VOLUME 9 ISSUE 40 by The SUN Newspaper

NOVEMBER 11TH - NOVEMBER 16TH, 2013

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VOLUME 9 - No. 40

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FORMER AG WANTS $1MILLION FROM TCIG BY HAYDEN BOYCE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ormer Attorney General Huw Shepheard, who abruptly resigned last month under a cloud of controversy, is seeking US$1million from the Turks and Caicos Islands Government for alleged constructive dismissal. Impeccable sources told The SUN that Shepheard outlined the amount and nature of his claims in a letter to Governor Peter Beckingham. According to the source, Shepheard indicated in the letter that he was forced to resign, hence his claim for constructive dismissal. The letter from Shepheard is the latest salvo in a burgeoning battle and a stormy relationship between the former Attorney General and the Dr. Rufus Ewing-led Cabinet, which resulted in Ewing ﬁling court action seeking clarity on the Constitutional powers of the post of Attorney General. Shepheard, who resigned on October 30th, effective November 1st, had hitherto asserted that he had no intentions of leaving that post, despite stinging rebukes and strident calls for him to quit, from several sections of the Turks and Caicos Islands community. The SUN understands that after ﬁnally resigning, Shepheard, who was widely regarded as being arrogant and stubborn, quickly packed his bags and moved back to the United Kingdom. “He just couldn’t take the pressure and decided that it was in his best interest to leave the post and the country. The whole thing was taking a serious toll on him,” the source told the SUN, requesting anonymity. Speculation has been rife that Shepheard’s resignation had to do

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WESLEY METHODIST HIGH IS NATIONAL DEBATE WINNER: Wesley Methodist was crowned champion of the Na- in behavior”. Wesley Methodist opposed the moot. Chamtional High School Debate competition held at the Occa- pions for Christ was second place winners, while Britsions Ballroom located at the Airport Hotel, Airport Road, ish West Indies Collegiate and TCIPS tied for third place. In the photo, Acting Premier and Minister for Education Providenciales, on Thursday (November 7). The school’s second speaker Willandra Elliot (third Youth and Sport Hon. Akierra Missick (left) presents the from left) was crowned best speaker. The schools debat- Wesley Methodist team with the winning trophy. Sharing ed the moot: “Be it resolved that the most efficient model in the moment at right is Aldora Robinson, National HIV/ for achieving zero new infections and deaths is a change AIDS Coordinator. with the visit to the Turks and Caicos Islands of Dr. Peter Hayes, head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, but this was denied by UK official. Asked as to whether or not his trip has anything to do with the attorney general’s resignation Hayes replied: “No, no, it is just coincidence. He has resigned, we are sorry to hear that he has resigned. He is also mak-

ing a claim against the TCI Government, and so, it is a legal matter. But our determination is to make sure that there is a new attorney (general) as soon as possible, and the work of the attorney’s ofﬁce in the chambers continues.” While on a familiarization walk with Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety Hon. Amanda Missick in the Kew Town constituency

UK could review $260M loan guarantee

Haitians escape from Detention Centre

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on Wednesday (November 6), Governor Peter Beckingham was asked for an update on the matter and replied: “It is pretty clear he resigned last week, and I gather, left the country, or so I am told. And I was delighted to sign in his deputy (Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles) as the acting attorney general. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Anglican Bishop says Government has no power

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FORMER AG WANTS $1MILLION FROM TCIG

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“I think she is a tremendous person, that’s the impression I have got, I have haven’t seen her for very long Obviously, I have been here only a month. I am looking forward to working with her. I was in touch with her today already, and I think it is tremendous – as they say – that she stepped up to the plate and take on the challenges of the job. It is going to be very hard for her and for others in the chambers. But I am sure she is absolutely up to it.” Shepheard, who came to the Turks and Caicos Islands from Bermuda where he was a Crown Counsel, a rather junior post, was never warmly-embraced or greatly admired country-wide. In addition to irking many persons, including certain investors, he was involved in a physical tussle with one of his own colleagues, veteran prosecutor Leonard Franklyn, who had reported Attorney General Huw Shepheard to the police for assaulting him. A settlement was subsequently reached and the matter was withdrawn, with no charges being laid against Shepheard.

To ﬁght his million-dollar battle, Shepheard has engaged the services of a high-powered legal team from the UK. Sources told the SUN that his lawyers are not Edward Wildman Palmer, the law ﬁrm which, under Shepheard’s watch was paid in excess of US$13million to represent the Turks and Caicos Islands Government in civil recovery actions. However, questions are being raised about who will defend the Turks and Caicos Islands Government in the law suit that is being brought by Shepheard. Analysts said it would be highly unlikely, not to mention perceivably inappropriate, for Acting Attorney General Rhondalee BraithwaiteKnowles or anyone else in the AG’s Chambers, to be going up against their former boss. Other observers told the SUN that Shepheard faces a daunting task of winning the constructive dismissal case against the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, in circumstances where he resigned on his volition and was not sacked. “If, as he had said, his contract renewal was legal and Constitutional, why did he resign?” one lawyer asked. “He should have stuck to his

word and let the law suit which the Premier brought against him take its course in the courts.” Shepheard, who presided over one of the most expensive, rancorous and contentious legal eras in the history of the Turks and Caicos Islands, was under mounting pressure for many months. He conceded this much. When he returned from a lengthy vacation in September this year, he immediately launched a public relations defence by reaching out to those who have called for his removal. He stated then, “As Attorney General, I have always worked tirelessly in the public interest of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. My appointment was legal, in line with the Constitution, as part of UK Ministers’ commitment to deliver good governance and the rule of law for everyone in the islands. I have a tremendous respect for the wide range of responsibilities attached to this esteemed ofﬁce, and look forward to continuing to work with the Hon Premier, his Ministers, Cabinet and the other key Constitutional institutions and bodies in support of democracy here.” He added: “Of course I know

about the criticism of me while I have been away. This has been a difficult experience, but it is also potentially enriching for anyone in public office to be given a clear picture of what is thought of them every now and again,” he added. Despite the headlines, I hold no grudges. The position of Attorney General in the Turks and Caicos Islands is not a popularity contest; it is far more important than that. It is designed to support the rule of law and the good governance of the Territory, regardless of political office or wealth. “In light of this, it seems only reasonable to ask, that the Premier and his Ministers continue to work with me for the greater good of the people of this country, even if they do not much like me personally. What they think of me as a person is not at issue. “As the appointed Attorney General to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, I commit to working in their interests for the next three years.” This statement, among others may very well be the subject of the million-dollar court action, which has not yet been officially filed in court.

Ministry of Education Partners with UNICEF to Develop TCI Education Strategy he Ministry of Education has T partnered with UNICEF to review of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Five Year Education Development Plan and to develop an Implementation Plan. UNICEF is providing technical support in the person of Mr. Geoffrey Thompson. He arrived in Turks and Caicos on Sunday 20th October, 2013. The development of the Five year Education Plan is in line with the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Government prioritisation of the Education sector and the need to develop a clear ﬁve year strategy/implementation plan aimed at the review and development of the sector. The Five Year Education Plan, in conjunction with the recent report on the National Consultation on Education, is aimed at improving the output from the sector over a specific period. The report and the plan will be used to develop a strategic plan complete with budget as well a logical and a performance assessment framework that will provide the Minister and the Ministry with a pathway towards the continuous development of the sector. Mr. Thompson is scheduled to work with a locally convened committee to develop a realistic

strategic plan for the Education Sector for the period 2014 - 2017. The Strategic Plan is being designed to articulate deliberate clear strategies for the development of key agreed areas and reflect the recommendations and concerns reflected in the report on the National Consultation on Education and the Education Development Plan. Clear sectoral targets and progress indicators will also be elaborated to better monitor the performance of the education sector. These will be aligned with regional and international benchmarks. Mr. Thompson will also address crosscutting issues such as gender, poverty and disability and the implications for the overall development of TCI.

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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 Office 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.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough resigns BY HAYDEN BOYCE PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

hief Justice of the Turks and Caicos Islands Edwin Goldsbrough will be leaving his post in March next year, The SUN can confirm. Reliable sources confirmed that Goldsbrough has written to Governor Peter Beckingham giving him six months notice to allow for succession planning. There have reports that the two other senior court officials (not judges) also will be resigning shortly, but this could not be confirmed up to Press time. The SUN understands that Goldsbrough will be taking up a more prestigious and better paying job. He is one of three full-time judges on the Turks and Caicos Islands Bench; the other two being Madame Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale, a former Chief Magistrate of the Cayman Islands who has acted as Chief Justice whenever Goldsbrough is away from the country, and Madame Justice Joan Joyner, a former Chief Magistrate of the TCI. Regarded in legal circles as quiet, fair and exceptionally sharp, Goldsbrough is leaving a job that pays US$120,000 per year, plus US$30,000 a year in living expenses. An article which appeared in the Solomon Islands Island SUN newspaper in April 2013 said that country’s Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer CBE has announced the appointment of the Honourable Justice Edwin Goldsbrough as the new President of the Court of Appeal for the Solomon Islands. Justice Goldsbrough, a former High Court Judge in the Solomon Islands, and former Acting Presi-

Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough (right) at the swearingin ceremony for High Court judges Madame Justices Margaret Ramsay-Hale (second from right) and Joan Joyner (third from right). At left is former Governor Ric Todd. dent of the Court of Appeal of the Solomon Islands, was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in July 1980 after studying at the College of Law, Guildford and latterly Chester in the United Kingdom. He was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court in the Republic of Vanuatu in 1988, where he acted as a judge of the Senior Magistrates’ Court and the Supreme Court. In addition he took on the duties as Acting Chief Justice of Vanuatu as required. It was during his time in Vanuatu he was appointed as a Judge of Solomon Islands Court of Appeal in July 1991. Justice Goldsbrough in 1993 was appointed as Training Ofﬁcer and Senior Crown Counsel in St Helena, South Atlantic devising and delivering training to Lay Magistrates.

His work in St Helena also involved training staff and professional development of Magistrates’ and High Court clerks and the Public Prosecutor. He deputized for the Attorney General in his absence and advised and trained Lay Advocates in the role as public defenders. In 1995 Justice Goldsbrough was appointed to the post of Legal Training Officer at the Judicial College of Zimbabwe where he worked in the field of ensuring Zimbabwean staff of the Judicial College acquired the requisite skills and knowledge to continue the work after donor support ended. He was involved in conducting research for the development of training material for the Judicial College and for the High Court and Supreme Court with respect to pending cases. He delivered induction training for newly appointed Judicial Officers and assisted with their mentoring. Justice Goldsbrough was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of the Solomon Islands in April 2006 where in his five plus years on the Solomon Islands bench he presided over cases in both the civil and criminal jurisdictions and sat when required as a Judge of the Court of Appeal, until his departure in July 2011. Justice Edwin Goldsbrough is currently the Chief Justice of the Turks and Caicos and will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Court of Appeal bench in the Solomon Islands. The article said: “The National Judiciary looks forward to welcoming back the Judge and working again with him as the new President. The Governor General will formally swear in Justice Goldsbrough on his next visit to the Solomon Islands. The next scheduled sitting of the Court of Appeal, Solomon Islands will commence Monday 15th April 2013.”

Drexwell Seymour Opens Accounting Firm D rexwell Seymour of TCI Financial Solutions (incorporated in February 2013), Turks and Caicos, and Philip Galanis of HLB Galanis & Co. (founded in January 1998) Bahamas are pleased to announce the opening of the firm HLB (TCI) Ltd, located at Regent Village, Grace Bay Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands. HLB Galanis & Co is a member of HLB International, the tenth largest worldwide network of dynamic independent professional accounting firms and business advisors. HLB International (HLBI) is a member of the Forum of Firms. Our global network is comprised of member firms in over 100 countries, which collectively have more than 1,900 partners and 14,500 staff in over 500 offices. The new company said its motto:

Drexwell Seymour Local in Touch, Global in Reach, indicative of the Firm’s capabilities as it delivers excellent service to local businesses, while simultaneously, having the resources to extend services internationally for those same local clients. Mr. Seymour is the former CEO of Cable & Wireless (TCI) Ltd for seven years and also served as the former ﬁ-

nancial controller for seven years. He is a Certified Public Accountant, becoming the second Turks and Caicos Islands resident to attain that distinction. Mr. Seymour is currently serving for the second term as the President of the TCI Society of Professional Accountants. He has more than twenty-two years of work experience, having also worked at Price Waterhouse Coopers, KPMG, Turks and Caicos and KPMG Canada. Mr. Galanis is the former Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Nassau, Bahamas and now serves as the Managing Partner of HLB Galanis & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant. (CPA), as well as a Chartered Accountant (CA) and a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). He has served as President of The Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants

from 1988 to 1992 and as President of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean from 1995 to 1997. Mr. Galanis has more than 33 years’ experience in serving audit and consulting clients across a wide range of industries. Both Mr. Seymour and Mr. Galanis are very excited about this new venture in TCI and look forward to serving clients locally in TCI. Ironically HLB stands for “Helping Local Business” HLB TCI will provide the following services: Accounting, Audit & Assurance, Business Valuation, Consulting Services, Corporate Finance, Corporate restructuring including receiverships and liquidations, Forensic Accounting and outsourcing. For more information, please contact Drexwell Seymour at dseymour@ hlbtci.com or at 941 6422 or 941 4358 or 231 6373

GOVERNOR BECKINGHAM MUST PROVIDE HOPE, SAYS BUSINESSMAN ALLAN HUTCHINSON BY VIVIAN TYSON

he Providenciales Chamber of Commerce said that that it is anticipating nothing less than a fruitful working relationship with His Excellency Governor Peter Beckingham, so as to bring back prosperity to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Allan Hutchinson, a director of the Chamber, speaking at the welcome reception for Governor Beckingham at Beaches’ Key West Village on October 21, reminded him of the anticipation that he brings to the country at this time. “Governor Beckingham is our 13th governor, and he has become the governor at one of the most crucial and challenging time in our history. There is much anticipation and hope that you and your ofﬁce will bring about a new climate of true cooperation by engaging the business community in a meaningful and committed manner, embraced

Businessman Allan Hutchinson by mutual respect for the role of each stakeholder,” Hutchinson said. Hutchinson said that the Chamber is looking for a show a empathy and respect from Governor Beckingham, which he hinted was lacking on the path of his predecessor, Ric Todd. “We just want to remind you, His Excellency that these islands do have some unique challenges, which affect the way businesses are conducted and are aggravated by a small prominent population that requires the administering powers to show empathy, con-

cern and respect for the goal and aspirations of the inhabitants,” he said. Hutchinson said that based on Beckingham’s background and his inaugural speech in the House of Assembly, many in the business community believes that he is right at this time to take on the role of governor of the TCI. “Your resume tells us that you are the man for the job. We therefore welcome the tone of your inaugural speech and the speech you gave here tonight. And we are willing and able to engage TCIG and your office to create and improve the business environment so that businesses may prosper and inward investments returned to these islands for the benefit of all concerned. “The board of directors, members of the Providenciales Chamber of Commerce sincerely wish you well in your new role and pledge our support as long as you are in office, provides the leadership that these islands so desperately deserve,” Hutchinson stated. In the meantime, Hutchinson re-

minded Governor Beckingham that taxation was a no-no for the Turks and Caicos Islands at this time. Todd, during his tenure, pushed for the implementation of Value Added Tax, which the majority of the country repelled. Hutchinson therefore implored Governor Todd to focus his attention on inward investment and trade and incentives to businesses so that they would be able to ﬂourish. “As a longstanding businessman in this community, I want to say, His Excellency, taxation is not the answer. Inward investment, trade, incentives and relief for businesses must be the centre and focus of any government. Without those elements we are not going to see the economic climate that we so longed for. “We look forward to a fruitful and productive working relationship with you, so that at the end of your tenure, we will be asking you to extend your time and not ask you to leave quickly,” Hutchinson said.

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DIFID could consider extending 2016 loan guarantee if TCI has strong financial backing BY VIVIAN TYSON

f Government makes a ďŹ nancially-sound proposal, the Department for International Development (DFID) could reconsider extending the UK Government backed loan which TCIG is bound to pay-off by 2016, His Excellency Governor Peter Beckingham said. The governor was addressing the Providenciales Chamber of Commerceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monthly meeting on Monday (November 4), at Beaches Resort and Spa, where he made the revelation. Addressing a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce at Beaches Resort and Spa on Monday, November 4th, Beckingham said that based on his conversations with UK Minister Alan Duncan, he believes the Department for International Development would consider relaxing the terms and conditions of the loan, which is widely felt to be causing ďŹ nancial and economic hardship to the people of Turks and Caicos Islands. In 2011 the UK extended essential help to the TCI by providing a 260 million dollar loan guarantee to keep local government functioning. The guarantee expires in the year 2016, but most of the money generated by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government between now and then, will have to go towards repaying that loan.

Accountant Keith Burant

Governor Peter Beckingham

During the Chamber of Commerce meeting, private banker Keith Burant asked the Governor about the loan and its tight schedule, and the Governor said there would be nothing to stop the TCIG from going to the UK with a sensible proposal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the only thing I would add to that is obviously where the TCI Government to go to DIFID with a serious proposal which had been underwritten by commercial banks or others. I am sure they would look at it. But at the moment their position is clear in the eyes of Allan Duncan,â&#x20AC;? Beckingham said. The governor said that while he believes that TCI stands a good chance of a loan extension should it take the proposed approach; there are some who believe that it would be difďŹ cult for TCI to obtain a solid ďŹ nancial underwriting since it is not attractive to any ďŹ nancial institution at this time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There will be nothing to stop

the TCI Government going to DIFID with a proposal. I had a meeting with the Financial Industries Association, and last week I met one of the senior bankers in TCI, who were talking along the line you have mentioned. Some of them, I have to say, gave me one message that it would be quite possible to put a new set of proposals, which could change the dynamics. Others said to me that no banks would be interested, as it were, coming to the aid of the TCI before 2016,â&#x20AC;? Governor Beckingham revealed. Governor Beckingham added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, but I said to the Financial Industries Association that I would be very interested in following up that discussion. It is clearly going to be in a discussion with ďŹ nancial experts if there was to be a serious proposition to DIFID. But they will be perfectly willing to talk about something along those lines if it was a sustainable proposition.â&#x20AC;? In the meantime, Beckingham

told the audience that Foreign Minister Williams Hague expressed the importance of TCI becoming a diversiďŹ ed economy based on the ďŹ ckleness of the tourism industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone knows that the economy here is heavily dependent on tourism. And the last few years have shown that it can be very vulnerable due to a downturn in the American economy. So manufacturing is very important. I have had some discussions with businesses here who were talking about getting into manufacturing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a complete new comer, it seems to me that obviously there are quite a number of obstacles, and I would be prepared to talk to you separately about what you are doing because the obstacles clearly include the high energy costs and the high labour costs. So I would be very interested to know how you can compete,â&#x20AC;? he told the chamber members. He said that Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing is also on the same page and also express the desire to expand the TCI economy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The premier has talked to me about it, it is important to stimulate a small manufacturing base here, but it has to be a realistic one. But I am absolutely sure that this economy needs diversiďŹ cation,â&#x20AC;? he said. He said that investors with whom he had a meeting last week, said that they would like to see the establishment of agriculture and in ďŹ sheries.

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Five Haitians escape from Detention Centre A

pproximately ﬁve Haitian detainees that were being housed at the Detention Centre in South Dock, Providenciales escaped from that facility early Monday morning (November 4), undetected by security there. Sources said that what made the break out so bizarre was the fact that the escapees’ feet, prior to the bust out, were chained, hands cuffed and were held inside of all places the security office. But somehow they managed to pick the locks to the instruments that bound them. From there they unlocked the building doors undetected by the usually heavy security presence at the facility before making their way to freedom. The escapees, this newspaper understands, were among a group of Haitian Migrants who ar-

rived in the Turks and Caicos Islands via boat last week on one of the two sloops that were intercepted in our waters by marine police personnel. The majority of those who arrived were returned to their homeland, leaving fewer than ten at the facility, our source said. Our sources said that of all the escapes that had been staged in recent time at the Detention Centre, Monday’s escape was the most meticulous, since the getaway, The SUN understands, was detected only after the detainers were gone. This brings to three the number of such escapes from the Detention Centre in recent time. The ﬁrst took place on April 8, this year when 30 detainees comprising men and women violently broke from their holding areas, injuring a number of female security personnel in the process.

The group was among 100 illegal Haitian migrants whose boat was intercepted off the coast of Providenciales. In addition to trampling upon three female security guards, some of the escaping detainees used pieces of lumber to beat them. The break-out took place hours after they were taken of the sloop and brought to the centre. The second escape took place on April 24, and involved three inmates. Our source said that one of the escapees, who included women, used the female section of the building as their escape route, kicking over and trampling the helpless female security guards, before scaling the razor wired chainlink fence freedom. At press time, it was unclear as to whether or not any of the escapees were recaptured.

TCI 2nd Annual Captive Insurance Conference to address industry key issues

he Turks and Caicos Association of Insurance Managers (TCAIM) will once again welcome more than a hundred international and locally based delegates for its 2nd Annual Captive Insurance Conference in Providenciales on November 15th 2013 at the Regent Palms. During this year’s Conference, Industry Professionals and Specialists

as well as members of the ﬁnancial services industry will share information and discuss topics such as ﬁnancial regulatory and taxation aspects of Captive planning, and the utilisation of Turks and Caicos as a perfect domicile for Captive Insurance. Speaking about the event, TCAIM President Adrian Corr stressed that this Annual Conference was de-

WHAT’S IN THE BOX IS HERE AGAIN BY VIVIAN TYSON

he 2013 edition of the annual What’s in the Box contest, which is put on by business enterprises Grace Bay Resorts, telecoms company LIME, CIBC First Caribbean International Bank and the Do It Centre, was launched last Friday (October 25) at the First Caribbean Round-about.

distributed among those schools, to assist them to purchase school supplies,” Mills said. In the meantime, Rachel Harvey, LIME’s Head of Public Relations said: “Customers can participate in the Whats in the Box promotion by texting ‘box’ plus their choice for the answer to 4946. For example, if you think the answer is a shell, you text ‘box shell’, and you send it to 4946,

Dr. Carlton Mills (right); Alanso Higgs (second right); Rachel Harvey (centre), along with representatives from the Do It Centre participate in the launch of the What’s In the Box. Dr. Carlton Mills, Committee Member of What’s in the Box, explained that by virtue of the overwhelming responses from LIME customers over the last three years, they decided to open the contest much earlier this year to give others a longer time to participate. “Last year was about 4,000 responses. We did it earlier this year because, one, we want to generate more interest. Two, the main thing really being we want to raise $5,000 this year. We want to give people more time, so that they will have more opportunities, to text in as many times as possible,” Dr. Mills said. He said that the funds raised from the event would go towards the ﬁve that Grace Bay Resorts has adopted. “As you know, we have adopted ﬁve schools – one here in Provo, two in North Caicos and Two in South Caicos. So, the funds are going to be

and it would be entered into the draw. “When the selection is made it is totally randomly selected. It is computer-generated. We look at all the responses that have come in, and the draw is done by the computer. And as soon as that information is learned, we share it and we congratulate the winners.” The ﬁrst prize is a round trip ticket for two to New York plus hotel accommodation and an ipad; the second prize is a night for two at West Bay Club; the third prize is a $500 account at CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank; fourth prize is a phone from LIME; while the ﬁfth place prize will come from the Do It Centre. Clues, according t Mills, would be released every week leading up to the drawing. Drawing for the What’s in the Box promotion is scheduled for December 24 – Christmas Eve.

signed to educate business owners and their advisors on all aspects related to structuring, implementing and operating captive insurance programs. “This forum is also a perfect opportunity for all members of the ﬁnancial industry in the region and beyond to know or be reminded that our jurisdiction is indeed an International Financial Centre which has been open for business for the past twenty plus years,” he continued. Insurance professionals are expected to take the opportunity to network and to put questions forward to the TCI regulatory authority, as the Financial Services Commission (FSC) is to take part in the presentations offered on the day. Conﬁrming FSC support, Managing Director Kevin Higgins stat-

ed: “The Financial Services Commission is pleased to see that the Turks and Caicos Association of Insurance Managers took the initiative to organise and bring the 2nd Annual Captive Insurance Conference to the TCI. This event is building on the momentum of the previous year, addressing key issues related to the Captive market” He further added: “ The Commission will continue to support the Industry in their efforts to showcase a well regulated jurisdiction which has a wide range of services to offer.” The 2nd Annual Captive Insurance Conference is open to Professionals from the Insurance industry and other related ﬁnancial services. Registration is open until 13th November, 2013. Media queries should be directed to Mrs. Laura Miller on lam@Mslaw.tc

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Many children in Turks and Caicos Islands go without food daily BY VIVIAN TYSON

A number of school-age children go without food on a regular basis and their hunger is beginning to reﬂect in their school work, according to Colonel Raphael Mason of the Salvation Army. Addressing the Providenciales Chamber of Commerce on Monday (November 4), Colonel Mason said that many of those children, because of their parents lacking ability to provide for them in a meaningful way, are only fed a speck food in the morning, which he said serve them until the next morning, since many times they go to bed without dinner. “We are very concerned about our school-age children. Many of them right now, at this moment, as I am speaking - and I am not exaggerating - would have gotten out of bed this morning, they probably would have had some chips and some juice and that is probably their nutrition for the whole day. Many of them are home with nothing to eat for dinner,” Colonel Mason said Colonel Mason revealed also that he has taken notice of group of young people, who have become angry against the system, which they complained is failing them. He urged the authorities to address such situation before is it gets worse. “We are beginning to develop a group of young people who are angry and who are getting more and more angry as the days go by. Many of them

Colonel Raphael Mason were born here, they know no other country and yet they do not have the enabling. “They lack education, they lack the basic amenities of life, and they don’t know where to turn. And I believe that if we do not do something about it, then it is not only going to tarnish but destroy the beauty that we boast about in this land,” Colonel Mason warned. Colonel Mason pointed out that although the Salvation Army has a feeding programme at the Clement Howell High School, where a number of these hungering children attend, the entity’s efforts has stretched thin, since it is ﬁnding it difﬁcult to raise the level of resources needed to tackle the hunger among the children. “We help to provide lunches for so

many children. We have a very small lunch programme at Clement Howell, where we try to pay for the lunch for some almost 30 children per day. Unfortunately we are not able these days (to satisfactorily maintain the programme) because of lack of resources to keep this up on a regular basis as we want to. “There are so many of the horror stories you hear; children fainting, children just not able to function in school. Report cards reﬂect poor performance, not because of children without ability but because of children with empty stomachs. I think those who sell patties are tired of seeing me in their patty shops because we buy patties from them on a regular basis,” he said. He said also that the Salvation Army provides some school children with transportation money since their parents, for the most part, are unable to afford it. “Many of them (children) are not able to get to school so we provide jitney fares for them. Many of them this last month or so – the beginning of the new school year – we have been

able to buy several hundred of dollars worth of school books and school supplies for these children,” he said. Mason said that the Salvation Army has also teamed up with an unnamed supermarket to create a voucher food programme for needy families, working through the Social Service Department, which he said makes the recommendations. “They are not allowed to buy liquor or tobacco, but to meet the needs of their homes. We also seek to help families with utility bills,” he explained. Mason also reminded the audience of the transportation programme on Middle Caicos for seniors, which is provided twice per week to allow them to go to the doctor and conduct other personal businesses. “We believe that what we preach on Sunday, we need to do it for all the other days in the week, and that’s why we do the things that we do. We believe that when you talk about loving God it’s not something you do from the pulpit, it is something you when you get your hands dirty, to help someone. And that’s why we do the things that we do.”

Chamber President Jay Saunders apologises for being too hard on Governor BY VIVIAN TYSON

cause he shows great humility. He said that the impression he has of Governor resident of the Providenciales Cham- Beckingham is that he makes those who ber of Commerce E. Jay Saunders has he interacts with feel important as oppublicly apologize to new Governor His posed to some of his predecessors. “The governor was so humble when Excellency Peter Beckingham for “being too hard on him during a welcome re- I first met him. Normally when goverception at Beaches’ Key west Village in nors come and they have their big hat on; they got their car and they got their October. Saunders, who was speaking at the security detail and everything. And by that you know they are weekly meeting of the someone important that Chamber of Commerce you are dealing with beon Monday, November 4, cause they are wearing it at Beaches Resort and Spa, on their shoulder. said that the economy is “But when you met in a bad state and needs someone who is not wearan ally to take it from the ing it on their shoulder doldrums. tells you something about And based on the toxic that person. It tells you relationship between the that the position and the business sector and forpower and everything are mer Governor Ric Todd, he E. Jay Saunders not important to them; was forced to be as candid what is important is servas possible with Governor Beckingham. But felt bad after interac- ing,” he said. In the meantime, Saunders said that tion with him. “I felt a little bit bad that I went hard from his interaction with government, at him at his welcome party, and I apol- he knows that they are trying to get the ogize because it is very rear when you economy in order, but needs the assisfind this very nice governor, who you tance of the United Kingdom Governwant to treat very well but because the ment to back them up in a tangible way. “I sit on some of these committees economy is doing very badly, you want to hammer home that the economy is and I know that the government is trydoing very badly. And you are trying to ing really hard to come up with revetell him in a good way that you need his nue measures to meet the commitments help, and we need his help to work with that the British require, particularly for the elected government to get the econ- the loan guarantee. And everything that they do to try and meet these commitomy kick-started again,” Saunders said. He added: “Governor I apologize. It is ments, hurts the country in the short not golf and it is tennis, it is essentially term, and everyone knows that the anmy job to say that things are not going swer is not in more taxes. “And we just hope that someone in well in the economy and we need your help. The business community is more the FCO and DFID and back in the UK than happy and will to give you the understands that more taxes in the short hand of partnership, but it is true part- term aren’t going to help the economy. nership. It is a partnership that all three We have been nice about it, because parties – the business sector, the elected we are easy-going people. But someone government, need to work together on, needs to get up and say it is not working,” Sunders said. because we all need each other.” Saunders told Governor Beckingham Saunders said that after his first interaction with Governor Beckingham that he is calling on him to take the mesmade him realize that he was different sage of no new taxes back to the United from a number of his predecessor be- Kingdom.

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Anglican Bishop says TCI government has authority but no powers BY VIVIAN TYSON

urks and Caicos Cabinet Ministers, including Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing, has authority and no powers, which is major weakness and lack of foresight on the part of those who assembled the Constitution, this is the opinion of Anglican Bishop for the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands Diocese, Laish Boyd. Speaking at the opening of the 112th Synod at the Eucharist in Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau, Bahamas on October 21, Bishop Boyd, in a wide-ranging topical speech, bemoaned the lack of power that should have been given to the locally elected government through electoral process. Bishop Boyd questioned whether or not the constitutional hurdles faced by government ministers are really oversight on the part of the Constitution writer or just plainly by design. “We sympathize with the new leadership because the new Constitution gives inordinate power to the Permanent Secretaries in government ministries who report directly to the Deputy Governor/Governor’s Ofﬁce. “This means that cabinet ministers literally have authority and no power. This is a weakness and a lack of foresight on the part of the new constitution, or maybe it was by de-

Bishop Laish Boyd sign. However, it does create a vexing impediment for the current leaders, and we sympathize,” he said. Turning to the Turks and Caicos Islands National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP), Bishop Boyd said that while it is a good thing, is lacking in so many ways and needs further ﬁxing, including the lessening of overseas travel for patients and instead equip the two hospitals enough to scale back overseas referrals. “The Turks and Caicos Islands has had a National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP) in place for a number of years. It is s good thing that has done a lot of good. It does have its limits in that some persons who need preventative care cannot get it in a timely or simple fashion. “Citizens are also concerned about the fact that patients have to

do a lot of travelling, i.e., from Grand Turk to get medical services in Provo, or even to travel to The Bahamas, Cuba, The Dominican Republic or the USA for medical services. Some of this is unavoidable. “However, with the amount that has been spent on the two new hospitals in Grand Turks and Providenciales, we encourage the government to continue to work hard toward the providing of all the basic medical services-preventative and interventional,” he urged. On the matter of the economy, Bishop Boyd has urged government to pull out all the stops to secure employment for its unemployment citizens, so as to ease the joblessness in the country. “Unemployment remains a biting concern in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The country is still feeling the effects of the redundancy exercises of a few years ago where many skilled civil servants were allowed to leave the service. The private sector there is relatively small and fairly limited and so there has been no real increased availability of jobs generally. So concern is great. We encourage the government to continue to seek foreign and local investment and to do whatever else it can to stimulate the economy. We are delighted that this is an area that the new governor (His Excellency Peter Beckingham) has already stated,” Bishop Boyd said. However, the clergy head stated that the situation of persons not

wanting to work but still expect pay is a troubling situation and should be tackled since it has become a concern for both local and expatriate employers. “There are many Bahamians and Turks and Caicos Islanders who work hard. However, there are too many who do not have a good work ethic at all: many want a job but do not want to work. Local and foreign business-owners have commented on this. If we are not careful we will make it too expensive for business owners to run businesses and we will eventually lose employing entities. “Those who complain about the availability of jobs need to be careful how they conduct themselves when they get one lest they destroy the reputation of our two countries. In this increasingly global environment workers must take their jobs seriously since they are not just competing with workers at home but with workers all over the world,” he said. In the meantime, Bishop Boyd has commended then TCI for its diligence in ﬁghting crime, which has seen tremendous results in recent time. “The crime picture in The Turks and Caicos Islands is less complicated than here in The Bahamas. Happily they are experiencing less crime in recent times than they had been. I commend the government, the police and the citizens for these improvements,” Bishop Boyd said.

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LOCAL NEWS

Carnival Cruise Lines could scale back berths in TCI BY VIVIAN TYSON

arnival Cruise has hinted that it may scale back calls to the Grand Turk Cruise Center after construction of a new port in neighboring Dominican Republic, even though His Excellency Governor Peter Beckingham believed that the company executives’ comment was a bit lighthearted. Governor Beckingham made the revelation while addressing the Providenciales Chamber of Commerce on Monday (November 4) at Beaches Resort and Spa. He said that the meeting with Carnival executives took place before he came to the TCI. “They pointed out to me last week, that they are building a new port in the Dominican Republic, and they pointed out, I suspect slightly tongue in cheek, that they could move much of their current arrivals from Grand Turk to the Dominican Republic. That, of course, would be bad news for the citizens of Grand Turk, who engage in the economy of servicing one million arrivals, next year, into Grand Turk,” the governor said. Governor Beckingham pointed out also that during the discussions the cruise line executives had put some concerns forward, which he said he has discussed with cabinet for a resolution.

“I had a very instructive and useful discussion, ﬁrstly with him (Carnival executive), and then with some of his executives about the importance of TCI to Carnival. And without going into any details, which are neither appropriate nor particularly interesting, it became clear from these discussions that Carnival is looking for some movements on various issues. “I am now talking to the cabinet and particular ministers, and we can begin to edge forward and to develop the concerns that Carnival has,” he said. In the meantime, Governor Beckingham said that he was commended by the Carnival principals for be-

ing the ﬁrst ever governor of any of the Overseas Territories to engage that company in such a fashion. “I was particularly pleased when I went in to see Carnival, because they, in turn, had a meeting with ministers in London last week, and he said that I was the ﬁrst governor in any of these territories to take the travel to go see them in Miami before coming out,” he said. Governor Beckingham stated that also stated that Premier Rufus Ewing, who is scheduled to visit the UK later this month to have meeting other Overseas Territories heads, will also get the opportunity to meet with investors.

“The reason we are going is to attend a forum to be mainly focused on prosperity and the economy, and increasing jobs in the territories. There will be other matters on the discussion. But the prime focus of those three days of meetings will be trade and investment. And on the last day your country together with the other territories will be presenting itself as it were, to British companies who may have interest in investing here,” Governor Beckingham said. Meanwhile, Governor Beckingham has advised that the TCI should contemplate setting up ofﬁces in industrialized countries so as to build its brand. “The Turks and Caicos Islands could consider in the future opening business in industrialized countries such as Hong Kong. The territory needs to consider in due course, maybe not Hong Kong, maybe somewhere else. But that sort of expansion approach is probably the name of the game as we move forward,” he said. He said that over the last half a decade, the Foreign and Commonwealth Ofﬁce has been focusing on the prosperity of its Overseas Territories, and so he urged the local political directorate and business interests to lobby UK Ministers for more focus on the TCI.

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Governor Beckingham tours Kew Town with Hon. Amanda Misick BY VIVIAN TYSON

ome residents of Kew Town in Providenciales had a pleasant surprise on Wednesday (November 6) when their Member of Parliament and Minister for Home Affairs and Public Safety Hon. Amanda Missick, along with new governor His Excellency Peter Beckingham, toured that community. The tour, according to Minister Missick, is geared to give Governor Beckingham ﬁrsthand knowledge of the needs of the constituency and also the living condition of individual constituents, thereby allowing him the opportunity to assess the situation for himself, and when the time comes, puts him in the best position to lobby the United Kingdom Government on how to address those needs. “Basically, it is to allow the governor to see our constituency and what our constituents are all about. (And by his presence) it makes me to believe that he really cares, he is concerned, he shows interest, by doing this. He accepted the invitation willingly, and I appreciate that. Going forward, when we put stuff before him regarding the constituency, about what I want to see happen, I would have his support,” Minister Missick said. She told the media that many of the residents, during the tour, remarked that they need a recreational facility, which was among her campaign platform leading up to the November 12, 2012 general election. “That (recreational facility) is one of the key things that I campaigned on. Also a daycare centre for single mothers, and I need to get that part going along with a basketball court and all of that. Those are my main focus along with unemployment of course,” she said. For his part, Governor Beckingham said that he has seen both positives and negatives of the community. And while he has been moved by the spirit of the constituents, pointed out that there are prob-

Kew Town resident Don-Hue Bassett (left) welcomes Governor Peter Beckingham (second right) and his wife Jill (right), to the community on Wednesday (October 6), while Member of Parliament Hon. Amanda Missick (second left) looks on. Share in the moment in the background are other members of the community. lems that need addressing urgently. “We just want to get an idea of what is going on in the constituency, where the minister is the representative. We have seen people, who got jobs, be it not the best jobs but they are working, one of them, I think his name is Don-Hue, who is quite a character. He does food grilling in a small restaurant. Some of his friends obviously got small jobs but they were smoking. “We also went to another part of the constituency, where sadly, I think it is fair to say probably the guys we met haven’t got work, and clearly weren’t in the best position at all. They had problems. They have, in some cases, children, and it was hard for them,” he said. The governor and Minister Misick, along with

the governor’s wife Jill, also toured the Marion Williams Special Needs Association of Providenciales (SNAP) Centre. Mrs. Beckingham is a special needs teacher, and was elated to interact with the students and teachers at the facility. The governor said that he was happy to have visited the facility to see the fabulous work taking place there. “It is beautifully decorated, and it’s a school for children with special needs. It is very touching to see them. My wife is a teacher of special needs, and I think clearly she is impressed by what she saw. So we have seen a real diversity in Kew Town, and I am very grateful to the minister for giving up her time. Because it is the only way I can understand what the problems are of this country and reﬂect them to people in London,” the Governor said.

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Professional accountants hold second annual general meeting

he Turks & Caicos Islands Society of Professional Accountants Inc. (TCISPA) held its second Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 28, 2013 at the Shay Café, Le Vele Plaza, Grace Bay, Providenciales. In attendance were over 42 persons, comprising of Qualified Accountants and Accounting Students. TCISPA, a non-profit registered entity, has been established to develop and promote community awareness of the accounting profession in the Turks and Caicos Islands and set guidelines and policies that aim to govern, discipline and regulate the professional conduct of its members. The society is rapidly growing with current membership of over 50 professional and student members. Drexwell Seymour, President of the Society stated, “We are really adamant about the success of our qualified and student members, one

of our main goals is to educate and support our student members as they complete their professional qualifications and provide continuous training and development to our qualified members. All students and accounting professionals are encouraged to extend their professional network and be a part of this prestigious society” At the AGM, Nick Haywood -Assurance Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Executive Member of the TCISPA, discussed the TCISPA’s progress over the past 12 months, stating that the TCISPA was successful in registering the organization as a non-profit organization with the Financial Services Commission (FSC), and is further working with the FSC to develop guidelines for registration of auditors for banks, trust, and money transmitters operating within the TCI. Mr. Haywood further stated that the Executive Com-

mittee has been in preliminary discussions with the TCI Community College for development and support to its students and teachers. A ‘study buddy’ program is currently being put in place to motivate and assist member students studying in all areas of accounting and ﬁnance. Elections of the Council were also held at the Meeting, and the following Executive Members were duly re-elected: Drexwell Seymour, CPA (President)Desiree James, CPA (Secretary)Ryan Blain, CA (Treasurer)Paul Collis, ACCA (Membership Ofﬁcer)Nick Haywood, CMA (Executive Member) Ruth Forbes, CPA (Executive Member);Keith Burant, CMA, STEP (Executive Member) Should anyone be interested in learning more about the TCISPA, please contact one of our Executive Members or visit our website: www.tcispa.com.

BEACHES AND EDUCATION MINISTRY CONDUCTING YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME

he Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, Culture and Library Services has negotiated with Beaches Resort to conduct a Youth Apprenticeship Program aimed at 2012-2013 High School graduates for departmental rotation on the resort. Interested graduates must be willing to start classes commencing the 1st week of December 2013 with Beaches Resort. The duration of study for the Apprenticeship Program is one year. Students will receive a stipend on a biweekly basis, to assist with their upkeep.

All interested graduates from across the islands and who meet the criteria outlined are invited to apply.

ELIGIBILITY Apprenticeship may be awarded to persons who satisfy the following criteria:Have completed Secondary Education at any of the High Schools in 2012 or 2013. Currently NOT attending the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College or an A-level program. Must be willing to comply with the policies and procedures including standards of appearance of the

company. Applications forms will be available from the Ministry of Education on Grand Turk, The Education Department and Youth Departments on Providenciales, The Labour Department and District Commissioners’ Ofﬁces throughout the islands. All applications along with High School leaving Certiﬁcates should be forwarded to the Ministry of Education, Grand Turk on or before November 15th 2013. Please note that successful applicants will be responsible for their living arrangements during the year.

LIME SLASHES USA ROAMING RATES

IME, has announced plans to dramatically cut data roaming costs for customers traveling to the USA, new rates will be as low as just $4.99 per MB. Lacal Palmer, Acting GM of LIME Turks & Caicos Islands said “Customers have been telling me that they need better pricing for roaming to the US so from November 1, we introduce our new data roaming rate which will bring the price down signiﬁcantly and enable customers to roam without breaking the bank. The new rate provides incredible

value and signiﬁcant savings. Palmer continued “Now, customers who travel can use all the services they need but without the worry of incurring unexpected fees.” LIME’s lowered data roaming rate is designed to encourage customers to turn on their smartphones when they travel, instead of leaving them at home for fear of large roaming bills. The message is clear LIME is determined to distinguish itself from competitors by offering customers the very latest technology and the absolute best value.

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Dr. Dawn O’Sullivan relishes InterHealth Canada Community Liaison role BY VIVIAN TYSON

r. Dawn O’Sullivan, former Deputy Chief of Medical Services for the Turks and Caicos Islands has said that she is relishing in her new role as Community Liaison between InterHealth Canada and the community. Under her new role, O’Sullivan is tasked with reaching out to the community, promoting positive links between the hospitals and all community groups, including the church, on how they could utilize the services of the two entities – the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre on Providenciales and the Cockburn Town Medical Facility in Grand Turk. She will inform the community of the opportunities that they could beneﬁt from, of which they otherwise may not know, or if any sections of the community faces difﬁculties accessing the hospital, would point a way to alleviate those problems. O’Sullivan said that she would be working with the different community groups to see how best they can utilize the hospitals services. A part of the promotion would be to inform the community when certain specialists arrive in the country. “I will be looking to working with groups such as the National AIDS Programme, the National Cancer Society, reaching out to private practitioners, and responding to the needs of the community and the government. For instance, facilitating more of the government services within the hospitals; facilitating more of the outreach to the charity groups and integrating the charity groups with the hospitals as far as we can,” O’Sullivan said.

Dr. Dawn O’Sullivan She said by virtue of her working in government before and knowing the workings of the TCI community for such a long time, gives her the knowledge of what’s at stake and how to make the relevant address. “I think that I have been very privileged and honoured because I have worked in the government as

clinical director of HIV and AIDS, so I would hope that experience would assist me reaching out to the community. I also worked as a private practitioner in the community for a long time, and having had my role as well in Turks and Caicos InterHealth Hospital, I feel that I am at a point now where I can be offered this role. “And my vision is that we can have more ownership of the hospital, as a community. It is Turks and Caicos’ hospital; it belongs to the community, and I am very excited about strengthening those links,” O’Sullivan said. The experienced medical practitioner said that she would use her office to conduct interviews with the various groups to get feedback from them as to what more the medical facility could do to forge closer bonds going forward. “…Not just to find out what they expect from the Hospital but also the challenges that they have already faced in interacting with the hospital and then, hopefully finding solutions to move forward,” O’Sullivan said. She pointed out that since there is already a complaints procedure adopted by the hospitals on day-today complaints, her role would not fall under such arrangements. “I would hope though that, especially with other colleagues – the private practitioners and the government practitioners that they would bring to me their concerns, if they are having problems with the smooth transitioning,” she said. Sullivan, who indicated that she would still retain her private practice, said that she would be using a focus group to solicit information from targeted groups so as to make informed decisions.

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LOCAL NEWS

Irresponsible dog owners are increasing wild dog population

Dr. Robin Brennan (right) explains to Minister for Home Affairs and Public Safety Hon. Amanda Missick (centre) and Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Mark Butler on the spay and neutering at the Five Cays Community Centre.

BY VIVIAN TYSON

rresponsible dog ownership is one of the main ingredients for the wild dog population explosion across the Turks and Caicos Islands, according to Dr. Mark Butler, Chief Veterinary Ofﬁcer in the Department of Agriculture Dr. Butler was addressing the media along with Minister for Home Affairs and Public Safety Hon. Amanda Missick, at the Five Cays Community Centre on Friday, November 1, where the international veterinary group - Pets Without Vets – was conducting free spay and neutering clinic. The SUN understands that since Government began its trapping and humane euthanizing process more than 200 dogs have been put down. And while Dr. Butler said he would not speak to speciﬁcs, stated that, the high trapping and euthanizing number speaks to the irresponsible way owners have been caring for their pets. He said that most owners do not take their pets in for spay and neutering hence the explosion in the wild dog population. “We trap around the clock, and we have seen success in certain areas that animals are seen to be a problem. It has been reduced. But I hasten to say that trapping by itself will not solve the problem, you have to encourage people to be responsible animal owners to take their animals in to be spayed and neutered.

Dogs are cared for by Pets Without Vets volunteers as they recover after being spayed and neuter

“An unspayed animal represents at least another 12,000; because once that one animal gives birth to 10 or 13 puppies, each one of those can give the same thing in turn, and therefore you can see the multiplier effect,” he said. He added: “The feral dog population has a source, and that source is irresponsible animal ownership. People take on more animal than what they can take care of. An animal is not going to roll over and play dead, so to speak, it is going to seek its own sustenance. And these animals getting pregnant in the wild and this feed and drive the feral population. “Responsible ownership is one of the cornerstones of the Animal Welfare Committee. That’s the message we are pushing, and you can see that in the billboards that we have. Spay and neuter your pets help to reduce the number of feral animals in the TCI.” Dr. Butler said that Pets Without Vets, led by Dr. Robin Brennan, spayed and neutered approximately 300 dogs between October 28 and November 1. He said that the feedback from the public was tremendous. “It has been a tremendous week of activities here and the community responded very well, even beyond our expectations in bringing in the animals to have them spayed and neutered. What that shows

is that the message that we have been putting out is actually resonating with the local community,” Butler said. For her part, Minister Missick said that said that government would be working with private stakeholders to get Pets Without Vets back next year to continue its spay and neutering exercise. She applauded them for the tremendous job and said through their voluntary cause, the wild dog population could be reduced in the near future. In the meantime, Butler said that a public/private partnership has been created between the Department of Agriculture, Potcake Place, Zero Tolerance and the Hotel and Tourism Association to form the Animal Welfare Committee. “We have created this committee to educate people on how to be responsible animals owners, and at the same time, to invite teams like Dr. Brennan’s to come down here to do spay and neuter because trapping alone by itself will not work,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr. Brennan said that the number of animals taken to be spayed and neutered exceeded the team’s expectation. She also said that the support from the community was great. “I think that it has been overwhelming and successful. We had close to 270 dogs and cats come in. the support from the vendors and the local community as far as restaurants and hotels that have supported us; they have been so generous. The people at Potcake Place and the Animal Welfare Committee have been great to working with,” she said.

9 children among pair of Haitian sloops arriving in TCI BY VIVIAN TYSON

ine children were among the two sloops stacked with a total of 232 Haitians escaping arid economic conditions in their homeland and caught entering the Turks and Caicos Islands waters on Tuesday (October 29). The arrivals of the boats were confirmed by the Ministry of Border Control and Labour, which issued a news release on the matter. The ministry said that the vessels carrying illegal immigrants were intercepted by the Marine Branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, after being detected by the Coastal Radar Station. The SUN understands that the first vessel was intercepted by the Marine Police at about 2a.m. It was brought safely to South Dock at about 5am, where 121 persons were taken off of it. The breakdown confirmed 106 males and 14 females, inclusive of seven children. The second vessel was spotted by the Coastal Radar Station at about 9a.m., and alerted the police, who later intercepted it about 10:22a.m., and brought it to shore at about 12:50p.m., that same day. The count confirmed 111 illegal Haitians, with a breakdown of 91 males and 20 females, which included two children.

The illegal sloop which recently arrived in Turks and Caicos Islands from Haiti. At press time, the Ministry of Border Control and Labour had processed them and was taking steps to repatriate them. They were being kept at the Detention Centre on Providenciales. In recent months, the Turks and Caicos Islands has seen a slew of boats loaded with illegal Haitian migrants turning up to our shores. The authorities have been successful most of the time in nabbing the illegal migrants before they make landfall. Some, on a few occasions, have managed to land undetected; the only

evidence they left of their arrival is the empty sloop they abandoned on sections of our beaches. For years successive local governments have been lobbying both the United Kingdom Government, which is responsible for border security of the Turks and Caicos, and the Haitian Government, to take steps to prevent desperate Haitians from ﬂooding our shores. Since the sweeping to power of President Michel Martelly in Haiti, apparent efforts have been made to get Haitians to abandon their intent

of taking to the high seas to get here, even though there has not seem to be much success on that front. Lately a Haitian Consulate was established in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and through that office, the Haitian community is being educated on the dangers of receiving their illegal countrymen and women when they get here. Consular Karlo Pellissier, often told The SUN that warning messages have been broadcast to residents in Haiti not to risk leaving their country for further uncertainly in the Turks and Caicos Islands, pointing to a series of ills that could happen to them even when in transit. Among them he said include death. Pellissier said his office has held meetings with the local Haitian Community and warned them that when persons come here illegally they would be unable to find a job, and even if on the odd chance they get a job, they open themselves up for employment manipulation by unscrupulous employers. The manipulation could include employers paying what he feels like, realizing that the worker is illegal. The illegal worker, if protest could be threatened with deportation by the boss, Pellissier said in one interview.

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Beaches invites hundreds of travel agents to experience Turks and Caicos Islands this season T

his week, 171 travel agents from Chicago, Illinois will experience the Turks and Caicos Islands for themselves, all thanks to a unique partnership between Beaches Resorts Villages and Spa, and its Miami based marketing arm, Unique Vacations Inc. In 2012, Beaches Resort saw the arrival of over 3,500 travel agents and a significant increase in tourist traffic to the islands as part of a wide-reaching ‘Megafam’ campaign. This year, the Luxury Included resort will once again welcome hundreds of top-producing wholesalers and tour operators to showcase the brand new Key West Village as well as Turks & Caicos as an ideal vacation destination. The annual event has already been hailed as a whopping success and has proven beneficial for both the resort and the Turk & Caicos Islands. “We are delighted to announce that we have secured 11 Megafam trip tours for the Turks & Caicos islands,” said General Manager Donald Dagenais, “We look forward to not only showcasing what Beaches Resort has to offer as a luxury included family vacation experience, but also to showcase our beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos as one of the best vacation destination in the world.” Last week the top resort officials along with the Premier of the Turks & Caicos, Honorable Dr. Rufus Ewing was at the Providenciales International Airport to welcomed travel agents from Boston and New York. The Premier commented on the initiative, “It is with great pleasure we welcome the Megafam travel agents to the TCI,” he said, “I encourage them not only to share their Turks & Caicos experience with their clients but to visit again as we as we continue to expand and diversify our Tourism Product.” “I congratulate Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort Villages and Spa on this initiative,” the Premier concluded. Michelle Parker, Departure Lounge Manager for the resort, has seen these Megafam

Travel agents who arrived on the Beaches jet. trips come and go since the first arrival, and she and her team have been faithfully working with local Taxi drivers to ensure that they leave a lasting final impression on the agents. “This is what we do during the slow season to keep our occupancy up while showcasing the islands and maintaining a steady revenue for both our employees and our local partners” Michelle said, “The off season is traditionally slow and so the income revenue for our taxi drivers, our local musicians and even our porters at the international airport can drop. Our goal is to use the Megafams to keep a steady in-

come for local partners.” The Megafam experience includes a two day familiarization process which commenced with a welcome check–in session with local band Corey & the Boys, followed by a Sesame Street Parade with Kitch Penn’s We’funk Junkanoo band. Agents are also taken on a Resort Tour visiting various room categories of each village and also experience a ‘dine-around’ experience at specialty restaurants. Other entertainment includes a chocolate and martini buffet, Wet Fete festivities at Pirate Islands, and a fun night of dancing at Liquid Night Club.

“Clean is Cool” – November dubbed Tourism Environmental Awareness month I

n an effort to further sensitize our population about the importance of tourism and the environment to our economic sustainability, the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board has simultaneously joined the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in its designation of November as Caribbean Tourism Month. At their Providenciales ofﬁce yesterday, the Tourist Board along with the Acting Premier, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, the Hon. Akeirra Missick, the Turks & Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA), the Environmental Health Department and the Department of Environmental and Maritime Affairs (DEMA), hosted a press conference to ofﬁcially launch and celebrate Tourism Environmental Awareness Month (TEAM), with the resounding message: ‘Tourism is Key – Clean is Cool.’ TEAM is aimed at creating tourism and environmental awareness among the population that will positively improve the Turks and Caicos Islands for the pleasure and livelihood of its citizens, the delight and comfort of our many visitors, and to educate our people on the importance of tourism to the island and

the region. Hon. Akeirra Missick, brining remarks on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, Dr. the Hon. Rufus Ewing, commended the Tourist Board for embarking on such a campaign throughout the month noting, “We all have a role to play in developing our country as a primal tourism destination. The Turks and Caicos Islands Government is actively working to improve the destination, our tourism product and the overall experience for our visitors while they are on Island. These islands are indeed ‘Beautiful by Nature’, but it is up to every one of us to ensure that the environment is protected and remains clean.” The Director of Tourism, Mr. Ralph Higgs, stressed that our economic health and stability depends heavily on our environmental health, “The Caribbean is the most desirable, year-round warm weather destination and coincidentally, it is the most tourism dependent economy in the world with some of the most fragile ecosystems – the Turks and Caicos is no exception. “ Mr. Higgs continued, “We continually receive numerous accolades for our beaches and dive sites and Turks

and Caicos is touted as one of the top islands to visit, live in or retire to in the Caribbean; however, in order for us to continue to receive such accolades we must take our message throughout the Islands that indeed, ‘Clean is Cool.’ We must remember the importance of tourism to our economy, we must be proactive, and we must continue to educate our people about the beneﬁts of environmental sustainability to the Turks and Caicos.” A number of education and interactive activities to encourage sustainable practices have been scheduled to celebrate the month: WEEK OF NOVEMBER 11, 2013 Lead by DEMA, features: • Visits to schools on the island of Providenciales – Migratory Birds Lessons • Mangrove planting, cleaning of the ﬂats • Stakeholders workshop hosted by CTO Representative NOVEMBER 13 – Tourist Board visit to SOUTH CAICOS schools WEEK OF NOVEMBER 18, 2013 Lead by the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board features:

• •

Visits to schools on Providenciales and other family islands. The Youth Congress Competition

TCI COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Open House • Culinary Skills presentation WEEK OF NOVEMBER 25, 2013 Lead by TCHTA features: • TCI Shine Clean Up Campaign • Clean up of Long Bay Beach Visually stunning billboards featuring ‘Henry the Conch’ have been placed on roadways and in communities throughout the Islands highlighting the theme, “Clean Is Cool.” Additionally, a new jingle complementing the theme, will be aired today on a variety of radio stations country-wide and an upbeat public service announcement featuring current Junior Minister of Tourism, Willandra Elliot, will air on PTV8 and WIV networks, emphasizing the message that everyone must play their part in keeping the Islands pristine. The Tourist Board invites all citizens, hoteliers, tour operators, and visitors to join us in our campaign to keep the Turks and Caicos Islands forever ‘Beautiful by Nature.’

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LOCAL NEWS

Wesley Methodist is 2013 AIDS Debate winner BY VIVIAN TYSON

esley Methodist High School outclassed eight other institutions to win the 2013 renewal of the Ministry of Health and Human Services/National HIV/AIDS Programme Inter-High School Debate competition. Wesley Methodist opposed the moot: “Be it resolved that the most effective model for achieving zero new infections and deaths is a change in behavior,” went up against Majorie Basden High from South Caicos. The team posed a number of strong points during presentations and sealed the issue on rebuttal, to win over the judges’ hearts. British West Indies Collegiate and TCIPS Comprehensive High tied for third place, while Champions for Christ was second. The event was held at the Occasions Ballroom which is located in the Airport Hotel, on Airport Road. Wesley’s second speaker, Willandra Elliot was crowned best speaker for the event. Elliot was elated at her schools and individual win, telling The SUN that she relishes debates. She said that she has been debating for years and the win was a good send off for her, having now being a senior at Wesley Methodist. “I have been debating in the AIDS

Debate since I am in first form, and debating on a whole since I was in primary school,” Elliot said. She described this year’s staging as one of the best, since most of the schools came with the A game, including opponents Majorie Basden High. “It was a healthy challenge for both of us; that was the important part,” said the aspiring double law major and political scientist. The team’s coach Joel Charlemehene said that preparation was bumpy since they began preparation just five days before the competition. She said that the first speaker had dropped out two days to competition and her replacement was a debate debutant. She said also that the third speaker had an emergency in the Bahamas on competition day, but a delay in flight allowed her to participate in the debate. They burned the midnight oil and there were countless practices, but the main thing was that the interest was there; the motivation was there, and because of that, then the product is success,” Charlemehene said. Aldora Robinson, Head of the National AIDS Programme said that this year’s competition was one of the best years that the entity has staged. She believes that the competitors did deeper researches, and debated their points more authoritatively this year.

Minister of Education Youth and Sport Hon. Akierra Missick addressing the audience

“We had a good calibre of students that debated well. They did lots of research they had facts and the ambience of the (Occasions) Ballroom really made it come alive. They were much better this year; they had better delivery and facts, and the fact that this year we had more persons who asked for points of information; that enhanced the information that came across and gave people time to examine whether this is true or not,” Robinson said. Acting Premier and Minister of Education Youth and Sport Hon. Akierra Missick, said that she thoroughly enjoyed the exchanges and believes that for the most part, the children were properly prepped for the contest. “I really enjoyed today’s debate. Some school sort of above the rest. Some schools stayed true to the traditional debate forms, which was, unfortunately, just reading their speech and unable to answer questions when they were challenged and point of information was requested, which is the integral part of a debate. And some schools were shining stars,” she said. Minister Missick added: “You can tell they enjoyed the research they did. They had the facts and ﬁgures off the top of their heads. And they were able to be interrupted during the ﬂow of their presentations, and answered the question thoughtfully and with the correct information. And it was ex-

citing to see that there were a lot more boys taking part this year,” the Acting Premier said. In the meantime, Director for Education Edgar Howell, who was also the head judge, while commending the participants for their spirited arguments, pointed to future participants a number of negatives that they should guard against. This, he said include repeating the moot, which he said shortens the presenter’s three allotted minutes, and urged to be more articulate in responses to points of information posed by the opposing team.

Director of Culture, David Bowen relates one of his many TCI folklores, much to the delight of the audience

The panel of judges

A section of the audience at the Occasions Conference Centre, Airport Hotel.

The Majorie Basden High School from South Caicos

Donnelle Baptiste of HJ Robinson High in Grand Turk was her team’s first speaker

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Crackpot Kitchen opens with a bang BY VIVIAN TYSON

rackpot Kitchen, Turks and Caicos Islands newest culinary sensation which opens last Friday (November 1) is slated to be the most unique dining experience on Providenciales – serving up international dishes with local ﬂavor. Located at the Village at Grace Bay by the old Lemon site, Crackpot Kitchen, owned and operated by local celebrity cooking wizard and Digicel Ambassador – Chef Nik – is already shaping up to be the dining place of choice on Providenciales. The opening was well attended by both the local and international community. Among the patrons to the opening were Deputy Premier Hon. Akierra Missick, opposition Leader Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson and a number of movers and shakers in the private sector. Chef Nik, whose given name is Nikita Skippings, and who took time from his bustling schedule of feting the scores of patrons who turned out at the opening, told The SUN that Crackpot kitchen is designed to be a unique restaurant, serving up Turks and Caicos in every dish. According to him, all the delectable dishes that one can ﬁnd at a gourmet restaurant will be available at Crackpot Kitchen, only with Turks and Caicos style.

“My expectation is smiles, happy faces and people leaving here knowing that they received remarkable service, great Caribbean food and Turks and Caicos cuisine at its best,” said Chef Nik. “My aim is to push and promote Turks and Caicos cuisines, to promote Turks and Caicos, so when guests enter this country they know they are tasting Turks and Caicos cuisines at its bets.” He added: “My cuisine and the menu are Turks and Caicos/Caribbean cuisines with an international twist. You are going to get steak, but you are going to get it Turks and Caicos style. You are going to get lobster, you are going to get lamb, you are going to get salmon, you are going to get Italian pastas, but it is going to have that Turks and Caicos and Caribbean ﬂair in it.” Chef Nix said that the restaurant was born from his ultra popular television show – Crackpot Kitchen – which the public has grown to love. As a result of Crockpot Kitchen, Chef Nik said that he received a great deal of requests to cater at events, disclosing also that persons were beginning to urge him to open a restaurant. “The demand for a restaurant was inevitable. People were asking where the restaurant is. ‘We want to taste some of your cuisine that we tried on the (TV) show’. So, what better thing to do than to give the people what they have been asking for,” he said.

Chef Nik (left) take time for a photo op with one of his waiters during the opening of Crackpot Kitchen. Steve Nolan, partner in the business, said that he was only too overjoyed to join Chef Nik on this venture, owing to his great talent and matching personality that he possesses. “All I know is this (Chef Nik) is my brother right here, and anything he does I am all behind it. I love the island. I love the people, I love the food,

and I know that it is going to be to a great success because this guy (Chef Nik) is just tremendous,” he said. Deputy Premier Hon. Akierra Misick said that she has been following Chef Nik’s career and is happy that he got to open the restaurant, which she believes is another step by him to ﬂy the ﬂag of Turks and Caicos high. “I am very excited about the opening of this restaurant. I fully supported Chef Nik in the past. I was a judge on the competition on episode two of Crackpot Kitchen TV show. And over the years I got to know Nikita when he was at these other venues, and just believe that he has taken the Turks and Caicos Islands food approach to a higher level,” said the deputy premier. In the meantime, Cartwright-Robinson said that she was always happy to see Chef Nik climbing to another level in his culinary career, having, at one stage, taught him in school. “Many people don’t know but I taught Nik in grade 1. So he is Nikita to me. I am very, very proud of him. It takes a very brave person to step out in these times. He has stepped out in beginning of the tourism season, but he shouldn’t just have to rely on tourism; Turks Islanders need to come out and support this young entrepreneur,” Cartwright-Robinson said. Crackpot Kitchen will offer lunch and dinner. Its opening hours will be from 11a.m. to 10p.m., every day.

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Former Premier Michael Misick’s mansion renting for US$2900 per night

he mansion of former Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Michael Misick is on the market renting for US$2900 per night. According to the website Caribique Villa rentals, the estate covers 2.5 acres and has a spectacular glass-bottom, inﬁnity-edge swimming pool and stunning views across the turquoise Leeward Channel to Mangrove Cay. Attention has been paid to every single detail at Villa Blanche and the staff will do everything to ensure guests enjoy a truly memorable vacation. The well-appointed mansion has a design that is similar to the White House in Washington. From November 10 to December 15, 2013, guests can give thanks in luxury with the Thanksgiving special at Villa Blanche, a fully-staffed Turks and Caicos villa rental. The Thanksgiving special offer is for a maximum of 10 guests (5 bedrooms) and includes full chef services for breakfast, lunch and dinner, private butler, private concierge, private chauffeur and daily housekeeping services. One complimentary gourmet dinner celebration is also included in the reduced price of only $2,900.00 per night (plus 12% government tax, 10% service charge and optional air conditioning). To qualify for this special offer, the reservation must be for a minimum of three nights. The website stated: “This is a perfect opportunity for guests to experience the fully-staffed luxury of Villa Blanche in the “beautiful by nature” Turks and Caicos Islands. In addition to the Thanksgiving special at Villa Blanche, there are a number of Caribbean villa rentals with late availability for Thanksgiving and some are also offering discounts of up to 25%.” “Apart from the drastically reduced rate, one of the great things about this special offer is that it enables guests to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families and friends a little early, right on time or even a little late, but always in luxurious style,” said Carl McBurnie, owner of CARIBIQUE.

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Pitbull ft Jennifer Lopez -

LIVE IT UP LYRICS From the streets of Miami, to presenting at the Grammys Con el multito de Jennifer, maybe now you understand me

[Spoken] Make love, don’t ﬁght Let’s hook tonight

Clap your hands, go clap your hands, go clap your hands to the beat (x2) Mr. Worldwide, Red One, and the beautiful Jennifer Lopez Dale We don’t believe in defeat, that’s why we’re back for a three peat Hi Jenny, mira que esta loco Yo me locomo como pastelitos de Coco I get stupid on a beach, see wowo I got mommies, mommies by the boatload Yo tengo la carne y ella el mojo I’m sayin’ dale, she’s screamin’ “YOLO” She’s Little Red Riding Hood and guess whose el lobo (me la como)? Whose name is globally known? Whose name on the check and they’re adding an O? Whose name on the blimp when the world is yours? Whose name on the schools, slam fo’ sho’! I know it’s hard to understand how a boy grew to a man Man turned to a brand But guess what, here I am Jenny from the block, let’s rock [Verse 1] Yeah push me harder, I do the same Boy I wanna feel you in every way Don’t even wonder it’s just a game We’re rockin’ body to body, let’s go insane [Bridge] I hit the spotlight, all night, ready to go Give you a hard night, so tight, ready to blow I’m in the spotlight, all night, ready to go Give you a hard night, so tight, ready to blow [Chorus] Oh, we can do anything we want Live it up, so live it up, live it up, go Oh, and we ain’t stoppin’ ’till we’re done Live it up, so live it up, live it up Go, go, go, etc.

[Verse 2] Turn up this mother and let it play (mami) I know you like my bumper, don’t be ashamed (que rico) Don’t even wonder it’s just a game (mami) We’re rockin’ body to body, let’s go insane (que rico) [Bridge] I hit the spotlight, all night, ready to go Give you a hard night, so tight, ready to blow I’m in the spotlight, all night, ready to go Give you a hard night, so tight, ready to blow [Chorus] Oh, we can do anything we want Live it up, so live it up, live it up, go Oh, and we ain’t stoppin’ ’till we’re done Live it up, so live it up, live it up Go, go, go, etc. [Spoken] Make love, don’t ﬁght Let’s hook tonight [Spoken] You name it, she’s done it She’s the reason that women run it Bet this on a Grammy Maybe now you understand me Clap your hands, go clap your hands, go clap your hands to the beat (x3) [Chorus] Oh, we can do anything we want Live it up, so live it up, live it up, go Oh, and we ain’t stoppin ’till we’re done Live it up, so live it up, live it up Go, go, go, etc. [Spoken] Let’s hook tonight (x2)

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News

CARIBBEAN

Barbados Government gives Butch Stewart concessions worth millions of dollars BARBADOS GOVERNMENT GIVES BUTCH STEWART CONCESSIONS WORTH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

he Barbados government has granted millions of dollars in concessions to Jamaican hotel magnate Gordon “Butch” Stewart who recently signed an agreement to operate a Beaches Resort and Sandals hotel there. According to an article written by Roy Morris, Editor-in-Chief of the Barbados Nation newspaper, for the next 25 years, Beaches and Sandals will be exempted from paying all import duties, taxes including VAT, imposts and levies of any nature whatsoever on the importation or local purchase on all capital goods needed for the equipping, operation and promotion of the hotel, as well as on all food and beverages. When that tax holiday period is over, Sandals will only be required to pay half of the “applicable rates and taxes prevailing” for the next 15 years. The details of the concessions were contained in a letter dated Tuesday, November 5th, 2013, and signed by Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Chris Sinckler. The Nation newspaper said the tax holiday period began on Tuesday, the day before Sandals ofﬁcially began operation in Barbados and encompasses the period before the start date of the commercial operation of the hotel, and while it is being acquired, expanded and developed. Sandals in Barbados will be managed by Josef Zellner, who once managed Beaches Turks and Caicos Islands. The Barbados Minister of Finance further advised that the letter was only interim approval which shall remain valid until replaced by a permanent letter together with the appropriate statutory instrument to be issued by him. What the newspaper describes as a “sweetheart deal”, includes the waiver of:-

Gordon “Butch” Stewart (a) all import duties, taxes, imposts and levies of any nature whatsoever, including Value Added Tax, on the importation or local purchase of: (i) all capital goods such as building materials, articles of hotel equipment, furniture. furnishings, ﬁxtures, ﬁttings, construction machinery, boats, watercraft, vehicles for the Hotel’s use, televisions, computer equipment, telephones, software, hardware, shrubs and plants, garden and agriculture equipment, promotional and marketing materials for operating the Hotel and for the cyclical re-furbishing undertaken from time to time in order to maintain the Hotel to the standards of the Sandals brand; (ii) consumables for the operation of the Hotel, including but not limited to operating supplies, soft furnishings, printed materials, guest supplies,

spa supplies, paper, stationery, books and spare parts for equipment; (iii) food, alcohol and beverages; (b) all import duties taxes, imposts and levies of any nature whatsoever on all vehicles required for the operation of the Hotel including vehicle assigned to senior managers; (c) all import duties taxes, imposts and levies of any nature whatsoever on personal and household effects and vehicles for senior staff (as outlined in (b) above) who are contracted to work in Barbados and are not citizens or permanent residents of Barbados; (d) Value Added Tax on the provision of services that directly relate to construction works or cyclical refurbishment of the Hotel undertaken from time to time in order to maintain the Hotel to the standards of the Sandals brand; (e) all import duties taxes, imposts and levies of any nature whatsoever on all vehicles required for the operation of the Hotel including vehicle assigned to senior managers; and (f) all import duties taxes, imposts and levies of any nature whatsoever on personal and household effects and vehicles for staff who are contracted to work in Barbados and are not citizens or permanent residents of Barbados. Jordan Samuda, group manager, procurement division of Sandals International, said the conglomerate was delighted with the terms of the concessions, which he described as competitive. “The product that we will put out in Barbados will be one of the best that we put out anywhere in the Caribbean,” Samuda told the Nation via telephone from Jamaica. Samuda said he did not think Sandals would have been able achieve the

excellence their brand represented without the concessions, and noted that the tax breaks would allow them to able to keep their product in tune with the times. “They allow you to put a product out for your guests that can compete with anybody worldwide. . . . Duty free concessions allow us to up the ante on the food and beverage product. You have the physical aspect which you can continue improving and continue investing in, you also have the daily food and beverage product that you are able to provide. The Sandals executive praised the efﬁciency of Sinckler and the various civil servants, Customs and Port Authority for facilitating the group to swiftly get the relevant documentation and materials processed between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Government on October 18 and the hotel’s opening on Wednesday. He was particularly impressed with Sinckler, the Barbados Minister of Finance, saying: “Obviously the minister understands and can see what this level of investment in Barbados can do and will do.” In his recent ministerial statement on the MOU between Government and Sandals International, Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy said the arrival of Sandals marked a “seismic shift for the tourism industry in Barbados” in its effort to capture a bigger share in the very competitive global tourism market. “It is expected that these two properties will contribute annually in net terms, that is, the money to be retained by the taxi drivers providing transfers, the farmers; the 1 500 workers; the utility companies and others an amount in excess of BDS$100 million to the Barbadian economy.”

Dominica celebrates 35 years of political independence R

OSEAU, Dominica – Dominicans have been urged to embrace freedom of movement within the region as the country celebrates its 35th year of Independence from Britain. President Charles Savarin in his message to the nation said this must be done to give meaning and relevance to the regional integration movement. “We must embrace the freedom of movement and right of establishment provisions of the CARICOM (Caribbean Community) and OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) treaties and welcome our OECS and CARICOM citizens who take up residence here in much the same way that we would expect to be welcomed in other CARICOM and OECS countries in which we seek to reside and work. Our CARICOM Community Passport is one of the most tangible symbols which identiﬁes us as citizens of a wider Caribbean community”. “If we truly embrace regional integration as the way forward for our overall development, we must refrain from statements and actions which in their ordinary meaning could be interpreted as being insular, hateful,

racist and xenophobic. In a democracy, we must tolerate differences in opinion on a whole range of subject matters including matters of policy and national development. Debate on such issues must be respectful of other people’s views, of the law and the Constitution, and should not degenerate into acrimonious exchanges aimed at destroying the personal or public reputation of those with whom we disagree,” he added. The President also acknowledged Martinique and Guadeloupe’s interest in becoming members of CARICOM and the OECS. “The economic and social beneﬁts of such expanded regional integration are tremendous, especially for us here in Dominica as we are located between these two overseas departments of France”. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit in his address said Dominicans should reﬂect on the advances made as a nation. “The road has not always been easy, but we have persevered and in the process, we have lifted Dominica to be a strong performer in moving towards achievement of the targets of the Millennium Development

Goals and we have managed to place some of our nationals on the regional and the world stage.” “At independence we focus on nation building. However, nation building does not only occur during the few weeks of celebration when our culture takes the forefront. Our nation is at a pivotal point in its development. Though we have made tremendous strides, there is still more work to be done. There is still more to achieve. There is still more to celebrate. We must do our best because where mortals have done their best angels can hardly do much better,” he said. Opposition leader, Hector John, acknowledged the sacrifices made over the years by the people. “These unwavering sacrifices must be deeply rooted in the respect and true appreciation for the dictates of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Constitution should be uncompromisingly and meticulously followed and fulfilled. This provides us with the assurance that our democratic process is thriving successfully,” he noted. The theme of the independence celebrations is “One Mission, One Dominica, Celebrating 35.

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

US to curtail offshore tax evasion in the Caribbean W

ASHINGTON – The United States Department of Treasury says it is taking steps to curtail offshore tax evasion in the Caribbean and other places. The US Treasury Department along with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued a notice for foreign ﬁnancial institutions (FFIs) to comply with information reporting and withholding tax provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The department said the FATCA is “rapidly becoming the global standard in the effort to curb offshore tax evasion.” According to the Treasury Department , to date it has reached 16 agreements “in substance and is engaged in related conversations with many more jurisdictions.”

“The notice, which is the next step in implementation, previews proposed guidance and provides a draft agreement for participating FFIs directly engaging in agreements with the IRS and those reporting through a Model 2 intergovernmental agreement (IGA),” the statement said. “It provides FFIs with advance notice prior to the beginning of FATCA withholding and account due diligence requirements on July 1, 2014,” it added, stating that the FFI agreement will be ﬁnalized by year’s end. Robert B. Stack, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs, said the Agreement and forthcoming guidance have been designed to “minimize administrative burdens and related costs for foreign ﬁnancial institutions and

withholding agents.” He said the latest preview “demonstrates the Administration’s commitment to ensuring full global cooperation and a smooth implementation.” In 2010, the US Congress enacted FATCA as “a way to identify US citizens using foreign accounts to evade their US tax responsibilities.” FATCA requires US ﬁnancial institutions to withhold a portion of payments made to FFIs that do not agree to identify and report information on US account holders. The US Treasury Department said it has taken a global approach to the exchange of tax information in its implementation of FATCA.

Jamaican man complains of two years of hell in a Barbados prison A

Jamaican man, who claims he was locked up in the maximum security section of Her Majesty’s Prison in Barbados for two years without being brought before a court, says he is suing that state for false imprisonment, wrongful arrest and pain and suffering. Fifty-year-old Jahnoy Cassells said the xenophobia of an immigration officer resulted in him being arrested and thrown into prison despite committing no crime or breaching any immigration law. Cassells said he was living in Guyana and travelled to Barbados at the invitation of the Barbadian parents of his girlfriend, who was born in Guyana. “I got no hassle at the airport and was in Barbados for a couple weeks before I decided to access a work permit so I could organise a reggae concert featuring Sugar Minott, who fathered four children with my sister,” Cassells told the Jamaica Observer. It was when he went to the immigration department in Barbados in January 2010, Cassells said, that his ordeal began. He said after an immigration officer began perusing his application, the officer told him that Jamaicans were not wanted in that eastern Caribbean state. “He just said ‘we don’t want you here’. I asked why and said what he was doing was wrong but he took my documents and arranged for me to be taken to the (Grantley Adams) airport. They locked me in a cell and tried to deport me the next day,” he said. Cassells claimed that the immigration official, upon learning that he was in the country with his Guyanese girlfriend, sent for the woman and ordered her to bring his belongings. “When she arrived with my things, them lock her up too, and send her out of the country. Dem tell her say she should never deh with no Jamaican, is a Barbadian she should have and she wouldn’t get that treatment,” he said. According to Cassells, his Jamaican passport had expired and he was given special documents with which to travel by the Guyanese Government. The authenticity of the documents were not challenged by the Barbadian authorities at the airport, he said, and he even made efforts to collect the passport, for which he had previously applied, from the Jamaican consulate in Barbados as the con-

Barbados Prison complex sulate in Guyana had recently shut down operations. “The next day they came for me and attempted to deport me, but I refused, all the time telling them that I did not commit myself criminally so I can’t be deported and what they were doing was wrong,” he said. “The immigration officer attempted to give my documents to an air hostess and I objected strongly because she was not qualified to handle my documents. They handed the boarding pass and the documents to me and I tore them up. The pilot then stepped in and said he was not flying with me,” he said. But Cassells’s actions only seemed to infuriate the Barbadian authorities more and soon he was carted off to prison, he alleged. “They came for me in plainclothes and took me to Her Majesty’s Prison. There I was placed in the maximum security section with convicted murderers and all kinds of hardened criminals when I never committed a crime,” he said, while fighting back tears. He claimed to have endured a life of hell for two years inside the penal facility which is located at St Phillips and houses male, female and juvenile detainees and convicts. “I was only let out to bathe. It was constant lock-down. I don’t eat meat and they carried pork for me. I went on a hunger strike and they stripped me of my clothes and locked me down in a cell with just four walls for weeks. I had to sleep on bare concrete naked. I endured hell and all the while I was thinking that I never committed

a crime to deserve such inhumane treatment,” he said. Cassells claimed to have witnessed an inmate on the R block where he was housed commit suicide. “The man had months to go to ﬁnish his sentence and his mother came to look for him regularly. I watched as he tore up a sheet and hung himself in his cell. That is how hard the prison conditions are. His sentence would soon be over and he still killed himself,” Cassells said. He said after a while he began contemplating suicide himself, when it seemed that he had no hope of attaining freedom. “The warders kept telling the other prisoners that I was withholding information from customs. I was never taken to court and every letter I wrote to the Jamaican consulate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and my relatives were torn up by the guards. No one knew where I was,” he said. The obviously broken man told the Sunday Observer that after he had spent one year and eight months incarcerated, a guard overheard him planning to kill himself and had him taken to a psychiatrist. “I told the psychiatrist I was not crazy but had been kidnapped and locked in the prison for almost two years without being taken to court or committing any crime. He was very shocked and told me to keep it to myself as he was going to assist me. The doctor got in touch with the Jamaican consulate and efforts started to be made to get me out,” he said. With tears in his eyes, Cassells claimed that it was only then that he was allowed to contact his rel-

atives. “I called my son’s mother in Canada and immediately she started asking me how I treat her so and how my son was wondering if I was dead. I told her what happened to me and she grew very upset and demanded to speak to the prison authorities. I put them on the phone, but I am not sure what they said,” he claimed. The Sunday Observer has since contacted the woman in Canada who conﬁrmed that she had written him off and was shocked to know of his ordeal. “I wasn’t sure if he was still alive. They did not give me any good explanation why they treated him like that and locked him up for nothing. It was a terrible time for my son, who kept asking for his father,” the woman said. Cassells is the father of four more children. When the details of his tribulation at the hands of the Barbadian authorities came to light, the Jamaican Government started making efforts to get him out of prison. In three months, exactly two years to the date when he was ﬂung into a maximum security cell, he was released. “I never even knew that Michael Jackson died. I never saw daylight for a long time. There were Africans in the prison who overstayed their time and they were held in the minimum security section where they could play cards and watch TV, but because I was Jamaican they treated me like a dog,” Cassells charged.“I did not deserve that treatment, as I am an honest man who has never been in trouble with the law.

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

Haiti anti-government protest turns violent T

housands of Haitian protesters demanding the resignation of President Michel Martelly clashed with supporters of the leader in the streets of Portau-Prince on Thursday. Haiti has seen a wave of anti-government protests over the past month, with demonstrators accusing Martelly of failing to ease poverty and unemployment, and demanding his resignation. Protesters said two people suffered gunshot wounds after Martelly loyalists opened fire during Thursday’s skirmishes. The two sides hurled stones at each other during the fighting, which brought parts of the city to a standstill and triggered huge traffic jams. Anti-Martelly demonstrators accused the Haitian president of cronyism, charging that he is ruling the impoverished Caribbean nation for the benefit of his friends and family.

Haitian riot policemen stand guard between anti-government protesters and government supporters during an anti-government protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013

“We are from the ghettos. We get nothing from the government, which works only for the rich,” protester Johnny Joseph shouted. The march began peacefully as the crowd grew to a few thousand people and passed through poor neighborhoods, many of them strongholds of government critics. “This is the people’s ﬁght for a change for better conditions,’’ said Carlo Jean Daniel as he walked among the marchers. “Nothing is coming down for the people.” The demonstrators were dispersed by police after attempting to reach the Presidential Palace. The United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in Haiti issued a statement Thursday asking the divided legislative and executive branches to agree on “priority political issues,” which include holding elections.

Three new justices for Cayman Islands Court of Appeal T

hree new justices have been named to the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, giving the court a full complement of judges. Typically the court is presided over by a three-judge panel, including its president, Sir John Chadwick, on a rotating basis. The new members, recruited by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and approved by Governor Helen Kilpatrick, were announced Thursday. They are Sir Bernard Rix, Sir George Newman and John Martin, QC. Following a short-listing process, an interview panel consisting of Sir John Chadwick, commission chairman Dan Scott, commission members Sir David Simmons and Baroness Scotland, and Cayman Islands Chief Justice Anthony Smellie interviewed ﬁve applicants for the posts. “Each of these new justices of appeal has an impressive and distinguished legal career which will

Sir Bernard Rix (left), Sir George Newman and John Martin complement the experience of our present court of appeal,” Governor Kilpatrick said. “I look forward to welcoming them to the Cayman Islands over the next year when each of them will sit for the ﬁrst time.” Mr. Rix is a recently retired Lord Justice of Appeal of England and Wales, with 20 years’ experience in the commercial court and the court of appeal. He is professor of international commercial law at Queen

Mary University of London. He has previous experience as a High Court judge and a barrister specializing in international commercial and arbitral disputes. His appointment was effective from Nov. 1 for a ﬁve-year renewable term. Mr. Newman is a surveillance commissioner for England and Wales and chairman of the security vetting appeals panel in the Cabinet ofﬁce. He was formerly a High

Court judge of the Queen’s Division Bench in London and now sits as a deputy judge. He served as a justice of the court of appeal in the Bahamas for two years and has acted as a barrister in cjurisdictions including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Fiji and the Caribbean. His appointment is effective July 1, 2014, for a three-year renewable term. Mr. Martin has been a judge of the courts of appeal of Jersey and Guernsey since 2007. He has sat as a deputy High Court judge in the Chancery Division since 1993. He is a barrister practicing from London in a wide range of commercial and chancery work and is currently head of chambers. Mr. Martin’s appointment is effective March 1, 2014, for a ﬁve-year renewable term. Other members of the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal include Justice E. Mottley, Justice A. Conteh, Sir Anthony Campbell and Sir Richard Ground.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK REMAINS NEGATIVE D

espite government plans to implement value added tax (VAT) and the planned opening of Baha Mar, Wall Street continues to see the “risks tilted to the downside” for the Bahamian economy, with an “open question” remaining as to whether Baha Mar will “substitute” rather than “complement” Atlantis and whether the government will be successful in implementing VAT alongside other key policy measures, according to a key analyst. Commenting in the wake of credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) affirmation of The Bahamas BBB/A-2 rating and “negative” outlook, primary credit analyst for The Bahamas Dr Lisa Schineller said the agency is confident the government has a “plan to turn the trajectory” of its deficit and debt positions around. However, according to the Nassau Guardian, Schineller pointed to the question of whether VAT will be implemented, the possibility of any revenue-based erosion, the ability to implement other measures to contain expenditure, and the “risks” associated with the potential for Baha Mar to successfully grow the Bahamian economy as factors feeding into the continued “negative” outlook for the economy. Noting that the government has given no indication to the credit rating agency that it intends to postpone the implementation of VAT – as has been proposed by the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) on behalf of its private sector members – Schineller indicated that the agency would keep a close eye on what happens with implementation of the new tax regime. And she emphasized that VAT alone cannot solve The Bahamas’ problems.

“Obviously it needs to be alongside continued expenditure containment, and then the potential is there that this can turn around the fiscal trajectory, but there are still downside risks,” she said. “First of all it hasn’t been implemented; it’s being discussed we don’t have legislation on it yet. The game plan is to have discussions in coming weeks, moving on to passing something early next year and the goal of implementation in the middle of next year. “We would be watching the time profile in terms of if targets get changed or not but also the accompanying policies the government is also looking at improving and expects to gain additional revenue from. We’ll be looking at a variety of things that could go alongside a VAT in terms of delivery. VAT, if implemented along with other factors such as not spending all the revenue, and a group of policies focused on better revenue generation, can bring down debt burden and turn the fiscal deficits onto a declining trend.” Asked if postponement of VAT could impact the agency’s rating of the Bahamian economy, or its outlook, Schineller said this would depend on the “context of the postponement”. “We would have to look at what would be the countervailing measures. It would have to be taken in a broader context – how long, how much and what else happens in the interim.” In its release accompanying the affirmation of The Bahamas BBB/A-2 rating on Wednesday, S&P said it could lower its rating on The Bahamas by “one or two notches if the administration does not take additional action to reduce The Bahamas’ fiscal deficit and arrest the increase in debt to GDP over the next several years”.

However, it said that the outlook could be upgraded to “stable” if there is “effective tax reform” or if Baha Mar “produces greater economic growth with more positive fiscal and external spillovers than we currently expect”. A “negative” outlook is given if there is a greater than one in three chance of a downward adjustment in the rating. Speaking with Guardian Business, Schineller echoed the uncertainty expressed by some in the Bahamian private sector about the potential impact of Baha Mar on the economy, and therefore on the government’s overall fiscal position in the medium to long term. “The view or hopes are that it will add more robustness to the growth outlook, but it is somewhat of an open question. Certainly the government doesn’t think so and Baha Mar doesn’t think so, but how much there might be substitution as opposed to complementing Atlantis is something we’ll see over time, and we’re aware there are risks there, so we’re not seeing a rapid growth trajectory in the longer term forecast,” she said. “There’s the question of whether they can bring in a different profile of tourists. Baha Mar is looking not so much at the family orientation but more for single tourists or more Asia-focused and that could very well be an alternative anchor for growth, but we’d also highlight it’s an open question. “You’ve got the whole airlift question, and then there are the infrastructure pressures. Can the island manage and effectively have a complement to Atlantis or will there be some substitution? I think we do have growth over a couple of years out, but we don’t have it doubling and part of that is that there is somewhat of an open question.” “We’ll only know with time.”

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RLD

Philippine typhoon death toll could reach 10,000 A

s many as 10,000 people are believed to have died in one Philippine city alone when one of the worst storms on record sent giant sea waves, washing away homes, schools and airport buildings, officials said Sunday. Ferocious winds ravaged several central islands, burying people under tons of debris and leaving corpses hanging from trees. Regional police chief Elmer Soria said he was briefed by Leyte provincial Gov. Dominic Petilla late Saturday and told there were about 10,000 deaths in the province, mostly by drowning and from collapsed buildings. The governor’s figure was based on reports from village officials in areas where Typhoon Haiyan slammed Friday. Tacloban city administrator Tecson Lim said that the death toll in the city alone “could go up to 10,000.” Tacloban is the Leyte provincial capital of 200,000 people and the biggest city on Leyte Island. On Samar Island, which is facing Tacloban, Leo Dacaynos of the provincial disaster office said Sunday that 300 people were confirmed dead in Basey town and another 2,000 are missing. He said that the storm surge caused sea waters to rise 6 meters (20 feet) when Typhoon Haiyan hit Friday, before crossing to Tacloban. There are still other towns on Samar that have not been reached, he said, and appealed for food and water. Power was knocked out and there was no cellphone signal, making communication possible only by radio. Reports from the other four islands were still coming in, so far with dozens of fatalities. The typhoon barreled through six central Philippine islands on Friday, wiping away buildings and leveling seaside homes with ferocious winds of 235 kilometers per hour (147 miles per hour) and gusts of 275 kph (170 mph). By those measurements, Haiyan would be comparable to a strong Category 4 hurricane in the U.S., and nearly in the top category, a 5. It weakened Sunday to 166 kph (103 mph) with stronger gusts and was forecast to lose strength further when it hits northern Vietnam’s Thanh Hoa province early Monday morning. In hardest-hit Tacloban, about 300-400 bodies have already been recovered but there are “still a lot under the debris,” Lim said. A mass burial was planned Sunday in Palo town near Tacloban. Many corpses hung on tree branches, buildings and sidewalks. “On the way to the airport we saw many bodies along the street,” said Philippine-born Australian Mila Ward, 53, who was waiting at the Tacloban airport to catch a military flight back to Manila. “They were covered with just anything - tarpaulin, roofing sheets, cardboards,” she said. Asked how many, she said, “Well over 100 where we passed.” Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said a massive rescue operation was underway. “We expect a very high number of fatalities as well as injured,” Roxas said after visiting Tacloban on Saturday. “All systems, all vestiges of modern living - communications, power, water - all are down. Media is down, so there is no way to communicate with the people in a mass sort of way.” President Benigno Aquino III said the casualties “will be substantially more” than the official count of 151 - but gave no figure or estimate. He said the government’s priority was to restore power and communications in isolated areas to allow for the delivery of relief and medical assistance to victims. The U.S. and other governments and agencies were mounting a major relief effort “because of the magnitude of the disaster,” said Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon. CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reports

from Beijing that two-and-a-half million people may now be in need of food aid, according to the United Nations World Food Programme. Even by the standards of the Philippines, which is buffeted by many natural calamities about 20 typhoons a year, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions - the latest disaster shocked the impoverished nation of 96 million people. The airport in Tacloban, about 580 kilometers (360 miles) southeast of Manila, looked like a muddy wasteland of debris, with crumpled tin roofs and upturned cars. The airport tower’s glass windows were shattered, and air force helicopters were busy ﬂying in and out at the start of relief operations. “The devastation is, I don’t have the words for it,” Roxas said. “It’s really horriﬁc. It’s a great human tragedy.” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Aquino was “speechless” when he told him of the devastation the typhoon had wrought in Tacloban. “I told him all systems are down,” Gazmin said. “There is no power, no water, nothing. People are

desperate. They’re looting.” The city’s two largest malls and groceries were looted and the gasoline stations destroyed by the typhoon. Police were deployed to guard a fuel depot to prevent looting of fuel. On Sunday, the city’s overwhelmed services were reinforced by 100 special police force units sent in from elsewhere to help restore peace and order. One Tacloban resident said he and others took refuge inside a parked Jeep to protect themselves from the storm, but the vehicle was swept away by a surging wall of water. “The water was as high as a coconut tree,” said 44-year-old Sandy Torotoro, a bicycle taxi driver who lives near the airport with his wife and 8-year-old daughter. “I got out of the Jeep and I was swept away by the rampaging water with logs, trees and our house, which was ripped off from its mooring.” “When we were being swept by the water, many people were ﬂoating and raising their hands and yelling for help. But what can we do? We also needed to be helped,” Torotoro said.

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WORLD NEWS

Obama says he is sorry Americans are losing insurance W

ASHINGTON — Seeking to calm a growing furor, President Barack Obama said he’s sorry Americans are losing health insurance plans he repeatedly said they could keep under his signature health care law. But the president stopped short of apologizing for making those promises in the first place. “I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me,” he said in an interview with NBC News. Signaling possible tweaks to the law, Obama said his administration was working to close “some of the holes and gaps” that were causing millions of Americans to get cancellation letters. Officials said he was referring to fixes the administration can make on its own, not legislative options some congressional lawmakers have proposed. “We’ve got to work hard to make sure that they know we hear them, and we are going to do everything we can to deal with folks who find themselves in a tough position as a consequence of this,” Obama said. The president’s apology comes as the White House tries to combat a cascade of troubles surrounding the rollout of the health care law often referred to as “Obamacare.” The healthcare.gov website that was supposed to be an easy portal for Americans to purchase insurance has been riddled by technical issues. And with at least 3.5 million Americans receiving cancellation notices from their insurance companies, there’s new scrutiny aimed at the way the president tried to sell the law to the public in the first place. In Thursday’s interview, Obama took broader responsibility for the health care woes than in his pre-

US President Barack Obama vious comments about the rollout, declaring that if the law isn’t working “it’s my job to get it fixed.” “When you’ve got a health care rollout that is as important to the country and to me as this is and it doesn’t work like a charm, that’s my fault,” he said. Some Republicans, who remain fierce opponents of the law three years after it won congressional approval, appeared unmoved by Obama’s mea culpa. “If the president is truly sorry for breaking his promises to the American people, he’ll do more than just issue a half-hearted apology on TV,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. In recent days, focus has intensified on the president’s promise that Americans who liked their insurance coverage would be able to keep it. He repeated the line often, both as the bill was being debated in Congress and after it was signed into law. But the health care law itself made that promise almost impossible to keep. It mandated that in-

surance coverage must meet certain standards and that policies falling short of those standards would no longer be valid unless they were grandfathered, meaning some policies were always expected to disappear. The White House says under those guidelines, fewer than 5 percent of Americans will have to change their coverage. But in a nation of more than 300 million people, 5 percent is about 15 million people. Ofﬁcials argue that those forced to change plans will end up with better coverage and that subsidies offered by the government will help offset any increased costs. “We weren’t as clear as we needed to be in terms of the changes that were taking place,” Obama told NBC. “And I want to do everything we can to make sure that people are ﬁnding themselves in a good position, a better position than they were before this law happened.” The president’s critics have accused him of misleading the public about changes that were coming under the law, which remains unpopular with many Americans. Obama dismissed those accusations, insisting the White House was operating in “good faith.” He acknowledged that the administration “didn’t do a good enough job in terms of how we crafted the law” but did not specify what changes the administration might make. The White House has not formally taken a position on a variety of proposals from Congress to address issues that have arisen since the insurance sign-ups launched on Oct. 1.

Yasser Arafat was poisoned with radioactive Polonium, says forensics report

Swiss forensics investigation claims that the former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned with radioactive polonium, the TV channel Al Jazeera reported today. In the 108-page report, the scientists say they found at least 18 times the normal levels of polonium in his rib, pelvis and in soil stained with his decaying organs. The investigation, a year in the making, concludes that Arafat had ‘’unexpectedly high levels’’ of polonium and that ‘’the results moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium.’’ A Palestinian forensic investigator removed 20 specimens from Arafat’s grave in the West Bank city of Ramallah in November 2012. His body was reinterred the same day. The samples

Yasser Arafat from his corpse and grave were taken in front of three international teams. Leading forensic pathologist David Barclay told Al Jazeera that ‘’if I was a judge and jury, this is absolutely stone-cold certain. This is beyond any doubt in my opinion that it was polonium that caused the death of Yasser Arafat.” Arafat’s medical records state that

he died in 2004 from a blood disorder that lead to a stroke. But eight years after his death, an investigation by Al Jazeera in July 2012 called ‘’What Killed Arafat’’ revealed a rare, highly radioactive element on some of his personal items, including his clothes and toothbrush. That prompted the new forensics testing. A Swiss lab in Lausanne tested these items, which contained Arafat’s blood, sweat, saliva and urine. It was his widow, Suha Arafat, who asked the Palestinian Authority to exhume his body for further tests. She told Al Jazeera today that the results reveal “a real crime, a political assassination.” “This has confirmed all our doubts,” she added. “It is scientifically proved that he didn’t die a natural death and we have scientific proof that this man was killed.”

However, the report has caveats. The Swiss investigators admit there are several critical problems with their investigation, namely that their ﬁndings are based on limited samples and that eight years had passed between his death and testing so the ‘’chain of custody’’ of some of the specimens was unclear. There are also three separate parallel investigations being conducted by French, Russian and Palestinian experts. Last month, one Russian ofﬁcial said that no traces of polonium had been found. Vladimir Uiba, head of the Russian Federal Medico-Biological Agency, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that Arafat “could not have been poisoned with polonium,” noting that tests carried out by Russian experts “found no traces of this substance.”

UK SPY CHIEFS EMERGE FROM SHADOWS TO BLAST EDWARD SNOWDEN

ritain’s intelligence chiefs used their ﬁrst ever joint public appearance to complain that documents leaked by former U.S. intelligence operative Edward Snowden had put secret operations at risk and were being “lapped up” by al Qaeda. In an unprecedented evidence session before parliamentarians that local media likened to a scene from a James Bond ﬁlm, the heads of Britain’s three main intelligence agencies said Snowden’s disclosures about mass surveillance had prompted them to consider being more open about what they do. But they said parts of their work had to remain secret for national security reasons and that the data leaks, which detailed Britain’s close cooperation with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), had caused huge damage. “They’ve put our operations at risk,” John Sawers, the head of MI6, Britain’s foreign intelligence service, told a parliamentary committee. “It’s clear that our adversaries are rubbing their hands with glee, al Qaeda is lapping it up.” The robust nature of his comments underlined how angry intelligence chiefs are about Snowden and what they believe is the irresponsible way some newspapers published his information despite warnings not to do so. Civil liberties groups, parts of the media and law-

Andrew Parker the head of M15, John Sawers the head of M16 and Iain Lobban GCHQ director (L-R) are seen attending an Intelligence and Security Committee hearing at Parliament, in this still image taken from video in London November 7, 2013. makers from all parties have argued that Snowden’s disclosures about the scale of government monitoring shows it needs to be reined in and security agencies put under greater oversight. Iain Lobban, the director of GCHQ, Britain’s electronic eavesdropping agency, told lawmakers that intelligence chiefs were “actively considering” whether more information should now be shared with the public. But he argued that certain methods should remain secret, citing what he said were speciﬁc ex-

amples where the Snowden data leaks had harmed national security. “We have actually seen chat around specific terrorist groups who, even close to home, discuss how to avoid what they now perceive to be vulnerable communications methods, or how to select communications which they now perceive not to be exploitable,” he said. Defending the use of electronic surveillance, he said GCHQ did not spend its time listening to the phone calls or reading the emails of most Britons, saying it would be illegal to do so and that it only acted in very specific cases. The fact that the three intelligence chiefs even appeared in public - the head of MI5, Britain’s domestic security service, was also present - was a first in Britain. In the past, such hearings have been behind closed doors and it was not until 1992 that the name of the head of MI6, formally known as the Secret Intelligence Service, was publicly known. Sawers, the current head of MI6, wore a green tie, a nod to a quirky tradition which means that the person doing his job writes in green ink and is known internally as “C”. The hearing, which lasted about 90 minutes, was televised, albeit with a short delay for security reasons.

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WORLD NEWS

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford under mounting pressure to resign after confessing to smoking crack cocaine T

oronto’s mayor has faced angry protesters - and mounting calls to quit - as he arrived for work a day after he admitted smoking crack cocaine. One of Mayor Rob Ford’s veteran policy aides resigned on Wednesday, the latest in a string of defections since May. Meanwhile, even Mr Ford’s allies on the city council say they have lost confidence in him. Officials in Canada’s largest city cannot legally remove Mr Ford unless he is convicted of a crime. More than 200 chanting demonstrators were gathered outside city hall as Mr Ford arrived for work shortly after midday on Wednesday. He entered his office via a back stairway. City Councillor James Pasternak says he and several colleagues are asking Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly to approach Mr Ford again about resigning, in the hopes of a “dignified exit”. Another councillor, Janet Davis, said the mayor had “stubbornly refused to listen to everyone across the city to step down”. “The mayor has got to come to the conclusion himself that he has to step down,” she said on Wednesday. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has expressed concern about Mr Ford’s personal issues, but she stopped short of calling on him to stand aside. City Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who serves on Mr Ford’s executive council, is propos-

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford ing a motion asking Mr Ford to take a leave of absence. He says he knows it is a symbolic move, but “the right thing to do is for council to take a clear position”. “I remain concerned that there’s more information that’s going to come out,” he told reporters. “I’m troubled by that and that it will hurt this city even further.” On Wednesday, Canadian media reported that Brooks Barnett, a Ford police advisor, was no longer on the mayor’s staff. Mr Ford’s office did not offer details other than to confirm Mr Barnett’s departure. After months of ducking the question, Mr Ford acknowledged on Tuesday for the first time that

he had smoked crack “probably a year ago” while in a “drunken stupor”. He said he was “embarrassed” by his behaviour, but vowed to run for re-election. The mayor has not been charged, but city police chief Bill Blair has said authorities are in possession of a video which apparently shows Mr Ford smoking crack. Mr Blair has also said police are in possession of a second clip, but will not describe its contents. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: “I was elected to do a job and that’s exactly what I’m going to continue doing” The allegations of drug use ﬁrst surfaced in May when journalists with the gossip website Gawker and the Toronto Star reported seeing the footage. It is unclear when the video of Mr Ford - described by the Toronto Star as “clearly impaired” and “incoherent and rambling” before smoking from the pipe - was shot. But it was recorded with a phone camera, suggesting it could not be more than a few years old. And in it Mr Ford expresses his distaste for Justin Trudeau, a young parliamentarian elevated to Liberal Party leader less than a month before reports of the video surfaced. Just over 1% of all Canadians 15 years or older used crack cocaine in the past year, according to a Health Canada survey quoted by broadcaster CBC.

Pakistan frees Pervez Musharraf from house arrest P

akistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been released from house arrest and is free to move around the country, prison ofﬁcials say. It comes days after he was bailed over the 2007 army operation to oust militants from Islamabad’s Red Mosque - the last legal case against him. But the former general remains on a government exit control list and cannot leave the country. It is also unclear if he will leave the house because of threats to his life. Mr Musharraf’s seven-month house arrest was unprecedented in a country which has been ruled by the military for more than half

of its history. Speaking on Monday, his lawyer said Mr Musharraf had no intention of leaving Pakistan. He has consistently maintained that all the charges against him are politically motivated. Prison ofﬁcial Wajad Ali is quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying that prison guards were withdrawn on Wednesday night from Mr Musharraf’s villa on the outskirts of Islamabad. On Monday the court approved bail in the case on condition Mr Musharraf paid bonds totalling $2,000 (£1,243). The operation ordered by Mr Musharraf on the besieged Red

Former Pakistan President Pevez Musharraf

Mosque left a cleric and more than 100 others dead, and fuelled a deadly militant insurgency inside Pakistan which rages to this day. Earlier this year, he returned to Pakistan from self-imposed exile to ﬁght elections - which were won by Nawaz Sharif, the man

he ousted in his 1999 coup - but swiftly ran into trouble. He was barred from running in the general election, and was placed under house arrest in April in the ﬁrst of a series of cases relating to his time in power from 1999-2008. He faces murder trials over the assassination of former PM Benazir Bhutto and Baloch tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti. He has also been charged over his attempt to sack the higher judiciary in 2007 - he has been bailed in all three of those cases. Separately, the Sharif government said in June that it planned to try him for treason - but a formal complaint in that case has still to be lodged.

FDA, HOPING TO SAVE LIVES, MOVES TO BAN TRANS FAT

he FDA announcement Thursday that it was moving to eliminate added trans fat from processed food means that microwave popcorn, frozen pizza, refrigerated dough, cookies and readyto-use frostings are too much of a health risk. Yes, even that coffee creamer is trying to kill you. The planned ban will also hit small restaurant chains that use the oil to deep fry food and to improve the texture of foods. Many scientists and health ofﬁcials believe there is no safe amount of trans fat. Trans fats are produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid. The result, artiﬁcially hydrogenated oil, is a culprit in clogged arteries that eventually lead to heart attacks.

Recall earlier this year when the Center for Science in the Public Interest deemed Long John Silver’s Big Catch the worse meal in America. The fried ﬁsh plate, with hush puppies and onion rings, had 33 grams of trans fat. The American Heart Assn. recommends that people consume no more than about two grams of trans fat per day -- which could be found naturally in milk and meat. (Long John Silver’s announced in August that it would switch completely to non-trans fat oils by the end of the year.) Additionally, trans fat is believed to raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. FDA ofﬁcials believe eliminating trans fat from the consummer’s reach could prevent thousands of

heart attacks and deaths each year. The ban, if approved, “could, in effect, mean the end of artificial, industrially produced trans fat in foods,” said Dennis M. Keefe, director of the FDA’s office of food additive safety, on the agency’s website. Through the years, the FDA has found ways to get food manufacturers to stop using partially hydrogenated oils. In 2006, companies were required to list artificial trans fats on all labels, inducing most manufacturers to stop using the ingredient. Blood levels of trans fatty acids in white adults fell 58% from 2000 to 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

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WORLD NEWS

Chinese students flock to US exams to chase college dreams C

hinese students form the largest overseas group at U.S. universities and their numbers are rising as families spend a fortune in the quest for an American education to pry open the door to career and social success. For some parents, overseas education is also seen as a way to avoid China’s ﬁercely competitive national college entrance exam known as the “gaokao”, which is taken by millions of teenagers who see it as a make-orbreak way to get ahead. “We don’t know if it’s right or wrong,” said Zhao, a mother from the capital, Beijing, who wanted to be identiﬁed only by her surname. “We just feel it’s better to get an education in the United States than in China.” The stress to get into university in China is severe but tighter job prospects for hordes of graduates are also causing anxiety as the world’s second-largest economy slows. Nearly 7 million Chinese graduated from university this year - a new record and a jump of 190,000 from last year. This has stepped up em-

ployment pressure, education authorities say. To pursue his dream of going to a U.S. university, Li Shiyuan, 17, quit high school in May. His parents had given him three options - stay in his home province of Shandong, where the college entrance exams are very competitive, move to Tianjin, which has one of China’s highest acceptance rates for key universities, or study abroad. He began in Beijing, by attending three courses to train for tests required by U.S. universities, including the SAT and the TOEFL English-language test. This month, he sat the SAT exam for the second time in an effort to better his previous score and he plans to return to the Hong Kong test center in December. “It’s much better than in high school, where teachers put too much pressure on us,” Li said. His training for the exams has cost 100,000 yuan ($16,400), almost ﬁve times the annual disposable income of the average Chinese city-dweller. “As long as the family can afford

it, I would like my child to go abroad for university to learn some real stuff,” said lawyer Li Xuezong, who accompanied his son to Hong Kong. Nearly 200,000 Chinese students were at U.S. universities in the 2011/12 academic year, almost double the number from India, the second-largest group of overseas students, the U.S.-based Institute of International Education says. While most Chinese study at graduate level, the 2011/12 academic year saw a surge of nearly a third in undergraduates from China, to about 75,000, institute data shows. SATs are available only at some international schools in China, where fees are out of reach for most families. Hong Kong holds six SAT sessions a year. Li Xuezong was one of hundreds of parents waiting patiently outside at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo, the city’s biggest test center, where his son was among the 7,000 exam candidates. Situated conveniently next to the airport, AsiaWorld-Expo hosts about 60,000 SAT takers a year, more than

New part of knee joint discovered T

wo knee surgeons in Belgium say they have identified a previously unfamiliar ligament in the human knee. Writing in the Journal of Anatomy, they suggest the fibrous band could play a part in one of the most common sports injuries worldwide. Despite glimpses of the ligament in medical history, this is the first time its structure and purpose have been so clearly established, they say. But experts say more studies are needed to prove its relevance to knee surgery. Four main ligaments - or thick fibrous bands - surround the knee joint, criss-crossing between the upper and lower leg bones to provide stability and prevent excessive movement of our limbs. But the anatomy of the knee remains complex, and several international groups have been exploring the less-defined structures of the joint for some time. The notion of this particular ligament was first made by French surgeon Paul Segond in 1879 but it has evaded definitive surgical classification for many years.

Now building on the work of other surgeons, Dr Claes and Professor Johan Bellemans of the University Hospitals of Leuven, Belgium, say they have closely mapped the band which runs from the outer side of the thigh bone to the shin bone. And they say this anterolateral ligament could play an important protective role as we twist or change direction. Mr Joel Melton, a consultant knee surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK, who was not involved in the research said: “If you look back through history there has been a veiled understanding that something is going on on that side of the knee but this work ﬁnally gives us a better understanding. “I think this is very exciting - there is no doubt they have hit upon a very important anatomical structure.” The Belgian surgeons used macroscopic dissection techniques to examine 41 donated knee joints and pinpointed this ligament in all but one specimen.

And they say the presence of this band could help them better understand and treat a common sports injury that has puzzled doctors for some time - the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. An injury to the ACL is typical in people who pivot during sport - from athletes and basketball players and footballers and skiers. A tear can happen when you change direction rapidly or stop suddenly and causes pain, swelling and reduced movement in the knee. But despite improvements in surgical techniques, between 10-20% of people with a repaired ACL tear are unable to recover fully. In particular, some patients say their knees give way as they twist or turn. Dr Claes and Bellemans think an injury to the anterolateral ligament (ALL) may be partly responsible for this. They hypothesise some people may injure the ALL at same time as the ACL, leaving the knee less stable as the leg rotates. And their biomechanical studies suggest tears in this ligament may also be to blame for small fractures that have previously been attributed to ACL injuries.

AMERICAN GIRLS KEEP HITTING PUBERTY EARLIER

irls are developing breasts at younger and younger ages, a new study confirms. And upward trends in childhood obesity seem to be playing a major role. Researchers found African American girls started getting breasts just before they turned nine, on average. Among white girls the average age was about nine and a half - a few months earlier than in the 1990s. The findings “confirm an ongoing downward trend in pubertal timing among U.S. girls,” said Dr. Anders Juul. “It’s been worrying for the U.S. as well as the rest of the world,” Juul said. He heads the Department of Growth and Reproduction at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, and wasn’t involved in the new report. The data come from a long-term study of more than 1,200 girls in and around San Francisco, Cincinnati and New York City. Girls were enrolled in the study between ages six and eight and followed with annual or semi-annual visits.

At each visit, staff assessed breast development using Tanner stages, which measure how far along a young person is in puberty. African American girls ﬁrst showed signs of breast development at eight years, 10 months, on average. That compared to nine years, four months among Hispanic girls and nine years, eight months among white and Asian girls. For white girls, puberty hit about four months earlier than in a 1997 study that also measured breast development. That study concluded girls were entering puberty earlier than in the past. Heavier girls tended to start developing at younger ages. Rising obesity rates seem to be a “prime driver” behind breast development starting earlier, Dr. Frank Biro and his colleagues wrote Monday in Pediatrics. Still, Juul’s own work has suggested obesity isn’t behind earlier breast development among Danish girls. Researchers said how much exercise girls get, diabetes precursors and chemicals in the environment that can mimic

90 percent of them from mainland China, Chief Executive Allen Ha said. Many students take the test more than once. “Because our examination-oriented system doesn’t have many criteria to judge student performance, they focus on exams,” said Zong Wa, an ofﬁcial of the government-linked China Education Association for International Exchange. Studying abroad is an option mainly for the rich. Families typically save at least 1 million yuan ($164,000) for four years of college in America, but about 12 percent of China’s 1.35 billion people still live on less than $1.25 a day. Zong said as many as 450,000 Chinese would go overseas for education this year, with the U.S. the most popular destination. At the same time, the number of students taking China’s college entrance exam dropped for the ﬁfth consecutive year. “Students are asked to do tons of exercises during the last year of high school,” said Li Xuezong. “It affects their way of thinking.”

hormones may all play a role in pushing up the onset of puberty. “One of our challenges is going to be, there are literally hundreds of chemicals that could be candidates,” Biro said. He works in the adolescent medicine division at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio. Where girls live, meat and dairy in their diets and family stress have also been tied to earlier development, Marcia Herman-Giddens wrote in a commentary on the report. She studies maternal and child health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The study didn’t look at when girls started getting their periods, or at other measures of puberty. The researchers said maturing at a younger age could come with long-term risks for some girls. For instance, those who hit puberty earlier could be at higher risk of breast and other cancers because their bodies spend more years making and being exposed to estrogen. They also tend to start having sex

or using drugs and alcohol at younger ages and are more likely to become depressed or develop low self-esteem. “You’ve got a 10-year-old who looks like a 14-year-old. We interact with kids based on the way that they look,” Biro said. “Kids interact with each other that way also.” “One of the things the parents of these early maturing kids need to do is they need to monitor them more closely,” he told Reuters Health. That includes talking about sex earlier. But Juul said parents shouldn’t be overly worried. The data about early puberty and problems down the line come from studies that asked women when they ﬁrst got their period, he said. That typically happens two to four years after breasts start developing. And it’s unclear whether that age is dropping at the same pace as the age of breast development, Juul said. “I think the scary part is not (for) the actual girl, because we don’t know what it means for her,” he told Reuters Health. “It is a warning that something is inﬂuencing our child population and it calls for concern and continued studies.”

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usiness B AND

O TDazzling Twitter debut ECHN

LOGY

sends stock soaring 73 pct

EW YORK — Shares of Twitter went on sale to the public for the first time Thursday, instantly leaping more than 70 percent above their offering price in a dazzling debut that exceeded even Wall Street’s lofty hopes. By the closing bell, the social network that reinvented global communication in 140-character bursts was valued at $31 billion — nearly as much as Yahoo Inc., an Internet icon from another era, and just below Kraft Foods, the grocery conglomerate founded more than a century ago. The stock’s sizzling performance seemed to affirm the bright prospects for Internet companies, especially those focused on mobile users. And it could invite more entrepreneurs to consider IPOs, which lost their luster after Facebook’s first appearance on the Nasdaq was marred by glitches. In Silicon Valley, the IPO produced another crop of millionaires and billionaires, some of whom are sure to fund a new generation of startups. Twitter, which has never turned a profit in the seven years since it was founded, worked hard to temper expectations ahead of the IPO, but all that was swiftly forgotten when the market opened. Still, most analysts don’t expect the company to be profitable until 2015. Investors will be watching closely to

see whether Twitter was worth the premium price. Thursday’s stock surge was “really not as important as you might think,” said Kevin Landis, a portfolio manager with Firsthand Funds, which owns shares in Twitter. “What really matters is where the stock is going to be in six months, 12 months.” The most anticipated initial public offering of the year was carefully orchestrated to avoid the dysfunction that surrounded Facebook’s IPO. Trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TWTR,” shares opened at $45.10, 73 percent above their initial offering price. In the ﬁrst few hours, the stock jumped as high as $50.09. Most of those gains held throughout the day, with Twitter closing at $44.90, despite a broader market decline. The narrow price range indicated that people felt it was “pretty fairly priced,” said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade. The price spike “clearly shows that demand exceeds the supply of shares,” said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. Twitter raised $1.8 billion Wednesday night when it sold 70 million shares to select investors for $26 each. But the huge ﬁrst-day pop left some analysts wondering whether the company could have raised more. Had

Twitter priced the stock at $30, for instance, the company would have taken away $2.1 billion. At $35, it would have reaped nearly $2.5 billion. That’s a lot for a company that’s never made a proﬁt and had revenue of just $317 million last year. If the price stays this high, or goes even higher, shareholders will no doubt be happy. But the money that they might make from any stock sale doesn’t go to the company. Named after the sound of a chirping bird, Twitter’s origins date back to 2005, when creators Noah Glass and Evan Williams were trying to get people to sign up for Odeo, a podcasting service they created. Odeo didn’t make it. By early 2006, Glass and fellow Odeo programmer Jack Dorsey began work on a new project: teaming with co-worker Christopher “Biz” Stone on a way to corral text messages typically sent over a phone. It was Glass who came up with the original name Twttr. The two vowels were added later. The ﬁrst tweets were sent on March 21, 2006. By 2007, Twitter was incorporated with Dorsey as the original CEO and Williams as chairman. Dorsey and Williams would eventually swap roles. Both remain major shareholders, though neither runs the company. Glass, meanwhile, was effective-

Worldwide identity thieves steal millions in tax refunds

ASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service sent 655 tax refunds to a single address in Kaunas, Lithuania -- failing to recognize that the refunds were likely part of an identity theft scheme. Another 343 tax refunds went to a single address in Shanghai, China. Thousands more potentially fraudulent refunds -- totaling millions of dollars -- went to places in Bulgaria, Ireland and Canada in 2011. In all, a report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration today found 1.5 million potentially fraudulent tax returns that went undetected by the IRS, costing taxpayers $3.2 billion. Those numbers are from an audit of 2011 data, and the IRS said it’s put dozens of measures in place since then to crack down on the problem. Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel acknowledges that “refund fraud caused by identity theft is one of the biggest challenges facing the IRS today.” Testifying to a congressional committee in August, he said the agency now has 3,000 employees working on identity theft issues -- double what it had last year. Here’s how stolen identity tax fraud typically works: Thieves, using a valid social security number, file a tax return using fictitious withholding forms showing that they’re due a refund, and have those refunds sent to another address. When the real taxpayer tries to file a return, the IRS rejects it. But Treasury auditors have spotted a new wrinkle to this scam, in which the thieves don’t need social security numbers.

Instead, they apply for what’s known as an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN. An ITIN looks like a Social Security number, but it’s used by people -- usually legal and illegal immigrants -- who aren’t eligible for a Social Security number. An ITIN looks like an SSN, but begins with a 9 and has a 7, 8 or 9 as its fourth digit. So, for example, the auditors found that the IRS issued 1,947 ITINs to individuals at a single address in Mountlake Terrace, Wash. In 2011, the IRS sent 194 tax refunds totaling $ 554,866 to that same address -- for returns that should have raised red flags. ITIN fraud totaled $385 million in 2011, auditors said. The IRS now automatically cancels ITINs after five years. One reason this fraud happens is that the scammers file the returns even before the IRS receives withholding statements directly from employers and other sources of income. Fixing that problem would take an act of Congress giving the IRS quicker access to outside data, said Michael E. McKenney, the inspector general’s top auditor, in the report. In the meantime, the IRS said it has new identity theft screening filters and developed more sophisticated data models to detect emerging fraud patterns. Since 2011, the IRS has stopped 12.6 million suspicious returns involving $40 billion in fraudulent refunds, said spokeswoman Julianne Fisher Breitbeil.

ly erased from Twitter’s history, writes New York Times reporter Nick Bilton in “Hatching Twitter: A true story of money, power, friendship, and betrayal.” Since those early days, the site has attracted world leaders, religious figures and celebrities, along with CEOs, businesses and countless marketers and self-promoters. The company avoided the trouble that plagued Facebook’s high-profile debut, which suffered technical glitches that had lasting consequences. On that first day, Facebook closed just 23 cents above its $38 IPO price and later fell much lower. The stock needed more than a year to climb back above $38. At its IPO price, Twitter was valued at roughly 28 times its projected 2013 revenue — $650 million based on its current growth rate. In comparison, Facebook trades at about 16 times its projected 2013 revenue, according to analyst forecasts from FactSet. Google Inc. meanwhile, is trading at about 7 times its net revenue, the figure Wall Street follows that excludes ad commissions. More than three-quarters of Twitter’s 232 million users are outside the U.S. But only 26 percent of Twitter’s revenue comes from abroad. The company has said that it plans to hire more sales representatives in countries such as Australia, Brazil and Ireland.

LAST US BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO RENTAL STORES TO CLOSE

he last 300 Blockbuster Video film rental stores in the US are closing in the face of unrelenting competition from online digital video, corporate parent company Dish Network has said. About 2,800 people are expected to lose their jobs by early January. The once-dominant chain filed for bankruptcy, pummelled by Netflix’s DVD-by-post and online streaming services. Dish Network, a satellite television provider, will also end Blockbuster’s own DVD-by-post service in December. About 50 US stores that are operated as independent franchises will remain open. “This is not an easy decision, yet consumer demand is clearly moving to digital distribution of video entertainment,” said Joseph Clayton, Dish president and chief executive officer, in a statement. “Despite our closing of the physical distribution elements of the business, we continue to see value in the Blockbuster brand, and we expect to leverage that brand as we continue to expand our digital offerings.” The firm’s UK division was sold to private equity firm Gordon Brothers Europe in March, two months after it went into administration. But Blockbuster UK went back into administration in late October, as Gordon Brothers said it was unable to broker a licensing deal with Dish to start a new digital platform for the brand. The BBC has learned that Blockbuster’s UK online subscription service has been suspended.

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BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

Global food prices rise in October after five months of falls G

lobal food prices rose slightly in October after declining for the past ﬁve months, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday, forecasting more stability in markets as it raised its estimate for 2013/14 cereals output. The rise in prices last month was fuelled by sugar costs, which increased due to concerns about harvest delays in Brazil. Prices of wheat and edible oils also strengthened, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said. “Prices are settling around these levels,” FAO senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian told Reuters by telephone. “I do not see such sharp declines in prices in coming months as we have seen in the ﬁrst half of the year,” he said. FAO’s index measuring monthly price changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sug-

ar, averaged 205.8 points in October, up 1.3 percent from September and hitting its highest level since July. Food prices surged during the summer of 2012 due to a major drought in the United States but prospects for a rebound in cereal production to record levels have weighed on prices this year. In its biannual Food Outlook report published on Thursday, FAO said food markets were becoming more balanced and less price volatile than in recent years thanks to bigger supplies and a recovery in inventories. FAO raised its forecast for world cereal output in 2013/14 to 2.498 billion metric tons (2.7536 billion tons), about 10 million metric tons higher than its estimate in October.

It increased its estimate for world wheat output in 2013/14 to 708.5 million metric tons from a previous forecast of 704.6 million metric tons. World cereal stocks at the close of seasons ending in 2014 are now seen at 564 million metric tons, higher than a previous estimate of 559 million metric tons and up 13 percent from their opening levels. FAO said it had revised its data for the food price index and had extended records back to 1961. The revised index still shows a record peak was hit in February 2011, when high food prices helped drive the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. In the summer of 2012 the index began surging to levels close to another peak seen in 2008, when several poor countries experienced riots, some of them deadly.

Royal Bank of Scotland to Pay $153.7 Million to Settle Mortgage Case

he Royal Bank of Scotland agreed on Thursday to pay the Securities and Exchange Commission $153.7 million to settle charges that it misled investors into buying a risky mortgage-backed security offering, the latest move in a crackdown on mortgage practices that fueled the ﬁnancial crisis. The S.E.C. concluded that a bank subsidiary, R.B.S. Securities, had backed the offering with loans that had a high potential to default. The subsidiary, called Greenwich Capital Markets at the time, bought the loans in 2007 from Option One Mortgage Corporation. Under its agreement with Option One, a subsidiary of H&R Block, R.B.S. had to buy the loans by April 30 of that year. In its hurry to close the deal, R.B.S. did not fully investigate the quality of the underlying mortgages, the commission said. The bank hired an outside company “to quickly conduct

due diligence on a small sample” of the loans, a review that concluded that “a large number” did not meet Option One’s own underwriting standards, the commission said. Even so, R.B.S. turned the loans into a $2.2 billion offering. It was paid $4.4 million for its underwriting work. “In its rush to meet a deadline set by the seller of these loans, R.B.S. cut corners and failed to complete adequate due diligence, with predictable results,” George S. Canellos, co-director of the S.E.C.’s enforcement division, said in announcing the settlement on Thursday. “Today’s action punishes that misconduct and secures more than $150 million in relief for those harmed by this shoddy securitization.” Under the settlement, R.B.S., which has been largely backed by the British government since the ﬁnan-

cial crisis, did not admit or deny any wrongdoing. The S.E.C. will use the settlement money to help compensate investors. In a statement, the bank said that it “has cooperated fully with the S.E.C. throughout the investigation.” It added, “These payments are covered by provisions already made by R.B.S.” The S.E.C. built its case around the bank’s disclosures to investors who bought the securities. It called those disclosures “misleading.” While R.B.S. said that the loans “generally” complied with Option One’s underwriting guidelines, the S.E.C. said that the bank should have known that 30 percent of the loans “deviated so much from the lender’s underwriting guidelines that they should have been kicked out of the offering entirely.” According to the S.E.C. complaint, R.B.S. knew of problems with Option One’s underlying loans before the

RUSSIA FORECASTS LOSING GROUND IN GLOBAL ECONOMY BY 2030

ussia’s share of the world economy will probably shrink during the next 20 years as growth trails the global average, Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said. Gross domestic product will rise at an average pace of 2.5 percent through 2030, less than the 3.4 percent to 3.5 percent global rate, according to the ministry’s updated forecasts. That would reduce Russia’s share of world economic output to 3.4 percent by 2030 from 4 percent last year, the ministry said. The muted outlook highlights the turnaround in fortune for the world’s biggest energy exporter, whose $2 trillion economy grew at an average annual rate of 7 percent during Vladimir Putin’s presidency from 2000 to 2008 before contracting 7.8 percent in 2009 after crude oil prices plunged. GDP growth decelerated every quarter since Putin won a third Kremlin term in March 2012, with senior ofﬁcials including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warning Russia’s export-driven economic model neared exhaustion. “The upshot is that without a major shift in policy we suspect that Russia will go from being one of the world’s fastest-growing economies to one of its biggest underperformers,” Neil Shearing, chief economist for emerging markets at Capital Economics Ltd. in London, said by e-mail. “Today’s forecast revisions suggest a grudging acceptance of this new reality among policy makers in Moscow.” Russia, the world’s ninth-largest economy in dollar terms last year according to the World Bank, rode near-record oil prices to average an expansion of about 4 percent in 2010-2012 before growth stumbled this year. Putin, whose time in power will match Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev’s 18-year rule at the end of his current term in 2018, faces similar risks of stagnation that marked the decline of the Soviet

Union. Soviet nominal GDP reached $993 billion in 1983, the year after Brezhnev’s death, according to data compiled by the United Nations. That’s about 8.7 percent of global output at the time, according to World Bank data compiled by Bloomberg. The Soviet share fell to 3.5 percent in 1990, the data show. The Russian republic declared sovereignty from the Soviet Union in June 1990, the ﬁrst of the Soviet states after the Baltics to do so. Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova followed, bringing about the dissolution of a federation of almost 300 million inhabitants in 1991. “The revisions made to the baseline scenario of Russia’s long-term economic growth make it more realistic,” Alexander Morozov, Moscow-based chief economist at HSBC Holdings Plc for Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Baltic countries, said by e-mail. “This scenario highlights the need for large-scale and broad improvements in business conditions and the investment climate in Russia, without which Russia will be losing its importance in the global economy and trade over time.” With the economic growth forecast at no more than 2.5 percent in the next three to four years, bank lending and assets will grow 10 percent to 15 percent, central bank First Deputy Chairman Alexei Simanovsky told reporters in Moscow today. Putin’s government is struggling to stem the worst economic slowdown since a 2009 recession. The central bank, where Ulyukayev served previously as ﬁrst deputy chairman, has been reluctant to reduce interest rates because consumer-price growth has held above its target this year. “We expect Russian growth over the forecast period to lag behind the global average,” Ulyukayev said.

bank bought them. Days before the acquisition closed, one of the lead bankers at R.B.S. cautioned in an internal email that due diligence results on the quality of the loans had lately been “ugly.” Last year, the S.E.C. settled a separate case involving subprime mortgages with Option One. R.B.S. is the latest bank to come under ﬁre from the S.E.C. for misleading investors about mortgage-backed securities before the crisis. Credit Suisse and JPMorgan Chase have settled charges with the S.E.C., while the agency recently sued Bank of America in a mortgage-backed security case. JPMorgan is preparing to pay $13 billion to the Justice Department and a number of other government agencies in connection with its own mortgage-backed securities activities. The bank is still completing the settlement with the government.

ECB CUTS RATES TO WARD OFF DEFLATION RISK

he European Central Bank surprised markets Thursday by cutting interest rates to a record low, trying to prevent the eurozone from sinking into a period of stagnation and deflation. Reducing interest rates for the second time this year, the central bank cut the main refinancing rate to 0.25% from 0.5%. ECB President Mario Draghi said the bank was ready to take further measures, including another rate cut, if Thursday’s move fails to have the desired effect. A few economists had predicted the ECB would cut interest rates this month, after a surprise decline in inflation. But most expected the central bank to wait until December, when it will have third-quarter GDP data to consider and a better idea of the trend in inflation. “By and large, we don’t see deflation,” Draghi said, rejecting comparisons with Japan, which is just beginning to recover from years of falling prices. But he acknowledged a significant change in the eurozone’s inflation outlook in recent weeks. Eurozone prices rose just 0.7% in October, after a 1.1% increase in September, with food prices and the cost of services coming under the most pressure. Holger Schmieding at Berenberg bank said the ECB’s prediction that price rises would remain low for a prolonged period implied a risk of mild deflation. “To some extent, the ECB move today can be seen as taking out insurance against that hypothetical risk,” he said. Eurozone unemployment is stuck at record levels above 12% and the economy is failing to generate momentum after emerging from recession earlier this year. Unemployment won’t start falling until 2015 at the earliest, according to EU forecasts published this week. The European Commission trimmed its estimate of GDP growth next year to 1.1%, and said it was too early to declare an end to the region’s crisis.

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Sports

LOCAL

COMMONWEALTH GAMES HOLDS MEETING FOR VISIT OF QUEEN’S BATON RELAY

n Tuesday 5th November, at the Carambola Restaurant Providenciales, the Commonwealth Games Association hosted its ﬁrst meeting in preparation of the Queen’s Baton Relay that is scheduled to visit the Turks and Caicos Islands from April 15 to 17, 2014 on its epic journey of 71 countries of the Commonwealth over 248 days before concluding its journey at the 20th Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland on the 23rd July, 2014. The meeting was chaired by CGA’s President, Mrs. Rita Gardiner. In attendance were a cross - section of Stakeholders who are known to motivate and bring persons together; to ensure a successful visit of the baton and its accompanying guest as well as a wonderful experience for residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands, especially children. Gracing the meeting was His Excellen-

cy the Governor, Mr. Peter Beckingham accompanied by his lovely wife Mrs. Jill Beckingham. The President welcomed them and expressed her gratitude in having them attend the meeting and lending their input and support which she deemed very inspiring and encouraging. The Queen’s Baton Relay is the world’s most engaging relay, a unique tradition of the games that unites the 2 billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace, allowing each nation and territory the opportunity to showcase its unique culture, hospitality and friendliness of its people. The ofﬁcial launch of the Baton took place on the 9th October from Buckingham’s Palace where her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II placed her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton. We are honoured once again that we are included in this prestigious

Rita Gardiner journey. Organizers of the committee are planning exciting and spectacular activities over the 2 day period, show-

casing our most prized attributes, historic sites and the uniqueness of each island. It is the hope of the committee members that each child in the Turks and Caicos will experience the visit of the Queen’s Baton and have memories that will last a life time. Committee Members includes: Chairman, David Bowen, Director of Culture; Assistant, Edgar Howell, Director of Education; Secretary, Angela Forbes-Musgrove, Youth Activist; Governor’s Office Liaison, Joanne Yeadon, Head of Governor’s Office; Public Relations Officers, Cheryl Forman, Secretary General Commonwealth Games Association; Edith Skippings, President TCAAA. Other members include representatives from the Tourist Board, Police Department and community activist. The President of the CGA is working tirelessly with the organizing committee to ensure its success.

TCI Women in Sport formed I

n an effort to promote Gender Equality in sports, the Commonwealth Games Association partnered with the Gender Affairs Unit to organize an initiative for women and girls of the Turks and Caicos Islands. After much consultation with sporting bodies, the ﬁrst, women, sport and physical activity was established, named “ TCI Women in Sport”. The launch of this most needed body took place on the 10th April, 2013 in Providenciales and in Grand Turk on the 11th April, 2013 by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Hon. Akeirra Missick. The organization is a free-standing group with a cross section of women throughout the communities of the TCI with interest in bringing about gender equality in all sectors of society as well as persons keen in sporting activities. This Association will help to identify and place women and girls in the various sporting bodies, and provide the re-

quired support to allow them to maximize their full potential. WIS is presided over by Florence Bennett of Grand Turk and Edith Cox of Providenciales. This organization is afﬁliated with the Canadian Commonwealth Games Association’s Women in Sports, who has landed support in getting the Association up and running. They have committed technical and human resources in the coming months. The main objectives: 1. to support and further develop the participation of girls and women in sport 2. to increase the number of women in decision-making and in the administration of sports at all levels 3. to promote the involvement of female representatives in local, regional and international events, conferences, seminars and workshops

4. to establish ways and means to raise funds to assist women and girls in sport 5. establish a women and sport awards to highlight women’s achievements and contributions to sport in the country. To this end, the WIS has established an annual Fund Raiser – a Gala Ball, with the ﬁrst one taking place on the 6th December, entitled, “Strength of a Woman,” under the patronage of the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Hon. Akeirra Missick, hosted at Yellowman and Son’s Auditorium, Grand Turk at 8p.m. with music by the Band Boys. Tickets $80.00 couples and $45.00 singles. Tickets will be available in Providenciales and Grand Turk soon. Dress code: Formal. The Association is encouraging persons to support this venture that will beneﬁt our Youths in Sports and physical activities.

SPEED SOCCER LAUNCHED

he Women’s Football League (“WFL”) launched Speed Soccer for the first time in Turks & Caicos Islands on Sunday, November 3, 2013 at the TCIFA Football Academy, where five teams were introduced to the sport and had an opportunity to play several games. Speed Soccer is a five aside game where each team is allowed a maximum of ten players. Games consists of two halves of ten minutes each, with a two minute interval at half time. Candace Hanchell, President of the WFL explained that Speed Soccer has been introduced to encourage all females regardless of their age, fitness level or football experience to become involved in what is considered the greatest sport. The Speed Soccer League has seen the return of several past players and also many new players. The league’s first official game will be held Sunday, November 10th, 2013 at the TCIFA football academy at 3:00p.m. There will be seven teams competing for the championship title of the first Women’s Speed Soccer League. Spectators will witness the following teams compete for this prestige title: CIBC Cats, Earthbenders AFC, Revolution FC, The Blow Pops, U12 Trailblazers FC, Trailblazers FC and Palmiss.

Ladies gearing up to take part in the Speed Soccer tournament The general public is invited to attend all games which will run from November 10th to December 8th, 2013 when the ﬁnal games will be played and awards and prizes presented. There will also be various opportunities for spectators to win prizes over the upcoming weeks by way of participating in fun activities.

Paula Garland is one of the participants in the Speed Soccer League

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Sports

CARIBBEAN

Usain Bolt wants to run under 19 seconds in the 200m

he fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt of Jamaica, wants to keep running and run the 200 metres in under 19 seconds and possibly as early as 2014. Bolt, writing in his autobiography “Faster Than Lightning”, which went on bookshelves on Tuesday, said that achieving that landmark would mean having a ‘perfect’ season, similar to his exploits in 2008. The Jamaican speedster believes achieving that feat would mean more than winning medals at the next Olympic Games. “Supposing I don’t make any quicker times in the 100, I would love to be able to run 18-something seconds in the 200, even if it was an 18.99 race. Forget making the next Olympics and the medals, breaking that time would be an ever bigger success. I’d love to crack it, knowing that people were sitting in their homes and losing their minds at my achievement,” he wrote in his 291page book. “To reach that landmark pace, I would need to have the perfect season, like the one I had in ’08. I think next year could be my shot at it, though the window of opportunity is getting smaller with every campaign. The older I get, the narrower that window becomes; the harder

it is for me to reach peak fitness in time for a major race.” However, he said that given what he has done in the past, he is not ruling out rounding off his track career with another world record, noting that he is the only obstacle to his progress. “I don’t think it’s totally out of reach in the next season or so. Seriously, who would be surprised if I did it? Who’s going to stop me from going faster? The only man who can bring an end to my status as a star of track and field in the next couple of years is me, and I’m a phenomenon, a serious competitor – a legend for my generation. Believe me, my time isn’t up just yet,” he warned. In his full autobiography, Bolt tells his story in his own words – from humble beginnings in Jamaica, to international stardom including Olympic Games in Beijing and London. Bolt became the first man in Olympic history to win both the 100m and 200m in world record times in 2008, and etched his name in history four years later by becoming the first man to win the sprint double at consecutive Olympic Games as well as setting three world records in a single Olympic Games. There are doubts as to whether Bolt could repeat these performances

Usain Bolt

at the Rio Games in 2016. Bolt, for his part, is not too concerned about the huge challenge and expectation especially with the new crop of young and talented sprinters in Jamaica. He said that just the thought of trying to get to Brazil is already giving him the spark, despite his age. “If there’s a possibility that I might make it, then I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I’ve talked to Coach (Glen Mills) about our chances, and we’ve discussed the situation sensibly by looking at some of the other athletes around us. I’ll be turning 30 when Brazil comes around.” “Some guys in track and ﬁeld have run times of 9.80, 9.90 seconds at that age. If I take care of my body and if I

Andy Murray to headline Barbados dream cup tennis tournament

DGETOWN, Barbados Reigning Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will headline Barbados’ Dream Cup opening next month. Organisers say the Dream Cup, into its third year, was organized to promote opportunities for young, aspiring Barbadians, through the creation of a world-class tennis event. The November 28th to December 1st tournament will be covered live by ESPN while the Trinidad based media partner Toute Bagai Publishing Company, producers of MACO publications will promote the event to neighboring islands and to the Diaspora through their travel portal macocaribbean.com. The 26-year-old Scottish-born Murray, who has agreed to be part of the 2013 event, has been playing for Britain since the age of 12 and is currently ranked number three in the world. The last eighteen months has been his best, winning Gold at the 2012 Olympics followed by the 2012 US Open obtaining the ﬁrst Grand Slam title for Britain in over 70 years. In July, he went on to be-

Andy Murray come the ﬁrst British male to win the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936. “Most Caribbean islands have not cultivated a tourism industry based beyond Sun, Sand and Sea. I ﬁrmly believe that we need to bring some sort of diversity to our tourism proposition such as these events,” said Managing Director of Toute Bagai publishing company Neysha Soodeen. “MACO is thrilled to support The Dream Cup as it has already partnered with the Barbados Tourism Authority to promote Barbados intra-regionally”. Senior Business Development Manager of the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) Linda Christian-Clarke has described the Dream Cup as the realization of a dream for the BTA.

She said the fact that Barbados could attract sportsmen of the caliber of Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Richard Gasquet and Nicolas Almagro is truly extraordinary. “The fact that ESPN3 and ESPN International are providing live coverage and that Murray, the Wimbledon champion, is going to be back in action for the first time following his surgery, means that the eyes of the world will be on Barbados” she contended. The BTA official said it is also significant that the novel prize offered – $ 500,000 US worth of beachfront accommodation for five years at St. Peter’s Bay – gained acceptance with these top class players. “It shows that Barbados remains very much a desirable destination for the rich and famous and an aspirational one for all of our markets,” said Christian-Clarke. “In particular, I would like to invite our Caribbean neighbours to share this great tennis tournament with us. It will probably be unlike any other spectacle of that sport ever in the region”.

can push myself to the limits, then I don’t doubt my ability to make 9.60 seconds in 2016. The important thing for me is to land there and compete at a high level. At least then I’ll be able to say, ‘I attempted it, I got a silver, a bronze, whatever. I was in with a chance and I tried.’ Imagine if I managed to win gold, though. The parties in Rio would be off the scale,” he said. He said that if he is not at the top of his game by 2016 then he wants to turn to another sport, preferably football. For now, I want to run as fast as I can and be the best in the world. When I finish with track and field I’ll change sports and move on. If I can’t race at the top level by 2016, then I want to turn my hand to another game – football, most probably, because I can play, and with enough effort I can get better.” Authored by award-winning sport writer Matt Allen, the autobiography also acknowledged many of the people who have supported Bolt on his journey to stardom. He cited the influence of Mills and former coaches Pablo McNeil and Fitz Coleman, his executive manager and long-time friend Nugent “NJ” Walker Jr, agent Ricky Simms and his management team including Norman Peart.

FRASER-PRYCE CONFIRMED ON SHORTLIST

ONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica’s triple World Championships gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was yesterday confirmed as one of the three finalists for the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year. A release from the IAAF listed the Moscow World Championships 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold medallist along with shot put champion Valerie Adams of New Zealand, and 400m hurdles champion Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic, as the finalists. The winner will be chosen at the IAAF gala to be held November 16 in Monaco, along with the men’s champion. Fraser-Pryce, who is seeking to join 1990 winner Merlene Ottey as the only Jamaican women to win the award, was a double Diamond League champion this past season, winning the 100 and 200m races. Yesterday, four-time male champion Usain Bolt was shortlisted for the men’s title along with Great Britain’s middle distance World Championships double gold medallist Mo Farah and Ukraine’s high jump champion Bohdan Bondarenko. Bolt, who retained his 200m title in Moscow, while winning his second 100m title and anchored the men’s 4x100m team to gold, will be seeking his third-straight and fifth title overall, after winning in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012. The Council of the International Athletics Foundation will select the male and female winners, with the announcement taking place live on stage at the gala. According to the rules outlined by the IAAF, following the announcement of the 10 nominees a month ago, votes were tabulated to arrive at the top three. Those eligible to vote are the international panel of athletics experts including representatives from all six continental areas of the IAAF, World Athletics Family: IAAF & IAF Council Members; IAAF National Member Federations; IAAF Committee and Commission Members; IAAF Meeting Directors; IAAF Athlete Ambassadors; Athletes’ Representatives; Top Athletes; Members of the International Press; IAAF Staff Members; and the IAAF’s

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Sports W

RLD

Dolphins players defend Incognito, question Martin in bullying case

o the accompaniment of circus-like music, turmoil surrounding the Miami Dolphins escalated Wednesday as players rose to the locker room defense of teammate Richie Incognito and questioned the motives of his alleged harassment victim, fellow offensive lineman Jonathan Martin. Martin, a second-year offensive tackle from Stanford, left the team last week amid allegations of bullying and racist and threatening emails from Incognito, a ninth-year offensive guard. The Dolphins organization, after initially putting out a statement that nothing of the sort had gone on, ended up suspending Incognito, one of Miami’s most popular teammates. “If you asked Jonathan Martin who his best friend is on this team two weeks ago, he’d say Richie Incognito,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill told news reporters Wednesday. “It’s tough for us to sit here and hear all that when we have each others’ backs.” That’s what other teammates tried to do Wednesday in support of Incognito. “What’s perceived is that Richie is this psychopath racist, and the reality is Richie was a pretty good teammate,” tackle Tyson Clabo told news reporters. “I don’t know why (Martin is) doing this. And the only person who knows why is Jonathan Martin.”

Richie Incognito, one of the Dolphin’s most popular team mates Said wide receiver Brian Hartline: “If I’m not mistaken this is the same guy (Martin) that was laughing about this voicemail at one point in time.” Martin’s representatives turned over to the Dolphins and the NFL the voicemail from Incognito to Martin with the racially charged threats. The team has undertaken a review of what happened, as has the NFL, with Commissioner Roger Goodell appointing Ted Wells, a prominent New York-based criminal attorney, to direct an independent inquiry into the team’s workplace issues.

Kobe Bryant paid $24M by LA Lakers

DWIGHT HOWARD ROCKETS AHEAD; ‘IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, SO WHAT’

os Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant received more than $24 million Friday as an advance on this season’s salary. The amount represents 79.7 percent of the $30.5 million he is due to receive in compensation for the 2013-14 season. While some players get paid every two weeks during the season, others get paid twice a month year round. A select few, including Bryant, receive lump-sum payments like the $24,363,044 he received Friday. The league’s old collective bargaining agreement provided that this up-front compensation could be up to 80 percent of the contract’s annual worth. That type of payment plan was amended in the new CBA, but Bryant’s deal was grandfathered in. Instead, the new CBA allows provisions to pay a player as much as 25 percent up front. Bryant’s total take home of the $24.3 million check is subject to heavy taxes, which could total as much as 55 percent of his salary. That would reduce his take-home pay to closer to $11 million, according to Robert Raiola, a certiﬁed public accountant who heads up the sports and entertainment group at FMRTL in Cranford, N.J. In his tax bracket, Bryant

“Mr. Wells will conduct a thorough and objective investigation. He will ensure that we have all the facts so that we can address the matter constructively,” Goodell said in a statement. Dolphins coach Joe Philbin, who had seemed unaware of any brewing problems, said the team would take “all necessary measures” to fix any problem revealed by the investigations. In Green Bay, where Philbin was a former Packers assistant, head coach Mike McCarthy told news reporters: “I trust Joe Philbin with my children. That’s the highest compliment I can give a man.” Martin has yet to talk publicly about the bullying he said he experienced, but his alma mater has come to his defense. “We’re proud of Jonathan,” is the tweet sent out today by Stanford football. “He was a quiet guy. Never said much,” Tannehill said of Martin, one of his protectors on the offensive line. “He was the same guy every day. ... Tough to see warning signs.” Many of the Dolphins players just find it difficult to believe the harassment was so intense that Martin felt he needed to leave. “We joke with each other. You can’t have thin skin around here,” defensive tackle Randy Starks told news reporters. “We’re trying to clear Richie’s name. He’s getting a bad rap.”

Bryant’s salary is the second largest in NBA history after Michael Jordan is subject to paying a federal tax at the top rate of 39.6 percent, which would mean $9.6 million will be withheld by Uncle Sam. As a California resident, he’s subject to paying an additional 13.3 percent, or $3.2 million, in state taxes. California has the highest state income tax in the United States. The Medicare tax and surcharge would reduce his total take to about $10.9 million, Raiola said. Bryant will pay so-called “jock taxes” to states in which he plays on the road. But those payments will be credited toward his California income tax. Bryant’s salary this season is the second-largest salary in NBA history, behind the $33.1 million Michael Jordan made in 1997-98. Although Bryant is out indeﬁnitely recovering from an Achilles tendon tear, his salary is fully guaranteed. The timetable for his return is unknown.

OUSTON – Dwight Howard won’t stand for any bitterness from the Los Angeles Lakers or fans who were displeased that he joined the Houston Rockets as a free agent this past summer. “I made my decision,” Howard said. “I’m happy where I’m at. Everybody should move forward. This is my life. If you don’t like it, so what.” Howard has said he sought happiness and a better chance for a championship by going to Houston. Others say the perennial AllStar center also needed to be anywhere Kobe Bryant and Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni weren’t. Howard will face his old team Thursday night, a contest he is publicly downplaying as, “It’s another game.” Bryant won’t have a role in Thursday’s outcome since he’s recovering from an Achilles injury, but his presence dominates the discussion of Howard’s decision to leave Los Angeles. Ex-Laker Antawn Jamison says Howard didn’t return to the Lakers in large part because of his issues with Bryant that began with the team’s early struggles last season. Bryant taking exception to a shoulder injury Howard had might have caused the biggest rift. How-

Dwight Howard ard said he hasn’t talked to Bryant in a while. The injured Bryant wasn’t available for comment. “Dwight and Kobe just didn’t get along,” Jamison said. “There was no deﬁnite reason as to why they didn’t get along. They were just two different personalities that couldn’t co-exist. You know how aggressive and straight-forward Kobe is. He doesn’t stroke any egos. What you see with Kobe is what you get. “They tried once it got started. Once we couldn’t get it going and started struggling, Dwight got hurt and Kobe said some things. I understood what Kobe was trying to do because that’s Kobe. ‘Toughen it up.’ It just did the opposite with Dwight. The more and more we couldn’t put things together and try to get to that point of being the team we thought we could become, it got worse and worse.” The Lakers’ Pau Gasol said Bryant and Howard’s drama

made a “rough” season more difficult. “There was definitely a lack of understanding and connection,” Gasol said. Howard admitted that he returned too early from back surgery by debuting at the beginning of last season. He also did not fit well in the offense run by D’Antoni, who replaced Mike Brown early in the season. D’Antoni said, with a smile, that the Rockets use Howard similarly. “It’s tough when you got three Hall of Famers on the floor at the same time,” D’Antoni said. “Too bad you’re not the No. 1 guy to go to.” The Lakers’ hopes of re-signing Howard were doomed. Sources said that the Lakers’ brass told its employees entering last season to make Howard feel special and important. He was offered marketing opportunities, special game access for friends and given his own private jet for February’s All-Star Game in Houston, sources said. The Lakers even went against their grain by putting up billboards that said, “Stay,” in Los Angeles when free agency began. “Even with everything they did, Dwight still felt undervalued by the Lakers, fans and the city of Los Angeles,” a source said.

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WORLD SPORTS

PGA and Players Championship purses raised to $10 million T

he PGA Championship and The Players Championship will share the distinction of having golf’s richest tournament next year by offering $10 million in prize money. In a new spirit of cooperation, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and PGA of America President Ted Bishop announced the purse increases Wednesday. That marks a 25 percent increase for the PGA Championship, making its purse the largest of the four majors. It was $8 million this year. The Players Championship for years had the largest purse — $9.5 million this year. The announcement at Sea Island was part of a new collaboration between two groups that once were part of the same organization. Arnold

Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were largely responsible in 1968 for tournament players breaking away from the PGA of America because they felt it was more concerned with the club pro business. Finchem said the idea was for them to work together toward a common goal of growing the game. He said the PGA Tour would run public service announcements during its televised events to highlight PGA of America programs such as “Get Golf Ready.” It also plans to feature PGA professionals in its weekly television shows and use PGA pros at tournaments to give clinics. Bishop noted that Ryder Cup points are being awarded during the fall to honor the PGA Tour’s new wraparound season.

“There’s probably never been a better time of collaboration and cooperation between our two organizations since the PGA Tour and PGA of America split back in 1968,” Bishop said. “I think that in a lot of ways, we’re just beginning to scratch the surface in ways that we can really impact the game positively when we work together.” It also could give the two organizations a stronger voice over proposed rules changes. Both of them were opposed to the ban on anchored putters earlier this year. The U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient Golf Club eventually approved a new rule banning the way long putters are anchored starting in 2016. “I would hope that together we combine for a powerful voice in say-

ing that as changes are implemented in the future, they need to align with what’s positive for the growth of the game and the business of the game,” Bishop said. Bishop argued that banning the way long putters are used will drive people away from golf. Finchem said all golf organizations need to work together, understanding there will be disagreements. “The fact that we didn’t agree on an issue this past year-and-a-half should not temper in any way our enthusiasm for collaboration,” Finchem said. “So we hadn’t really looked at it from that perspective of having a stronger position, because who knows? We may not agree ourselves on something like a rule.”

Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell to cricket becomes an emotional overload in India A

kind of hysteria has engulfed Calcutta; a hungry, giddy, unctuous obsession which has run through the city from north to south, from slum to opulence. On Wednesday morning India and West Indies stride out at Eden Gardens for the ﬁrst of a twoTest series. One of those 22 men, a little chap, stocky legged with cropped curls, will be the centre of rather more attention than the others. He is Sachin Tendulkar and this is his 199th Test, his ﬁnal series, his penultimate match. The greatest modern batsman, possibly the best since Don Bradman, nears the end of his road. Now 40, Tendulkar is ready for his retirement. India may not be. The Bengal Cricket Association, handed the golden goose of this Test at the last minute by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has renamed the week. This is no ordinary seven days in early November, this is ‘Salute Sachin’ week. The treasurer of the association has been quoted as saying: “There is no Diwali festival. This is Sachin Festival.” All around the city, huge technicolour cut-outs of Tendulkar that dwarf the original are being hammered into place. Two hundred giant screens have been set up for fans to watch the game live. Two exhibitions of photographs of the little master have opened near the ground. A special coin has been minted for the toss. On one side is a casting of Eden Gardens, on the other, Tendulkar’s face. The match tickets have been specially made with a sketch of those cherubic features imprinted into the paper.

Tendulkar with wife Anjali, daughter Sara and son Arjun. When Tendulkar turned up at Eden Gardens on Monday for his first practice session, he was welcomed by a 24-blast confetti and rose petal salute, to commemorate his 24-year career. An applauding line of children wearing Tendulkar embossed T-shirts then lined his way to the dressing room, when he was met by a smiling lifesize waxwork model of himself. Tendulkar, a notoriously private man, if serenely patient, is said to be unamused by all the fuss. But all this is nothing compared to the plans for the match itself – surely dreamt up by an official emerging from a hallucinogenic afternoon. The first day’s ticket comes with a commemorative book. The 68,000 spectators will also each be given a mask of Tendulkar’s face to wear when watching the game. On day two, spectators will find placards by their seats, which, when held up together, form a mammoth Tendulkar head. Day three, marginally less disturbingly, is the scheduled time for the release of 199 balloons printed with, you’ve guessed it.

Day four is a meet and greet with dignitaries and Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, and on day five, the crowning glory of the operation, three two-seater aircraft will scatter 199kg of rose petals on to the ground. At any given time the new album, We Miss You Sachin, by local artist Piloo Bhattacharya, will be played over the public address system. Such is the BCA’s enthusiasm that small mistakes have crept into the operation. There was some embarrassment when the India captain M S Dhoni pointed out a spelling mistake in the huge poster plonked next to the electronic scoreboard which bears the line: “Celebrating Sachine Tendulkar.” There have been complaints too, that only 5,000 tickets have been made available each day to the public, the rest have been given to VIPs, dignitaries, associations, ex-players and members. What remains of that shy 16-year-old who first walked out for India against Pakistan at Karachi, and made 15 before being bowled by Waqar Younis, no one knows. Three years later, Tendulkar played one of the best innings of all time against Australia at the Waca and reminded the elderly Bradman of himself. He has won the World Cup, led his country 25 times, been part of the best Indian team in history. He has been a joy to watch. But it has been nearly three years since he made a Test century – for him, and his dedicated followers, there is no escape from the finger drumming of the hand of time. In his final Reith lecture, Grayson Perry quoted Jennifer Yane: “Art is spirituality in drag.” This week, in Calcutta, substitute art for Tendulkar, and hope that both parties cope with the end that is fast approaching.

ROGER FEDERER DETERMINED TO BOUNCE BACK IN 2014 DESPITE FALL IN ATP WORLD RANKINGS

Roger Federer, regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time

any have asked why Roger Federer continues to tread the boards when he has played all the great roles. As the owner of 17 grand slam titles, he has already delivered his deﬁnitive Hamlet, Macbeth and Henry V. Does

he really want to end his career as the second gravedigger, two or three years down the road? But this question misunderstands Federer’s almost pathological self-belief, as well as his ability to see the upside of every challenge. For this famously serene character is relishing the sense of being the scrapper for once. Everyone knows about his artistry, poise and grace. But now, for the ﬁrst time, Federer is beginning to show his cussed side. “I always knew that eventually

it’s going to be tougher,” Federer told Telegraph Sport. “You can’t just keep on playing, and keep on winning. And that’s why it’s been interesting for me myself to see how I would handle it, to take the bird’s view and see myself battling it. “It’s actually been OK, it’s been a different process. I don’t want to say it’s fun in any way, but it’s refreshing in the sense that I never really had to deal with it to this extent.” Federer is referring to the travails of a year that has seen him slip down

to No 7 in the rankings, the lowest position he has occupied since 2002. If his millions of fans were concerned about his early-season form, they were downright shocked by high-proﬁle defeats to Sergiy Stakhovsky (the world No 116) and Tommy Robredo (in straight sets). Yet Federer never lost his unique ability to turn a racket into a scalpel. What he did mislay for a while was the physical freedom to wield the blade. His back tightened up through the summer months, so that he couldn’t train properly. Then, when it came to match day, he started going for the miracle shot too early in the rally — a bad habit that has taken a while to erase.

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