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Caribbean Week in New York, said that the premier should take the same message to other parts of the world, especially places with money, in order to lure more tourists into the country.

The local businessman said that places such as China, Russia, Hong Kong and even Australia would be are lucrative travel markets that the Turks and Caicos Islands could tap into based on feedbacks he has received. He said that Australians have expressed interests in the TCI, but it was up to the powers that be to entice them to come here.

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Ewing on his presentation in New York, it was well done. What I would

Harold Charles like to see him do now is to do the very same thing in Russia, in China, in Hong Kong, and Singapore and other places where there is money.

Actually, Australia would be a good place, because I have spoken to a l lot of people from Australia, who have a lot of interest in Turks and Caicos to do business,” he said.

At the Plenary Session, Ambassador Young told of the strategies used to attract some of the biggest businesses to Atlanta, and urged the TCI to adopt some of those approaches, especially as it relates to public/

Ambassador Andrew Young the night when Dr. Ewing came to take care of him (Ambassador Young, who had fell ill), it was me who called Dr. Ewing. He has invited me all over the world to many meetings and so on. This is what I have been

exposed to. And those are the ideas that I have been trying to bring into the Turks and Caicos.

And it is the same thing with the airport, I offered the premier in this PNP administration, for the Private Sector to come in and joint venture with the government, to do something much bigger and better. You heard me mentioned it before; let’s stop playing around with the Airport. And what Ambassador Young has said are stuff that I have been exposed to for years,” he said.

In the meantime, Charles expressed the hope that the political movers and shakers would take heed to what the former Atlanta mayor had proposed, so that new money could come into the TCI. “I just hope that the members of the government, the rest of politicians and the deputy governor, take Ambassador Young’s advice and let’s try a new way. There is no reason why a population of 33,000 people going through these challenges and difficulties that we are going through. It is ridiculous.

“It is such a beautiful country, and there is no reason for it. We have plenty of talents in this place, so I think it is time for the politicians and the people in government to make use of the great talent that we have in this country,” Charles said.

TCIG SEEKS RENTAL PROPERTIES FOR LISTING A

s a means of ensuring increased efficiency with the recruitment process, the Human Resources Management Directorate of the TCIG is again compiling a list of houses that are available for rent.

Landlords who own furnished properties and would like to be included on this list, are asked to submit their names and contact details along with a detailed description of the property and its location to the address below.

Information submitted should include: The monthly rental and any deposits required; Arrangements for electricity, telephone, water and cable or internet. Please state your property’s source of water supply; The number of bedrooms and bathrooms small or large; Amenities including water heater, air conditioning, washer and/or dryer.

Landlords are advised that this listing IS NOT a guarantee of rental nor will the TCIG enter into negotiations with any landlord regarding rentals. All Agreements are between landlords and tenants and not the responsibility of the TCIG. Please send your information to be sent to Yachi Glinton : YachiMGlinton@gov.tc Closing Date for submission of information: July 31, 2013.

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Come and join our winning team!!!

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages and Spa, the only 6 Diamond all inclusive property in the Caribbean is inviting applications from suitably qualified Turks and Caicos Islanders for the following vacant positions.

Applicants must have a clean police record and a good command of the English language both written and spoken. In addition candidates must be able to work nights, public holidays and week-ends. The Resort thanks everyone for their interest in advance and advises that only short listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.

The Project Department requires: ¥ Project Manager

The Administrative Department requires: ¥ General Manager

Requirements include but are not limited to: • Prepare budgets, programs and monitor expenditure • Working experience over 20 years. Hotel Industry over 5 years • Review all design drawings, and prepare design drawings where necessary • Inspect and set out all FF&E for pools, restaurants, hotel rooms and Public areas • Co-ordinate all shipments, and quantify and orders FF&E items • Strong Knowledge of BMS, RO plants, Fire, Chill Water System and irrigation system • Co-ordinate ALL Local building approvals eq Health, Planning, Environmental, Fire • Co-Ordinate all warehouse inventory for installation • Train Project Co-ordinators and Local tradesmen • Software knowledge: ACAD, Microsoft Projects, MSWord, MSExcel, Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat • Work and communicate with all GM’S, HM’S , CE’s and HOD’s

• Minimum 20 years previous General Management Experience • Experience with a 6 diamond hotel with excess of 700 rooms • Strong Food & Beverage, Rooms and Operational background • Administrative & Financial proficiency • Be an initiator, able to achieve deadlines The salary for the position listed above is negotiable ¥ Administrative Assistant Requirements include but are not limited to: • 10 years Administrative experience • Confidential • Proficient in Word, Excel and Microsoft Outlook • Highly detailed orientated and well organized • An excellent communicator

The salary for the position listed above is negotiable

Rooms Division Department Requires: ¥ Executive Housekeeper Requirements include but are not limited to: • Schedules staff according to forecasted occupancy and maintains productivity standards.

• Oversee the financial processes of budgeting, purchasing, payroll and inventory control.

• Maintain quality standards to ensure the highest level of cleanliness • Maintain all safety and security policies. Minimum of 3 years housekeeping management The salary for the position listed above is negotiable

Bar Department requires: ¥ Bar/Beverage Manager Requirements include but are not limited to: • Three years managing more than 10 bars and their inventory • Excellent customer service skills • Knowledge of wines

Rooms Division Department Requires: ¥ Front Office Manager Requirements include but are not limited to: • Three years managing two or more Concierge desk • Excellent customer service skills • Ability to multitask and give the guest more than he or she expects

Stewarding Department Requires: ¥ Stewarding Manager Requirements include but are not limited to: • Knowledge of the clean requirements of kittens and environs • Physically Fit • Ability to supervise a teams located in three or more kitchens

The rate for the position listed above is $8.00 to $12.00 an hour.

Laundry Department requires: ¥ Laundry Attendant Requirements include but are not limited to: • Physically fit • Previous experience in commercial Laundry an assist The rate for the position listed above is $5.00 to $5.50 an hour. ¥ Engineering Department requires: ¥ Water treatment Plant Operator ¥ Pool Operator ¥ Carpenter Requirements include but are not limited to: • Knowledgeable of in related fields both in theory and practical The rate for the positions listed above is $5.00 to $8.00 an hour.

Accounts and Cost Control Department requires: ¥ Receiving Clerk Requirements include but are not limited to: • Knowledge of inventory • Knowledge of customs • Physically fit and ability to lift 25lbs • Experience in Cost control, Accounts or a warehouse would be an asset The rate for the position listed above is $6.00 to $8.50 an hour.

Entertainment Department requires:

The Grounds Department requires: ¥ Grounds Manager Requirements include but are not limited to: • Minimum 2 year diploma in related field.

• Experience with tropical or sub-tropical plants, Greenhouses and Irrigation • Physically Fit The salary range for the positions listed above $30,000.00 to $65,000.00

¥ AV Technician Requirements include but are not limited to: • Ability to set up and breakdown sound system for an event • Conduct inventory and ensure equipment is maintained in a good working order.

The rate for the position listed above is $6.00 to $8.00 an hour.

Applications giving full details of qualifications and experience should be sent to: mmvaughn@grp.sandals.com or Fax to: 941-4870 Attn: M McClean-Vaughn The Human Resources Department Beaches Turks and Caicos P.O. Box 186 Lower Bight Road

The Labour Commissioner Labour Department Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

and should reach not later than July 26th 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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Li’l Chefs participate in weeklong champ

BY VIVIAN TYSON

T

welve young people took part in a one week culinary camping experience across some of the best hotels and restaurants on Providenciales courtesy of the Li’l Chef Programme, run by the Department of Youth Affairs and sponsored by the Providenciales Chamber of Commerce and Turks and Caicos Islands Hotel and Tourism Association.

The participants were able to access the kitchens of Beaches Resort, Parrot Cay, Point Grace, Regent Palms, Grace Bay Club, Beach House Resort and Amanyara Resort. They were taught the various elements to food preparation and presentation by their much more senior tutors.

The budding chefs were also taken to Grace Way IGA Supermarket, where they were taught the whole idea of purchasing, by the chefs. That element included sourcing items, storage and transportation. They also learned to prepare meals, such as pastor and bread starting from scratch.

The participants were also introduced to front of the house activities, and were given lessons in the various career opportunities at some resorts.

Director for Youth Affairs, Angela Musgrove, said at the news conference on Monday, July 15, to launch the event that the Li’l Chefs were to prepare their dinner three days evenings of the week. She said that they were to prepare their own menu, itemize the ingredients, shop for the items and then prepare for the entire group.

The week-long camp ends on Sunday (July 21) with the “Black Box” competition, where the participants, who comprised three groups, were down to compete in a culinary competition, to see which group can make the best dishes. Members from each group were asked to prepare a three-course meal – appetizer, entrée and dessert.

An award presentation was due to take place before curtains are drawn on the camp.

Layton Lewis, one of the participants

Participants in the Li’l Chefs Programme, along with their sponsors from the Hotel and Tourists Association, participating hotels, the Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Youth Affairs

hopes that the programme would help to develop his fervor for cooking.

“My expectation from this programme is for me to develop my passion for cooking, hospitality and economics. My career goal IS to become an economist, and I feel that this programme can help me to get into economics and what it is all about,” he said.

An eager Ashanti Hall, noted: “I want to be a chef, so that is why I am taking part in the Li’l Chefs Programme, so I can learn the basics. I expect to learn how to cook different dishes and how to use the utensils in the correct way.”

Robin Angel Simons believes the programme would be the launch pad for her culinary career.

“I would like to learn more about culinary arts in the field, and get experience on how to become better at it. I would like to become a chef, but then I hope the camp would give me an idea to choose a specific area in which to start a career,” she said.

Eiric Verince, Culinary director at the Beach House Resort noted: “last year we discovered some amazing talent and I sure we will this year as well. It is for us to give them the first view of the experience and share our passion about food. We are very excited that we are going to have kids that are going to come in the industry and hopefully take advantage to do the internship propramme, and partnership with us for years to come. It is important for us, at Beaches House, to have young local talent that we want to train for years to come.

I always put a lot of effort in this programme.”

Stacy Cox, Executive for the Turks and Caicos Islands Hotel and Tourism Association reminded the students that they were chosen from the cream of those who applied for the programme and she would be expecting the best from them.

Wendy Hill of the Chamber of Commerce urged the students to make the most of their opportunity, so that they would be able to excel from their experience.

Health Ministry puts focus on substance abuse

T

he Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Ministry of Health and Human Services is calling attention to the increasing number of Turks Islanders with alcohol and substance use disorders.

The Department reported that in the last two years, the number of individuals presenting with alcohol and substance use disorders have climbed with statics showing that over 50 percent of the people seen between Jan. 2011 and Jan. 2013 met the criteria for an alcohol or substance use disorder.

Dr. Alicia Malcolm noted that problems such as these can have a rippling effect on society at large, impacting both crime rates and death rates, especially in small island nations such as the TCI. This is particularly important she pointed out because increased incidences of crime in many Caribbean countries are being linked to substance abuse.

“Despite their efforts, in our region are seeing an increase in crime, particularly vio-

lent crime, which is attributed in part to the use and abuse of alcohol or other drugs,” Dr. Malcolm said.

She noted: “In 2007 the World Health Organization reported that In terms of overall death rates, death by drugs or alcohol is estimated at approximately 1.8 million deaths worldwide each year, and about half of these deaths are the result of injury”.

Alcohol and Illicit drug use can lead to chronic alcohol consumption which negatively affects almost every system in the body and can lead to cancer, liver disease, heart attacks and brain damage among others. Additionally, alcohol use has been found to serve as a gate way to the use of other illicit drugs.

Dr. Malcolm pointed out that one US study showed that 69.9 per cent of heavy alcohol users among those aged 12 to 17 were illicit drug users. This was over 13 times higher than non-alcohol users where 5.2 per cent used illegal substances.

A TCI secondary School Drug Use Survey indicated that about 26 percent of individuals between the ages of 14-18 have reportedly used marijuana during their lifetime and 2.4 percent have used cocaine during their lifetime.

On June 26 this year, the Department marked International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to highlight the harmful effects of alcohol and illicit drug use and to build awareness among residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands, particularly among students. Earlier that week, the Department also launched Alcoholics Anonymous in Grand Turk.

The Department is calling on all residents of the TCI who would like to know more, or who know of someone who needs information about alcohol or drug abuse, to contact the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department, Ministry of Health and Human Services at: 649-946-2801 Ext 50504 Grand Turk or Providenciales 82500.

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LOCAL NEWS

RCCG heads to initiate economic alliance between TCI and Nigeria

BY VIVIAN TYSON

T

wo high ranking members of the international head of the Redeemed Christian Church headquartered in Nigeria have said that there tremendous opportunities for both the Turks and Caicos Islands and Nigeria to pursue with each other not only in the sharing of the gospel but also business opportunities as well.

Pastor Sunday Akande, Special Assistant to the Overseer for Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria and Pastor Arole Adegbolo, who is in charge of the church’s Zonal Headquarters also in Nigeria, visited the Turks and Caicos in July to officially open the Providenciales branch of the church and also a food bank.

The two were here on the request of Pastor Sunday Adebamiro and his wife Pastor Deborah Adebamiro, for the official opening of the local branches of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. One branch is located on Airport Plaza in Providenciales and the other in the country’s capital Grand Turk. Pastor Sunday Adebamiro is the Region Four Coordinator for the church.

Both Pastor Akende and Pastor Adegbolo believe that there are tremendous opportunities relating to business, spiritual and resources between the two countries, and think that if pursued, can be achieved. Akende told The SUN that he is mandated to make a report on his trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands, to the head of the church and some members of the business community, on his return to Nigeria. And believe that interest could be sparked, especially by members of the business community.

“I believe this will be a foundation for it, because I would have to report back to my leader in Nigeria and to some business community in Nigeria, which I believe would like to express their interest. That would be the beginning of interest and interaction between Nigeria and the Turks and Caicos,” Akende said.

For his part, Pastor Adegbolo said that there is a lot that Nigeria and the Turks and Caicos Islands could share in the area of tourism. He said also that since that African country is a

Pastor Sunday Adebamiro (left) and his wife Pastor Deborah Adebamiro join Pastor Sunday Akande, Special Assistant to the Overseer for Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria and Pastor Arole Adegbolo, who is in charge of the church’s Zonal Headquarters also in Nigeria, for a snap from The SUN’s lense. one of the world’s largest producer of oil, talks and that front regarding cheaper fuel to the TCI could be initiated.

“I am a director of the Legal State Government.

In the Legal State Government, we have the Ministry of Tourism. So, if there are tourism-related interests between two countries, when I go back, I could talk to the government in this area. There can be a relationship between our government and the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands that will be able to share, and we can arrange that,” he said.

In the meantime, the two said that the presence of the church should be felt in all areas, especially gospel and social ministry, which is why emphasis was placed on the opening of a food bank.

“Part of the Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ is the commitment to the Church. He feeds us through the church. The Bible expects us not

only to preach but also care for the needy among us. And that is the reason for the food bank. It is part of our own doctrine in Nigeria,” Akende said. “There is a department in the Church, which is called Social Responsibility. It is not only to support the needy but also the environment. We want to make an impact no matter which environment we are.”

He added: “Wherever we go, we don’t go there just to preach the gospel but also to impact the environment physically. There are so many other things that the church can do for the nation. In Nigeria, we support government schools, government hospitals; we support the police and so on.

“The church should not just think about the spiritual life of the people, but also the social life of the people too. The members of the church are part of the community, and whatever come from them, we should be able to plough back some in the community.”

Dr. Cem Kinay appointed to Rixos Hotels Management Board

H

otelier Dr. Cem Kinay, the recently appointed member of the Rixos Hotels management board, is the subject of an Interpol ‘Red Notice’ and is wanted for prosecution by the judicial authorities of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean and the United Kingdom in relation to bribery allegations.

The bribery charges relate to an incident in 2009 when a “confidential donation” of US $500,000 made

by Kinay to former Turks and Caicos Island premier Michael Misick shortly before the 2007 election was uncovered during a Commission of Inquiry public hearing.

In a reply to Hotelier Middle East Kinay said: “My former companies were one of the largest investors in TCI (Turks and Caicos Islands) history and I believed that the unique nature

of my developments would contribute to the cultural development of the islands. However, the territory’s deteriorating relations with England, political conflict and alleged corruption resulted in the intervention of the British government to the island.

The government was dismissed, parliament abolished, and the constitution was suspended. Our investments came to a complete halt and I lost all I had to the funding banks.”

He continued: “The perfectly legal political donation scheme that had existed in the islands for many years has now been turned into a corruption scandal. To prove previous government was guilty, we were chosen as targets.

“I am a victim of politics, I am innocent and I am challenging the current Interpol red notice as it is groundless,” asserted Kinay. It

was on July 9 that Rixos Hotels announced the appointment of Dr. Cem Kinay as the newest member of the group’s management board.

In a statement made following Hotelier Middle East’s enquiries regarding the Interpol Red Notice, a Rixos Hotels spokesperson said: “Dr Kınay has 25 years of successful tourism and real estate investment experience.The unique nature of his developments have contributed to the development of many communities and countries. There have been extraordinary political developments in the countries that he has conducted his business and now he is back in his own country, where we hope that he will contribute to its further development.”

According to Rixos Hotels, it was under Kinay’s leadership that the Austria-based Gulet Touristik and

The Hospitality Group Magic Life first introduced the ‘all inclusive concept’ to the European and Turkish hospitality markets in the 1990s.

Kinay has since been honoured with a State Medal from the President of Austria in 2006.

According to the Interpol website, Interpol notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. In the case of ‘Red Notices’, the persons concerned are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence based on an arrest warrant or court decision.

Interpol’s role in this process is to assist the national police forces in identifying and locating these persons with a view to their arrest and extradition or similar lawful action.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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LOCAL NEWS

GOT BODY? WELL THE CONTESTANTS FOR THE BODY SHOW TCI DO!

Nicola Jentgen

Alyx Williams

Carla Vianca Manaloto

Tory Deal

Nathanaelle Louis

Jeritt Williams

Farah George

Reonardo Harvey

Anya Panda Clay Seymour

O

n July 27th, six women and five men will compete in the upcoming Miss Body Beautiful and Mr Best Body TCI contests. At the event, they will present and showcase themselves to a capacity crowd thus demonstrating why the have the best bodies in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Over the course of the evening, the contestants will impress the judges and vow the audience with their confidence, stage presentation, showmanship, personality and of course fabulous physique. Each will endeavour to best the other, in what will be fierce competition.

The Body Show, anticipated as TCI’s biggest and hottest summer spectacular sensation – will see the top two contestants winning LIME advertisement campaigns, top of the line cellular phones with plans, along with consolation priz-

Mauquieta Carter es. To cap that off, the winners of Miss Body Beautiful and Mr Best Body will each be awarded USD$1,000 in Cash for a job well done!

With ‘Stronger, Confident, Attractive’ as its motto, The Body Show contestants will be judged during three (3) segments - Introduction, Swimwear and Sportswear. From there, the judges will determine the Winners and 1st Runner’s up in each division! What is more, there will be performances by today’s leading singers, musicians, fashion models, dancers and other headliners! The Body Show: Miss Body Beautiful & Mr Best Body will be a jam-packed show that will delight audiences’ sense and sensibilities! The event will take place on Saturday, July 27th at Brayton Hall, located on Venetian Road in Providenciales.

Latoya Pinder, Miss Body Beautiful TCI 2012 and Washanda Registre TCI Top Model 2012 will crown and sash Miss Body Beautiful 2013/14, with Samentha Etienne, TCI Top Model 2013 and Felicia Williams, runner-up in TCI Top Model 2013 to sash Mr Best Body. Advanced purchase of tickets: Sky Box $150.00 (complementary beverages), VIP $75.00 and General Admission $50. There will be added $10.00 more at the door.

For more information and tickets on Provo contact Courtney Robinson on (649) 232-6796 or visit FOTTAC on Grace Bay Road – 946.4081; on Grand Turk contact Kereitta Simpson on (649) 241-3989; and North Caicos, Charmaine Clarke on 231.3919. You could also email: thebodyshowtci@ gmail.com; find us on Facebook: www.facebook. com/thebodyshowtc, follow us on Twitter - @thebodyshowtci or add us to Instagram: thebodyshowtci

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

At RBC Royal Bank we're always mindful of our clients' needs. To better serve you, we will be moving to new premises located on the Ground Floor, Raleigh House, Leeward Highway, Providenciales. There, RBC Royal Bank will provide continued quality service with an additional measure of comfort, safety and convenience.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Notice of Change of Insurer for Scotiabank customers with Credit Insurance Please be advised that on August 5th, 2013, the insurance provider for your Scotiabank Credit Insurance coverage will change from Sagicor Capital Life Insurance Company to Scotia Insurance Caribbean Limited.

Scotia Insurance Caribbean Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bank of Nova Scotia and shares our commitment to protecting the financial security of our customers.

There will be no change to your existing coverage or insurance premium rates, so you can continue to enjoy the same peace of mind your insurance coverage provides today.

There is nothing that you need to do to continue your existing coverage.

We are currently mailing all our credit insured customers a notice including their new Certificate of Insurance. If you do not receive this mailing, or you have any questions about your current coverage or the changeover to Scotia Insurance Caribbean Limited, please do not hesitate to visit your nearest Scotiabank branch or call 649-339-7100.

Cecil Arnold Managing Director Scotiabank (Turks & Caicos) Ltd.

* Trademark of the Bank of Nova Scotia, used under license.

Win a trip for two to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, courtesy of Visa.

It’s easy! Simply get approved for an RBC Royal Bank™ Visa‡ credit card for a chance to win.

Plus! Approved clients can win one of two LCD TVs! For further information, call or visit any RBC Royal Bank branch.

Have a ball in Brazil!

- Special conditions apply - See in-branch leaflet for full promotion details - Approved cards get a chance to win the regional grand prize of a trip to Brazil or local prizes of two (2) LCD TVs - Grand prize includes airfare, accommodation, spending money and tickets to selected 2014 FIFA World Cup™ matches - Promotion starts June 3rd and ends August 30th, 2013 - You are automatically entered for a chance to win AFTER your application for any one of RBC Royal Bank Visa credit cards has been approved - Employees of RBC Royal Bank and its advertising agencies are not eligible to enter - Winners for the grand prize will be selected on September 30th, 2013

® /™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ‡ All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s).

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

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ENTERTAINMENT

Fans pelt Rihanna with potato chips Q

uick, somebody get Rihanna a watch, because that girl seems to have serious trouble keeping time.

After turning up a full hour late to her concert in Manchester, England, on Tuesday, fans were sure to show their appreciation … by pelting her with potato chips (see the video below).

The 25-year-old apparently wasn’t that hungry, as she then went off on the crowd.

“This is next-level,” she shouted. “There’s a good crazy and there’s a bad crazy. When you throw s*** up here, that’s an epic fail … Cut that s*** out. Really? Chips?!”

This isn’t the first time Rihanna’s had a little concert drama or turned up late. In fact, the habit began back in the fall of 2012 when her ambitious 777 Tour, which included a private jet packed with press, got off to a rocky start ... and only deteriorated further.

Since then, the pop star has repeatedly taken heat for her (now nearly chronic) tardiness. But her troubles don’t end there. She’s been accused of showing up for concerts drunk, on drugs, and, of course, lip-synching — an offense some fans take more seriously than all the others.

By now, she’s had so many mishaps, it’s hard to keep them all straight, so we’ve put together this handy little timeline to do it for you.

November 14, 2012: Rihanna kicks off her much-hyped 777 Tour by stepping on stage in Mexico City a whopping two hours after the scheduled start time. She blamed “issues with luggage,” though she flew on the exact same plane as 150 fans and journalists who managed to get their things and arrive at the venue on time.

November 19, 2012: Rihanna’s 777 Tour troubles continue, as the singer curses out her band on stage in London. “Alright, what the f***. Stop this s***,” she snaps before demanding they start over from the top.

That same day: An anonymous journalist who had been on the 777 Tour writes a rant about the star, claiming that everyone on the plane came to “expect a three-hour delay before she went on every night” and accusing her of not only lip-synching most of the songs, but also being too lazy to even dance.

“For Rihanna, just licking her lips during a song constitutes a taxing, elaborate physical rou-

Rihanna tine that deserves a couple of mid-performance tequila shots,” the reporter explained.

November 21, 2012: Rihanna issues a semi-delusional, half-hearted apology to everyone who had been with her on the 777 Tour.

“I know you guys got barely any dirt,” she admitted. “But I had to be good. I still sound like s***. It’s impossible to spend time with everybody, and I’m sorry I didn’t.”

Then came the second part, in which she claims she had a great time. “I was glad I did this, absolutely,” she mused. “I want to thank everyone for making this trip the s***.” Did she mean to say “s***show?” That would probably be more accurate.

May 6, 2013: Rihanna is booed by fans when she arrives three hours late to a concert in Boston — that had already been rescheduled from March. What’s worse, she’s accused of being tardy because she had been watching the Chicago Bulls play the Miami Heat.

She later posts a photo on Instagram from the show thanking fans for “making it extra special” ... but fails to apologize.

June 5, 2013: The star steps on stage two hours late for her concert in Antwerp, and then receives a scathing review by a prominent Belgium music

critic for her performance.

“There was a wall of reinforced concrete between Rihanna and the public at Sportpaleis. The pop icon played almost two hours on autopilot … it had the effect of a Valium overdose,” Sasha Van Der Speeten lamented.

But it wasn’t only critics who lashed out with critiques. Even some of Rihanna’s fans accused her of being “drunk,” “stoned,” and “lip-synching.”

In other words, no one was impressed.

June 10, 2013: Once again, RiRi arrives more than two hours behind her concert’s scheduled start time — this time, in Cardiff, Wales. (Apparently, she was out partying in Paris until 4:30 a.m. the night before.) Just like last time, fans take to Twitter to voice their displeasure, and some accuse her of lip-synching.

June 17, 2013: The stars shows up two hours late for her concert in Birmingham after partying the night before at Boujis nightclub.

June 29, 2013: Rihanna shows up 90 minutes late for her first concert in Zurich.

June 30, 2013: She shows up a full two hours late for her second performance in Zurich. Again, there’s no record of any kind of apology or excuse.

July 10, 2013: The diva arrives a record three hours and 10 minutes late to her concert in Monaco. Keep in mind that fans had shelled out roughly $800 per ticket to attend this exclusive event, during which they expected to see Rihanna perform while they ate dinner. Since she rolled in at 11:40 p.m. (instead of the scheduled 8:30 p.m.), we’re pretty sure that didn’t happen.

Not surprisingly, annoyed fans used Twitter to call her out with messages like, “YOU’RE LATE BABY” and “Are you lost?” They even went so far as to accuse her of fan abuse. Not that we blame them.

July 16, 2013: Rihanna only turned up an hour late this time, but the crowd in Manchester, England, was still none too pleased. They did what any anxious crowd might do – they started throwing stuff. Namely, potato chips. The singer didn’t appear to care for such gifts, and yelled to the crowd, “Cut that s*** out! Really?! Chips?!”

Only time will tell whether RiRi cleans up her act, but for now maybe the best strategy is to arrive at her concerts a few hours late. You might catch her in the elevator on her way in.

Kim Kardashian Speaks Out On Motherhood For The First Time Since North’s Birth K

im Kardashian has spoken out about becoming a mom for the first time since the June birth of her and Kayne West’s baby girl, North.

In a blog posted on her personal website on Wednesday, the new mom, 32, said she’s loving every moment of motherhood.

“These past couple of weeks have been filled with the most exciting experiences of my life,” Kim wrote in the blog post titled, “Thank You.” “I’m enjoying this time to fully embrace motherhood and spend time at home with my family.”

The reality star said she’s been sifting through countless messages from fans.

“I’ve been reading all of your messages and want to thank you all for your sweet thoughts and best wishes. It truly means everything to me,” she wrote. “I am so bless-

ed to have the support of my family and fans in this beautiful moment. Xo” While Kim and Kanye have yet to share a photo of baby North, Kim’s close pal LaLa Anthony stopped by Access Hollywood Live on Tuesday and said the couple’s daughter is adorable.

“I’ve held the baby, seen the baby, loved the baby,” LaLa told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover “The cutest, absolute cutest baby ever!”

When asked if she thought Kim and Kanye would show their daughter anytime soon, LaLa said it may be awhile.

“She’s still just so little,” Lala said. “She’s not ready to be out in the world with germs and around people. As a mom your protective instinct comes in before anything else.”

KIM KARDASHIAN

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News

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CARIBBEAN

Cayman Islands government ministers must now provide details of travel

C

ayman Islands government ministers must now complete a form detailing expenditures while on official travel.

According to the “Official Travel Reporting Template” document, a minister’s personal assistant must complete that form within seven days of the politician’s return from official travel.

“The purpose of this official travel reporting form for ministers is to proactively publish travel-related information,” the form states. “Expected benefits of so doing include transparency, accountability for public funds and minimising media and/or [Freedom of Information] queries.”

One recent form sent out by government included $4,222.79 in costs for Premier Alden McLaughlin and Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose’s trip to Trinidad for a CARICOM conference.

The form listed the travel location, the purpose of the trip [in this case, to attend a heads of government meeting hosted by CARICOM], the trip benefits or achievements and whether participants travelled first, business or economy class.

JAMAICA GOVERNMENT STANDS BY DOPEACCUSED ATHLETES

K

INGSTON, Jamaica– The Jamaica government says while it “stands by all our athletes” it adheres to the rules governing anti-doping in sports.

Minister with responsibility for Sports, Natalie Neita Headley said that Jamaica, through its Anti-Doping Agency (JADCO) “has consistently had a rigorous programme for in and out of competition testing while providing public education for all who participate or wish to participate in sport, including at the high school level.

“The rigour of this programme is not new and it is clearly effective as it is from our own testing protocol that the adverse findings in these A-Samples have been revealed,” she said.

Former world record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic medallist Sherone Simpson have tested positive for banned substances found in samples provided by the athletes at the National Senior Championships held last month.

Powell and Simpson, who are members of the MVP Track Club, have released statements confirming they have been notified of the return of positive ‘A’ samples.

“As a Government we have had to adhere to the rules governing the no-

With regard to the 3 to 6 July trip to Trinidad, the premier’s travel reporting document indicated Messrs.

McLaughlin and Rose flew economy on all flights “except for the return leg from Trinidad and Tobago to Miami” where they flew business class because no coach seats were available at the time of booking.

The trip was “essential for maintaining strong regional relationships and demonstrating commitment to our associate membership of CARICOM”, according to their filed report. The newly elected premier also had an opportunity to introduce himself to colleagues within the region, the travel report advised.

Airfare costs were the same for both men, $1,555.05 per ticket, and a per diem allowance of $90 per day equalled $360 for the four-day trip for both Mr. Rose and Mr. McLaughlin.

The premier’s hotel costs were picked up by the Trinidadian government, but Mr. Rose had to pay his way at $392.69 for a three-night stay.

The Progressives-led government had announced early on that a travel policy would be put in place for

tification of the athletes whose A-Samples have returned Adverse Analytical Findings following testing at the National Junior and Senior Championships in June.

“We stand by all our athletes and value the significant contributions they make toward engendering national pride. However, as a country we reiterate the importance of integrity in sport, fair play, and the maintenance of a doping free sporting environment,” Neita Headley said in a statement.

Earlier, the main opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) cautioned against a rush to judgment.

“Jamaica is currently under the microscope globally, as our ascendancy in track and field means that we are being focused on. Our athletes will get special attention and therefore, the temptation to jump to negative conclusion without all the facts, could be very appealing to some,” said the party’s spokesman on Sports, Olivia “Babsy” Grange.

The Jamaica Observer newspaper reported Monday that a physical trainer associated with Powell and Simpson had been held and questioned by Italian police on Sunday night. The trainer’s name has been withheld.

The Italian police have since said that they have discovered a stash of unidentified pills and medicines in the hotel room of Powell.

Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin government ministers shortly after their administration took office.

In April 2013, the Caymanian Compass reported travel costs for various government administrations between 2005 and 2012.

Of the ministers who held posts for several years, former Premier McKeeva Bush had the biggest travel bill – more than $1 million – while former Leader of Government Busi-

ness Kurt Tibbetts had the lowest travel bill, at less than $15,000.

The Caymanian Compass submitted requests for travel expenses to each ministry and portfolio (as well as the Cabinet Office) under the Freedom of Information Law near the end of 2012.

Because the ministries provided information with varying levels of detail – for instance, the purposes of expenditures sometimes became less specific in regard to the 2005-2009 People’s Progressive Movement government – it was difficult to directly compare spending amounts across different ministries and governments.

However, the expenses associated with ministers (and, in most cases, their travel companions) are as follows: Mr. Bush ($1 million), Juliana O’Connor-Connolly ($200,000), Alden McLaughlin ($170,000), East End representative Arden McLean ($130,000), Rolston Anglin ($130,000), Bodden Town representative Mark Scotland ($110,000), George Town representative Mike Adam ($23,000), Bodden Town representative Anthony Eden ($17,000) and Kurt Tibbetts ($15,000).

Singapore increases aid to Caribbean

G

EORGETOWN, Guyana– Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General Irwin la Rocque Monday said the economies of developing countries were still reeling from the economic fallout that started in the developed world in 2008.

La Rocque is part of a Caribbean delegation on the inaugural CARICOM High-Level Ministerial Exchange Visit to Singapore.

He told the Singaporean News Agency that a lot of financial decisions that were being taken at the G20 have reference to small states.

“We need a voice to put forward our peculiar challenges, and what Singapore is doing, to facilitate that, is welcome,” he said, noting that “a lot of the economic fallout that took place in 2008 and 2009 started in the developed world, though the biggest impact has been on the small economies”.

Singapore’s Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that economic and political ties between Singapore and CARICOM were growing and had been invaluable in finding common ground on bilateral and global issues.

A CARICOM Secretariat statement outlining the highlights of the first day of the visit, noted that one of the key

features between Singapore and CARICOM is that all these nations are small states, and quoted Shanmugam as saying that “by working collectively, both sides have been able to present a louder voice on global issues in the international community”.

It said that as a further boost to the ties with CARICOM, Singapore has announced an enhanced package for Caribbean countries under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP).

The statement said “nearly 1,300 officials from these nations have benefitted so far, and more is in the pipeline over the next three years.

“We will also give out a number of post-grad scholarships for CARICOM officials admitted into Singapore universities. We will also explore how we can enhance our partnership with the CARICOM Secretariat to jointly organise capacity-building programmes,” Shanmugam said: The statement said that during the ministerial exchange, Singapore and Barbados signed the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement to facilitate greater trade and investment opportunities between the two sides.

Barbados said an air services agreement between the two nations was also due to be signed this week.

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

Haitian immigrants using Puerto Rico as new gateway to USA S

AN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Haitians have been fleeing their troubled country for years, trying to reach the U.S. or other Caribbean islands by sea or by trekking across the island of Hispaniola to scratch out a living in the Dominican Republic.

But a newly popular route has caught officials in the Caribbean by surprise, taking migrants to a piece of the U.S. much closer to home.

Hundreds of Haitian migrants have made their way to Puerto Rico in recent months. They’ve found that if they can make it to the U.S. territory without getting arrested, they can fly on to U.S. cities such as Miami, Boston or New York without having to show a passport, although some kind of identification, such as a driver’s license, is needed.

Immigration authorities checking travelers before they leave Puerto Rico for the U.S. mainland sometimes find them carrying fake driver’s licenses or other identification, but counterfeit documents are not always detected.

“As soon as you’re in Puerto Rico, it’s like you’re in the United States,” said Lolo Sterne, coordinator for Haiti’s Office of Migration.

There are no official statistics on how many Haitians have successfully made their way illegally to Puerto Rico, or how many have traveled on to the U.S. mainland. But the trend worries officials in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, with both countries reporting a jump in arrests of Puerto Rico-bound Haitians.

Migrants reportedly are paying smugglers $1,000-$1,500 for a trip to Puerto Rico, located less than 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. At the same time, Dominican officials have detained more than 400 Haitians bound for Puerto Rico in the past four months, compared with just a handful annually in previ-

ous years, said Victor Pilier, the Dominican Republic’s director of naval intelligence.

“It’s an excessive amount,” said Pilier, who oversaw the capture of 78 Haitians headed to Puerto Rico in late April before sending them back home.

“It’s unusual.”

U.S. officials in the past six months captured 352 Haitian migrants who were bound for Puerto Rico or were found on or near the island. Coast Guard statistics show that between October 2010 and September 2011, only 13 such migrants were found, and at most five Puerto Rico-bound Haitians were arrested in the two years before that.

“We’re seeing another route they’re trying to exploit,” said Coast Guard Capt. Drew Pearson, who is based in Puerto Rico. “We hadn’t seen these numbers of Haitians in my tenure here.”

The odds of reaching the U.S. mainland directly from Haiti have dropped as the U.S. Coast Guard beefs up patrols by Hamilton class cutters, or what Haitian migrants simply refer to as “Amilton.” Along with trying to sail directly to the U.S. mainland, Haitians in the past attempted to get to the United States through long-established smuggling networks on islands including the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

“Miami is no longer easy to reach and that’s why Haitians are looking for other places,” said Walky Severian, a boat builder in western Haiti who himself has taken three voyages, including one in 2008 that ended up in Cuba because of stormy weather. He was deported.

Pilier, the Dominican naval officer, said migrant smuggling to the U.S. territory has also become common because Dominican authorities have a harder time patrolling the nation’s southeast coast, which is closer to Puerto Rico.

“We have a stronger presence in the north,” he

Children poisoned at Dominican Republic hotel awarded millions by court D

amages for 60 children, from babies to teenagers, who fell ill from food poisoning while on a supposed “dream holiday” in the Dominican Republic have been approved by the high court.

The children and their families are among 409 British holidaymakers awarded £1.9m by their holiday company six years after a stay at a luxury Caribbean resort.

The holidaymakers were struck down by a series of severe gastric illnesses, including salmonella, contracted at the four-star Bahia Principe resort in San Juan. The illnesses ruined breaks including weddings, honeymoons and birthday celebrations.

The settlement makes the holiday giant First Choice, part of Europe’s largest tour operator, TUI Travel, the last company to settle cases for more than 400 of its customers, who were represented by the solicitors Irwin Mitchell.

Although the settlement was agreed out of court, it had to be rubber-stamped in the high court because children were involved. It follows settlements of over £3.5m four years ago for 500 holidaymakers who had stayed at the same hotel at the same time with Thomas Cook and My Travel.

First Choice agreed to settle the cases of 409 of its customers for £1.9m. That sum included settling claims for 60 children. The sums award-

ed to the children were approved by a judge sitting in the high court, in London, on Wednesday. Thomson (which is also part of the TUI group) settled 44 similar cases last December for nearly £200,000.

The holidaymakers were struck down by serious illnesses including potentially fatal salmonella, shigella and campylobacter at the resort, on the north-east coast of the island, in 2007. At one stage, guests were ferried to hospital in a fleet of ambulances.

The deal means a total of 963 Irwin Mitchell clients who stayed at the hotel in 2007 have received over £5.5m in compensation from Thomas Cook & My Travel, First Choice and Thomson. The law firm also secured a substantial settlement for more than 100 guests who fell ill at the same hotel in 1997, and has successfully acted for holidaymakers who fell ill there in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010; it continues to act for clients who fell ill at the hotel in 2009 and 2012.

Clive Garner, a partner and head of the international travel law team at Irwin Mitchell, said: “The long history of guests suffering illness at this hotel makes grim reading. There have been problems at the hotel on and off for 10 years in the lead-up to the 2007 outbreak, and we are still receiving complaints from guests five years after that dreadful outbreak.”

said. “The east is more vulnerable.”

On top of that, a thriving underground economy in Puerto Rico that has long offered employment to Dominicans is now attracting Haitians.

For Haitians hoping to get to the U.S. mainland, the island of 3.7 million people has a black market that supplies fake passports, driver’s licenses and stolen Social Security numbers. In addition, the island’s governor in early March endorsed a proposal to allow immigrants living illegally in the U.S. territory to apply for a provisional driver’s license. Pilier said that proposal has in fact drawn many migrants to Puerto Rico.

In March, U.S. federal officials rescued 71 Haitian migrants stranded on a cluster of islands just west of Puerto Rico, dehydrated and with bruises and scratches. The rescue came a week after 67 migrants from Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic were found in the same cluster of islands, including a Haitian woman who died.

On the black-sand beach in the fishing village of Leogane west of the Haitian capital, groups of men build wooden migrant boats, sawing and hacking away with machetes and picks. The 30-footlong boats, whose frames resemble the rib cage of a small dinosaur, are purchased by smugglers for around $12,000 and then taken to northern Haiti to find passengers. One boat builder said he has four or five regular customers who buy the crafts.

In another major migration trend, Brazil also has become an increasingly common destination for Haitians since the 2010 quake. The South American nation initially opened its doors to Haitians seeking asylum, then later said it would issue 1,200 visas annually to allow them to work there for a five-year period. More than 4,000 Haitians have moved to Brazil, both legally and illegally, since the disaster.

US resumes migration talks with Cuba

W

ASHINGTON – The United States says it has resumed migration talks with Cuba, marking the first time since January 2011 that the periodic talks have been held.

US and Cuban officials met here on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the 1994 and 1995 US-Cuba Migration Accords.

Under the Accords, both governments pledge to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration from Cuba to the United States.

“The agenda for the talks reflected longstanding US priorities on Cuba migration issues,” said a release from the State Department, which added that the US delegation “highlighted areas of successful cooperation in migration,” including advances in aviation safety and visa processing.

The talks also identified actions needed “to ensure that the goals of the accords are fully met, especially those having to do with safeguarding the lives of intending immigrants.”

During the talks, the US delegation also reiterated its call for the immediate release of Alan Gross, a US defense sub-contractor imprisoned in Cuba since December 3, 2009.

The Cuban government said Gross is jailed for espionage and trying to undermine the revolution, but the US said he is imprisoned “solely for trying to facilitate communications between Cuba’s citizens and the rest of the world.”

The US delegation was led by Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Alex Lee, while the Cuban delegation was led by the Foreign Ministry’s Director General for US Affairs, Josefina Vidal Ferreiro.

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

Bermuda government gives hotelier $14million in tax concessions T

he owners of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel have applauded Bermuda politicians for steering through legislation granting them tax breaks on a redevelopment programme for the flagship resort.

Last Friday Government pushed through the Hotels Concession (Fairmont Hamilton) Order 2013, granting owners the Green family a $14.2 million tax break on the $70 million facelift. That order, which was rubber stamped in the Senate yesterday, replaced an earlier order which had erroneously provided just $3.3 million in concessions.

“We would like to thank both the Government and Opposition for unanimously passing the Hotels Concession (Fairmont Hamilton) Order 2013 and we are delighted to be moving forward with the renovations project at The Fairmont Hamilton Princess,” the owners said in a statement released this afternoon.

“We wish to emphasise that a project of this size would not be possible without the appro-

priate tax concessions as the financing of the project was contingent on getting these concessions.

“We understand that there was a miscommunication with regard to the terms of the original Hotel Concessions Order but we were pleased with the speed and professional manner in which Minister Crockwell and his team dealt with rectifying this situation. By dealing with the situation quickly, we are now able to get the necessary approvals in place to start construction later this year during the hotel’s low season.”

The family bought Bermuda’s oldest hotel last September, and soon after announced that it was pouring $70 million into the resort. The upgrade consists of three separate projects — a new pool area and landscaping, the refurbishment of 69 rooms and suites in the Poinciana wing, and a state-of-the-art marina and restaurant. Work is expected to begin towards the end of the year and be completed by the beginning of next summer.

In their statement, the Greens pointed out that the breaks will enable the resort — and indirectly, Bermuda — to be promoted to overseas markets.

“A large portion of this concession will be spent on marketing the redeveloped Hamilton Princess Hotel through international campaigns that will raise the profile of Bermuda as both a destination for tourists as well as business travellers,” the statement said.

“The remainder of the tax breaks will be spent on training Bermudians and local entertainment.

“We are excited about the job opportunities that the renovations project will create. By November 2013, there will be over 120 people working on the hotel site, the majority of whom will be Bermudian. In addition to this, it is our plan to create more permanent job opportunities once the marina has been constructed and the new restaurant is operational.”

Obama appoint New US Labour Secretary who has roots in Dominican Republic W

ASHINGTON — Thomas E. Perez was confirmed as secretary of Labor on Thursday, ending a long battle over his nomination in a key test of this week’s deal to end a showdown over Senate rules.

Perez, currently the nation’s top civil rights lawyer, was confirmed by a vote of 54-46 in the Senate, the narrowest result for any of President Obama’s second-term Cabinet nominees.

Perez will become the sole Latino in the Cabinet, leading the Labor Department as Congress considers a major overhaul of immigration laws that could create millions of newly legal workers.

He is the first person of Dominican origin to reach such a high post in the United States or any foreign government. Perez’s confirmation marks another milestone for Dominicans abroad, who’ve proven that despite shortcomings in their country of origin, or of their predecessors, will forge ahead toward achievements in all fields, not just baseball and music, or regrettable areas.

Top civil rights attorney Thomas E. Perez was confirmed as Secretary of Labor following a Senate vote Thursday. He becomes the only Latino member of Obama’s cabinet.

Obama announced Perez as his choice for the post in March to replace former California congresswoman Hilda Solis, who stepped down after four years to prepare for a possible campaign for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Republicans mounted fierce opposition to

his nomination, citing his work at the Justice Department to orchestrate a deal in which the city of St. Paul, Minn., agreed to drop a case pending before the Supreme Court that the administration believed could undermine enforcement of laws against housing discrimination. In return, federal officials agreed to drop support of a pending whistle-blower’s lawsuit against the city.

Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the top Republican on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said before Thursday’s vote that Perez’s role amounted to “an extraordinary amount of wheeling and dealing” outside of his responsibilities as assistant attorney general for civil rights.

His confirmation stemmed from an accord between senators on Tuesday that ended a Democratic threat to change Senate filibuster rules to eliminate a minority’s ability to block executive branch nominations. The deal was put to the test Wednesday in a procedural vote, when Republicans fell just one vote shy of sustaining a filibuster.

Former NYPD officer pleads guilty to defrauding Caribbean immigrants N

EW YORK– The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says a former New York Police Department (NYPD) officer has pleaded guilty to defrauding Caribbean and other immigrants.

On Wednesday, the ICE said Miguel A. Rodriguez, 53, committed the fraud by “conning immigrants seeking driver’s licenses and immigration assistance out of thousands of dollars.”

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charge in Dutchess County Court in upstate New York.

The guilty plea follows an investigation by ICE’s Homeland

Security Investigations (HSI), the Wappingers Falls Police Department and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.

According to the ICE, Rodriguez carried out the scheme while serving as a police officer and a liaison to the Latino community in the Village of Wappingers Falls in upstate New York.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Rodriguez is expected to be sentenced to one year imprisonment and to be subject to an order of restitution in the amount of US$13,862.

Special agent in charge of HSI New York, James T. Hayes Jr., said

Rodriguez was “entrusted to serve the community but instead he robbed thousands of dollars from the very people he was sworn to protect.

“He preyed upon the necessity and hope of individuals seeking immigration assistance and legitimate government documents,” he said.

Rodriguez told the court that between October 2010 and August 2012, he charged Caribbean and other immigrants US$300 each to enter a state lottery which he claimed could garner them valid New York State driver’s licenses.

He admitted to charging vic-

tims US$500 to US$1,000 for “asylum and withholding of removal” applications, falsely promising that the applications would be reviewed by an attorney and filed with the appropriate immigration authorities – “without even determining whether the victims could be eligible for the immigration benefits at all.”

As part of his fraudulent scheme, the ICE said Rodriguez visited religious congregations and preyed upon unsuspecting churchgoers, portraying himself as a compassionate individual with official connections to help them get driver’s licenses and other services.

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News W

RLD

Obama says ‘Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago’ P

resident Barack Obama on Friday jumped into the debate over the acquittal of the man who killed black Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, declaring that Martin “could have been me, 35 years ago” and urging Americans to understand the pain blacks felt over the case.

Obama abruptly appeared in the White House press briefing room to offer his thoughts on the trial of George Zimmerman, the Sanford, Florida, neighborhood watch volunteer who was found not guilty of murder for shooting Martin, 17, in a struggle in 2012.

The televised trial and Saturday’s verdict highlighted contentious issues such as racial profiling, with many blacks arguing that Zimmerman chose to follow Martin because he was black, and rejecting Zimmerman’s self-defense argument.

Without saying so specifically, Obama sided with those who say the shooting need not have happened, expressing sympathy to the Martin family and praising them for the “incredible grace and dignity with which they’ve dealt with the entire situation.”

He said the case was properly handled in the Florida court and acknowledged the relevance of the jury finding reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case. He questioned “stand your ground” self-defense laws that have been adopted in 30 states.

Obama, however, said Americans should understand the perspective of the black community, which has suffered a long history of racial discrimination.

“You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago,” he said somberly.

Obama, 51, born in Hawaii to a black Kenyan father and white American mother, recalled his own encounters with racism and racial profiling.

“There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store.

That includes me,” he said.

He said he sometimes heard the clicks of car doors locking when he walked across the street in his younger days.

“There are very few African-Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often,” he said.

Citing the experiences of his teenage daughters, Obama said younger generations have fewer issues with racism. Still, he said, Americans need to do some “soul searching” on whether they harbor prejudice and should judge people not on the color of their skin but on the content of their character.

“Each successive generation seems to be making progress in changing attitudes when it comes to race.

It doesn’t mean we’re in a post-racial society. It doesn’t mean that racism is eliminated ... We’re becoming a more perfect union, not a perfect union, but a more perfect union,” he said.

The Zimmerman verdict has produced a mixed reaction from Americans. A Reuters-Ipsos online poll found 34 percent agreed with the verdict, while 39 percent opposed it. It also found 68 percent did not approve of racial profiling by police. The July 16-19 surveyed 616 Americans and had a “credibility interval” of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

US President Barack Obama: “When Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son.”

After issuing a written statement on Sunday, Obama kept silent publicly on the case as some reacted angrily to the verdict. An aide said Obama had watched the coverage of the case on television and had talked to friends and family about it.

He informed some senior staff on Thursday that he wanted to address the issue publicly. An appearance at the start of White House press secretary Jay Carney’s daily briefing was deemed the best venue.

JAY Z AND BEYONCE AT TRAYVON MARTIN RALLY IN NEW YORK CITY

J

ay Z and Beyonce attended a Trayvon Martin rally in New York City on Saturday, joining Al Sharpton and other community leaders protesting Stand Your Ground laws. Protests and rallies took place in 100 cities across the country, reactions to the shooting death of Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old African-American boy,

by George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of murder last week.

Sharpton told the crowd that when he first heard about the Trayvon Martin case, he immediately flew to Sanford to a rally that was organized in the young man’s name. Prior to boarding the plane, Sharpton learned that his own mother had passed away. “But I went down because if I couldn’t hug my mother, I could hug Trayvon Martin’s mother,” he said.

PRAISE FOR OBAMA Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, issued a statement on Friday praising Obama and saying they were aware that their son’s death and the jury’s verdict had been deeply painful and difficult for many people.

“What touches people is that our son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, could have been their son. President Obama sees himself in Trayvon and identifies with him. This is a beautiful tribute to our boy,” they said.

Leaders of the black community also praised Obama.

“That our president has been profiled should encourage all Americans to think deeply about both the depth of this problem and how our country moves beyond it,” said Benjamin Jealous, the president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights group.

Noting racial disparities in the application of criminal law ranging from the death penalty to drug enforcement, Obama urged the Justice Department to work with local governments to reduce mistrust in the justice system and said states should ensure their laws did not provoke incidents like the Martin killing.

Obama specifically mentioned Florida’s “stand-yourground” law, which allows individuals to use reasonable force to defend themselves without any obligation to retreat or flee. Critics of the Sanford police department’s investigation of Zimmerman say it was central to the decision not to arrest him immediately.

The law did not factor in Zimmerman’s trial, though a juror cited it in acquitting him.

“I just ask people to consider, if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened?

And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws,” said Obama.

Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce with Rev. Al Sharpton and Sabrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin The activist and MSNBC host then acknowledged that “two of the baddest artists of all time” were present at the rally. “Jay Z and Beyonce said they didn’t want to speak and they didn’t come for a photo op,” Sharpton told the crowd. “Beyonce put a beautiful message up on Instagram. Let me tell you, that before a lot of you were down, Jay Z always supported us.”

“Jay Z told me, ‘I’m a father.

Beyonce is a mother.’ We all feel the pain and apprehension -- the laws must protect everybody, or it doesn’t protect anybody,” Sharpton said. “We do not come from hate, we come from love of children.”

“Trayvon Martin had the civil right to go home that day,” Sharpton told the cheering crowd.

Chants of “I am Trayvon Martin” and “No justice, no peace!” dominated the event.

Beyonce asked for a moment of silence at a concert on the night Zimmerman’s non-guilty verdict came down, after which she sang the chorus of “I Will Always Love You.”

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WORLD NEWS

Five people sentenced to jail for Costa Concordia disaster F

our Costa Concordia crew members and a company official were sentenced to jail in Italy on Saturday for their part in the 2012 cruise ship disaster that killed 32 people, leaving only the captain still on trial.

The five received sentences of between 18 and 34 months for multiple manslaughter, negligence and shipwreck - relatively short terms for the crimes, in exchange for pleading guilty.

None of the five are likely to be jailed as the sentences of under two years were suspended and the longer ones may be replaced with house arrest or community service, lawyers said.

“I think that the sentences are not enough,” said Robert Fehrer, 28, whose brother Szandor, a violinist, died in the disaster. “It feels quite hard to face this, with the fact that I lost my brother.”

Lawyers for the victims decried the verdicts as “shameful” and said they might appeal to Italy’s appeals court to overturn the plea bargains that allowed reduced sentences in return for guilty pleas.

“The plea bargains are unacceptable, they shouldn’t have been proposed or accepted. These sentences are ridiculous in the face of 32 dead,” said Gabriele dalle Luche, who represents a group of Russian passengers, saying he would consider an appeal.

32 people were killed when the Costa Concordia ran aground last year “This is shameful justice,” lawyer Massimiliano Gabrielli told reporters before storming away in anger. “Truly, these sentences are shameful. I’m not talking any more. Goodbye.”

The disaster occurred when the huge cruise liner hit a rock as it sailed close to the picturesque island of Giglio, prompting a chaotic evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers and crew.

Costa Cruises, a unit of Carnival Corp, avoided a criminal trial by agreeing to pay 1 million euro ($1.31 million) fine in April, but victims are pursuing damages in a civil case.

Captain Francesco Schettino, 52, remains on trial for manslaughter and causing the loss of his

ship. He is also seeking a plea bargain to reduce a possible jail sentence.

The court gave the crisis coordinator for vessel owner Costa Cruises, Roberto Ferrarini, the lengthiest sentence of two years, 10 months, followed by cabin services manager Manrico Giampedroni who was given two-and-a-half years.

Three others including first officer Ciro Ambrosio were given suspended sentences of under two years.

Short penalties for non-violent crimes are routinely suspended under Italian law.

On Wednesday, Schettino’s lawyers offered to accept a sentence of three years, five months in return for a guilty plea. A previous offer to serve three years, four months was rejected in May and he risks a much heftier sentence if no plea bargain is agreed. Hearings resume in September.

The captain is accused of abandoning ship before all crew and passengers had been rescued. A coastguard’s angry phone order to him - “Get back on board, damn it!” - became a catch phrase in Italy after the accident.

His lawyers say he prevented a worse disaster by steering the 290-metre (950-ft) vessel into shallow waters after the impact and that he was thrown overboard due to the angle of the leaning ship, which still lies rusting off the island.

Longtime White House reporter Helen Thomas dies F

ormer White House correspondent Helen Thomas, a trailblazing journalist who reported on every U.S. president from John Kennedy to Barack Obama, died on Saturday at the age of 92, the Gridiron Club and Foundation said.

Thomas, who broke many barriers for female journalists during her 49 years on the White House beat for United Press International and Hearst newspapers and died after a long illness, the Washington journalists’ organization said in a statement.

As the senior news service correspondent at the White House, she was known for her straight-to-the-point questioning of presidents and press secretaries in a manner that some considered dogged. Others, including many fellow reporters, considered her style in her later years to be too combative and agenda-driven.

In the last 10 years of her career Thomas was a columnist for Hearst, a job that allowed her opinions to surface more than in her work as a hard-news reporter for UPI. Thomas announced in June 2010 that she was retiring from Hearst, effective immediately, after comments she made about Israel and the Palestinians, including that Israel should “get the hell out of Palestine,” were captured on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet.

Thomas later issued a statement: “I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.”

Thomas believed the Washington media had grown soft and was reluctant to challenge government, views she shared in her 2007

Helen Thomas – ““I have witnessed presidents in situations of great triumph and adulation, when they are riding the crest of personal fulfillment, and I have seen them fall off their pedestals through an abuse of power.” book “Watchdogs of Democracy? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public.”

She was especially rough on former President George W. Bush, whom in 2003 she described as the “worst president ever,” and the Iraq war, which she felt the media had abetted by not challenging Bush strongly enough on it.

Thomas was often combative in dealing with the White House, particularly when she felt she was being denied access. Reuters White House reporter Steve Holland recalled that early one morning during Clinton’s presidency, she was spotted kicking the locked door to the White House press office, demanding to speak to the staff.

Thomas grew up in Detroit, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants, and will be buried in that city. Middle Eastern affairs were a strong interest and the impromptu comments about

Israel and the Palestinians in May 2010 were her undoing.

Thomas established a number of firsts for women journalists in becoming one of Washington’s best known reporters. She was the first woman officer in the White House Correspondents Association in its 50-year history, becoming its first woman president. In 1975, she broke the 90-year all-male barrier at the Gridiron Club, an organization of leading Washington journalists, and became its first female president in 1993.

She also supported scores of women starting out in the news business.

Thomas’s career began as a copy girl on the Washington Daily News and she joined what was then known as United Press in 1943. She was assigned to the White House in 1961 in part because of the great interest in first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, as well as the new young president. She became UPI White House bureau chief in 1974, the first woman to head a wire service bureau there. She stayed in that position until 2000 when she joined Hearst.

Thomas first came to public notice during the Watergate era when she started receiving late-night phone calls from Martha Mitchell, the wife of Attorney General John Mitchell, discussing the scandal.

“I have witnessed presidents in situations of great triumph and adulation, when they are riding the crest of personal fulfillment, and I have seen them fall off their pedestals through an abuse of power or what President Clinton called ‘a lapse of critical judgment,’” she wrote in her memoir “Front Row at the White House: My Life and Times.”

Thomas married a professional rival, Douglas Cornell of the Associated Press, in 1971. He died in 1982.

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WORLD NEWS

Fatal Indian school meal contained pesticide, police confirms A

n initial forensic report has confirmed that the free school lunch that killed 23 children this week in India’s eastern state of Bihar was contaminated with a pesticide, a senior police official said on Saturday.

The children fell ill within minutes of eating a meal of rice and potato curry in their oneroom school on Tuesday, vomiting and convulsing with agonizing stomach cramps.

The deaths sparked protests in Bihar. The lunch was part of India’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme that covers 120 million children and aims to tackle malnutrition and encourage school attendance. It

had already drawn widespread complaints over food safety.

The report found the meal was prepared with cooking oil that contained monocrotophos, an organophosphorus compound that is used as an agricultural pesticide, Ravindra Kumar, a senior police official, told reporters.

Police said on Friday they suspected the oil was kept in a container previously used to store the pesticide. They are still looking for the headmistress of the school, who fled after the deaths.

The World Health Organization describes monocrotophos as highly hazardous.

Initial reports say that an insecticide container was used to cook vegetables that was served to children

Stranded fugitive Snowden seeks temporary asylum in Russia F

ormer U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden applied for temporary asylum in Russia on Tuesday after three weeks holed up at a Moscow airport trying to avoid prosecution in the United States on espionage charges.

The White House said Snowden is “not a dissident” and should be expelled and returned to the United States to face trial.

Snowden is seeking refuge in Latin America after leaking details of U.S. government surveillance programs, but has not risked taking any flight that might be intercepted by the United States. He flew into Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23.

“He reached the conclusion that he needs to write an application for temporary asylum (in Russia), and this procedure has just been done,” Anatoly Kucherena, a lawyer who met Snowden on Friday along with human rights activists, told Reuters.

“For now he is not going to go anywhere. For now he plans to stay in Russia,” he said. If Snowden were granted temporary asylum, Kucherena said, he should have the same rights as other citizens and be free to work and travel in Russia.

The asylum application could end Snowden’s time in limbo but risks deepening U.S.-Russian tensions. Russia has refused to expel him to his homeland but has also kept him at arm’s length, saying he has not crossed its border because he remains in the international transit zone at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport.

President Barack Obama’s administration repeated its call for Russia to send Snowden, 30, back to the United States.

“He is not a human rights activist, he is not a dissident. He is accused of leaking classified information,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. “He is a United States citizen who has been charged with crimes, and ... he should be afforded every bit of due process here in the United States.

And he should return here to face trial.”

Unlike political asylum, granting Snowden temporary asylum would not require a decree from President Vladimir Putin, who may hope it is the best option for minimizing the damage to U.S. ties without looking weak in the eyes of Russians.

The Kremlin sought to distance Putin from the asylum decision, which is formally up to immigration officials but is widely expected to be in the president’s hands.

“If we are talking about temporary asylum, this is an issue not for the president but for the Federal Migration Service,” Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters in the Siberian city of Chita.

Snowden, 30, is trapped in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo airport, an area between the runway and passport control which Russia regards as neutral territory.

He said on Friday he would seek refuge in Russia only until he can travel to one of the three Latin American countries ready to give him political asylum - Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua.

He said the United States and its allies were preventing him from reaching those countries.

Washington has revoked Snowden’s passport and urged other countries not to help him reach an asylum destination.

After Snowden met lawyers and activists at the airport on Friday, many pro-Kremlin politicians went on state television to say Russia should grant him asylum.

“He fears torture or the death penalty may be applied to him (if extradited),” said Kucherena, who said he had been advising Snowden since the airport meeting.

Putin has rebuffed U.S. calls to send Snowden home but has said he does not want the fugitive to harm relations with Washington. Ties have been strained over issues ranging from the Syrian conflict to Putin’s treatment of opponents since he started a six-year third term in 2012.

Snowden is useful as a propaganda tool for Putin, who accuses the U.S. government of preaching to the world about rights and freedoms it does not uphold at home. But Putin has invited Obama for a summit in Moscow in early September and both countries have signaled they want to improve relations.

Putin has said twice that Snowden must stop all activities “aimed at harming our American partners” if he wants political asylum in Russia, but he has not made clear whether the condition applies to temporary asylum as well.

Venezuela says it ends efforts for better US ties

V

enezuela said it was ending efforts to improve ties with Washington after the Obama administration’s nominee for envoy to the United Nations vowed to oppose what she called a crackdown on civil society in the “repressive” OPEC nation.

In an echo of the many bust-ups between the two countries during the late Hugo Chavez’s 14-year rule, President Nicolas Maduro has demanded an apology and said the United States had no moral right to criticize his government.

The foreign ministry said Samantha Power’s remarks had contradicted “in tone and content” what it said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told his Venezuelan counterpart, Elias Jaua, at a rare meeting just last month.

“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is terminating the process that was started during the conversation in Guatemala, which was aimed at regularizing our diplomatic relations,” the ministry said late on Friday in a statement.

Maduro has often clashed with Washington since he narrowly won an election in April that was triggered by the death of his mentor Chavez from cancer.

At times, the former bus driver and union negotiator has appeared to want better ties with the United States, and both Jaua and Kerry had talked positively about their meeting.

But relations have frayed fast since then, with Maduro becoming the world’s first leader to offer asylum to Edward Snowden, the former U.S. intelligence contractor wanted

by Washington for disclosing details of secret surveillance programs.

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Trayvon Martin’s parents lead protests over Zimmerman verdict T

rayvon Martin’s mother choked back tears as a crowd of 2,000 New Yorkers chanted “We love you” one week after George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder by a Florida jury in the fatal shooting of the unarmed black teenager.

Across the nation, hundreds marched in the heat of a summer Saturday to rally at federal courthouses in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities, demanding “Justice for Trayvon.”

In Miami, Tracy Martin told about 300 supporters of his son’s cause that, after the acquittal, he has “come to realize George Zimmerman wasn’t on trial - Trayvon was on trial.”

In New York, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and singer Beyonce, his wife, arrived at one of the largest of the protests organizer Rev. Al Sharpton said were planned for 100 cities nationwide.

Martin’s mother stifled sobs as she told the crowd: “Not only I vow to do what I have to do for Trayvon Martin, I promise I’m going to work hard for your children as well.”

Among “Boycott Florida” signs were protesters wearing T-shirts with a photo image of Martin in a hooded sweatshirt.

“I’ve got four beautiful daughters.

I want them to look forward rather than behind their backs,” said Harlem resident Maria Lopez, 31, who attended the rally with her children.

Visible above the neckline of her Trayvon T-shirt was a tattoo of a packet of Skittles, the candy the teen was carrying when he was shot dead by the neighborhood watchman.

Civil rights leaders had voiced hopes for peaceful protests after outbreaks of violence that earlier this week led to arrests in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area.

Late last Saturday night, a Semi-

fense. That ignited protests and cries of injustice across the country, shining a spotlight on issues such as race, profiling and vigilantism.

‘A WORLD WHERE RACISM EXISTS’

nole County jury in central Florida acquitted George Zimmerman, who is part Hispanic, of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the incident, where 17-year-old Martin was shot through the heart.

About 500 people converged on the federal courthouse in Los Angeles under gray skies, toting signs saying ‘Open Season on the Black Man’ and ‘This Should Not Be OK in 2013 America.”

Protesters’ chants - “No Justice, No peace” - echoed across the courthouse plaza in call-and-response form.

Another speaker shouted out: “Who was that cryin’?” and the crowd responded: “Trayvon Martin.” That exchange was in reference to conflicting testimony about the high-pitched screams for help captured on the 911 call, that were identified by Martin’s mother as being Trayvon’s, and by Zimmerman’s mother as her own son’s.

Farther north in foggy down-

town San Francisco, about 100 people stood in front of the Federal Building.

Reverend Arnold Townsend, 70, vice president of the local NAACP chapter, vowed to “bring to light this incident let black children know the system has them under attack.”

At the White House on Friday, President Barack Obama cautioned against violence, as he urged all Americans to try to understand the Martin case from the perspective of African-Americans.

“There is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws,” Obama said. “A lot of African-American boys are painted with a broad brush. If a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario ... both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.”

Zimmerman remained free for more than six weeks after the incident because Sanford, Florida, police accepted that he had acted in self-de-

Sharpton has said he hopes continued public pressure will force the Justice Department to bring a civil rights case against Zimmerman.

Federal prosecutors have said they are investigating whether Zimmerman violated civil rights laws.

But lawyers with civil rights expertise have said they think new charges are unlikely.

Public comments from one of the six jurors, citing Florida’s Stand Your Ground law as a factor in reaching her conclusion that Zimmerman acted in self-defense, has stepped up pressure on the state’s legislature to repeal or change the law.

The jury was told that Zimmerman had “no duty to retreat and right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he reasonably believed it was necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself.”

Although Stand Your Ground was not cited as part of the defense, the jury’s instructions came from the 2005 statute.

Florida Governor Rick Scott told a sit-in outside his office in Tallahassee on Thursday that he supports the law and has no plans to convene a special legislative session to change it.

“We still live in a world where racism exists,’’ said Rev. Reginald Edwards at the U.S. District Courthouse in Tallahassee, where nearly 80 protesters assembled at midday to urge federal officials to charge Zimmerman with civil rights violations.

Norwegian woman sentenced to 16 months in jail in Dubai for sex outside of marriage D

UBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A Norwegian woman sentenced to 16 months in jail in Dubai for having sex outside marriage after she reported an alleged rape said Friday she decided to speak out in hopes of drawing attention to the risks of outsiders misunderstanding the Islamic-influenced legal codes in this cosmopolitan city.

The case has drawn outrage from rights groups and others in the West since the 24-yearold interior designer was sentenced Wednesday.

It also highlights the increasingly frequent tensions between the United Arab Emirates’ international atmosphere and its legal system, which is strongly influenced by Islamic traditions in a nation where foreign workers and visitors greatly outnumber locals.

“I have to spread the word. ... After my sentence we thought, `How can it get worse?’” Marte Deborah Dalelv told The Associated Press in an interview at a Norwegian aid compound in Dubai where she is preparing her appeal scheduled for early September.

Dalelv, who worked for an interior design firm in Qatar since 2011, claims she was sexually assaulted by a co-worker in March while she was attending a business meeting in Dubai.

She said she fled to the hotel lobby and asked for the police to be called. The hotel staff asked if she was sure she wanted to involve the police, Dalelv said.

“Of course I want to call the police,” she said.

“That is the natural reaction where I am from.”

Dalelv said she was given a medical examination seeking evidence of the alleged rape and underwent a blood test for alcohol. Such tests are commonly given in the UAE for alleged assaults and in other cases. Alcohol is sold widely across Dubai, but public intoxication can bring charges.

Dalelv was detained for four days after being accused of having sex outside marriage, which is outlawed in the UAE although the law is not actively enforced for tourists as well as hundreds of thousands of Westerners and others on resident visas. She managed to reach her stepfather in Norway after being loaned a phone card by another woman in custody.

“My stepdad, he answered the phone, so I said, that I had been raped, I am in prison ... please call the embassy,” she recounted.

Norwegian diplomats later secured her release and she has been allowed to remain at the Norwegian Seamen’s Center in central Dubai. She said her alleged attacker received a 13-month sentence for out-of-wedlock sex and alcohol consumption.

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usiness B AND

O T The city of Detroit files for bankruptcy ECHN

D

LOGY

etroit filed the largest-ever municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history on Thursday, marking a new low for a city that was the cradle of the U.S. automotive industry and setting the stage for a costly court battle with creditors.

The bankruptcy, if approved by a federal judge, would force Detroit’s thousands of creditors into negotiations with the city’s Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr to resolve an estimated $18.5 billion in debt that has crippled Michigan’s largest city.

The future of retiree pension and health benefits for thousands of city workers hangs in the balance.

Anticipating the filing, investors drove prices of Detroit bonds and notes lower, sending their yields to record highs on Thursday.

In a letter accompanying the filing, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder said he had approved a request from Orr to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection noting, “Detroit simply cannot raise enough revenue to meet its current obligations, and that is a situation that is only projected to get worse absent a bankruptcy filing.”

Speaking on Channel 4 Detroit after the announcement, Snyder, a Republican, said, “Let’s stop the decline. Let’s get to stability. Let’s get things working in the right direction.”

Snyder named Orr in March to tackle the city’s spiraling long-term debt, which is estimated at $18.5 billion.

A White House spokeswoman said Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama and his senior team were monitoring the situation in Detroit closely.

“While leaders on the ground in Michigan and the city’s creditors understand that they must find a solution to Detroit’s serious financial challenge, we remain committed to continuing our

strong partnership with Detroit...,” White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said.

Detroit was once synonymous with U.S. manufacturing prowess. Its automotive giants switched production to planes, tanks and munitions during World War Two, earning the city the nickname of the “Arsenal of Democracy.”

Now the city’s name has become synonymous with decline, decay and crime. Detroit has seen its population fall to 700,000 from a peak of 1.8 million people in 1950. The city’s government has been beset by corruption cases over the years.

Waning investment in street lights and emergency services has left it struggling to police the streets.

The city’s murder rate is at its highest in nearly 40 years; only a third of its ambulances were in service in the first quarter of 2013; and its nearly 78,000 abandoned buildings create “additional public safety problems and reduces the quality of life in the city,” the governor noted in his letter.

In June, Orr presented a proposal to creditors offering them pennies on the dollar. His plan had met with resistance from some creditors, most notably Detroit’s two pension funds representing retired city workers. The funds recently filed lawsuits in a state court challenging the governor’s ability to authorize Orr to file for bankruptcy.

LONG ROAD AHEAD Creditors are expected to mount a stiff challenge to the bankruptcy, which was filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Michigan.

Douglas Bernstein, a bankruptcy attorney at Plunkett Cooney in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills, said he expected the case would last one-to-three years and would be very costly.

“This could run to tens-of-millions to hun-

dreds-of-millions of dollars,” he said.

Unlike corporate bankruptcies, there have been relatively few Chapter 9 cases since the Bankruptcy Act was amended in 1934 to include municipalities. This means there is little precedent and the number of creditors means a complicated road ahead.

“It’s a very complex landscape and it’s one that’s going to be watched very closely by municipal investors,” said Robert Amodeo, a portfolio manager at Western Asset in New York.

General Motors, the only major U.S. automaker headquartered in Detroit, said in a statement that the company “is proud to call Detroit home and... (this is) a day that we and others hoped would not come. We believe, however, that today also can mark a clean start for the city.”

Ford Motor Co, which is based in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, said it was “optimistic that governmental leaders will be successful in strengthening the community.”

But Ed McNeil, chief negotiator for a coalition of 33 unions that represent most of the service workers for the city of Detroit said the bankruptcy filing was about “busting the unions.”

“I’ve said all along that this is a power grab,” said McNeil. “This is not about fixing the city’s finances. It’s about the governor and his own agenda to take over the city of Detroit.”

In the municipal bond market, Detroit bonds and notes traded on Thursday at record high yields, said Dominic Vonella, managing analyst at Municipal Market Data, a unit of Thomson Reuters.

The taxable June 15 2035 bonds traded at $38.5 with a yield of 16 percent. That compares with $76 and a yield of 8.39 percent in mid-May.

A brute in silk stockings: 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG O n the heels of the new 2014 S-Class sedan, Mercedes-Benz today handed out details of the even newer 2014 S63 AMG 4Matic performance model of the posh sedan. The S63 AMG is a more powerful, more outrageous version — just in case the regular S-Class was too tame.

Think of it as the grownups’ version of the heart-thumping SLS AMG coupe and roadster.

Swinging the pendulum from ultra-luxury to ultra-performance, the new S63 AMG swaps out the 4.7-liter V-8 in the S550 for AMG’s hand-built, twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter unit. It’s good for 577 horsepower and a brutish 664 poundsfeet of torque, which M-B says will rocket the massive sedan to 60 mph in just

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4Matic, an ultraperformance version of the ultra-luxury sedan.

3.9 seconds. As quick as an Aston Martin Vanquish, if you’re keeping score.

That power is channeled through an AMG-tuned seven-speed automatic and ends up at all four wheels thanks to standard allwheel drive (4Matic in Mercedes-speak). Three driving modes are available to choose the behavior of your S63: Comfort, Sport or Man-

ual. A start-stop system that shuts off the engine at long lights is standard, but active only in Comfort mode.

An AMG-tuned air suspension is standard, with its own Comfort and Sport settings to adjust the S63 to the driver’s mood and desires.

The electric power steering has a variable ratio.

AMG paid attention to the S63’s weight: The new

model is 220 pounds lighter than the outgoing one. May not sound like much for a car that’s still about twoand-a-quarter tons, but it’s like leaving an entire person at home whenever you drive the car somewhere.

(Insert significant-other jokes here).

The starter battery is now a lithium-ion unit instead of the traditional 12volt lead-acid starter battery in nearly every car on the planet, allowing Mercedes to eliminate a second backup battery and save 44 pounds overall. Special lightweight AMG wheels also help: 19 inches front and rear, but 20-inch wheels are available.

AMG added its sporting touch to the styling inside and out as well, with special high-gloss black trim and

special badging on the exterior. Inside, special AMG sport seats are standard, and a milled metal trim adorns the instrument panel and doors.

The 12.3-inch display screen, which has replaced gauges in the S-Class, gets exclusive AMG-style graphics and content that focus on driving performance and engine information. Some content available on the S550 is also available on the S63, such as the Night View Assist Plus and the Driver Assistance Package, but others are not, such as the new Magic Body Control automatically adjustable suspension system.

No pricing has been announced for the S63 AMG (but if you have to ask ...).

It is expected to go on sale at the same time as the allwheel-drive S550 in November

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Apple and Bernanke downplays Fed Samsung’s divisions on stimulus latest phones F face antitheft stress test A

pple and Samsung’s latest smartphones faced the scrutiny of state and federal prosecutors in San Francisco on Thursday, who tested the latest in antitheft security.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are testing the latest security features of Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S4 to see whether they can stop thieves who have made off with said devices.

In the iPhone 5’s case, the group will have security experts attempting to thwart Apple’s activation lock feature, which requires users to have a specific Apple ID username and password to use the device. For the Galaxy S4, experts are evaluating Lojack for Android, a $29.99 per year application that can remotely lock the phone and delete personal data.

“While we are appreciative of the efforts made by Apple and Samsung to improve security of the devices they sell, we are not going to take them at their word,” Schneiderman and Gascón said in a joint statement.

“Today we will assess the solutions they are proposing and see if they stand up to the tactics commonly employed by thieves.”

To do so, Gascón and Schneiderman say the group will bring in experts from the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center to try to bypass the measures, and gain access to the devices as if they were someone who had stolen the phone.

An Apple spokeswoman reiterated a statement the company made in June, saying it has “led the industry in helping customers protect their lost or stolen devices,” since 2009.

“With Activation Lock, Find My iPhone gives customers even more control over their devices and serves as a theft deterrent by requiring an Apple ID and password to turn off Find My iPhone, erase data or re-activate a device,” the company said.

Phone theft has grown alongside the rising popularity of smartphones, which are expected to be the majority of all mobile phones shipped this year for the first time ever, according to a report from IDC last month. Per a report from the Federal Communications Commission earlier this year, around 113 smartphones are lost or stolen every minute in the U.S., and cell phone theft overall makes up 30 percent to 40 percent of all robberies.

“Finding technical solutions that will remove the economic value of stolen smartphones is critical to ending the national epidemic of violent street crimes commonly known as ‘Apple Picking,’” Schneiderman and Gascón added.

Even with the efforts by manufacturers, one thing software security does not protect against is the remaining value for various parts, which can be removed from phones and resold. Screens for the iPhone 5, for instance, sell for upwards of $100, while the battery and camera module can retail for around $30 apiece, making even a nonfunctioning device valuable

ederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday downplayed a recent report of sharp divisions among Fed policymakers over when to pull back its extraordinary economic stimulus.

In his second day of testimony before Congress, Bernanke said members of the Federal Open Market Committee generally support a tentative plan to pare back the Fed’s monthly bond purchases later this year and end them by mid-2014.

“The general scenario I described at my (June 19) press conference is generally supported by people on the committee — both voters and non-voters,” Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee in his semi-annual testimony. He testified Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee.

Bernanke was responding to concerns voiced by Sen. Chuck Schumer-D-N.Y, about recently-released minutes of the Fed’s mid-June meeting that show about half of FOMC members favored ending the bond purchases late this year. With Bernanke expected to step down as Fed chief when his second term ends in January, Schumer suggested the report of the conflict raises concerns that a post-Bernanke Fed might be less supportive of stimulus measures.

The Fed is buying $85 billion

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Thursday a month in Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities to hold down long-term interest rates and spur more purchases of homes, cars and factory equipment. The Fed has said it will continue the bond-buying until the job-market outlook improves substantially.

With monthly job growth averaging about 200,000 a month this year, Bernanke last month laid out a road map for winding down the purchases. But he said that blueprint would be put off if the economy and job market slow amid federal spending cuts or rising interest rates.

Interest rates rose sharply and stocks plummeted after Bernanke first sketched out the plan. But stocks have rallied recently and interest rates have dipped as Bernanke and other Fed policymakers have stressed that the Fed intends to keep its benchmark short-term rate near zero until the 7.6% unemployment rate falls to 6.5% and likely beyond that.

Bernanke also reiterated Thursday that the tapering down of the bond purchases is heavily dependent on continued growth in the economy and job market.

“Obviously, we’re going to look at the data,” he said.

Africa’s economy experiencing fastest growth A

frica’s economy is growing faster than any other continent, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB).

A new report from the AfDB said one-third of Africa’s countries have GDP growth rates of more than 6%.

The costs of starting a business have fallen by more than two-thirds over the past seven years, while delays for starting a business have been halved.

The continent’s middle class is growing rapidly around 350 million Africans now earn between $2 and $20 a day.

The share of the population living below the poverty line in Africa has fallen from 51% in 2005 to 39% in 2012.

Africa’s collective gross domestic product (GDP) per capita reached $953 last year, while the number of middle income

countries on the continent rose to 26, out of a total of 54.

The AfDB’s Annual Development Effectiveness Report said the growth was largely driven by the private sector, thanks to improved economic governance and a better business climate on the continent.

“This progress has brought increased levels of trade and investment, with the annual rate of foreign investment increasing fivefold since 2000.

For the future, improvements in such areas as access to finance and quality of infrastructure should help improve Africa’s global competitiveness,” the report said.

The AfDB points to the increase in regional economic co-operation and intra-African trade as being the drivers of growth in the future.

However, the AfDB said in-

adequate infrastructure development remained a “major constraint” to the continent’s economic growth.

“Africa currently invests just 4% of its collective GDP in infrastructure, compared with China’s 14%,” the bank’s report said.

“While sustainable infrastructure entails significant up-front investments, it will prove cost-effective in the longer term.”

Despite the improving picture overall, the AfDB cautioned that substantial differences in incomes remained.

“The challenge will be to address continuing inequality so that all Africans, including those living in isolated rural communities, deprived neighbourhoods, and fragile states are able to benefit from this economic growth,” it said.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

Sports LOCAL

Delano Williams faces discrimination after qualifying for British Track and Field team to Moscow

T

urks and Caicos Islands sprint prodigy Delano Williams came under heavy discrimination from a number of Brits, including the media, after outclassing some of that country’s athletes to make the 200m and the 4x4 British relay team to the World Athletics Championship in Moscow, Russia next month.

“The opening line in the daily mail read: “Two British athletes have missed a 200 metres place in Moscow at next month’s World Championships in favour of a teenager who transferred his allegiance to Britain just four weeks ago.”

The article went on to stated: “Richard Kilty, 23, and Danny Talbot, 22, have both run the ‘A’ standard for Moscow, but 19-year-old Delano Williams has been chosen to join Adam Gemili and James Ellington in the 200m after switching nationality from the Turks and Caicos Islands only last month.”

The online version said that Williams feat over the born Brits, fueled the derogatory term ‘Plastic Brit’, which is branded on ex-

Delano Williams competing in the British Trials for the World Championships (Delano Williams) patriate athletes running for that country.

Similar debate was sparked before last year’s London Olympics when American-born Tiffany Porter and Shara Proctor, from Anguilla — who will also compete in Moscow — were selected.

A caption under the photo of Williams on the papers online version read: ‘Plastic Brit’: Delano Williams switched his allegiance to Britain just four weeks ago’.

The paper continued: “Williams won the world junior 200m title last year — and has undoubted po-

tential, having clocked a personal best of 20.27sec in March — but he finished third behind Ellington and Kilty at last weekend’s British Championships after a dreadful start, while Talbot beat Gemili to win silver at the European Under 23 Championships in Finland on Saturday in 20.46sec.”

Neil Black, the performance director of British Athletics, was quoted as saying that he felt no extra pressure to select Williams after the teenager was formally approved to run for Britain last month.

He said that Williams was qualified because the Turks and Caicos Islands are an Overseas British Territory and he holds passports from Britain and the Caribbean island. Black was quoted as saying: “I know Delano hasn’t had a great start but his credentials are undoubted. You don’t achieve what he’s achieved without being a topclass championship performer. We think it’s the right selection, but we didn’t feel pressured by it (switching allegiance) at all.”

TCI U19 rules regional rugby T

he TCI Under 19s crown themselves champion of the NACRA Caribbean championship trouncing St Lucia Under 19’s 46 points to nil.

The TCI scored tries to Franco Mompremier (3), Miguel Malcolm, Lincoln Outten and Brandon LaMotte. Luis Turbyfield kicked 2 penalties and five conversions for a haul of 16 points.

On their way to winning the championship, the TCI mauled Guyana 34-0.

Luis Turbyfield opened the scoring in that game for the TCI after stepping up make a successful penalty to lead 3 -0.

Superior TCI rucking and scrummaging gave the TCI team plenty of clean attacking ball. The TCI squad moved the ball through 3 rucks before a nice break by Sean Taylor down the blindside had TCI within 15 meters of the Guyanese try line. Andrew Seymour pulled the ball from the ruck, dummied his opposite number, and stepped or dragged three Guyanese tacklers over the line to dot the ball down for the first try.

Luis Turbyfield slotted the conversion kick and TCI were up 10 to 0. A minute to go in the first half and Franco Mompremier rampages off the back of a TCI ruck, sheds a tackler and scores. The score is now 17 to 0 in favour of TCI at half time.

Deangelo Ferguson, of the TCI U19 team displays the Regional Rugby Trophy Second half and it is all one way traffic with TCI launching attack after attack. Guyana in desperation mode are now trying to

clear their lines by kicking with almost each possession. The TCI lineout being penalised several times for short throws, temporarily spares Guyana any more punishment.

The TCI pack shoves Guyana off their own ball as Terrico Missick, Gurvin Edwards and Scotty Glinton dominate the Guyanese front row. The TCI then enjoyed several phases of possession with the inside backs of Turbyfield, Seymour and Kristoff Malcolm linking perfectly.

TCI then spins the ball wide and Brandon LaMotte is unlucky not to break the tackle.

LJ Outten picks the ball from the back of the ensuing ruck, steps the lone Guyanese tackler and scores in the corner. TCI now lead by 22 to 0.

At the restart the Guyanese number 8 charges up the middle only to be met by a wall of tacklers. TCI won the ruck and marched down the field with several phases of play. Kristoff Malcolm sheds a tackler and dots down to make it 27 to 0. With their tails up TCI then ran through 8 phases of play before LJ Outten again jinked his way through an exhausted Guyana defense to score and put TCI up 32-0. In the final play of the match Luis Turbyfield nails the conversion kick and TCI 34 have soundly beaten regional powerhouse Guyana 34 points to nil.

The team returned to the TCI last weekend.

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL SPORTS

TCIFA stages successful women football festival L

ast weekend the TCIFA hosted its annual Women’s Festival of Football and fans were treated to a series of attractive and skillful games as the association hosted Bethesda of Maryland and the Greater Tampa Bay Football Club from Florida.

The TCI entered two teams in the festival an under 16 team comprising of players from the U16 and U12 Centers of Excellence as well as a Select Team consisting of players from the TCIFA Academies.

The event was a success on many levels but perhaps most pleasing was the fact that the TCI U16 team finished in second place with their only loss coming against the experienced Bethesda team (who are one of the top 5 teams in the USA) The U16’s Girls opening game against Bethesda was always going to be a David and Goliath encounter but the U16 Girls acquitted themselves well against their older and more experienced opponents. They kept the score to 2-0 at half time before succumbing 7-0 at the end of the game.

However, in their second game the young girls bounced back from this defeat and took the game to GTBFC dominating the first half and creating many chances.

Kadine Delphin had an excellent first half switching between both wings making some strong runs and putting in some dangerous crosses. The second half was a more even affair but GTBFC failed to create more than a couple of clear cut chances. The U16 team had opportunities to score in the second half particularly through Yarielca De La Cruz who showed how influential she could be.

Chrystal Stirling had a strong game in goal and Alyssa Laing was particularly impressive in the an-

All the participating teams pose for a group shot chor role in midfield. The girls felt that they could have clinched a win but were nonetheless happy to earn a well-earned draw.

The final game for the TCI U16 Girls saw them earn a well-deserved 3-0 victory against their sister team. Kadine opened the scoring with a fierce strike from the edge of the penalty area. Yarielca de la Cruz made it 2-0 just before the half time interval as her long range shot found the bottom corner of the goal.

The second half was very competitive but the younger team secured the win when Yarileny De La Cruz scored a great opportunist goal as she expertly placed the ball over the head of the Select team’s goal keeper from 30 yards. This win se-

Veteran batsman Errion Charles Propels Quality Kings to cricket finals with unbeaten Century A

cyclonic unbeaten century by Errion Charles ensured that Quality Kings will take on Beaches in the Finals by beating Jaguars in the Semifinals of the Turks and Caicos Islands Cricket Association T20 competition sponsored

by HAB Group, at the Down Town Ball Park on Sunday 14th July.

Jaguars won the toss and asked Quality Kings to take the first strike, but they later regretted the decision after the Kings rattled up a mammoth

cured second place in the festival which position which was fully deserved after training hard for this event.

The TCI Select team can be pleased with its overall performance. Ravaged by injuries (7 of the 11 starting players were carrying injuries) they were unlucky not to defeat GTBFC as they tied the game 2-2.

The Select Team started brightly but sadly lost two players early on in the game to injuries. Despite this they dominated possession and took a well-deserved lead through Emmanualla Meneide. The second half performance was an ‘up and down’ affair. Starting poorly they conceded an early penalty and despite Amelie Speers’ save found themselves level as the GTBFC forward followed up the rebound.

The Select team, weathered the storm for five minutes and were soon back in front when Jancillia Cox finished from close range. However, poor marking saw GTBFC draw level. Rather than settle for a draw the select team dominated the game for the final 10 minutes, hitting the cross bar and missing two clear chances, one of them from Aarah Cenary as she was one on one against the goalkeeper.

Despite injuries taking their toll, the Select team put in an excellent first half performance trailing by 1-0 against Bethesda in their second game. The scores could have been level as Meneide had a fierce shot just go over the bar before the interval. The Select team gave it all in the first half, but were not able to replicate this after the break as they fell to an 8-0 defeat. This was largely due to injuries as the remaining players could not cope with the fitter and injury free Bethesda team who were able to exploit the spaces caused by fatigue.

The Quality Kings Team

Errion Charles 218 runs for 5 wickets from their allotted 20 overs.

Errion Charles Top-scored with an unbeaten 100 runs, which was decorated with 11 4s and four 6s.

Sabuton John contributed 46 runs which consisted of six 4s and one 6.

Bowling for Jaguars, Jerry Grant took 2 wickets for 41 runs from 4 overs. In reply Jaguars reached 152 runs for 8 wickets from 20 overs.

Top-scorers were Nuwan Bodhinayke with 41 runs seven 4s and one 6. Ian Ganness, with 33 runs, comprising three 4s and two 6 and Sheldon Henry, who chipped in with 20 runs, were the other batsmen who contributed to the score.

Bowling for Quality, Ian Heath claimed two wickets for 21 runs from 4 overs and Earl Henry 2 wickets for 35 runs from 4 overs.

Charles was naturally named man of the match.

TCIFA Executive member Canadace Hanchell thanked everyone who supported the event and was full of praise for all the competing players.

The following awards were given out at the end of the final day: Tournament MVP – Sammy Scafidi (Bethesda) Player of the Tournament – Sydnee Campbell (TCI U16) Top Goal scorer – Sammy Scafidi (Bethesda) GTBFC Player of the tournament – Abigail Morken Bethesda Player of the Tournament – Stephanie Shin TCI U16 Player of the tournament – Alyssa Laing TCI Select Player of the Tournament – Emmanuella Meneide

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

Sports CARIBBEAN

Trainer says Jamaican sprinters “looking for a scapegoat” for their positive doping tests T

he Canadian trainer for Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson insists he didn’t give the sprinters performance-enhancing drugs and says it’s time for them to take “responsibility for their doping instead of looking around for a scapegoat.”

In a statement Tuesday, Toronto’s Chris Xuereb is quoted as saying he has done nothing wrong since the Jamaicans hired him in May to provide massage therapy and nutritional help.

Powell, the former 100-metre record holder, and Simpson, a threetime Olympic medallist , tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrine at the Jamaican championships last month.

Their agent, Paul Doyle, contends something in the new supplements the sprinters were taking caused it and “Chris is the one that provided those.”

The email quotes Xuereb as saying he was disappointed the athletes are blaming him for their violations.

“It is time the athletes took responsibility for their doping instead of looking around for a scapegoat, whether that person is their therapist, bartender or anyone else,” says the email, which details Xuereb’s relationship with the sprinters. “Athletes keep using the

Asafa Powell 2 same story, which is to blame the scapegoat for their own wrongdoing.”

Earlier Tuesday, Italian police formally placed Powell, Simpson and Xuereb under criminal investigation for violating the country’s doping laws. The move came a day after Italian police confiscated unidentified substances in a raid on the hotel where the three were staying in the northeastern town of Lignano Sabbiadoro, following the athletes’ positive tests.

Police told the AP the raids were executed after a tip from the World Anti-Doping Agency. Doyle said he and the sprinters worked in conjunction with WADA on the raid after becoming suspicious that Xuereb might have given them supplements laced with a banned substance. Doyle also said Powell and Simpson were aware of the impending raid, but Xuereb was kept out of the loop.

“Asafa and Sherone have been tested more than 100 times each through their career ... and never turned in a positive test,” Doyle told the AP in a phone interview.

“Now they change their supplements and the first time they get tested, they have a positive test?

It has to be something in those new supplements that has caused it. Chris is the one that provided those.

Sherone Simpson “We’re not saying he did anything deliberate, but it’s in those supplements.”

In the email statement from Xuereb’s account, he is quoted as saying he “did not provide any banned or illegal substances to Asafa Powell or Sherone Simpson.”

The statement says all the vitamins Xuereb provided to the sprinters were found to be legal by Italian police.

“I do not know what these athletes were taking in addition to what I suggested to them,” the statement said. “Although I suggested certain vitamins to these athletes, it is ultimately the athlete’s responsibility to accept or reject my suggestion.

“Unfortunately, it appears that these athletes were not solely following my suggestions or WADA’s guidelines. These guidelines are in place so all athletes can have a clean sport. Both athletes are clearly looking for a scapegoat. I am confident, and I have also spoken to researchers and the police, that I have done nothing wrong.”

Doyle said that while the sprinters had been led to believe everything they were taking was untainted, he and the athletes should have been more responsible about which supplements they used.

“In hindsight, we should’ve been given a list, made sure we got a list,” Doyle said. “The extent of what I did, I said to (Xuereb) in a text message, that all supplements have to be cleared by me first. He never cleared them with me. He did send them in an invoice that had the names of supplements in there that he had purchased. But that was it. I didn’t have the ingredient list.”

Yohan Blake out of World Championships with injury

Yohan Blake: “Unfortunately, I will be unable to defend

my title this year at the World Championships.”

R

eigning world 100m champion Yohan Blake has withdrawn from August’s World Athletics Championships in Moscow with a hamstring injury.

The 23-year-old Jamaican pulled out of his country’s national championships last month having been troubled by the injury since April.

Blake won the 2011 title in Daegu, when compatriot Usain Bolt false-started.

Compatriot Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay have withdrawn from the event in Moscow after positive dope tests.

Gay’s A sample from an out-of-competition test in May was positive, while Powell tested positive for a banned stimulant at the Jamaican Championships, which took place on 20-23 June.

Both athletes are awaiting the results of their B samples.

As defending champion Blake was handed an automatic place in the 100m at this year’s World Championships, but he would not have run the 200m in Moscow after pulling out of the Jamaican trials and therefore failing to qualify.

Blake has not run a competitive 100m this year and laboured to a time of 20.72 seconds over 200m in Jamaica on 8 June.

“This decision was made after continual assessment and re-evaluations since his withdrawal from the Jamaican Senior Championships,” said Blake’s manager Cubie Seegobin.

Yohan has made vast improvement, although the injury sustained in April of this year has prevented him from attaining the necessary fitness levels that we have grown accustomed to seeing

in his competition performances.”

In a media statement, Blake said: “Unfortunately, I will be unable to defend my title this year at the World Championships in Moscow.

I know this is very disappointing news for my fans and supporters, but please understand that pulling out was the best decision for me at this time,” the statement read.

It continued: “I would like to thank you all for your love and support. I know that I have a long and bright future ahead of me, so I will see you guys next year on the track!”

Blake, whose personal best 9.69 seconds set late last year makes him the joint second fastest man of all times with American Tyson Gay behind Usain Bolt, was injured while running a 100m race at the UTech Classic in mid-April and took an eight-week break before running a 200m just before the JAAA National Senior Trials. However, he later withdrew from the Trials as his management team said he was not fit enough to compete.

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Sports W

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

RLD

Tyson Gay dropped by Adidas after sprinter fails drugs test

S

portswear manufacturer Adidas has suspended its sponsorship of sprinter Tyson Gay after the American failed a drugs test.

An out-of-competition test completed by Gay in May tested positive, according to the US Anti-Doping Agency.

“We are shocked by these recent allegations,” a spokesman for Adidas said on Monday.

“Even if we presume his innocence until proven otherwise, our contract with Tyson is currently suspended.”

Gay, 30, is the joint-second fastest man ever over 100m. He is also the fastest man in the world this year and won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the 2007 World Championships.

The sprinter is awaiting the results of his B sample and said on Monday: “I don’t have a sabotage story... I basically put my trust in someone and was let down.

“I know exactly what went on, but I can’t discuss it right now.

“I hope I am able to run again, but I will take whatever punishment I get like a man.”

Gay told the Associated Press he was notified by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency of the positive test late last week. He wouldn’t reveal the substance but said the positive test came from a May 16 out-of-competition test, the AP reported.

“I don’t have a sabotage story. I don’t have any lies. I don’t have anything to say to make this seem like it was a mistake or it was on USADA’s hands, someone playing games,” said Gay, who fought back sobs as he spoke to the AP. “I don’t have any of those stories. I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down.”

Tyson Gay He did not disclose to whom he was referring when he said he was let down.

He would not go into specifics of the case when asked by the AP whether he tested positive for a steroid.

“I have to go over everything with USADA first,” he said. “I will take whatever punishment I get like a man. I do realize and respect what I put in my body and it is my responsibility.

“I’m going to be honest with USADA, about everything, everybody I’ve been with, every supplement I’ve ever taken, every company I’ve ever dealt with, everything.”

Gay, 30, has struggled with injuries the past five years. This season he has run the top three fastest times in the world in the 100 meters. He won gold at the U.S. championships in Des Moines last month, dominating the field to finish in 9.75 seconds. It was his fourth U.S. title at the distance.

He also claimed the 200 title at nationals, winning in 19.74 seconds. It’s the second fastest time in the 200 this season, just .01 second behind Usain Bolt’s 19.73, which he ran last weekend.

Gay is the American record-holder in the 100 with a 9.69 set in 2007, the season he was a world champion in the 100, 200 and 4x100.

Earlier this season he spoke of overcoming major hip surgery in 2011. “People are quick to forget some of the things you have accomplished,” he said.

At last summer’s London Olympics, Gay was heartbroken after coming in fourth in the 100, failing to win a bronze medal by one-hundredth of a second. “I just ran with all my heart,” Gay said. “There was nothing left in the tank. I didn’t get a medal, but I gave it my all.”

He won an Olympic silver medal as part of the USA’s 4x100 relay team in London.

In the past, Gay had been part of USADA’s “My Victory. I compete clean” program with 10 other athletes from Summer Olympic sports. His statement on the USADA web site read: “I compete clean because I really believe in fairness, and besides that, my Mom would kill me! Just being honest. My mother and my sister have been great role models for me.”

“But if you do not know what it is, you should not take it.”

Roger Black, a silver medallist in the 400m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, does not sympathise with athletes who fail a drugs test and believes it is up to them to ensure they do not take a banned substance.

“It’s about the athletes taking responsibility for their own careers,” he insisted.

Brooklyn Nets introduce Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett N

EW YORK — Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are ready to make the most of their new surroundings.

Traded from the Boston Celtics to the Brooklyn Nets, the duo was introduced along with Jason Terry on Thursday at a news conference at Barclays Center, their new home.

Pierce said it was tough to leave Boston, where he played his entire career. He appeared dazed at times while listening to questions and answers, even having to ask for one to be repeated while trying to fight his way out of a fog.

“You saw the trade and it’s like, ‘OK, there’s a trade.’ But for me to actually be here now, looking for a place to live, being in this arena, trying to get to know my way around the city, it’s really starting to sink

in now that it’s become real,” Pierce said.

“I’m no longer a Boston Celtic. I’m a Brooklyn Net, and that’s what it is right now. It’s a business.

At some point we all have to move on, and I’m here to try to create some kind of legacy here in Brooklyn.”

The crowd applauded, appearing more excited about having Pierce in Brooklyn than he was about being here. That’s understandable given his history in Boston, where he is the Celtics’ No. 2 career scorer and was the NBA Finals MVP when they won the last of their NBA-high 17 championships.

But he said he thought “the writ-

From left coach Jason Kidd , Kevin Garnett , Paul Pearce and Jason Terry during the press conference to introduce the newest members of the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. ing was on the wall” in June when the Celtics negotiated a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers for coach

Doc Rivers, and he realized change would be coming.

The Celtics and Nets agreed to the blockbuster trade on draft night and it became official last week.

Garnett waved a no-trade clause to accept the deal, and while saying it was “unfortunate” they had to move on, he seemed to have a little easier time embracing it.

“I don’t know anyone that loves change, but change has to happen for things to better,” he said.

The three newcomers were joined on the podium by general manager Billy King and first-year coach Jason Kidd, who at 40 is a longtime rival and just a few years older than his new players. And they got a visit at the end from owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who made a late decision to attend the news conference and meet the players whose salaries helped the Nets’ payroll soar so high that they will pay about $80 million in luxury tax next season.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

WORLD SPORTS

ICC trials instant replays for third umpire D

avid Richardson, the ICC chief executive, has revealed a trial is underway during the current Ashes series to enhance the role of the third umpire by feeding him direct pictures that would avert controversial incidents like Stuart Broad getting away with a thick edge in the first Investec Test last week. Broad stood his ground having edged a ball from Ashton Agar, after the on-field umpire Aleem Dar failed to spot the deflection off the bat. Having spent all their reviews, Michael Clarke’s Australia were left high and dry.

Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special, Richardson admitted it was frustrating that, in the age of technology, Broad managed to escape. “It is, of course,” Richardson said.

“For that reason, up to the third Test, we have a trial going on, independent of what is happening on the field, to allow the third umpire to have a bank of televisions where he can actually choose and get access to the technology much quicker than he would if he simply relies on the director or producer sending him the pictures up to him. If we progress along these lines ... there is an opportunity for the third umpire to have the say and to overrule where he thinks an obvious mistake has been made.”

Richardson stressed it was a longterm process but the ICC remained optimistic. “I don’t think people should think it is going to be introduced for the next series,” Richardson said. “It is at a very basic phase and we need to progress a lot further before we get it on board in a match.”

Speaking on the unusual move by the ICC to reveal the assessment of the three umpires (Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus) and the various decisions they made during the Trent Bridge Test, Richardson reiterated that it was necessary bring the numbers out into open to erase certain doubts. However, he indicated that the ICC would not make it a norm to make the umpires assessment public.

“We will take on a case-by-case basis,” Richardson said. “In this case we had put everything in perspective because it was an unusual Test match.

There were so many decisions to be made, almost 75% more than normal.” The ICC release had stated that the on-field umpires made a total of seven errors, three of which were uncorrected.

Not included in that list was a controversial ruling in favour of Australia debutant Ashton Agar, who was giv-

PENN STATE AND JERRY SANDUSKY VICTIMS REPORTEDLY AGREE ON SETTLEMENT

P

A third umpire with access to instant replays could overrule obvious on-field mistakes en not out when England appealed for a tight stumping. Richardson reasoned why it was not considered a mistake. “We have got a team of three who look at it,” he said. “First of all the match referee. Then if there is a bit of doubt then it goes to Vince van der Bijl, our umpires’ manager and then it goes to Geoff Allardice [the ICC’s manager of cricket]. They all felt there was just that element of doubt: was his foot in the air, maybe there was a spike on the ground? So there was just not enough for the third umpire to give actually give the decision against the batsman.”

Asked if there was scope for benefit of doubt in favour of the player Richardson said primarily the ICC was looking for definitive proof to make a decision, “as far as it is possible”. He cited the example of the England of Joe Root, who was adjudged lbw at Lord’s on Thursday morning.

“Anyone other than maybe an English supporter would acknowledge that it was fractionally pad first. In which case the correct decision, unfortunately, is out,” Richardson said.

Richardson followed that by revealing an aspect of how the umpires’ assessment worked. “Let us say the on-field umpire had got it wrong, and he thought it was bat first,” Richardson said. “Then we will mark that technically incorrect because we say, look, there must have been some doubt in your mind so you have actually made a good cricket decision.

So we don’t mark him in his personal records as having made a mistake.

But technically it was an incorrect decision and we get it changed.”

On Wednesday, the MCC’s World Cricket Committee, restated its backing for the DRS while pointing out that to make the system much more streamlined, the ICC needed to take control of it. But Richardson was defensive about such a step.

“People say ICC should take complete control of technology,” he said.

“Today we have two Hot Spot cameras, some ball tracking cameras and a couple of slow-motions cameras. But next year there will be something else … there will be real-time Snickometer. Then next year there is something else. So in a way we don’t want to hamper development. But it is going progress and it is going to become even more difficult to resist taking full advantage of the technology that gets developed. Our strategy has been: let us introduce technology but not on the basis they are just ball counters and coat hangers.”

Richardson said that introducing various technologies into the game was never to make the role of the umpires obsolete. “We want them to be part of the game, the on-field umpires in particular, and that is why one of the reasons why we like the idea of them making the decision and then the players, if they really disagree, asking for it to be reviewed,” Richardson said.

enn State has reportedly reached a financial settlement with the victims of convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky’s crimes, according to the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The reported $60 million will go toward personal injury claims filed by 32 victims alleging that the former Nittany Lions assistant football coach abused them sexually as children.

The board of trustees agreed upon these payments unanimously last Friday.

According to The Inquirer, settlements have been negotiated with most parties, but the school still has to reach an agreement with all involved before an official statement will be given: Penn State confirmed last week that its board approved tentative settlements reached with some of the claimants at a board meeting last Friday, voting unanimously to greenlight the accords. However, the university is not expected to announce an overall dollar amount until it has settled with everyone.

Sandusky was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison last October, after being found guilty on “45 counts of child sexual abuse [and] convicted of molesting 10 boys over a 15-year period,” as reported by ESPN.com.

He is currently serving out that sentence in protective custody at SCI Greene in Pennsylvania, a “supermax” security prison, per Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports.

Late Penn State football head coach Joe Paterno and former president Graham Spanier were fired for the manner in which they handled the Sandusky allegations.

The awful scandal rocked the university to its core, and it will take much more than a conviction and financial settlements to make up for the damage that Sandusky did to the program and—more importantly—the victims.

These payouts are the least the university can do, and hopefully the settlements help bring some closure to what has been a tragic saga for a number of people involved; but nothing will ever truly erase Sandusky’s horrific actions.

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

JULY 22ND - JULY 27TH, 2013

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