VOLUME 13 ISSUE 16 by The SUN Newspaper

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

VOLUME 13 - NO. 16

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IMMIGRATION GETTING TOUGH by Hayden Boyce Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

he Immigration Department will be cracking down on persons who are living and working in the Turks and Caicos Islands illegally. Deputy Premier and Minister of Immigration, Border Control and Employment, Hon. Sean Astwood said there will be increased operations with joint law enforcement agencies to detect, apprehend, and prosecute, not only those persons who are illegally residing and illegally employed, but all the residents and employers that aid and abet them. This action, he said, is absolutely necessary because illegal residents are among “the main contributors to the many social ills that our communities face”. Speaking during the budget debate in the House of Assembly on April 18th, 2107, Hon. Astwood said: “We have persons who continue to live and work amongst us who do not have the legal authorization to do so. There are an unknown number of persons who have remained in our country beyond the time their work permits expired and those who never had a work permit. There are those amongst us who have remained beyond the time their visas have expired, and those remaining beyond their temporary work permits. There are the many who have penetrated our borders and found entry illegally into our country by one means or another, but they all continue to live here in less than ideal circumstances. They continue to pull on the fragile resources of our health and education systems, and hold jobs that should be held by persons with the legal right to do so.” Astwood said a major focus for the Immigration and Enforcement Units will be improved compliance and prosecution. He added: “If you stand as surety for a visa applicant, we will begin to hold you to count to make sure that person leaves the country at the expiration of that visa. We must enforce our laws without fear or favour!”

Team TCI returns home from 2017 FLOW Carifta Games

Hon. Astwood noted that over the years, there have been an unprecedented number of work permits issued to foreign nationals without any plan or analysis as to the skills that are required. “This did little but to open the flood gates and in some cases resulted in the displacement of our people in the middle to upper management jobs, that would otherwise have been available to them,” he said. “This trend cannot continue, will not continue, and change, it must! We also recognize that with increasing developments there will be

have made the Turks and Caicos Islands proud. On the final day of the competition, Monday, April 16th, history was made again. Turks and Caicos saw its first medal in the U20 4x100M Girls Relay, and on top of that, these girls became the first females to win a medal at the

a continuing need for migrant workers, and we will facilitate businesses in obtaining the work force they need. However, let me be clear, our people must come first and we will never apologize for this, as we see this as our greatest responsibility. Our people must be afforded every opportunity to grow and succeed in the workplace.” He said the PDM Government has undertaken the initiative to develop and present to the people of these islands, a Population Policy, that will guide the future growth in the residency within the country’s borders.

Husband and wife charged - Page 8 Russia bans - Jehovah Witnesses - Page 38

2017 Flow Carifta Games. The team comprised K-State freshman, Akia Guerrier, national high jump record holder, Sanadia Forbes, Holmwood Tech’s, Helcy-Ann Brianna Sauver, and first time female sprinter, Shavell Sutherland. (See pages 24 and 25 for more photos)

He noted that this policy will highlight the areas of opportunity for immigrants to live and work here and will protect the citizens of these islands, and promote their gainful employment, development and prosperity for decades to come. Astwood, the MP for Five Cays, said the Population Policy will also be formed on the findings of the National Skills Audit, which is 80% completed and which will inform what skills and certifications are available amongst us and those that are required. Continued on Page 2

Student dies in car accident - Page 7

Portia Stubbs-Smith remains MP for The Bight - Page 6

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

IMMIGRATION GETTING TOUGH

Continued from Page 1 “This audit is critical to the future of these islands and it is long overdue. The National Skills Audit, in addition to being used to help form the Population Policy, it must also help form our immigration, health, and education policies, to ensure that these systems are also offering the appropriate programs and framework that would meet the needs of our current workforce, even while developing a more desirable labour pool for our developing nation,” he continued. Astwood said it is the aim of his Ministry to reduce the timeframe for the processing of work permit applications, across the board, and enable greater scrutiny of applications, to ensure that the persons being requested are absolutely needed, and capable of fulfilling the work which

they are committing to do. He added that the Integrated Border Management System initiative that began in 2016/17 will become the key mechanism for the processing of Labour Clearances, Work Permits, Visas, and Permanent Residency Certificates. Budget allocation has been made for the inclusion of the registration and citizenship processes, as well as the digitizing and archiving of files. “These e-services will not only streamline processes, but will also provide greater efficiency, and shorter processing time for customer applications. This border management system will further provide my enforcement officers with real time data and reports on the status of individuals in our country thereby aiding in the combat against

illegal migration, illegal residency, and illegal employment,” said Astwood. To address the threat of international security, terrorism, and the activities of transnational organized crime, the Immigration Department will be implementing an Advance Passenger Information System, in conjunction with the Governments of CARICOM countries, and the Government of the United States of America, for the improvement in the security of the territory from exposure to high risk individuals and commodities being transported via air and sea travel into and out of the country. This will be accomplished through the sharing of passenger information prior to arrival in and departure from our Turks and Caicos Islands.

Deputy Premier and Minister of Border Control and Employment Hon. Sean Astwood

Young business leaders travel to the Netherlands for Providenciales Incubator

Providenciales Chamber of Commerce Young Corporate Alliance The presidents of the Providenciales Chamber of Commerce and the Young Corporate Alliance, Kyle Smith and Dominique Rolle, travelled to Eindhoven, the Netherlands on April 10th to April 12th, 2017 to partake in an Incubator Exchange Program facilitated by COSME, the European Union programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). A Business Incubator for Providenciales The Young Corporate Alliance, a not-for-profit support network for local entrepreneurs 18-40 has advocated since its inception in 2015 for a business incubator on the island of Providenciales to provide affordable co-working office and creative innovation space for start-up businesses. The vision to establish a purpose built facility providing affordable office amenities, business tools and mentorship, financing and angel investment partnerships, networking opportunities and

organic cross-industry exchanges was set into motion at Invest Turks and Caicos’Enhancing National Competitiveness Conference on September 1st, 2016. Whilst addressing the audience of hoteliers, investors, industry leaders, and public servants,YCA team leader Dominique Rolle proposed a public-private partnership to build the incubator in 2017. The proposal found immediate support from Invest Turks and Caicos, the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development, and private sector partners such as the Digicel Group and Grace Bay Resorts. A working committee was then formed in late 2016. That team has to date secured a physical locationfor the first phase of the incubator and the funds to renovate it. Having been made aware of this progress, COSME invited the young business leaders to participate in an Incubator Exchange Program in one of the world’s leading capitals for business incubation, technology, and creative start-ups: Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

Incubator Exchange in Eindhoven, the Netherlands Over the course of three days, Smith and Rolle exchanged incubator business plans, budgets, architectural designs, operational systems, inspirations, and short term and longterm goals with Maarten Hendriks and John Sandiford of the Founded By All Creative Business Hub in Strijp-S, Eindhoven. Of this exchange, the Chamber of Commerce president Kyle Smith said, “Being guided by the Funded by All team through brainstorming sessions reassured us of our planned approach toward conceptual design of the space and practical operation of the incubator, its phased implementation, and eventual expansion. We intend to develop a state of the art facility equipped with the resources and tools to ensure greater development of local entrepreneurs and their ideas.” The exchange also provided the Turks and Caicos delegation the opportunity to connect with innovative companies led by young entrepreneurs operating successfully

within co-working spaces. A visit to High Tech Campus Eindhoven, one of the world’s leading locations for hightech venture development and startup activity paired Smith and Rolle with teams of young designers developing self-driven vehicles, smart underwear, and muscle ultrasound technology. At Microlab, a co-working building for makers and creators, the TCI team met with its 26-year-old CEO, Luuk Visser who guided a tour of multiple floors of co-working spaces supporting a diverse range of over 100 companies. Upon returning home to apply the knowledge gained during the exchange, Dominique Rolle said, “It came at the right time. We’re moving strongly through the design phase and from design to construction with a view to complete the first phase of the incubator in 2017. Our experience in Eindhoven was priceless in its generous provision of information, inspiration, and shared experiences from other young entrepreneurs and incubator founders. We’re excited to this vision become a reality.”

APRIL 22TH, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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LOCAL NEWS

Portia Stubbs-Smith remains MP for The Bight

By Todeline Defralien Hon. Portia Stubbs-Smith of the Progressive National Party (PNP) will remain the MP for The Bight, after Chief Justice Margaret RamsayHale dismissed an election petition brought by George Pratt of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM). After the ruling was handed down on Thursday April 20th StubbsSmith said she was pleased with the court’s decision and happy that the matter has come to an end. “I am happy that it’s over. I am happy that this process is completed and I believe that the people of Turks and Caicos and The Bight deserve to have work continue in their constituency and have their voice heard and be represented. I believe that Mr. (George) Pratt was a good opponent and I’ll say better luck to him next time, but my faith in God has been very strong during this time and I want to say thank you to the Progressive National Party (PNP) and to all my sisters who surrounded me on a daily basis and prayed with me and held my hand up during this time.” Stubbs-Smith stressed the she is the Member of Parliament for The Bight so it doesn’t matter which colour people represent or which party they represent. Meantime, George Pratt told the SUN, “I felt that it took a long time. I wish that this process had come to an end sometime back. I am happy that today is the day that I can put this behind me and that I can move forward with my life and begin to chart new courses. I am very thankful to persons in my constituency, my supporters, and people of my People’s Democratic Party (PDM) for their support during the general elections and throughout this process and I am very thankful.” Pratt stated that he is going to go on with his life and he wish the MP Miss. Stubbs Smith the very best and hope that she delivers for the people of ED6. He added: “For me I am always active in politics. I’ll always be around. For now I can’t speak to 2020 but I can guarantee you will hear me or see me somewhere around politics throughout

this process and up to 2020 but as a candidate I can’t speak on that right now.” In the December 15th, 2016 general elections, Stubbs-Smith was declared winner by one (1) vote, after several recounts and both candidates’ names placed in a box and draw was done. She received 285 votes, Pratt got 284 and Dozzlie “Mister” Delancy of the Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA), 38. Queen’s Counsel Ariel Misick is Stubbs-Smith’s lawyer, while Attorney General Rhondalee Brathwaite-Knowles appeared for the Supervisor of Elections Dudley Lewis, returning officer, Arthur Forbes and presiding officer Lucile Campbell. In a petition dated December 22nd 2016, Pratt sought to have the election of Mrs. Stubbs-Smith declared null and void and that he be declared as the duly elected member of the House of Assembly for the Bight. According to the court ruling, it transpired that, during the course of Election Day, one Kirlyah Rigby attended at the Polling Station but was not permitted to vote as her name was not on the list for ED 6. The Returning Officer made enquiries of the Supervisor of Election on her behalf and was advised that the Register of Electors has been corrected and that Ms. Rigby was indeed entitled to vote in that district. A few hours later, the Supervisor of Elections sent an addendum to the voter’s list and Ms. Rigby was permitted to cast her vote. Also appearing in that addendum as registered to vote in ED 6 are Berniquea Smith and Lucille Gardiner. The Chief Justice stated: “The uncontroverted evidence of the Supervisor of Elections is that Ms. Rigby was a registered elector. Her claim to be registered as a voter in ED 6, instead of ED 5 where she had been previously registered to vote, was assented to by the Supervisor of Elections. The Register of Electors was amended and the Governor advised of the amendment by email on 13 December 2016. She was, therefore, entitled under the Constitution to vote in ED 6. In order to permit her vote on Election Day, the list of voters which

MP for The Bight Hon. Porsha Stubbs-Smith

George Pratt

had been delivered to the polling station had to be amended. This was done by the Supervisor of Election who caused an amendment to the list to be delivered to the polling station.” She added: “In my judgment, the

Supervisor of Elections acted properly. To hold otherwise would not be to promote the main object of the Ordinance or the relevant Constitutional provision.”

SUPERMERCARDO DOMINICANO/E & R SUPERMARKET is seeking applications from suitably qualified candidates for the following position. The successful applicant must:

IN HOUSE AIR CONDITION/REFRIGERATION TECHNICIAN -Have a proven and unblemished track record of employment -Have a valid Driver’s Licence. -Have at least 5 years’ experience and proven track record in refrigeration repair maintenance, will be responsible for maintenance, servicing repair and installation of the company’s refrigeration systems, equipment and supplies. -Positive and disciplined attitude toward work. -Trustworthy and reliable disposition. -Must be willing and able to work flexible hours, including on weekends and Public Holidays, and readily on call as necessary to meet the challenging needs of the company’s businesses and affiliated companies.

Cee’s Plaza, Suite No. 1 Church Folly PO Box 86 Grand Turk Turks & Caicos Islands

Supermercardo Domincano/E & R Supermarket c/o EPIC Corporate & Consultancy Services Ltd. Phone: 649-946-1570 Fax: 649-946-1571 Email: epic@epiccorporate.com

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

More economic growth, says Premier Cartwright-Robinson The Turks and Caicos Islands is expected to experience economic growth of more than 4 percent in 2017, according to Premier Hon. Sharlene CartwrightRobinson. This, she said, comes at a time when most of our regional counterparts are struggling to achieve growth of 1 percent. Delivering her first budget on April 18th 2017, the Premier said the Statistics Department feels that this growth will be facilitated by an “uptick” in public investment and other large-scale projects, and should stabilize at a potential rate of 3 percent over the medium term. “However, my Government understands that any prospect for long-term growth will require a continuous, concerted effort to create an environment that is conducive for private sector investment. This can only be achieved by simplifying the investment approval process, and removing other barriers, which affect investment decisions and profitability,” she said. The Premier said the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) Government will continue the process of enhancing labor market legislations and putting measures in place, which will target education programs that will help to improve labor productivity and mobility across all sectors of the economy, which will help to eliminate the issues of unemployment among citizens. “We campaigned on the need for a labour skills assessment and as shadow minister for Border Control, I continued the call for this exercise and we are grateful that the former Government began this exercise and this Government of “change” will ensure that National Skills Assessment Report is used to assist in building country,” she added. “My Government will continue the process of finding ways of reducing the cost of doing business in the Turks and Caicos Islands, specifically in terms of obtaining the different licenses to operate, obtaining critical work permit and labour clearances and obtaining construction permits. My Government will also explore the potential for expansion and diversification of our economy, which will help the country in achieving sustained economic growth going forward.” The Premier noted that the attainment of sustainable economic growth will be one of the main policy actions of her Government over the next four years. “I want the people of the Turks and Caicos to know that their Government understand and has accepted that economic growth is not a sufficient condition for equitable development. Hence, the Government will ensure that the economic growth of this country is felt by all members of our society. Our GDP per capital may be considered high when compared to our regional counterparts, we understand that this is just an average and there are of the view that this GDP per capital figure does not represent adequately. It is for this reason that my Government will put measures in place to address the recommendations outlined in the 2012 Country Poverty Assessment. This will ensure that all of our people prosper,” she added. She noted that as they continue to finalize the Turks and Caicos Islands financial data, the preliminary results for fiscal year 2016-17 shows a potential, Net Operating Balance of $35.7 million. Revenues for the year totaled roughly $267.2 million and was approximately $11.5 million or 4.5% above the budgeted amount while being marginally above the previous year’s results. This positive variance is accredited to the positive movements in the real estate industry resulting in stamp duties on land transactions and strong performance in the tourism sector, she said. The Premier, who is also Minister of Finance, said the preliminary results show that Operating Expenses and Staff Costs were approximately $8 million or 4% below planned expenditure. In the case of the development fund expenditure for the fiscal year, including projects that were noted for 2015-16 was $23.4 million. That is approximately $18 million below budget projects. “However, I am happy to report that Cabinet has noted that the remaining projects for contracts will be signed shortly,” she added She said the planned expenditure for 2017-18 is $267.9 million that is, 6.2% higher than the approved budget for 2016-17 and 5% higher than the revised budget. Recurrent Expenditure of $223.5 million is 83% of the total expenditure and 82% of recurrent revenue; Non-Recurrent Expenditure of $6.0 million is 2% of

expenditure. Capital expenditure is $38.3 million or 14% of total expenditure. Staff costs account for $89.2 million or 32.6% of recurrent revenue and 40% of recurrent expenditure. It is 10% over the Original Budget and 17.8% over the forecast outturn. Included in this budget are over (150) vacant posts of which approximately (100) are newly created vacancies. *18 new police Officers * 7 immigration Officers *19 Home Affairs - 10 prison officers (5 were approved in the fifth Sup). * 10 Officers in the Ministry of Finance - 5 customs Officers * 4 new positions in the AGC * 10 New positions Education * 6 New Positions in the Ministry of Tourism * 9 new positions in Ministry of Health * 5 Infrastructure, Housing and Planning * 1 for the DPP’s office, * 1 for DG’s Office to support the Performance Appraisal Process * 1 Judiciary Pensions and gratuities expenses account for $6.2 million or just under 2% of recurrent revenue and 2.69% of recurrent expenditure. This is 6.92% over the previous year’s budget allocation. “ In this budget, it is assumed that at least two former legislators will attain pensionable age during the period resulting in lump sum gratuity payments,”she said. “Local Travel and Subsistence is $2.6 million 1.5% lower than the revised budget of 201617 and 1.16% of the recurrent expenses. My Government will seek to put measures in place to reduce the local travel and hope to realize much needed savings in this area. “ She noted that international travel and subsistence has been reduced by 13.7% over the revised budget and accounts for 0.74% of recurrent expenses and further savings will be realized as the year advances, as my Government commits to a review of the current travel policy inherited from her predecessors. Utility and communication expenses accounts for 2.4% of recurrent expenses and is 5.4% lower than the revised budget for 2016-17. Rental of Assets 3.18% lower than the revised budget for 2016-17 and 2.2% of total costs. Rental charges are expected to be reduced exponentially as the Government invest in the acquisition of properties. A further $1m has been allocated for compulsory acquisition in the financial year. “It is my Government’s plan to invite Official Proposals later this year for the building of a Government Complex in Providenciales. It is so important to lift the image and establish a true Government presence in Providenciales,” the Premier added. Subvention Charges (Excluding NHIB) is $12.0 million is 4% of revenue and 5% of expenses. It is reflected as 5% lower than the 2016/17 revised budget because the National Audit Office has been removed from Subvention to a Department of Government. The Integrity Commission’s budget has increased by 17.9% over the revised budget. The Community College’s subvention has been increased by 22.5% over the original estimates of 2016-17. She noted that for the financial year 2017/18 this Government has committed to undertake a review of the financial and governance structures and operations of all statutory bodies across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Hosting and Entertainment has been reduced by 20% over the 2016-17 revised budget. It now accounts for 0.32% of the recurrent expenses. Training expense across ministries, have been increased by 16.5% and now accounts for 0.33% of the budget. Approximately, $23.9 million will be transferred to the NHIB to facilitate the treatment abroad programme, and subsidize the health care costs for Wards of the State, the indigent population and utility charges for the hospitals. Whilst this allocation is 9.0% lower than the revised budget for 2016-17 it accounts for 10.4% of the recurrent budget, she reported. Infrastructure unitary payments for the hospitals is budgeted at $19.6m. Overall transfer for the operations of the cumulative 30 bed health facilities in Grand Turk (10) and Providenciales (20) is

Premier and Minister of Finance Hon. Sharlene CartwrightRobinson a minimum of $50.8 million. Maintenance allocation is $8.6 million or 4% of recurrent expenses and 3% of recurrent revenue. The Minister of Finance said the Contingency Fund is now at $7m or 3% of the recurrent budget is $2m higher than the approved budget for 2016-17. The major areas of spending in the budget are: 1. $66.7m or 25.0% of total expenditure for the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services and $62.7 million of recurrent expenses. It is approximately 1% lower than the revised budget. This is primarily because the subvention to the NHIP has been reduced by approximately $2 million. 2. $41.0m or 15.3% of total expenditure for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Library Services. That is $29.5m of recurrent expenditure or 5% over the revised budget of 201617and 11.5 million in Capital Expenditure. Capital Expenditure allocations for Long Bay Phase 3 - $ 2m. A new primary school in Providenciales is being funding through the EDF 11 programme. 3. $24.5m or 9.3 % of the total budget for the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning. That is $16.4 million for recurrent expenses and $8.2 million for Capital expenses. This amount includes $4.0m for road repairs and improvements. 4. $29.8m or 11% of total expenditure for the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Funding has been allocated to support the CCTV programme across specific areas and 18 new staff. That is 25.2million for recurrent expenses and 4.7 million for Capital expenses. This is 1.5% higher than the revised budget for 2016-17. Of note, $1.2 million has been redirected from the SIPT programme to the operational budget for the Police. 5. $20.3m or 7.6% for the Ministry of Finance, Trade and Investment; $19.0 million for recurrent expenses or 6.7% above the revised budget for 201617. Capital expenses $1.2. The portfolio ministry will oversee CDB Solid Waste Management program, Sea Defense, Rebasing of the National accounts and a national housing and listing exercise. 6. $14.8m or 5.5% - can be announced for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communications including 10 new staff for the Prison and two for the Fire Department. A National Emergency Operation Centre is being proposed over the two years 2017-18 and 2018-19. 7. $9.9m or 3.7% for the Office of the Deputy Premier and Ministry of Border Control and Employment. This is a 9.4% increase in recurrent expenses over the revised budget for 2016-17. The allocation to recurrent expense is $8.2 million and $1.7 million in Capital expenses. 8. $9.5m or 3.5% for the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture. With recurrent budget allocation of $7.5 million or 3.0% ahead of the revised budget for the prior year. Capital expenditure is $2million 9. There will be a $9.6m or 3.6% of the total budget for the Judicial Administration of which 9.5 million is being allocated for recurrent expenses. Allocation for the SIPT programme is $5.4 million that is approximately $1.1 million or 10.4% lower than the revised budget for the previous year. 10. Finally, there will be $7m or 2.6% of the total budget for the Attorney General’s Chambers. Recurrent expenses will account for $6.4 million which is 1.3% lower than the revised budget. Capital Expenditure for the AGC is $550,000. Within the proposed budget there will also be:  $18.4m for pensions and gratuities, contingency fund and debt servicing.  $6.6m for the Governor’s Office  $3.3m for the House of Assembly  $2.5m for the Premier’s Office and District Administration  $2.3m for the Deputy Governor’s Office  $1.6m for the Director of Public Prosecutions

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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LOCAL NEWS

Student dies in car accident

Mario Powell, a student of the Clement Howell High School, died in a fatal accident on South Dock Road, Providenciales, on Wednesday 19th April 2017. Around 3:54 p.m. on that date, police and other emergency services were dispatched to the location after reports of a collision involving a Black Nissan Skyline right-hand drive car with two male occupants and a garbage truck. On arrival, officers found the car partially clinched underneath the front bumper of the truck with extensive damages to its passenger side. The truck had minor damages to its

bumper. Both occupants of the car received serious injuries. The driver of the car, Lorenzo Francis, was taken to the hospital by ambulance and is stated in serious condition. Powell succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on scene by a doctor. Preliminary Inquiries revealed that the Black Nissan car was heading north out of South Dock when upon negotiating the curve it collided with the garbage truck that was stationary alongside the left side of the road facing a southern direction. Jaws of Life was used to assist with getting access to the passengers of the Nissan car.

Mario Powell

Lorenzo Francis

Invest Turks and Caicos seeks new CEO The island’s investment promotion agency, Invest Turks & Caicos, is seeking to recruit a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead it following the resignation of its current head. Together with the Statutory Body’s Board, the new CEO is expected to spearhead implementation of the Government’s economic development strategy, which includes

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encouraging and supporting local and overseas investment; overseeing financial and technical support for local Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); and supporting the development of a more effective and sustainable business environment. The Agency’s outgoing CEO, John Rutherford, who will depart his office on 31 May, said: “The agency has a very supportive Board

and a strong and experienced team. I wish my replacement every success in taking the Agency to the next level. If Invest Turks and Caicos is successful in achieving its objectives, then the whole country should benefit.’’ Advertisements for the position, providing full details about the position, can be found on several local media platforms. The closing date for applications to be received is May 12th, 2017.

TURKY WING RIDDIM By: TCI MOST WANTED

rom the passionate and powerful “Close to you” with R.I.G himself featuring Blinga; which delivers lyrics that invite a celebratory side of life, love, and the relation of such, delivered in a melodic and sexy manner to the pulsating thumps showcased in the legendary Smooth T’s feature. Smooth T himself is a multi-album independent recording artist whose individuality adds a calypso flair to the riddim. His incredible upbeat attitude and positive energy combine to make the perfect “Dance Song”.

Entertainment Mogul L32 is always inspired to relieve the monotony of routine and chooses to accentuate his admiration and appreciation for his beautiful “Turks Island Woman” with his hit single. Not only does this track demonstrate his dedication to the country, but specifies his patriotism and devotion to his TCI ladies inherently. The powerful and incisive duet by Choice and Tess reaches deep for a soulful expression of self- motivation and selfappreciation in a troubled world. “Number One” was intended to shine a light in dark times with vigorous and

energetic beats of encouragement. The duo crammed as much positivity and gratitude into it as possible. If you know DJ Shakes, it comes as no surprise that he has established himself as one of the true, positive leaders and motivational entertainers within the Turks and Caicos Islands. TCI’s Most wanted DJ, aspiring music producer and distinguished promoter; Andy Williams, commonly known as DJ Shakes has collaborated with the renowned R.I.G MusicTM to successfully release his first of many productions, “the Turkey Wing Riddim”. The pair drives supporters through a mesmerizing journey that unleashes a monumental statement of production and composition artistry. The production promotes Local artists exclusively in an attempt to showcase TCI Talent on a global scale. The combined ensemble of brilliant vocalists and collaborations with some of TCI’s most respected and most talented in the industry offers up immersive soundtracks that seamlessly blend rhythmic beats with intricate and powerful melodies. Shakes is simply an eccentric soul ready to share his passion for music and entertainment to the world and this production demonstrates depth and prolific range as elite producers in the entertainment industry.

These songs are here to be your alarm clock, your road trip anthem, your secret happy dance, the soundtrack to a mountaintop excursion with the ‘squad’. Each track on the Riddim possesses influential rhythms that exude positive, feel-good vibes resulting in a beautifully complex masterpiece. The entire Riddim can be found on Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Apple Music and iTunes. More is soon to be unveiled on the hot new Riddim. Shakes is trying to make as much of an impact with this production as possible, so he encourages everyone to please spread it far and wide, and if the Riddim resonates with you, please consider supporting this project . Shakes is eager to inspire, train and assist. His enthusiasm for his craft is more than just DJing, it engulfs the entire realm of entertainment. It comprises him being a role model and using the platform to make a difference for the up and coming. His intention is to create opportunities for individuals in the industry that have little to no access to advancement. DJ Shakes continues to thank his fans and clients for their tremendous love and support. He guarantees that there is much more excitement, entertainment and opportunity to come. Look out!

DJs and media interested in submitting a track, please use the contact information below. Contact info: Andy Williams 649-441-5801 649shakes@gmail.com

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

New Customs officers hired The Office of the Deputy Governor is pleased to announce the appointment of the following staff within the Turks and Caicos Islands Government Customs Department. Sandria Deane, Phillipa Mayhem, Akerra Williams, and Marylee Wilson are Customs Officers, while Mario Austin is an assistant Customs Officer Andrex Handfield has been promoted from the post of Assistant Customs Officer to Customs Officer. Deputy Governor, Hon. Anya Williams said, “Congratulations is extended to the recent appointees and successful promotions within the Turks and Caicos Islands Customs Department. These persons participated in a rigorous recruitment exercise conducted earlier this year and arose as the top candidates.” She added: “We welcome our new starters to the Turks and Caicos Islands civil service and extend our

Turks and Caicos Sun Suite#5, Airport Plaza Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands Tel: (649) 348-6838 Fax: (649) 941-3281 Email: sun@suntci.com Read us online at www.suntci.com

congratulations to Mr. Handfield on his recent promotion. As members of our Front Line Law Enforcement team we wish you all the best in your new roles and would like to commend you for taking up these key appointments. As we work to strengthen

our law enforcement systems and to improve efficiency across government, a second batch of recruits will take up employment later this year, with the advertisement process already underway.”

Husband and wife arrested and charged Detectives of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force have arrested and charged a 36-year-old female and her 30-year-old husband of Leeward Palms with handling stolen goods in connection with a report that was made on Friday 7th April 2017. On that date, a complainant

reported to police that around 8:55 p.m., he was at his home in Belglade Gardens when he was robbed by three masked men dressed in dark clothing with guns in their possession. He further stated that one of the males pistol-whipped him to the left side of his head causing an injury.

The culprits got away with a 2008 Silver Nissan Skyline car, Xbox game and a Jamaican passport. The victim was taken to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre and was later released. The duo are also arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary and robbery in connection to other reports.

PROVO WATER COMPANY LTD. Position Summary

Description of Duties •Designing of overall water distribution schemes and associated structures such as pumping stations, pipe works and earthworks where necessary. •Formulations of technical policies governing operational procedures in the building, renovation and expansion of the water distribution infrastructures and the proper utilization of material resources; •Development and maintenance of standards and practices for water installation and engineering practices within the company; •Transacts and negotiates with consulting engineers, government departments, others utilities, contractors and suppliers on works required by the company or as solicited by any government or private entity for the best interest of PWC; •Organizes work activities within the engineering department and delegate task among engineering staff in accordance with the level of importance and priorities as required in the distribution and maintenance; •Set up and maintain a data base that will consolidate all generated technical and administrative data from the engineering and distribution that will serve as primary source of information and reference in PWC’s future undertakings; •Carry out and implement all other activities for the engineering department as mandated and required by the Managing Director which includes among others the following: •Design of capital works, preparation of drawings and contract documents •Provision of standard specification for all material requirement in the distribution works •Implement health and safety, safe working procedures within the engineering and distribution department •Gathers data of meter readings for use in the billing and technical

Graphic designer Information Technology and Production Manager: Kelano Howell Todeline Defralien Reporter

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.

analysis •Conducts investigative and analysis works arising from technical complaints •Carry out land surveys for distribution requirement or in drawing out quotations •Coordinates main testing, flushing and sterilization function •Formulates leak detection plans and activities •Updates the mainlaying programmes •Prepares reports and technical information as required by the Managing Director •Attends meeting and seminar for the furtherance and upliftment of engineering operation •Supervises and controls all other technical activities as delegated by the Managing Director.

Provo Water Company Limited is seeking a Qualified Chartered Engineer to fill the position of Head of Engineering.

The Head of Engineering Department of Provo Water Company shall manage, supervise and oversee the over-all technical operation of the company’s water distribution system including but not limited to the development of piping structural plans and the subsequent implementation thereof. This includes the following duties and responsibilities:

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Hayden Boyce

Performs all other delegated functions from the Managing Director that is in line with engineering works and in consonance with the existing rules, policies and standards of Provo Water Company. Education Successful applicant requires an accredited bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. A post-graduate degree in civil engineering or water related field is preferred. Relevant professional qualification is required. Desired Experience Applicant must have 7 to 10 years of progressive civil engineering experience, including previous supervisory duties. Experience in water supply utility environment is a must. Candidate should have a strong analytical background with a proven record of achievement. Salary Salary starts at $63,000 p.a. plus benefits Deadline All applications (inclusive of cover letter, CV & copies of qualifications) must be submitted by 29th April 2017 to: Managing Director PO Box 39 Provo Water Company Limited Grace Bay Road Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands provowater@tciway.tc Only applicants selected for an interview will be notified

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alexandra resort | beach house | blue haven resort

BUILDING LEADERS WHILE EMPOWERING STAFF ONE STEP AT A TIME

Team members from the Turks & Caicos Collection were afforded the opportunity to partake in a series of computer training courses to enhance their computer skills and knowledge. As a result, the company was delighted to take it a step further and present several team members with their very own laptop computers in support of their continuous career development. Congratulations, we are extremely proud of your accomplishments and look forward to continuously supporting you in becoming the best hospitality and tourism professionals!

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Blue Haven Resort bluehaventci.com contact@bluehaventci.com +1.855.832.7667 +1.649.946.9900

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

TCI should establish its own committee on the UK’s divorce from the EU Brexit Decisions Being Made For Us Without Us Will Hurt Turks And Caicos

By Mark Fulford On June 23rd 2016, the People of the UK decided that they wanted a divorce from the European Union. As most of us are aware, TCI is just one of the UK’s 14 overseas territories. The UK did not count us enough to allow us to vote on the question of whether we wanted to remain a part of the EU. Neither did they care enough to ask the other OT’s not even their favorite territory Bermuda to vote on whether to remain in the EU or not. However, the UK did ask their socalled “rock” Gibraltar to vote on the divorce from the EU. 90% of Gibraltar voted to remain a part of the EU. The repercussions of the UK divorcing itself from the EU have major consequences and the UK has gone into overdrive establishing a plethora of committees to examine and negotiate a super sweet deal as a part of the divorce settlement. The UK or as some like to call it, our Mother’s divorce, will have major consequences for us. Consequences that will hit us in the pocket, even down to our little children will be hit right in their backpack. Let me explain, although, we like to boast that we are no longer on grant and aid, which is somewhat true to the literal sense, we are however on grants from the EU. In the past, the EU has given us grant upon grant through the EDF (European Development

Fund) which the most renown use has been the building of the Twin Islands Causeway. Funds from the EU also helped in the rebuilding of homes destroyed by Hurricane Hanna and Ike, and it is proposed to be used to aid in the building of an additional Primary School in Provo. Leaving the EU may mean TCI no longer has access to the EDF and therefore funds which are committed for various projects including the building of this new primary school may fall away. In addition, Leaving the EU will have significant impact on the freedom of movement and employment for us in EU member countries and no doubt will shrink the clout of the UK passport upon which a great deal of Turks and Caicos Islanders rely on for access, business and general travel. As a country, having experienced these benefits of being a part of the EU, it is unconscionable for the UK to drag us away from all of these benefits, without the courtesy of having a say in what is best for us. A many good number of us, do appreciate the relationship with the EU and the vast benefits that having a direct relationship will bring to us. The European Declaration of Human Rights more than the British constitution has given protection to our democracy. In fact, it was the EU that found the Interim Government of “one man rule” so repugnant as to have insisted on elections; ending our

Mark Fulford constitutional suspension. It is therefore wise that our Government should establish a Brexit committee to: 1.Produce a set of TCI recommendations for a continued relationship with the EU; 2.Educate and inform our citizens of the importance of TCI’s relationship with the EU. 3.Inform the British Government and the EU of our perspective;

4.Examine how best we may continue the TCI relationship with the EU without the UK, 5.Have the UK negotiate for TCI said recommendations synchronized with the UK Divorce settlement; failing which a TCI Brexit committee would have to simply advance the position ourselves. * Mark Fulford, is the Managing Partner of F Chambers Attorneys, one of the leading law firms in TCI.

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APRIL 22TH, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 29TH, 2017

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

TCI Community College students return from educational tour By Todeline Defralien Students from the TCI community college both Grand Turk and Providenciales campus were on educational tours in Washington DC, Jamaica and Canada and now are back home to share their experiences. During a press conference at the Providenciales Community College on Wednesday April 19th 2017 the students shared their experience and spoke about what they learnt from the educational trip. Business students, hospitality students and building and design students were given the opportunity to travel abroad to experience educational tours as part of their course. These trips were made possible by sponsors and numerous fundraising events held by the community college throughout the year. Public Relations Officer for the Turks and Caicos Community College Rachel Harvey said, “We’ve had a number of students who went on educational tours to three different countries and we wanted to let everyone know where they went and what they learnt while there. We had the social work group from the Grand Turk campus who visited Jamaica; we had the Business group that went to Washington DC and our Building

Lecturers and some of the students who went on the educational tour. and Hospitality & Tourism group that went to Canada.” From the Grand Turk campus (social work group) there were a group of five students and two lecturers and a parent that visited Jamaica. “They wanted to see something beyond Turks and Caicos because we know our society is small and there may be some cases that they would see there that they wouldn’t encounter here as a part of their work, growth and development in the area so the purpose of the trip was to expose them to see a greater spectrum of the social work,” Harvey added. With this being their first time on the trip, while in Jamaica the delegation from Grand Turk campus were exposed to a number of

situations, people and issues that they will have to encounter in the field. The students visited the Jamaica’s children home and the Belleview hospital where they got glimpse incase anything were to open in TCI on a smaller scale they will have an idea on how things will work. The Building and design students said their aim was to observe the architectural similarities and differences between Canada and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Arbilene St. Paul who is a two year student in the Building Design & Technology course at the Providenciales campus said, “The Building & Design team main focus was to focus on the architectural and heritage aspect of Canada. We got to go on the different sites and tours such

as the Skylon Tower which was very tall and where we saw the overview of Niagara Falls and some of the other skyscrapers and buildings within the view.” For the Business students their focus was on politics this year. Stacy-Ann Lawerence Lecturer in the Business Department at the Providenciales campus added: “Our students do introduction to politics so we thought that it would be fitting for them to just have a view of politics outside of the Turks and Caicos, hence Washington. While we were there we were able to do a few tours, one of which is that we visited Mount Vernon which is the home of the first US President. We were able to see artifacts that were a true reflection of his time in office and where it all stemmed from there to now.” Some of the other areas that the Business students visited on their trip to Washington DC included The White House, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the Arlington National Cemetery. The TCI Community College hosts these trips annually and students look forward to going and learning from the educational tours each year.

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LOCAL NEWS

1st annual National Career Recruitment Expo to be held in May 2017 By Todeline Defralien Deputy Premier and Minister of Border Control and Employment Hon. Sean Astwood announced while giving his first 100 days report, a commitment to hosting the first ever National Career Recruitment Expo. “We promised to immediately conduct a nationwide unemployment drive and I am happy to report to this country and to the people of the Turks and Caicos that the first annual National Career Recruitment Expo will take place early in the month of May,” Hon Astwood said during a press conference held last week Tuesday April 4th, 2017, where each of the Cabinet Ministers gave detailed accounts of their accomplishments and stated their future plans that will help with the growth and development throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands.

He added: “The reason why it has such a big and fancy name and something more than just a job fair that would have been done in the past is because it’s intended to do so much more. We’re including elements such as job readiness workshops and job placement fair to make sure that persons come in early, sign up and they get trained and that puts them in a better position to land a job once an interview is secured for them.” Astwood stressed that this workshop is important because a number of individuals tend to show up to interviews unprepared, not dressed properly and not having their resumes written or structured properly. This workshop will deal with those issues. “The idea of the workshop is really to pull our people to the very best scenario that makes them successful when conducting an interview. Fivesix days basically after the workshop

Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands Paradise Smiles is looking to fill the following positions:

Dental Nurse/Assistant Job Duties: •Checking gums and teeth for oral abnormalities •Taking and developing dental x-rays •Educating patients on oral hygiene •Developing care plans for maintaining good dental hygiene •Smoothing and polishing restorations •Fluoride administration and sealant applications •Administering local anesthetic •Removing stains and plaque •Preparing and maintaining dental instruments, supplies and equipment.

General Dentist Job Duties: The jobholder must have a Degree

Deputy Premier and Minister of Border Control and Employment Hon. Sean Astwood is when the job fair element of the National Career Recruitment Expo would happen. We have already begun to partner with business groups like the Hotel and Tourism Association and we’re engaging the Chamber

of Commerce as well. We have already begun to talk to individual companies about partnering up with the Government in the Employment Services Department to be a part of that project,” he explained. Astwood said that all of the companies contacted have shown very enthusiastic interest in being a part of this event. “The intention is to be annual and it will also be held on the different islands North Caicos, Grand Turk and South Caicos as well to make sure that persons on the other islands are well secured in jobs,” the minister added. The idea for this workshop is to get as many people who are not currently on a job or who are looking for career changes into jobs as possible. Students from the Community College will be part of the project and also students graduating in the month of June this year.

in Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) or Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) as they will be responsible for diagnosing and treating patients at multiple locations. The responsibility of the Jobholder will be to: •Provide a full range of extensive treatments (preventative, restorative and surgical), examples include the giving of injections for infiltrations and nerve blocks, the extraction of teeth, the cutting of cavities with high speed rotary instruments. •Plan the appropriate order of treatment, implement, and interpret / refine as treatment progresses to final stage. •Discuss specific treatment plans, if appropriate, analyze patient information and adapt for individual needs. •Analyze patient information and adapt treatment if appropriate. •Treat patient groups including children and adults and those with multiple complex needs. Understand the needs of patients with anxiety and disabilities and carry out their treatment accordingly.

Pay will commensurate with qualifications and experience. Please submit applications to email: paradise.smiles12@gmail.com

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

Lapels Express Laundry Center Blue Hills opening L

apels Express customer viewing, soap Laundry Center, and snack bar, kids play Millennium Highway, area, indoor and outdoor Blue Hills had its grand seating and much more. opening on Wednesday Lapels Express April 19, 2017. Laundry Center Blue Lapels Express Hills is open daily from Laundry Center newest 6:30 am to 9pm, Monday location features the to Thursday and 6am to best selection of high 10pm Friday to Sunday. Lapels Express efficiency, state-of-the- art washers and dryers. Laundry Center, The new facility the cleaner faster has all the amenities Laundromat. for your comfort and convenience. Free Wi- Contact us at 442-4663. Fi, flat screen TVs for

APRIL 22TH, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

Everyday habits that may be aging your skin By Dr. Marsha Barnett In an era where we are constantly bombarded with advertisements on the newest antiaging creams, the key to turning on our youthful gene may actually lie in our everyday habits. Here are some things you might be able to alter to increase how well you feel whilst reducing how old you look. You are always stressed If you are constantly running from one task to the other and never finding time for relaxation, you aren’t only damaging your health in general but it might be showing on your face as well. Several studies show that chronic stress triggers the release of free radicals that damage cells and are responsible for aging. So, pace yourself and find relaxation techniques and activities like meditating, yoga or even deep breathing. Sleep is also integral for good health and rejuvenating the mind and body. Also fight those free radicals with your diet! Increase your intake of vitamins by stocking up on fruits and some vegetables and stay hydrated. You smoke Cigarettes are full of toxins and release free radicals which harm the

body, teeth and the skin. But not only are these free radicals breaking down your collagen but even the pursing of the lips when taking a puff increases fine lines around the mouth. Partner with your physician to kick the habit. The health benefits start as soon as you stop. You indulge your sweet tooth Most of us enjoy our pastries and cake from time to time. But consistently having high sugar treats can not only be detrimental to your waistline but also to your skin. Sugar in the bloodstream attaches to proteins in our skin by a process called glycation. This leads to an aging of the collagen resulting in fine lines, wrinkles, reduced turnover of the skin and a general dullness and loss of radiance. So, the next time you are offered desert, contemplate passing on that treat if you want to maintain a youthful glow. Your diet is fat free Unhealthy, saturated fats can wreak havoc on your health and your fitness goals. But some fat is necessary for maintaining a youthful feeling and appearance. Omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel and certain nuts like

walnuts and flax seeds aren’t only good for heart health but also keep the skin supple and plump, thereby preventing wrinkles. Include fish in your meals at least twice a week and make nuts a healthy snack option. You only use sunscreen when at the beach. The number-one cause of Dr. Marsha Barnett nearly every sign of premature aging and supple. Fine lines and wrinkles on the face is sun exposure. It increases appear and the radiance of the skin wrinkles, leads to age spots and affects is lost. Moisturizers with vitamin A, the texture of the skin causing loss of antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and luster. Many of us are aware of the vitamin C are all good options as they effect of the sun with regards to skin promote formation of collagen and cancers but tend to only use sunscreen elastin to tighten the skin and reduce when we plan on spending a day at the fine lines. beach. Remember to pay attention But the sun is out even on a to the skin around the eyes and treat cloudy day and is there when we drive your neck with the same creams as you to work, pick up the kids from school do on your face. Also, overusing skin and run errands in the day. Therefore, products with irritating chemicals, daily use of sunscreen SPF30 or and alcohol may dry out the skin by greater is always recommended. For removing its natural oils, which also many persons with darker skin types, causes premature lines and wrinkles, we tend to believe that we are immune so speak to your skin care professional to the harmful effects of the rays of if you aren’t sure what products would the sun but this is simply not true. be best for your skin type. Consistent sunscreen use is necessary *Dr. Marsha Barnett is a general for all skin types! You don’t moisturize Dry skin tends to age faster than skin that is well moisturized

practitioner who also specializes in dermatology. For questions or comments, please contact at drmarshabarnett@gmail. com

NOTICE

Regulation 7 of the Physical Planning (Development Permission) Regulations, 1990 An Application, REGISTERED PR 13032, by BH DEVELOPMENTS LTD. for PROPOSED 50 RESIDENTIAL UNITS, GAZEBO, POOL, GYM, MAINTENANCE BUILSING, SECURITY BOOTH, 6FT HIGH CHAINLINK FENCE & ANCILLARY FACILITES for parcel 60902/282, Leeward Going Through, Providenciales, has been submitted to the Department of Planning for consideration of Detailed Development Permission and Building Permit. Anyone wishing to make representation(s) may do so in writing to the Director of Planning, South Base, Grand Turk or through the Department of Planning, Emily House, Leeward Highway, Providenciales, within twenty eight (28) days of publication or service of this Notice. Notice dated: 07th April, 2017

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

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LOCAL NEWS

Delay in Blue Hills alternative roads, says Hon. Goldray Ewing, By Todeline Defralien Hon. Goldray Ewing, Minister for Infrastructure who confirmed in January that in six months time work will start on the alternative roads out of Blue Hills to ease traffic congestion has now said that there will be a delay on that project. Speaking at their first 100 day in office press conference held by the new People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) Government of the TCI on Tuesday April 4th, 2017, Ewing said that there will be some significant delay in the Blue Hills alternative roads project. Ewing said, “The alternative

road out of Blue Hills is a very important and necessary road to be put in place because it is not just to take care of heavy traffic during rush hours, it is an emergency road that will move people out of the Blue Hills settlement into downtown with the greatest of speed and less hassle.” He added: “This road is budgeted in two phases in the 2017/2018 budget but there will be some significant delay unfortunately. This delay is because where the road is scheduled to go, the path way it suppose to take, will require land acquisition to be done. By taking this route it will allow the government to solve four problems in one road

development.” He said the first of the two phases involves the redesign of the entry to the Blue Hills roundabout, allowing the development of an additional exit lane on the Blue Hills Road through to the Leeward Highway. This will involve the widening of the Blue Hills road to four lanes at a point just before it approaches the Walkin Marine premises, with this widening continuing through to the Blue Hills roundabout. This new lane will allow for the separation of traffic going left up the Leeward Highway, from traffic traveling around the roundabout going into the Downtown

Hon. Goldray Ewing, Minister for Infrastructure area. “This will significantly relieve congestion by allowing the free flow of traffic,” Ewing said. The second of the two phases involves the development of an alternate road out of Blue Hills connecting into Kew Town. This second exit road out of Blue Hills will allow motorists to access the airport and southern regions of the island without having to negotiate the Blue Hills roundabout.

Report to come shortly for Priton home owners, says Hon. Delroy Williams By Todeline Defralien

Delroy Williams Minster of Home Affairs

Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Delroy Williams said that a report will come shortly for Priton Home owners in Blue Hills. While giving his report to mark the PDM’s Government 100 days in Office, Williams, the representative for that constituency told media houses that he met with Priton Development and has followed up that meeting with a group of home owners from Phase 2, and with the Minister of Infrastructure and

the Minster responsible for Health along with their Directors and the Director from the Social Service Department. Williams noted that they are still waiting to compile a report on their findings and will report back to that committee shortly. Home owners of phase two housing project in Blue Hills have criticized Priton for their homes at a meeting with home owners in that constituency last year. Multiple home owners expressed their outrage and concerns

about the homes that Priton has made available to the public. Priton Development is a company which constructed affordable housing project in Blue Hills and off Millennium Highway Phase 1 and phase 2 respectively. Phase 1 consists of 130 homes and phase 2 consists of 297 homes from which approximately 250 homes were completed and received occupancy certificate. These homes are a prefabricated building system that was approved by the Physical Planning Board.

PROVO WATER COMPANY LTD. Provo Water Company Ltd is seeking a suitable applicant to fill the following position:

POSITION: DOCUMENTATION ENGINEER MINIMUM QUALIFICATION: •Must be a graduate of Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Business Management. •With at least 5 year minimum experience in distribution systems management under a water utility company setting. •Must be familiar with the distribution system or water pipeline network including all the description of its appurtenances, line assets and installed devices. •Must be proficient in technical report writing and knows how to prepare project studies. •Must have a background on legal documentations and contract preparation. •Must be analytical and apt in mathematical calculations. •Must be proficient in both written and oral communication. •Must be computer literate and familiar with computer maintenance management software (CMMS). •Must be willing to do fieldwork and at night time or during wee hours in the morning •Must be willing to work under pressure and perform multitasking.

JOB DESCRIPTION 1.Writes all documentations for any given PWC project and manages all paperwork required under the engineering department. 2.Reviews all details of the design and processes in the distribution system to determine the type of documentation that may be required in every phases of the project. 3.Prepares feasibility study for any proposed undertaking which includes research, analysis, data consolidation, drafting and finalization of report for the PWC’s board approval. 4.Prepares contracts on any upcoming project and drafts memorandum of agreement /understanding/undertaking for

customers with specialized work requirement beyond the standard offering of PWC. 5.Prepares work orders for the distribution department and issues payment certificate on contractors & sub-contractors on every finished project after careful assessment of its completion. 6.Coordinates with other departments all paperwork and other materials related to project documentation. These documents include engineering drawings, technical specifications, modifications and project scheduling. 7.Keeps and maintains accurate records of all projects and implements a system to keep the information available and upto-date for both internal users and external customers. 8.Prepares an elaborate technical report as requested by customers on cases requiring enlightenment particularly on leaks, increase in billing, costing, technical investigation and any other assessment related to water and piping problems. 9.Designs and develops engineering forms including its flows and processes to ensure proper channeling of task and information among department involved. 10.Maintains a record of all engineering transactions and activities for ease of access and immediate reference. 11.Prepares correspondence and other related documentation as required to secure government permit or special concession on any road work projects. 12.Provides documentation to any private or government agencies as required in the fulfillment of a specified task. 13.Prepares monthly consolidated engineering report on all projects and related activities carried out by the department. 14.Perform other function as required by the head of the Engineering. Salary Range: US$ 32, 400 – 42, 000 per annum All applications must be submitted by April 29th, 2017. Turks & Caicos Islanders need only apply. Office Manager PROVO WATER COMPANY LTD. P.O. Box 39, Grace Bay Road Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands Fax: (649) 941-8310 Email: K.Clarke@provowater.tc

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APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

The Miss Long Bay High School Pageant 2017 By Tiffany Ivey The Miss Long Bay High School Pageant is geared toward providing personal development, grooming and general exposure to our contestants. Our theme this year is “Old Hollywood Glam” and the pageant will be held on May, 26, 2017. To be crowned Miss Long Bay High is being honored as the most confident and fiercely talented female impersonator at our school. The pageant is entering into its second year of competition, celebrating the creativity and passion behind the artform. The pageant provides social experiences and outreach as they strive for one extraordinary goal. Not only will

the pageant expose the glamour and fantastic talents of each individual, but it will also introduce the heart and soul of each contestant, who are the ladies behind it all. Life is all about hoping for, and achieving, your dreams. PAGEANT is a revealing and touching look at the extraordinary lengths these young ladies will go to be crowned Miss Long Bay High. Working assiduously with our young ladies, are the staff members of Long Bay High School, Mr. Jermell Williams and Ms. Shara Goldsmith. We are grateful for their time and efforts in assisting with the overall preparation of our contestants. Our nine contestants are as

unique as they are varied. They have wowed the judges in the audition round and so these contestants are our school’s best of the best. The nine finalists converge on daily preparations of preliminary competition and compete in the following categories: Preliminary Interview: Each contestant gets eight minutes in front of the panel of four judges. They come decked out in their finest suits and their honed interview techniques with one goal; to convince the judges why they are the right person to be representing the pageant for the next year Evening wear: In this category of competition, the contestants are judged on the overall grace, beauty and believable reflection of the theme.

They are judged on hair, make-up, the fit and appropriateness of the evening wear and accessories. Talent: Contestants are given five to seven minutes on stage by themselves to perform a number of their choice (live). The goal of this competition is to find out if the contestant is talented enough to entertain an audience with or without props. There are no restrictions. Casual wear: Each contestant models casual attire. National Parade: Contestants are asked to represent an island and come suited in an outfit or idea that represents that particular island. The final night of competition is held at the Tropicana on Friday, May 26, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.

Parvo Virus suspected on Grand Turk

The Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services (MOHAHS), Agriculture and Animal Health Services Division wishes to advise Grand Turk animal owners, that there appears to be an outbreak of Parvo virus on the Island of Grand Turk. This disease can be fatal to dogs especially puppies. Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can produce a life-threatening illness. The virus attacks rapidly dividing cells in a dog’s body, especially in the intestinal tract. It also attacks the white blood cells. When young animals are infected, the virus can damage the heart muscle leading to lifelong cardiac problem. Symptoms of the virus are loss

of appetite, lethargy, vomiting and foul virus but can still contract and shed noticed, if unsure or notice diarrhea smelling often bloody diarrhea which it, thereby spreading it to different •Do not transport/ship dogs from Grand can quickly lead to life threatening locations. The virus can exist in soil Turk to other islands without approval dehydration. which has been the site of feces from from the Department of Agriculture. •Exercise caution when handling sick This extremely contagious infected dogs. It can be carried by shoes animals. disease can be transmitted by any The Department of Agriculture person, animal or object that comes in and walked into your yard where it contact with an infected dog’s feces. The can live in the soil for a very long wishes to further advise the Grand Turk virus is very resistant, and survives time. Prevention methods include the community that the veterinary team in the environment for months. It disinfecting of your harder surfaces from Bark and Bliss Animal Wellness is common for unvaccinated dogs to with the use of a strong solution of Centre on Providenciales will be in Grand Turk every Thursday to conduct become infected when exposed to the bleach. We are therefore test, vaccinations and treatments virus. Parvovirus is most harmful recommending that pet owners have as necessary. These services will be provided at a cost. to puppies up to one year old and it their animals:The veterinary team can is strongly recommended that they •Vaccinated as a preventative measure. be vaccinated before exposing them •Not move animals from suspected be contacted at 649-232-2275 or the Department of Agriculture at 649-338to outside areas. Older unvaccinated infected areas to other areas. dogs are not severely affected by the •Contact a veterinarian If symptoms are 3881 or 338-3882.

NOTICE OF SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION

Scotiabank (Turks & Caicos) Ltd. of Cherokee Road, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands hereby gives notice of its intention to sell by Public Auction the following properties pursuant to its power of sale as registered Chargee under the Registered Land Ordinance of the Turks and Caicos Islands. 1.Parcel 60717/107/K11 Cheshire Hall & Richmond Hill, Providenciales One bedroom, one bathroom, approximately 448 sq. ft. unit in the One on Marlin Condominium Development, Strata Plan Number SP 107 Registered Proprietor: Tamika Latoya Thompson 2.Parcel 60702/207, Cheshire Hall & Richmond Hill, Providenciales Two bedroom, two bath, 1,219 sq. ft. unit in the Plantation Hill Condominium Development Registered Proprietor: Susan Margaret Scott The auction will be held at the office of Scotiabank (Turks and Caicos) Limited, Grace Bay Branch, Providenciales at 10 o’clock in the morning on Friday the 12th day of May 2017. A reserved price will be fixed on all parcels and a deposit of 10% is due immediately upon all accepted bids. Conditions of Sale available upon request or at the Auction.

NOTICE

Regula.on 7 of the Physical Planning (Development Permission) Regula.ons, 1990 An Applica)on, REGISTERED PR. 13036 by Windward Development Ltd. for the development of a Residen.al, Tourism and Marina Community, has been submi8ed to the Department of Planning for considera)on of Development Permission on Ship Yard, Long Bay Hills on Providenciales. The applica.on as submiSed seeks planning considera.on for a Residen.al, Tourism and Marina Community inclusive of ameni.es including Clubhouse Building, Tennis Courts, Marina, Docks, Piers, Restaurant, Bar, Spa, Gym & overwater Structures. Anyone wishing to make representa)on(s) may do so in wri)ng to the Director of Planning, South Base, Grand Turk or through the Department of Planning, Downtown, Town Center Mall, Providenciales, within twenty eight (28) days of publica)on of this No)ce.

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 19

We hire smiles!!! Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort Villages and Spa, the only 6 Diamond All-inclusive property in the Caribbean is inviting applications from Turks and Caicos Islanders for the following vacant positions. We hire the personality and train the individual. Applicants must have a clean police record and a good command of the English language both written and spoken. In addition candidates must be able to work nights, public holidays and week-ends. The Resort thanks everyone for their interest in advance and advises that applicants will be contacted for an interview via Text Message. The Laundry Department requires: ✓

The Human Resources Departments requires:

Supervisor

Reports to:

✓

Laundry Manager

Reports to:

The Supervisor is responsible for the supervision of the laundry personnel in folding, washing and drying linen for the resorts and also to correct deficiency. Standard Specifications: Qualifications and Experience: • 2 years’ experience supervising a Laundry team • High School Graduate; • Excellent Customer Service Skills; • Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and orally.

Laundry Attendant

Reports to:

Laundry Manager

The Laundry Attendant is responsible for the finishing process of linen ensuring the highest quality production is achieved. Standard Specifications: Qualifications and Experience: • Physically fit with the ability to lift over 30 lbs. • No allergies to chemicals and ability to handle heat • Minimum 2 years’ experience in a related position.

Position purpose: To assist the Human Resources Administrator with clerical aspects of the Human Resources Department and its daily operations.

Qualifications and Experience: • Minimum of an Associate’s Degree • A minimum of 2 years working in a similar role; would be an asset. There is currently a Human Resources Clerk and Coordinator with on island status however an additional talent is required. Recruitment to fill this position is underway at this time. The Housekeeping Department requires:

This position is currently held by a Work Permit Holder.

✓

The Butler Department requires: ✓

Human Resources Manager

Responsibilities/Duties: • Collection of all Team Member documents pertaining to Immigration and Labour. • Keep a proper record of all documents submitted to the H.R. Department for processing and verify accuracy. • Prepare a report due the end of each month on all activities in the areas of responsibility and their status. • Assist in the interview process, this includes interviewing when requested to assist, the preparation of application forms, tests and copying of identification documents. • Assist within other areas of the Human Resources Department. • Advise and update the Human Resources Manager of all pending issues affecting the Department and the resort. • Any other duties assigned by Management.

The Supervisor position is currently held by a Work Permit Holder. ✓

Human Resources Clerk or Coordinator

Supervisor

Reports to:

Butler

Executive Housekeeper

Assist the Executive Housekeeper in monitoring the day to day operations of the housekeeping Department, thus ensuring the satisfaction of the guests.

Reports to: Butler Manager Is responsible for all aspects of guest care during stay, assisting in all areas of hotel and continual improvement of skills through training and practice; is instrumental to achieve our goal in providing the highest professional standards in Butler Service to our guests and thus exceeding the guest expectation.

Standard Specifications: Qualifications and Experience: • Minimum of 3 years supervisory housekeeping experience in a first class resort; • Knowledge of chemicals and other cleaning agents and there usage;

Standard Specifications: Qualifications and Experience: • Holder of a certification from the Guild of Professional English Butlers. • Customer service experience

The Supervisor position is currently held by a Work Permit Holder (however more than one is required). Recruitment to fill these positions is underway at this time.

This position is currently held by Work Permit Holders (note however more than one is required). Recruitment to fill these positions is underway at this time.

The Spa Department requires: ✓

✓ ✓ ✓

Bartender Bar Porter Cocktail Server/ Pool and Beach Server

Reports to:

Spa Attendant (Cleaner)

Reports to:

The Bar Department requires:

Spa Manager

Under the guidance and supervision of the Spa Manager within the scope of established Sandals Resort policies, the Spa Attendant (Cleaner) will ensure that all aspects of Spa cleaning duties are performed accordingly Standard Specifications: Qualifications and Experience: • Physically fit with the ability to lift over 30 lbs. • No allergies to chemicals • Minimum 2 years’ experience in a related position.

Bar/Beverage Manager

Have a full knowledge of mixology and the use of all bar equipment, glassware and ingredients. Maintain a clean and efficient bar. Have an excellent command of guest service information and consistently practice excellent service with a friendly smile. Standard Specifications: Qualifications and Experience: • Two years’ experience within a casual restaurant setting preferred • Physically fit • No food allergies These positions are currently held by Work Permit Holders (note however more than one is required). Recruitment to fill these positions is underway at this time.

This position is currently held by a Work Permit Holder. The Front Office Department requires: ✓

The Dining Room Department requires:

Supervisor

Reports to:

✓ ✓

Front Office Manager

Server/ Waiter/ Waitress Hostess

Reports to: Supervises the Front Office operation and ensures personnel are executing their duties in accordance to SRI SOP’s. Directs and coordinates the activities and daily functions of the Front Office department according to standards of Sandals Resorts International. Creatively and innovatively foster, mentor and develop team members. Standard Specifications: Qualifications and Experience: • Minimum two years’ work experience in a similar or comparative position; • Computer literate with computer application and software i.e. Windows/Excel/Access/ Outlook. Ability to input and access information from a computer and to adapt to new computer technology; • Excellent Customer Service Skills;

Restaurant Manager

To provide prompt, courteous and professional service to all patrons; monitoring service standards and assisting where possible, ensuring the smooth flow of the restaurant operation and enhancing the guests’ experience. Standard Specifications: Qualifications and Experience: • Two years’ experience within a casual restaurant setting preferred • Physically fit • No food allergies These positions are currently held by Work Permit Holders (note however more than one is required). Recruitment to fill these positions is underway at this time.

The Supervisor position is currently held by a Work Permit Holder.

The range for these positions is $6.25 to $13.00 per hour

Applications giving full details of qualifications and experience should be sent to: mmvaughn@grp.sandals.com or placed in the secure drop box at the service gate or Fax to: 941-4870 Attn: M McClean-Vaughn The Labour Commissioner Labour Department Providenciales

and

The Human Resources Department Beaches Turks and Caicos P.O. Box 186 Lower Bight Road

and should reach not later than May 5th 2017

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

OASIS DIVERS is seeking applications from suitably

qualified candidates for the following positions. The successful applicants must: CERTIFIED DIVERS / LIFEGUARDS

-Hold a valid diving certification of Open Water Diver or higher -Be at least 25 years old -Have a clean criminal record -Have a valid passport -Hold a valid certification in CPR and First Aid -Have at least 3 years’ experience in the tourism and hospitality industry. Other experience in the tourism industry would be an asset -Must be willing and able to work flexible hours, including on weekends and Public Holidays, as necessary to meet the challenging needs of the cruise ship schedule and/or reasonable needs of the business TOUR DISPATCHER -Have at least 3 years’ experience dispatching tours -Possess the ability to remain calm in a high stress environment -Be well spoken with English as primary language -Must be willing and able to work flexible hours, including on weekends and Public Holidays, as necessary to meet the challenging needs of the cruise ship schedule and/or reasonable needs of the business -Have a valid passport -Be at least 25 years old -Have a clean criminal record TOUR GUIDES -Be at least 25 years old -Have a clean criminal record -Have a valid passport -Hold a valid certification in CPR and First Aid -Have at least 3 years’ experience in the tourism and hospitality industry. Other experience in the tourism industry would be an asset -Must be willing and able to work flexible hours, including on weekends and Public Holidays, as necessary to meet the challenging needs of the cruise ship schedule and/or reasonable needs of the business SALES ASSISTANT / LABOURER -Minimum of 3 years general sales and merchandising experience (Sales Assistant) -Proven and unblemished track record of employment -Positive and disciplined attitude toward work in a customer service oriented business (Sales Clerk) -Excellent communication, inter-personal and customer service skills -Trustworthy and reliable disposition -Must be willing and able to work flexible hours, including on weekends and Public Holidays, as necessary to meet the challenging needs of the cruise ship schedule and/or reasonable needs of the business BOAT PAINTER -Have a proven and unblemished track record of employment -Have a valid passport -Have at least 5 years’ experience in boat repair, including working with fiberglass and other dangerous chemicals -Positive and disciplined attitude toward work -Trustworthy and reliable disposition -Must be willing and able to work flexible hours, including on weekends and Public Holidays, as necessary to meet the challenging needs of the cruise ship schedule and/or reasonable needs of the business WATERSPORTS OPERATIONS COORDINATOR -Have a proven and unblemished track record of employment - High school diploma/ Bachelors -Dive Instructor or higher professional dive rating from an internationally recognized organization -Five years’ experience in a related position -C.P.R. and First Aid - Extensive knowledge of all standards and procedures with regards to international dive regulations -Ability to repair scuba equipment. -Basic knowledge of boat engine maintenance/repair -Basic knowledge of compressor maintenance and repair -Detailed knowledge of dive shop and watersports operation, organization and recording/ logging protocol. Must be willing and able to work flexible hours, including on weekends and Public Holidays, as necessary to meet the challenging needs of the cruise ship schedule and/or reasonable needs of the business ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OFFICER -Master’s/ Degree in Environmental Studies or Biology -Two years’ International experience in a similar position -Teaching / trainer experience -Open water PADI certification or higher -Basic accounting background -Computer literate -Excellent written and verbal communication skills -Second language is an asset -Excellent organizational skills -Possess a valid driver’s license Preference will be given to documented Turks and Caicos Islanders Written applications only and accompanying CVs/resumes must be addressed to the Manager at the following address: Cee’s Plaza, Suite No. 1 Church Folly PO Box 86 Grand Turk Turks & Caicos Islands

OASIS DIVING, LTD. c/o EPIC Corporate & Consultancy Services Ltd. Phone: 649-946-1128 Fax: 649-946-1128 Email: oasisdiv@tciway.tc

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

Margaritaville Grand Turk seeks to identify a Bar Supervisor SUMMARY: To help oversee the running of the bar with responsibilities for staffing, employee schedule, event planning, functions and to direct, organize and control staff whilst ensuring customer satisfaction. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: Knowledge of Food and Beverage service in Hospitality Areas with at least 5 years experience REQUIREMENTS: -Monitoring profitability and performance to ensure sales target are met. -Responsible for maintaining the company standard for beverage and bar service and standardization of drink recipes. -Ensure that the bar operations are complying with all legal requirements including health, safety and food hygiene regulation -Ensure that the bar staff are following the company guidelines as it relates to uniforms, punctuality, attendance, attitude and hygiene. -Able to use Word & Excel, operate at a supervisory level, apply judgement to carry out written or oral instructions -Able to communicate with persons on all levels -Able to work flexible hours including, weekends, night shift and public holidays APPLICATION PROCESS: Application along with resume must be submitted by 28th April, 2017 to the office of : Margaritaville Grand Turk Grand Turk Cruise Center South Base, White Sands Beach Grand Turk, T.C.I. B.W.I Whilst we welcome and appreciate all applicants, only persons short-listed for an interview will be contacted. Belongers will be given preference.

NAVA JEWELERS LTD, dba JEWELRY, world renowned jewelers and retail sellers of signature brand jewelry and jewelry related products, with a chain of affiliated jewelry stores and outlets throughout North America, the Caribbean and Worldwide, is now accepting applications/resumes from suitably qualifies persons as:

ASSISTANT MANAGER, JEWELRY SALES SPECIALISTS, SUPERVISORS AND MERCHANDISERS, JEWELERS, PRECIOUS STONES BRAND QUALITY CONTROL CLERKS, SALES CLERKS, and/or ASSOCIATES At the Company’s prestigious retail Jewelry sales and Jewelry related merchandise sales Store located at the Carnival Corporation’s Grand Turk Cruise Center, South Beach, Grand Turk. Requirements: •A sound educational background, and a minimum of five (5) years jewelry sales and general merchandising experience, in the case of Assistant Manager, Supervisors, Precious Stones and Brand Quality Control Clerks and two (2) years in the case of Sales Clerks and Associates, together with a proven and unblemished track record of employment in a highly trusted related field of employment and/or business. •A positive and disciplined attitude and aptitude toward work in a customer service oriented business. •Excellent communication, inter-personal and customer service skills. •A trustworthy, dependable and honest disposition. •Must be willing to work flexible hours including weekends and holidays and irregular cruise ship schedule. •Clean criminal record. •Unblemished employment history. •All candidates must be proficient in the English written and spoken word. Suitable candidates that do not meet the above requirements who, in the sole discretion of the Company’s management team, demonstrate a clear willingness to embrace the Company’s in-house training initiatives and established standard operating policies and procedures, may be eligible for recruitment in exceptional circumstances. Preference will be given to documented Turks and Caicos Islanders. Interested persons may submit their applications and resumes, via e-mail to: resume@effyjewelery.com, via fax to: 2127308887, or hand deliver the same to any senior member of the company’s staff at its store, commonly known as Jewelry located at Suite No. 2, Building 1, Grand Turk Cruise Center, South Beach, Grand Turk.

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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TCI Turks & Caicos Islands

A forum to promote understanding of the global economy, and the challenges and opportunities for businesses in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Date

Who Should Attend

• Thursday, April 27, 2017

Time

• 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Venue

• The Shore Club

This conference will provide insights for key stakeholders in all sectors of the economy including: • • • • • • •

Government Private sector Investors Educators NGOs Community leaders Citizens and residents of the TCI

Learn more at: www.tcibusinessoutlook.com

Founding Sponsor: Co-sponsored by:

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 29TH, 2017

in Turks & Caicos With over 35 years of experience and offices in 21territories, NAGICO brings insurance excellence to Turks & Caicos! Call us at 649.946.8686 and ask for Carla or you can visit us online to find a local agent or broker nearest you. Ms. Carla P. Blake, Manager

APRIL 22TH, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

Team TCI makes history at the 2017 FLOW CARIFTA Games T

Zoe Butler

his past Easter weekend, the team of eighteen (18) strong athletes from the Turks and Caicos Islands left an unforgettable mark at the Ergilio Haton Stadion (Curacao National Stadium) participating in the 2017 FLOW Carifta Games. This is the second year of Flow’s three year partnership with NACAC, and the 2017 FLOW Carifta Games were available to customers in more than twenty countries on the Flow Sports Premier channel, as a free preview this weekend. The games were also made available to customers via the Flow Sports App and www.flowsports.co for FLOW customers to watch the games at home and on-the-go. “We were more than happy to be able to be the first to introduce a partnership with one of the region’s largest sporting bodies for the region’s most anticipated sporting event and to showcase it to our customers in a way that it has never been done before in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Flow Sports,” shared FLOW Country Manager, Delleriece Hall. On day one of the competition, Saturday, April 15th, Team Turks and Caicos captured its first medal in the U18 Boys 400m sprint event. The Jamaica College sophomore, Colby Jennings, made history being the first to medal in the 400m event for the

TCI with a time of 48.26s. At the end of day one we saw Jamaica College athlete, Wilkenson Fenelon, topping the leader boards after his first four (4) events in the Octathlon. On Day 2, Sunday, April 16th, Fenelon, continued to perform exceptionally well maintaining his position in the top percentile of athlete’s participating. With the finish line in sight, Fenelon pushed his hardest and came up short by one point for the gold, capturing the silver medal for Team TCI in the Boys Octathlon Open. “I would just like to say, thank the Lord for the strength and courage to go out there and represent my country. I am very happy with the support I got from friends and family at home. It helped a lot. Thank you. God bless you all,” shared Fenelon. We would also like to make special mention of Ken Reyes who qualified for the finals in the Boys U20 800m; Sanadia Forbes, who surpassed her one month old national record in the U20 Girls High Jump with a height of 1.65m, and Latrell Saunders, who for his first time at the games placed sixth with a final height of 1.90m in the U18 Boys High Jump event. The 15 year old Marjorie Basden High alumni is poised to protect the legacy of Carifta medallist

coming out of South Caicos, fa in the shoes of 2008 Carifta S Medallist, Wendrico Seymour, 2012 Carifta Bronze Meda Kivarno Malcolm. On the final day of competition, Day 3, Monday, 16th, history was made again. T and Caicos saw its first medal in U20 4x100M Girls Relay, and on of that, these girls became the females to win a medal at the Flow Carifta Games. The team comprised K-S freshman, Akia Guerrier, nat high jump record holder, San Forbes, Holmwood Tech’s, Helcy Brianna Sauver, and first time fe sprinter, Shavell Sutherland. “We would like to congratulate all of the ath represented at the 2017 Carifta Games. To compete sid side with the region’s best is no easy fete, and so we celebrate effort and commitment that athlete exhibited by virtue of participation. History will record names as the team that made hi for the TCI. Flow is glad to be ab be a part of that storyline being number one sponsor of youth sports in the TCI and by exten the region,” says FLOW Mark Communications Executive, Da Hilaire.

Wilkenson Fenelon _ Silver Medalist

Colby Jennings _ Bronze Medalist

Girls Relay Team _ From the Left _ Akia Guerrier, Shavell Sutherland, Helcy Ann Sauver and Sanadia Forbes

Akia Guerrier

Wilkenson Fenelon _ Silver Medalist

Team TCI photo moment

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 25

LOCAL NEWS

alling Silver and allist,

the April Turks n the n top first 2017

State tional nadia y-Ann emale

take hletes Flow de by ot an e the each their their istory ble to g the and nsion, keting arron

Opening Ceremony - Team Turks & Caicos

Ken Reyes _ 800M Finalist

NRB Carifta Games Curacao Day 3’

Rebecca Bernadin

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APRIL 22TH, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 29TH, 2017

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAMME OFFERING FOR 2017/2018 Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for admissions into the following programmes at the TCICC for the semester commencing Tuesday, August 29, 2017. Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences (NAS): 1. “A” Levels: o Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Information Technology (Grand Turk Campus) 2. Associate Degree: Two-Year Associate Degree in: o Environmental Science (Grand Turk Campus) o General Studies (Sciences) with concentration in any three of the following: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Information Technology (Grand Turk Campus) o Marine Biology (Grand Turk Campus) 3. Special Program: o Clinical Nursing (Grand Turk Campus) Faculty of Humanities and Fine Arts (HFA): 1. “A” Levels: o Law, Psychology, Sociology (Grand Turk Campus) 2. Associate Degree: Two-Year Associate Degree in: o Criminal Justice (Grand Turk Campus) o General Studies (Humanities) with concentration in any three of the following: Economics, Govt. and Politics, Law, Sociology (Grand Turk) o Paralegal Studies (Grand Turk Campus) o Performing Arts (Music) (Grand Turk Campus) o Social Work (Grand Turk Campus) 3. Bachelor Degree: Two/Four Year Bachelor’s Degree in: o Social Work (Grand Turk Campus) Faculty of Business Administration (BAD): 1. Certificate: One-Year Certificate Program in: o Business Studies (Both Campuses) 2. “A” Levels: o Accounting, Business, Economics (Both Campuses) 3. Associate Degree: Two-Year Associate Degree in: o Business Studies (Both Campuses) o Public Sector Management (Grand Turk Campus) 4. Bachelor Degree: Two-Year Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with concentration in: o Accounting o Finance & Management o Human Resource Management o Marketing Faculty of Computer Engineering and Mathematics (CEM): 1. “A” Levels: o Computer Science, Information Technology, Mathematics (Both Campuses) 2. Associate Degree: Two-Year Associate Degree in: o Computer Studies (Both Campuses) o Computer Electronics Engineering Technology (Grand Turk) o Electrical Engineering Technology (Grand Turk Campus) 3. Bachelor Degree: Two-Year Bachelor’s Degree with concentration in: o Information Technology o Management Information Systems Faculty of Education and Training (EDT): 1 Associate Degree: Two-Year Associate Degree in: • Early Childhood Education (Both Campuses) • Primary Education (Both Campuses) • Secondary Education: o English/Social Studies, Math/Computers, Math/Business, Computer/Business, Music English/Math/Social St. (Both Campuses) o Math/Science (Grand Turk Campus) 2 Bachelor Degree: Two-Year Bachelor’s in: o Early Childhood Education (Both Campuses) o Primary Education (Both Campuses) Faculty of Technology Education (TED): 1. Certificate: One-Year Certificate Program in: o Construction, Carpentry and Joinery (Both Campuses) 2. Associate Degree: Two-Year Associate Degree in: o Automotive Engineering Technology (Grand Turk Campus) o Architectural Design and Building Technology (Both Campuses) 3. Special Program: o Industrial Engineering Technology (Both Campuses) Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM): 1. Certificate: One-Year Certificate Program in: o Hospitality Studies (Both Campuses) 2. Associate Degree: Two-Year Associate Degree in: o Culinary Arts (Provo Campus) o Tourism Management (Both Campuses) 3. Bachelor Degree: Two-Year Bachelor’s Degree with concentration in: o Hospitality Management o Tourism Management and Entertainment In Collaboration with the University of the West Indies, School of Continuing Studies Two-Year Certificate (Both Campuses): Administrative Corporate Secretaryship Administrative Professional Secretaries Human Resource Management School Administration Short Technical/Vocational Programmes/Courses for skill development Duration: 6 Weeks Accounting Information System, Business Communication (Theory & Practice) Cake Decorating Conversational Spanish Customer Service, Dining Room Management English as a Second Language Introduction to Building Services, Introduction to Estimation and Costing Mixology PRC Courses (TCI Studies and English) Restaurant Operation

Team Building Duration: 60 contact hours AutoCAD, Automotive Maintenance, Surveying Students may also access one semester courses of their choice from any Associate Degree programme and obtain credits. Applicants for the Associate Degree must satisfy the following minimum requirements: Five GCE or CXC subjects including English A and Mathematics at the General Proficiency Level with Grads I, II, and III or GCE Grades A, B, C. Students without CXC/GCE Mathematics and English must complete the College Foundation Math: MTH1110 and MTH1120, and ENG1111 and ENG1122 (at additional cost) For the Certificate Programmes, the minimum of three GCE or CXC subjects, one of which must be English at General Proficiency level 1, 11, & 111 or GCE Grades A, B, C. Students applying through the Mature Student Entry policy should be twenty one (21) years or older with relevant experience in specific areas of interest. Note that students may be required to complete a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) portfolio. For the Bachelors Degree, the minimum of an Associate Degree from the TCI Community College or another recognized institution. The deadline for applications is May 31st 2017. Any application received after this date would be deemed as LATE. Applications should be fully completed and then submitted to the Registrar, TCI Community College, P O Box 236, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands or to TCI Community College, Providenciales Campus for the attention of the Registrar. An application fee of $25.00 should accompany the application form. Late application fee is $50.00 For further information contact: Grand Turk Providenciales Telephone: (649) 946-1163 Telephone: (649) 941-3210 Fax: (649) 946-1661 Fax: (649) 941-8380 Email: tcicomc@tciway.tc Email: pvtci@tciway.tc

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAMS AND FEE STRUCTURE COST OF PROGRAMMES/COURSES OFFERED BY THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE – 29th August 2017 A. SHORT COURSES Courses are for fifteen days for two hours per day (except for AutoCAD, Automotive Maintenance & Surveying). Credits earned could be transferred into the College programmes. Students may audit the courses and not participate in the examination. Students should indicate at the commencement of the course whether or not the course is being audited. No credit will be given for those courses which are audited. B. ONE SEMESTER COURSES Courses run from September – December, January – May; concentrated summer semester May – early July. C. FULL TIME PROGRAMMES Two years, two semesters per year for the majority of the programmes. Some programmes are for five semesters with compulsory summer courses during the first year. Additionally students may access summer courses from May – early July. TUITION FEES ARE AS FOLLOWS A. Short Courses Courses which require the use of laboratory facilities $400 per course Courses which do not require the use of laboratory facilities $300 per course Cake Decorating $500, Mixology $450 (these include cake tools, alcohol, etc. needed) B.

One Semester courses CXC and Upgrade Computer modules Associate Degree/GCE “A” level

$150 per course $250 per course $360 per course

Full Programmes (two Semesters) Sept – Dec; Jan- May; Annual Fees TCI Nationals/ Certificate $1,000 Resident Associate Degree/A-Level $2,000 Bachelor’s Degree $4,000 Non- Nationals Certificate $1,500 Associate Degree $2,500 Bachelor’s Degree $5,000 Overseas Students Certificate $3,000 Associate Degree $5,000 Bachelor’s Degree $8,000 Student category Courses

Semester Fees

$500 $1,000 $2,000 $750 $1,250 $2,500 $1,500 $2,500 $4,000

D. OTHER PROGRAMMES UWI Advanced Certificates $2,000 $1,000 OTHER FEES Application Fees $25.00 Late application $50.00 Registration Fees $25.00 Late registration $50.00 Transcripts $30.00 for initial transcript and 50% discount for others when applying for multiple transcripts. Facility fee $40 (ALL STUDENTS PAY THIS ANNUAL FEE) Transportation Fee $50.00 per month (Grand Turk) Graduation Processing Fee $50.00 (prospective graduates ONLY) NB:

ALL FEES ARE PAYABLE AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION. Fees are subject to change.

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APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Prince estate seeks to stop release of new music Plans to release new music by Prince on Friday’s one-year anniversary of the singer’s death have been hit with a lawsuit claiming the works were stolen by his former sound engineer. The six-song EP “Deliverance,” was due to go on sale on Friday and would mark the first in a series of planned posthumous releases of material by Prince from the large vault of discarded or unfinished material he reportedly left behind. According to a statement from independent record company Rogue Music Alliance (RMA), the six songs were recorded by Prince between 2006 and 2008. After his death of an accidental drug overdose in 2016, his sound engineer, Ian Boxill, spent the last year completing, arranging and mixing the songs, RMA said. Prince’s estate however filed a civil lawsuit in Minnesota district court on Tuesday seeking an injunction against the release. According to the court documents, the lawsuit claims breach of contract, theft and misappropriation by Boxill of the recordings. Boxill and RMA did not immediately return calls for comment on the lawsuit on Wednesday. However, Boxill said in Prince died on April 21, 2016, at age 57 of an overdose of the painkiller fentanyl a statement on Tuesday that he felt Prince would have wanted Prince split with record the painkiller fentanyl. the songs released independently label Warner Bros. in 1996, when The value of his musical because they were recorded at a he changed his name to a symbol, legacy, including a cache of time when he was embroiled in but re-signed with them in 2014 unreleased recordings, has been disputes with major record labels. Warner Bros. said in February estimated by some to exceed “Prince once told me it would release two albums of $500 million when factoring in that he would go to bed every new music from the pop funk future royalties, retail sales and night thinking of ways to bypass musician in June, along with a commercial rights. major labels and get his music remastered copy of his hit album Prince left no will and directly to the public. When “Purple Rain” and two complete his estate has been plagued for considering how to release this concert films from the vault of the the past year by disputes among important work, we decided to singer’s Paisley Park recording his sister and five surviving halfgo independent because that’s complex near Minneapolis. siblings over how to manage and what Prince would have wanted,” Prince died on April 21, protect his legacy. Boxill said. 2016, at age 57 of an overdose of

Julia Roberts named People’s ‘Most Beautiful Woman’ for the fifth time P e o p l e later adding, “I think magazine announced I’m currently peaking.” yes, Roberts its pick for “World’s Now, Most Beautiful Woman” is beautiful, but if of 2017 and drumroll we’re being honest, so please it’s Julia Roberts, is everyone else in who’s now earned the Hollywood. We can’t help but think of a slew title a record five times. That’s right, of other stars who could Roberts has been named have earned the title for “Most Beautiful” more the first time, let alone a times than anyone else, fifth. (Taraji P. Henson, surpassing Jennifer anyone?) Aniston and Michelle P e o p l e ’ s Pfeiffer. She first Editorial Director Jess appeared on the issue Cagle explained the in 1991 at the age of 23, magazine’s choice in his fresh from her role in editor’s letter: “Pretty Woman.” When it came “I am very time to choose a cover flattered,” the Oscar- for the 2017 World’s winning actress said Most Beautiful issue, it of the recent accolade, seemed that the time

was right for Julia Roberts. At 49, Julia has never looked better. Her beauty also lies in her self-assurance and smarts and good humor. It lies in her ability to evolve while retaining the best parts of herself. It lies in her talent for creating characters and telling stories that take us to new places. And it lies in her family-first ethos: Despite all the delights, distractions and temptations of an impossibly privileged existence, nothing ignites her famous smile more than game nights with her kids. It will be

interesting to see who else People decided to include in the issue. As we know, the list tends to favor conventionally beautiful, straight, white women so we’re hoping this year there’s some diversity in the mix. Since 1990, there have only been four women of color to receive the title Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Lupita Nyong’o. We do know, however, that Henson, Viola Davis and Alicia Keys are also featured in the current issue, which is a step in the right direction.

Millions of Drake profits are sought in New York lawsuit

The record label Cash Money Records was sued on Monday by Drake’s former label for a share of the profits from the Toronto rapper’s first six solo albums, potentially totaling tens of millions of dollars. Aspire Music Group, which claimed to have signed Drake in 2008, said it has received only “a few modest advances” from Cash Money and co-owners Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams, despite a 2009 contract to let Drake record for that label in exchange for one-third of album profits. The complaint filed in a New York state court in Manhattan also accused Cash Money of inducing Drake in 2013 to break his “exclusive artist” agreement with Aspire by signing a competing agreement, depriving Aspire of more than $10 million. “Defendants have brazenly engaged in a systematic and pervasive effort to cheat plaintiff out of its contractual entitlement to tens of millions of dollars in profits and royalties, and to its one-third ownership interest in the copyright to Drake’s first six albums,” the complaint said. A lawyer for the defendants did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Drake, whose given name is Aubrey Drake Graham, is not a defendant. Aspire is represented by Marc Kasowitz, a longtime lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump. The six Drake albums are “So Far Gone,” “Thank Me Later,” “Take Care,” “Nothing Was the Same,” “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” and “Views,” and the last five entered the Billboard 200 list of popular U.S. albums at No. 1, the complaint said. Drake’s current album, “More Life,” also entered that list at No. 1, and is in its third week there.

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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HEALTHY

LIFESTYLE Unexplained chest pain may signal higher heart risk Most people who complain to their general practitioner about first-time chest pain don’t get additional diagnostic testing to determine the cause, according to a recent UK study. But doctors should take it as a possible warning sign because even when the pain is not readily explainable by heart-related or other causes, these people have a higher risk of heart attacks and other cardiac problems over the next five years, researchers say. “Most people who consulted their GP with chest pain, the cause was not clear, and rather surprisingly the study team found most of these people still did not have a diagnosis for their chest pain six months later,” Dr. Peter Croft, one of the study authors, told Reuters Health by email. “We followed this group up for 5 years and found they had a small but definite extra risk of heart disease compared with the group who had been given a definite diagnosis unrelated to heart disease (5 people per 100 in the ‘cause not clear’ group developed a heart-related problem over 5 years compared to 3 per 100 in the ‘cause unrelated to heart’ group),” said Croft of the Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences at Keele University in Staffordshire. Croft said patients should feel reassured, though, because the study also found that when people consulted their GPs about chest pain, the doctors were generally good at assessing who was most and least likely to have heart disease. “If the GP decided the chest pain was not caused by heart disease but by other conditions like stomach problems or muscle strains or chest infection, then this group of patients had the lowest risk of future heart problems (measured over five years),” Croft said. If the GP decided the chest pain was probably caused by heart disease or decided to send the patient for cardiac investigations anyway, then this group turned out to have the highest rate of future heart diagnoses, he added. The study analyzed data from UK electronic health record databases for more than 170,000 adults with no history of heart disease who saw their doctors for chest pain for the first time between 2002 and 2009. The patients ranged from 18 years old to over 75, with half under age 49. For 72 percent of patients, no cause for the chest pain was recorded by the doctor, the study team reports in The BMJ. Another 23 percent had a diagnosis of chest pain caused by issues not related to the heart, and about 5 percent had chest pain that was heart-related, known as angina. Less than 12 percent of the patients with chest pain that didn’t have an established cause underwent further diagnostic testing for heart problems. After a follow-up period of up to 5.5 years, the patients with unexplained chest pain were 36 percent more likely to have a heart attack compared to those whose pain got a diagnosis that wasn’t related to the heart. Croft said he believes people whose chest pain remains undiagnosed could benefit from advice to reduce their cardiovascular risk. “Even though an individual patient in this group is much less likely to have heart disease than a patient who right from the start gets a diagnosis of probable angina or a referral for cardiac investigations from their GP, the majority of people with chest pain who get a cardiovascular diagnosis in the next 5 years actually come from this ‘cause not clear’ group,” he said. Chest pain is a potentially serious symptom so a person should always seek an explanation, said Dr. Tim Holt, a researcher with the Medical Sciences Division of the University of Oxford who wrote an editorial accompanying the study.

Should pregnant mothers hang up their cell phones? Children whose mothers were frequent cell phone users during pregnancy were more likely than those of less frequent users to be hyperactive, a new study finds. But lead author Laura Birks is not advising expectant mothers to hang up their cell phones. She cautioned that she could not say if electromagnetic radiation from cell phones or any number of other factors, such as parenting styles, might explain the link between maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and childhood behavioral problems. “I would say interpret these results with caution, and everything in moderation,” she said in a Skype interview. Birks and her colleagues analyzed data on more than 80,000 mother-child pairs in Denmark, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands and Korea. They found consistent evidence of increasing risk of behavioral problems particularly, hyperactivity - in 5- to 7-year-old children the more their mothers talked on cell phones during pregnancy. Given that there is no known biological mechanism that could lead prenatally emitted cell phone radiation to promote hyperactivity in offspring, the results were surprising, said Birks, who is a doctoral student in biomedicine at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain. The association held firm across five countries and time periods. Offspring of mothers who reported being on at least four cell phone calls a day, or in one cohort speaking on a cell phone for more than an hour a day, were 28 percent

Pregnant woman using cellphone more likely to be hyperactive than offspring of mothers who reported being on one or fewer calls a day, researchers found after accounting for a variety of confounding variables, such as maternal age, marital status and education. The data spanned a variety of time periods from 1996 through 2011. Only the earliest cohort, in Denmark starting in 1996, had enough women who never used a cell phone while pregnant to study women who did not use cell phones during pregnancy. But the children of mothers who never used cell phones while pregnant had a lower risk of behavioral and emotional problems than any of the children whose mothers used cell phones, according to the report in Environment International. Dr. Robin Hansen, a pediatrician and professor at the University of California, Davis

in Sacramento found the report raised more questions than it answered. “Is it something about the cellphone itself?” she asked in a phone interview. “Is it something that impacts your parenting behavior? Those are issues that can’t be answered by this study.” As a pediatrician who works with children who have behavioral problems, Hansen is less inclined to consider cellphone radiation and more inclined to consider parenting styles, habits and personalities as a possible link between maternal cellphone use and childhood hyperactivity, she said. She was not involved in the study. “Now we have to dig deeper and figure out why,” Hansen said. “Is it the electronic signals that go through your brain and your body, or how it changes your interactions with your child postnatally?” American pediatricians advise parents to limit their children’s screen time. But parents also need to consider how their time spent tethered to their phones takes them away from their children, Hansen said. When parents stare at their phones and fail to respond to their kids, their children quickly learn how to get the attention they crave, she said. “It’s not until you cry or you throw something or make a lot of noise, that your parents shift their attention from the cellphone to you,” she said. So children learn to make a racket in an effort to pull their parents toward them and away from their devices. “It reinforces hyperactive, attention-getting behavior,” she said.

Many people stop taking life-saving drugs after heart attacks Within two years after a heart attack, nearly one in five people stop taking life-saving cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, according to a new U.S. study. And nearly two in five end up taking the drugs in lower doses or less often than they should, the researchers report in JAMA Cardiology. “From a societal perspective, we need to make sure the highest-risk individuals are being treated with guidelinedirected therapy,” said senior author Dr. Robert Rosenson, a professor of cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Rosenson and colleagues write that the 2013 guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA)

recommend high-intensity statins for people 75 years and younger who have coronary heart disease. The pills help prevent future cardiovascular events. Statins include medications like Lipitor, which is sold generically as atorvastin, and Crestor, which is also known as rosuvastin. They work by inhibiting the production of cholesterol in the liver. Rosenson told Reuters Health his team had previously found low use of high-intensity statins in people with previous heart attacks. The new study aimed to find out what traits were associated with discontinuing or reducing statins. The researchers analyzed data collected from 57,898 people aged 66 years and older on Medicare, the publicly funded health insurance for the elderly

and disabled. Everyone in the study was hospitalized for a heart attack at some point between 2007 and 2012. They also all filled a prescription for a high-intensity statin within 30 days of leaving the hospital. After six months, about 59 percent of people ages 66 to 75 continued to regularly take their high-intensity statin. About 9 percent switched to a lower dose. About another 17 percent took the medications irregularly and about 12 percent stopped taking the drugs altogether. After two years, only about 42 percent were regularly taking their statins. About 13 percent had switched to a lower dose. About 19 percent were taking the drugs infrequently and another 19 percent had stopped the drugs altogether.

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FUN & GAMES

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 29TH, 20172013 JUNE 15TH - JUNE 22ND,

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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locations and conduct awareness marketing to raise the profile of TCI as an investment destination. 9. To develop and install a client relationship management and tracking systems from initial contact to aftercare. 10. To develop and manage a programme of legislation review and reform for various developmental programmes that encourage Inward Investment and seek opportunities for expansion and extension of Investment potential though various agreements. 11. To carry out any other related activities as deemed necessary by the Board as essential to the organisation.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS Education and qualifications:

Invest Turks and Caicos - Vacancy Job Title: Chief Executive Officer Reporting to: Board of Directors Location: Invest Turks and Caicos Offices - Providenciales Job Summary: The Chief Executive Officer is the chief executive of Invest Turks and Caicos and is responsible for the success of the organisation. Together with the Board, the incumbent is expected to lead the implementation of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Government’s economic development vision, attract significant investments to the various inhabited islands, oversee services for Micro, Small and Medium (MSME) businesses and support expanded sustainable development throughout the entire Turks and Caicos Islands. These investments will be expected to build a successful, sustainable economy and provide improved opportunities for employment and growth. As well, the Chief Executive Officer will be actively engaged through the Agency in supporting trade and small business development. The Board has delegated responsibility for day to day management operations to the Chief Executive Officer and s/he has the authority to carry out those responsibilities in accordance with the direction and policies established by the Board. The incumbent will ensure that the organisation has motivated staff who produce positive results using international best practices. The position involves overseeing a staff of up to fifteen persons who are predominately highly trained investment professionals. The incumbent is expected to be a systems thinker who is customer-focused and goal-driven. The Chief Executive is expected to be a strong leader who can develop a cohesive team within the organisation and across TCI to drive new investment to the country.

Key Objectives: 1. To manage the day to day operations of Invest TCI through planning, organising, coordinating, directing and controlling the functions of the Agency. This includes developing and implementing a rolling five-year Strategic Plan, complete with annual marketing plans and budgets; monitoring financial and operational performance; and ensuring that the organisation has a full complement of operating policies and procedures for both internal operations and for dealing with prospective investors and daily operations. 2. To facilitate the approval of qualified investment from existing applicants and “shovel ready” projects. 3. To ensure the development of an outstanding lead generation system, along with a strong due diligence programme, a market intelligence capacity, investor outreach and network maintenance and enhancement using international best practices. 4. To ensure the effective, efficient and economic use of human, financial andphysical resources. 5. To engage constructively with various government Ministries, other relevant organisations and agencies and the private sector, both locally and internationally to support quality investment projects and to market the country. 6. To generate significant foreign direct investment to the country and to support and encourage domestic investors to participate in the economy. 7. To generate significant domestic investment through various small business programmes, including the MSME programme and financial assistance provided to the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development (CED). 8. To lead investment promotion and trade missions to various

The preferred candidate should have a master’s degree in finance, business administration, economics or related field, from a recognised institution of higher learning and a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience or a combination of education and experience sufficient to meet the requirements of the position of CEO at Invest Turks and Caicos. Experience and Knowledge: Minimum of ten (10) or more years of senior management experience at a public or private enterprise/company/agency engaged in investment development and/or promotion/marketing. Clear evidence of strong leadership skills, demonstrated management skills, track record of successful lead generation and marketing along with a proven ability to mentor and grow staff. Skills: 1. Track record of excellence in current and previous employment. 2. Proven skills in investment promotion, strategic planning, project management and execution, especially as related to development projects. 3. Understanding of budgetary procedures and operational budget development/implementation. 4. Strong track record of leadership, sales success and investment facilitation. 5. Strong track record of staff management and successful programme/ projectimplementation. 6. Consistently displays integrity and model behavior. 7. Proven ability to motivate and develop teams/people. 8. Strong writing and presentational skills. 9. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills- innovative, creative and forward thinking 10. Adept in use of MS Office, particularly Powerpoint, Excel and Word, and ideally Access or similar database to basic level, internet and email. Other Requirements: 1. Fluent English 2. Understanding of the social, economic, cultural and historical issues facing the TCI. 3. Commitment to travel by air, land and sea. 4. Qualified Turks and Caicos Islanders, either living in the TCI or abroad, are encouraged to apply. 5. Willingness to work outside normal office hours. Salary and Allowances: Salary is in the range of $100,000 to $120,000, negotiable based on qualifications and experience. A standard set of benefits and allowances are additional. Deadline Date for Applications The deadline date for applications is Friday, May 12, 2017 by 5:00pm Turks and Caicos time. Application Procedure Interested persons should submit a resume, along with their contact information, cover letter, two letters of reference (one preferably from a former employer), copies of educational certificates, a Police Certificate and a copy of the Passport photo page. Applications can be submitted by courier or delivered directly to Invest Turks and Caicos at Unit 2D, Courtyard Plaza, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, prior to the deadline. The application should be addressed to The Chairman - Invest Turks and Caicos and envelopes should have the words “Chief Executive Officer” clearly marked on the front. Alternatively, applications can be emailed to chairman@investturksandcaicos. tc The subject line in the email should read “Chief Executive Officer”.

We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only persons selected for an interview will be contacted.

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F R CONSTRUCTION

Is seeking a Carpenter To work 6 days a week Salary $6.50 per hour Please contact: 242-2548

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

ISLAND STEEL

FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH

Is seeking a Musician To work 6 days per week Salary $6.25 per hour Contact #331-3515/341-3515 #461808

Is seeking a Mason To work 6 days per week Salary $9 per hour Contact #343-1905 #461811

MELISSA HALL

OTIS MORRIS

OYSTER HOUSE

Is seeking a Babysitter To work 6 days per week Salary $6.25 per hour Contact #649-346-4688

Is seeking to employ a Domestic Worker To work 6 days per week Salary $6.50 per hour Please Contact 946-2601

Is seeking a Cook and Kitchen Helper To work 6 days per week Salary is negotiable Must be flexible, on time Contact #331-0221

#461808

#461806

JAMES BEEN

PROVO DISCOUNT LTD

Is seeking to employ a Domestic Worker To work 6 days per week Salary $6.50 per hour Please Contact 245-7423

Is seeking 1 SALES CLERK Salary Offering: $6.25per hour Closing date for application is the29th April, 2017 Applications should be emailed topdl@tciway.tc

#461805

THE ANGELA RESTAURANT

Is seeking 1 Restaurant Maid 1 kitchen helper/Stuaro To work 6 days per week Salary $6.25 per hour Contact# 346-3918

#461811

SUMMIT CONTRACTING

Is seeking 2 Handyman To work 6 days per week Salary $400 per week Description: Construction work and repairs Contact #331-0876 or Summitcontracting.TCI@gmail.com #461804

TABOO’S 24 HR BAR & RESTAURANT

GERMAN CIGAR PUB (GRAND TURK)

Is seeking a Bartender To work 6 days per week Salary $7 per hour Contact #345-3825

Is seeking 4 Barmaids To work 6 days per week (5 pm-2 am) Salary $6.25 per hour Contact # 649-345-0578

#461818

#461820

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

Caicos Bakery & Retail LTD Is seeking suitable qualified applicants to fill the following position: Bakery & Pastry Chef Specialized in gluten free and organic products Have 5yrs experience in similar position Excellent Interpersonal skills Excellent written & verbal communication Ability to work within a team Must be a team player Suitable qualified candidates should apply in writing or send resume to: Caicos Bakery & Retail Ltd. Grace Bay Road (behind Caicos café) Phone (649)242-2266(Eric) Email: bakerytc@gmail.com

DOMESTIC WORKER

WANTED

Gertrude Grant Grand Turk Salary $125.00 per week To work 4 days per week Contact 241-3471

CRUST BAKERY

Is seeking a Chef To work 6 days a week Must be able to create menus, organize staff schedule Starting Salary $9.00 an hour Contact: 331-0221 #461811

ZELDA ELSA WILSON

SEEKS 1 Domestic Worker To work 6 days per week Salary $150.00 per week Please Contact 342-2353 #461816

NEED IN SOUTH CAICOS

VELMA SMITH

1 Housekeeper To work 5 days per week Salary $6.25 per hour Contact #241-2627

Is seeking a Domestic work To work Five days a week Salary $6.25 an hour Please contact 245-3529

DOMESTIC WORKER WANTED

ADELENE SYLVESTRE

Trevor Missick Grand Turk To work 6 days per week Salary $300 per month Contact 241-8028

Is seeking a Domestic Worker To work 5 days per week Salary $6.25 per hour Please Contact 345-7071

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

CARIBBEAN WORLD

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 33

CARIBBEAN NEWS

NEWS NEWS

Airbnb meets with Caribbean government reps

Airbnb and Curaçao sign tourism agreement The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and government representatives from eight member countries met with Airbnb officials to discuss Airbnb’s growing presence in the region and to address areas of mutual cooperation as outlined in an agreement signed in February. According to the CTO, the sharing economy is driven by consumers who decide with their pocketbooks what they want to do and where they want to stay in the Caribbean. “It is our responsibility to speak with Airbnb and other players in the sector to get the maximum benefit from this phenomenon,” said CTO Secretary General Hugh Riley. Discussions covered safety and security, standards, policies, the importance of the region’s cultural heritage, and how Airbnb is expanding economic opportunities in the region, said Riley. Airbnb and CTO will share

aggregate data and research, explore ways to make the sharing economy more inclusive and develop a set of policy principles and recommendations. “Those are factors that we were able to cover and we are extremely happy for the level of interaction between our members and Airbnb,” Riley said. Currently there are 41,000 Airbnb listings across the Caribbean and a typical host in the Caribbean earns approximately $3,900 a year. “We view this as a first step in building a lasting partnership that will democratize travel, create thousands of entrepreneurs and allow a greater segment of the Caribbean to truly benefit from tourism,” said Shawn Sullivan, Airbnb’s public policy director for Central America and the Caribbean. Earlier this year Anguilla, Bermuda, Curacao and Jamaica each signed partnership agreements with Airbnb that outlined similar goals.

Spirit Airlines abandons Cuba service

Spirit Airlines will drop its Fort Lauderdale-Havana route at the end of May FORT LAUDERDALE, Transportation awarded carriers 12 USA — On Friday, Spirit Airlines daily flights to Havana from Miami cancelled its routes to Havana, and Fort Lauderdale, spread across Cuba, becoming the third airline six airlines. after ultra-low cost carrier Frontier However, in pulling out of Airlines and regional airline Silver the Miami-Havana market, Frontier Airways to drop service to Cuba this Airlines noted that overcapacity had forced fares down to extremely low spring. Last year, US airlines were levels, and Spirit Airlines has faced allowed to begin offering scheduled the same issues. service to Cuba for the first time In the meantime, JetBlue in more than half a century and in and Southwest both seem to be early 2016 more than a dozen US sticking with their routes to Cuba, airlines applied for permission to given that the market does have long begin flights to Havana. term potential, notwithstanding the The US Department of unexpectedly slow start.

Bahamas Government Minister sought millions from Baha Mar EMAILS leaked from a data breach of China Construction America’s (CCA) servers show that from as early as 2013, Jerome Fitzgerald was seeking to secure millions of dollars in brokerage, trucking, and limousine contracts at Baha Mar while he sat in Cabinet as the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, The Tribune has learned. The emails contradict the Minister, who this week denied ever using his office to direct contracts to Jerome Fitzgerald himself or his family from the multi- relationship between China State billion dollar resort. Construction and Bahamas Cargo and According to the Tribune, Mr Logistics Limited (BCL) in which all Fitzgerald - the Progressive Liberal ports of entry would be advised that Party MP for Marathon - appears also BCL is to collect the paperwork and to be requesting $20,000 a month from clear shipments for the resort. Baha Mar’s original developer Sarkis BCL is owned by the Izmirlian, citing the expenses that Fitzgerald family. were necessary to cover the cost of his Mr Fitzgerald writes, father’s medical treatment. “Unfortunately despite all efforts by The emails were obtained you and promises to me by Daniel Liu by The Tribune following a story in (CCA’s vice president) that we would December highlighting the breach of receive the brokerage and trucking CCA servers by a San Francisco hacker. work, we have not apart from a one China Construction eventually paid 24 time deal to move 40 containers. I do bitcoins (the equivalent of $24,000) to not know why, I am disappointed but have access to their servers restored; I have accepted it and moved on. however, it appears that emails “I know that the interior forwarded to, or relating to personnel Furniture and Fittings should begin at CCA were compromised, despite arriving shortly and I would really top officials at Baha Mar saying they wish to now establish a relationship were not concerned by the hack at the between Baha Mar and Bahamas time. Cargo and Logistics Limited (“BCL”) In an email dated May 18, where all ports of entry can be advised 2013, sent to Mr Izmirlian by Mr that BCL is to collect the paperwork Fitzgerald, with Quentin Porter, and clear shipments for Baha Mar. It Shelly Curtis and Alarice Fill copied, is my hope that the relationship will Mr Fitzgerald indicates his readiness continue when the hotel opens and we to start brokerage and trucking will again be the broker and trucker services for the Baha Mar project and for this property as we were for so remain the brokers of record for the many years.” property. Mr Izmirlian forwarded the Mr Fitzgerald writes, “I am email from Mr Fitzgerald to Mr Sands aware that interior materials have indicating that the procurement began to arrive for the hotel. I would department at Baha Mar should be really appreciate it if we could be made aware of BCL’s capabilities. appointed your official broker for June However, he warned that the business 1st 2013.” would have to be won on “cost and ` He then makes a request of ability”. Mr Izmirlian for limousine services Mr Izmirlian’s stance that at Baha Mar, as he touted the level these contracts should be awarded of clientele with which his limousine on merit could have contributed to company was familiar. the Government removing him as the “Also with regard the developer of Baha Mar. limousine business we are ready to On Tuesday, Mr Fitzgerald meet with your people anytime,” he responded to allegations of abuse of writes. power and conflict of interest in The “As indicated we really only Punch, replying to questions as to cater to highend customers and are whether any members of his family the official agent for Limolink in held contracts at Baha Mar by saying The Bahamas. You are encouraged “As far as I’m concerned, I have no to get a reference from the president interest whatsoever in, no dealing of Viacom if you wish. Please feel with Baha Mar, none, zero.” free to contact me personally or have Tribune Business has your agents contact Mr Porter our previously confirmed BCL’s role at Managing Director directly.” the $4.2 billion resort and revealed Limolink, according to yesterday that BCL was a creditor its website, is a high-end ground when the project filed for Chapter 11 transportation service, that focuses on bankruptcy in June, 2015, under Mr “maintaining a professional network Izmirlian. of chauffeurs and late model luxury On July 7, 2013, Mr Fitzgerald vehicles”. emailed Mr Izmirlian to update him The email exchanges show on his father’s health and check on the Minister becoming increasingly brokerage arrangements. “Firstly my distressed as his requests go unfulfilled, dad is now back home from hospital with a plea in January, 2014, asking in Florida and doing well. He still Mr Izmirlian and Baha Mar’s Senior requires 24 hr care by trained nurses Vice President of Government Affairs, which is costing 15k per month and Robert ‘Sandy’ Sands, to cement a meds another 5k,” he wrote.

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

CARIBBEAN NEWS

Exercise Tradewinds to address regional security threats Regional emergency forces will grapple with staged situations dealing with the threats of transnational organised crime, terrorism and natural hazards when Exercise Tradewinds 2017 takes place across Barbados from June 6 to 12. Under the theme: Seamless States Partnership for a Secure Region, the length and breadth of the island will be tested during Phase One of the regional exercise. The plans for Exercise Tradewinds 2017 were rolled out during a media launch on Tuesday. Host nation co-director of the regional exercise, Major Carlos Lovell, said this year’s scenario will feature transnational organised crime, terrorism and natural hazards causing national and regional crises. “It [Exercise Tradewinds] is designed to improve cooperation and interoperability of partner nations in responding to the broad spectrum of Caribbean security threats,” Lovell explained. As a result, he said, Tradewinds 2017 would focus on issues such as the scourge of illegal drugs, illegal arms and human trafficking as Barbados seeks to enhance its capabilities to counter such threats. “It will also seek to develop new techniques and procedures to combat unfamiliar threats to Barbados such as the use of improvised explosive devices, threats to key government infrastructure and kidnapping to name a few,” the co-director pointed out. However, he noted that Barbados was seeking to implement an innovative and more efficient approach for this year’s exercise. That approach, Lovell said, includes pre-mission training at the strategic, operational and tactical levels; and

From left to right: Assistant Commissioner of Police, William Yearwood; Chief of Office of Security Operation in the U.S. Military Liaison Office, Lt. Col. Jorge Jaramillio; Host nation Co-director, Major Carlos Lovell; Host nation Co-Director, Kerry Hinds; and RSS Director of Training, retired Captain Brian Roberts at today’s media launch for Exercise Tradewinds 2017. the ability to combat one common threat in two separate member states with the CARICOM Task Force seamlessly deploying from one member state to another to execute operations. Furthermore, Lovell stated that a realistic scenario based on real world threats would be the conduit through which participants would attempt to achieve the training objectives. Without divulging details of the exercise, the co-director said the scenario would require responses from the exercise participants on land, in the air and at sea, with emphasis on interagency cooperation. Second host nation co-director, Kerry Hinds, noted that, under this year’s event, Barbados would also be exercising various components of the National Emergency Management Plan (NEMP) to give operatives in the system the ability to respond to the various scenarios in the field. “These scenarios will be

played out in various communities across the island,” she said. Hinds, also director of the Department of Emergency Management, said four broad objectives for the humanitarian assistance and disaster response of Exercise Tradewinds were identified. Those, she said, include the testing of Barbados’ NEMP in response to sudden impact hazards; enhancing local inter-agency coordination between entities with responsibility for emergency response and support; providing a means for emergency management personnel to practice and improve their skills to sudden impact hazards and promote further cooperation, coordination and response in disaster management. “It is essential that our country continues to strengthen its preparedness for response and as such build the necessary capacity to effectively manage emergency and disasters,” Hinds stated. Meanwhile, director of

training at the Regional Security System (RSS), retired Captain Brian Roberts, reminded those present that the security environment was going through a state of constant flux. “States today are mired by transregional and transnational threats and challenges like… insurgencies, public disorder, illegal drugs and terrorism. Furthermore, they are confronted with challenges related to environmental degradation, mass migration, refugees, epidemics and disasters,” he said. Roberts stressed therefore that participation in exercises such as Tradewinds allowed players to practice their interoperability, coordination and cooperation in order to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness as a unified response mechanism. Approximately 2,500 persons including those from the military, emergency response forces and the general public are expected to participate in Exercise Tradewinds 2017. This will include personnel from 21 different countries, including 120 from the RSS, CARICOM, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, are expected to take part. Exercise Tradewinds is the largest regional multiagency, multinational security and disaster management exercise held in the Caribbean in partnership with the United States. This year’s Exercise is being co-hosted by the governments of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago and sponsored by the US Southern Command. Exercise Tradewinds will conclude with Phase Two in Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, June 17.

Evidence mounts of flawed US State Department Caribbean report There is a growing body of evidence that the 2017 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) published last month by the US State Department’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs contains a number of factual inaccuracies in relation to the Eastern Caribbean. The INCSR covers 87 countries and territories and two regions (The Dutch Caribbean and the Eastern Caribbean) and comprises two volumes: Volume I – Drug and Chemical Control, and Volume II – Money Laundering and Financial Crimes. One of the expressed purposes of the INCSR is to provide “the factual basis” for the president’s report to Congress on the major drug-transit or major illicit drug producing countries. However, not only is the INCSR factually incorrect compared to external evidence, it is also internally self-contradictory. Shortly after the publication of the INCSR last month, the government of Antigua and Barbuda issued a detailed rebuttal of a number of what it described as unsubstantiated misrepresentations made by the State Department in the report.

Earlier this month, the financial services regulator in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), also refuted claims made in the INCSR as “unfounded and misleading”. According to the footnote on page 7 of the INCSR Volume II, the report is based upon the contributions of “numerous US government agencies and international sources” and goes on to list some of the agencies that provided such information, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Treasury; and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. We accordingly submitted requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for all records relating to any information sought by and/or provided to the Department of State in connection with INSCR 2017 and any requests for such information. In response, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (a division of the Department of Justice) has said that they have no responsive records of providing any such assistance to the State Department in relation to the INCSR. The State Department subsequently attempted to downplay the DEA response on the grounds

that “the DEA’s search was limited to of Commerce International Trade a single office within the agency, the Administration (ITA) has stated that DEA’s Office of Global Enforcement “after a thorough search, ITA has Financial Operations Unit, further found no records responsive to your narrowed to the Operations Division request”. of that specific unit”. A major drug-transit country However, the INCSR itself is defined in the INCSR as one: (A) that refers specifically to “the DEA’s Office is a significant direct source of illicit of Global Enforcement/Financial narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other Operations (FO)” in the context of the controlled substances significantly report on page 11 of Volume II. affecting the United States; or (B) The State Department went on to through which are transported such say that within a “majority of the drugs or substances. US embassies there is an embedded A number of such major team of DEA representatives who illicit drug producing and/or drugcarry out their mission and mandate transit countries were identified and in cooperation with the host nation notified to Congress by the president and under the purview of the US on September 14, 2015, none of which ambassador”. were located in the Eastern Caribbean. This has been denied by Suddenly, however, in 2017, INCSR other government sources, who say Volume 1 states on page 151 that that, at most, there may be a DEA Antigua and Barbuda, along with the liaison officer at any given embassy rest of the Eastern Caribbean, “hosts in the region (assuming the position abundant transshipment points for is not currently vacant) and certainly illicit narcotics” and that “‘go-fast’ not “a team of DEA representatives”, boats, fishing trawlers, and cargo especially in the Bridgetown embassy ships continue to play major transit in the context of the flawed report in roles”. relation to the Eastern Caribbean. Specifically, page 152 states Similarly, although not that during “the first nine months of one of the US government agencies 2016, drug seizures in the Eastern specifically cited by the INCSR (but Caribbean totaled 1,103.8 kg of not excluded either), the Department cocaine…”

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Complaint claims thousands of reports of sexual assault in immigration detention not investigated WASHINGTON – A United States federal civil rights complaint claims that thousands of reports of sexual assault in immigration detention are yet to be investigated. According to a new report by Fusion, a multi-platform American company owned by Univision Communication, out of 33,126 complaints of sexual and physical abuse in immigration detention, only 570 cases have been investigated by the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the agency’s oversight office. The complaint filed by the made at several DHS agencies, immigrant rights group, Community including Immigration and Customs Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Enforcement (ICE), Customs & Border Confinement (CIVIC), includes reports Protection (CBP), Transportation of sexual and physical assaults during Security Administration (TSA), and medical examinations, strip searches the Coast Guard, Fusion said. and rapes in detention allegedly In an overwhelming majority perpetrated by guards and other of cases, it said CIVIC found that the detainees, Fusion said, stating that Office of the Inspector General sent the complaints reviewed were filed cases back to the accused agency with between January 2010 and July 2016. no request that they follow up with “There has been no formal OIG. complaint filed with this clear and The complaint filed by CIVIC massive amount of data” until now,” recommends that the US Congress Fusion quoted advocates as saying. mandate that DHS start publishing The reports of abuse were information on all reported complaints

of sexual abuse in their facilities and the investigation outcomes on a quarterly basis, Fusion said. It said the complaint found that the top five facilities with the most sexual assault complaints are all privately-run immigration detention facilities. Fusion said about 44.4 percent of the reports (or 14,693 of the total number of complaints) were made against ICE, according to the complaint, which relied on data obtained from the OIG through Freedom of Information Act and state public record requests made by CIVIC. CBP had 10,295

reports or 31.1 percent of the total, according to the complaint. “The statistics included in the complaint are especially alarming given that President Donald Trump has proposed quickly hiring 5,000 more Border Patrol agents and 10,000 more ICE officers, and expanding immigration detention to help enforce his executive orders,” Fusion said. “Advocates fear the hiring spree could lead to less thorough background checks and trainings for staffers, which could make matters worse,” it added. Currently, the average daily population in ICE detention is just over 40,000 detainees, according to the agency. A leaked internal DHS document obtained by The Washington Post this week said that DHS has allegedly identified an additional 33,000 detention beds it can use to detain undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants.. According to documents, the agency is considering ending polygraph and physical fitness tests to speed up the hiring process for Border Patrol agents.

St. Lucia police still subject to US sanctions The US State Department has now confirmed that sanctions imposed by the United States are still in place against the security forces in Saint Lucia under the Leahy Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA). “Leahy law restrictions remain in place against the Royal St Lucia Police,” a State Department spokesperson said. In 2013, Saint Lucia was restricted by the terms of what is commonly referred to as the “Leahy Law” from receiving security-related assistance from the United States as a result of “credible evidence of extrajudicial killings of 17 people in 2010-2011” by the island’s security forces. The US Department of State suspended assistance to the local police force and cancelled the visas of a number of senior police officers, denying them travel to the US. Notwithstanding the existence of the Leahy Law sanctions, there are troubling reports coming out of Saint Lucia that not only imply a complete lack of contrition in relation to past human rights abuses by the island’s entire national security apparatus, they are apparently perpetuating the

same offensive pattern of behaviour. Following a recent donation of computers and other office equipment to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Saint Lucia by the Bridgetown embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office, the State Department has now clarified its definition of “security forces” for the purposes of the Leahy Law, since there is no definition in the FAA itself. According to the State Department spokesperson, “Security forces units subject to Leahy vetting generally include foreign militaries, reserves, police, homeland security forces such as border guards or customs police, prison guards, and other units or individual members of units authorized to use force. A country’s prosecutors’ office is generally not considered a security force.” The State Department had stated previously that the DPP is excluded from the ambit of the Leahy Law on the grounds that it is a “civilian agency”, notwithstanding that the “civilian agency” in question is responsible for the ongoing failure to prosecute those involved in the

Members of the St. Lucia Police Force extra-judicial killings and is therefore at least in part responsible for the impunity still enjoyed by those individuals, which is what prompted the US to apply the Leahy Law in the first place. Based on information from local sources that some of the donated computers were to be diverted to the ministry of national security, we also asked the State Department if any conditions were attached to the donation of the equipment in question as to its ultimate use and/or location and if the State Department maintains any continuing oversight in this respect. “The donation was for the Office of the Director of Public

Prosecution. Donated equipment is to benefit the institution to which it is donated. Embassy Bridgetown carries out end-use monitoring of donated equipment,” the spokesperson said. We further asked whether or not the US government has pledged to fund a proposed new border control entity in Saint Lucia as claimed last week by national security minister, Senator Hermangild Francis. “The United States does not provide assistance to entities that fall under the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force. We continue to support the efforts of the government of St Lucia to improve safety and security for its citizens and visitors,” the spokesperson said.

Government urged to give Diaspora more access to invest in Jamaica KINGSTON, Jamaica – Managing Director of JN Bank Maureen Hayden-Carter, has urged the government to establish more concrete avenues for Jamaicans in the Diaspora to contribute to the development of the nation. While acknowledging the work of government, she said there are many opportunities for the financial sector in Jamaica to increase direct partnerships and engagement of the Diaspora. Hayden-Cater, who was speaking against the background of JN Bank’s recent launch of its JN Diaspora Certificate of Deposit, maintained that many persons in the Diaspora are prepared to invest; however, they are often unable to identify the specific products, services and information they

need. “We should be willing and prepared to design products and services that are exclusive to Jamaicans overseas; and provide the avenues that allow them to further contribute to the development of the country,” the JN Bank managing director underscored, pointing to 2013 data published by InfoDev for the World Bank which shows that a quarter of Jamaicans in the Diaspora have investable wealth or annual earnings of US$100,000 or more. More than 70 per cent are interested in investing in start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises and 63 per cent are also interested in Diaspora bonds. “We have to recognise that Jamaica is not

simply an island of some 2.7 million people, we are much bigger and expansive than that!” she declared. The JN Diaspora Certificate of Deposit, available in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Canadian currencies, was launched last month; and was among the products and services on display for 5,000 Jamaicans in Canada who patronised the recently held JN Group Expo in Brampton, Ontario. The product allows for a portion of the interest earned by the certificate of deposit to be used to fund social enterprises operating in the micro, small and medium enterprise sector. The sector is responsible for about a third of the country’s employment

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NEWS

UK Prime Minister wins parliament’s backing for June 8 snap election

Prime Minister Theresa May the negotiations and ensure we are won parliament’s backing for an early able to go on to make a success as a election on Wednesday, a vote she said result, and that is crucial.” would strengthen her hand in divorce The former interior minister, talks with the European Union and who became prime minister without help heal divisions in Britain. an election when her predecessor May surprised allies and David Cameron quit after last year’s opponents on Tuesday when she referendum vote for Brexit, enjoys a announced her plan to bring forward runaway lead over the main opposition an election that was not due until 2020, Labour Party in opinion polls. saying she needed to avoid a clash of She has also played up the priorities in the sensitive final stages strength of the economy, which has so of the two-year Brexit talks. far defied predictions of a slowdown After addressing a rowdy - a key campaign theme that her session of the House of Commons, May Conservative Party will use to try to won the support of 522 lawmakers in undermine Labour in the election. the 650-seat parliament for an election A victory would give May a UK Prime Minister Theresa May speaking to party on June 8. Only 13 voted against. powerful mandate extending until members With May seen winning a new 2022, long enough to cover the Brexit intention to leave, and has said she five-year mandate and boosting her negotiations plus a possible transition is confident of reaching a deal on the majority in parliament by perhaps 100 period into new trading arrangements terms of withdrawal in the two years seats, the pound held close to six-and-a- with the EU. available. half month highs on hopes she may be The Sun, Britain’s top-selling She said on Tuesday she had able to clinch a smoother, more phased newspaper, splashed the headline “reluctantly” come to the decision to call departure from the EU and minimize “Blue Murder” - a reference to the for an early election because of political damage to the UK economy. Conservatives’ party color and the division in Westminster, criticizing “I believe that at this moment prospect of Labour losing dozens of opposition parties for trying to thwart of enormous national significance there seats. her plans for leaving the EU. should be unity here in Westminster, “What do we know that the not division,” she said. RELUCTANT leader of the Labour Party, the leader “A general election will provide of the Liberal Democrats and the the country with five years of strong May formally notified the European leader of the Scottish nationalists have and stable leadership to see us through Union on March 29 of Britain’s in common?” she asked parliament.

“They want to unite together to divide our country and we will not let them do it.” But for Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, the move was a “huge political miscalculation” that could help the Scottish National Party’s efforts to hold an independence vote. “If the SNP wins this election in Scotland and the Tories (Conservatives) don’t, then Theresa May’s attempt to block our mandate to give the people of Scotland a choice over their own future when the time is right will crumble to dust,” said Sturgeon, who heads Scotland’s devolved government. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn set the tone for his campaign by criticizing May for her “broken promises” on healthcare and education, and jabbed at her for not agreeing to take part in television debates before the election. May, who has described herself as “not a showy politician”, said she would rather talk directly to voters. “I will be debating these issues publicly across the country,” she told parliament. “We will be taking a proud record of a Conservative government, but more than that we will taking our plans for the future of this country.”

Bill O’Reilly to leave Fox News with $25 million Former Fox News star Bill O’Reilly will leave the network with $25 million — the equivalent of one year’s salary, according to two people familiar with the terms of his departure. Parent company 21st Century Fox on Wednesday fired O’Reilly, 67, after investigators retained by the company began reviewing allegations of sexual harassment and payouts to women who brought grievances against Fox News’ biggest draw. O’Reilly’s ouster came just 18 days after disclosures of O’Reilly’s ouster came just 18 days after sexual harassment complaints and disclosures of sexual harassment complaints settlements paid to multiple women, and settlements paid to multiple women and a call last week to Fox’s corporate Several women alleged that Ailes hotline by Wendy Walsh. The radio suggested they provide sexual favors personality has alleged that O’Reilly in exchange for career advancement. in 2013 promised her a coveted spot Ailes received $40 million when he left appearing on his show but reneged Fox. after she refused to have sex with him. Fox’s board was briefed on Terry O’Neill, president of the the matter on Thursday. The company National Organization for Women, on declined to comment. But in a memo to Thursday called the payout for O’Reilly employees Wednesday, top executives “obscene.” Rupert, Lachlan and James Murdoch, “Fox News needs to show Bill said: “We want to underscore our O’Reilly the door without a multi- consistent commitment to fostering a million dollar payday,” O’Neill said work environment built on the values in a statement. “The Murdoch family of trust and respect.” must install leadership that actually O’Reilly’s firing was an will end the organization’s culture of inglorious end to a spectacular sexual and racial harassment. Until career with Fox News. O’Reilly’s that happens, no advertiser should opinion-based show “The O’Reilly waste their money on this troubled Factor” was a tentpole of Fox News’ network.” prime-time lineup, supporting the Last summer, the Murdochs suite of programs that surrounded fired Roger Ailes, the architect and it. He helped build Fox News into a former chairman of Fox News, after $1-billion-a-year operation and the women complained that they were most successful cable news channel. subjected to a hostile workplace. Viewers, particularly older

men, reveled in O’Reilly’s pugnacious, British government’s approval of take-no-prisoners approach and his its proposed $14-billion takeover of trademark “No-Spin Zone” version of Sky, the profitable European paycurrent events. “The O’Reilly Factor” TV service. As part of its review, the drew an average of 4 million viewers British government will determine an episode, according to Nielsen. whether Fox is a “fit and proper” In late February, O’Reilly holder of a broadcast license. Dealing negotiated a new four-year employment with charges of sexual harassment at agreement that stipulated that he Fox News would have complicated the would receive the equivalent of one company’s efforts to secure approval year’s salary should he be forced out, for its Sky deal. Fox currently owns according to people not authorized to 39% of Sky but wants to fully control comment. the satellite TV operation. O’Reilly learned from his On Sunday, after Walsh’s attorney that he was being dismissed call to Fox’s corporate hotline, senior on Wednesday, as he was in a car in managers brought in Paul, Weiss, Rome with his family heading to the Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to airport to fly back to the U.S. from investigate the claims. The law firm vacation. There were no further also investigated complaints against negotiations about his exit package Ailes. this week because his recently signed “If O’Reilly would have stayed contract already had outlined the in his position, there might have been terms of his departure, one of the other women who would have come people said. forward,” said Marlene Morris Towns, O’Reilly’s tenure at Fox an adjunct marketing professor News became increasingly tenuous at Georgetown University. “They after the New York Times on April 1 probably realized that it was just the detailed settlements to five women. tip of the iceberg.” Almost immediately, protesters O’Reilly maintains that the began agitating for his ouster. Rupert charges against him are untrue. Murdoch, the company’s co-chairman “It is tremendously and controlling shareholder, initially disheartening that we part ways wanted to keep O’Reilly on the network due to completely unfounded claims,” but advertisers began bailing out of O’Reilly said in a statement released the program. Then, two additional Wednesday. women came forward, including Walsh, “But that is the unfortunate making the situation untenable for the reality many of us in the public eye Murdoch family. must live with today. I will always Fox Chief Executive James look back on my time at Fox with great Murdoch is said to have led the pride in the unprecedented success charge to dismiss O’Reilly. Fox is we achieved and with my deepest in the midst of trying to secure the gratitude to all my dedicated viewers.”

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Police officer killed, two wounded in Paris shooting A French policeman was shot dead and two others were wounded in central Paris on Thursday night in an attack carried out days before presidential elections and quickly claimed by the Islamic State group. President Francois Hollande said he was convinced the shooting on the Champs Elysees boulevard, in which the assailant was himself shot dead by police, was an act of terrorism. The wide avenue that leads away from the Arc de Triomphe had been crowded with Parisians and tourists enjoying a spring evening; but police quickly cleared the area which remained empty well into the night of all but heavily armed police and police vehicles. Officers searched the home in eastern Paris of the dead attacker. Police at the scene said they were searching for a potential second assailant, and Interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet

said it could not be ruled out that there was another or others involved. France has lived under a state of emergency since 2015 and has suffered a spate of Islamist militant attacks mostly perpetrated by young men who grew up in France and Belgium and that have killed more than 230 people in the past two years. Witness Chelloug, a kitchen assistant, told Reuters she was walking out of a shop and saw a man get out of car and open fire with a rifle on a policeman. “The policeman fell down. I heard six shots, I was afraid. I have a two year-old girl and I thought I was going to die... He shot straight at the police officer.” The Islamic State group, which is being driven out of its areas of territorial control in Iraq and Syria by Western backed coalitions, claimed Thursday’s shooting via its Amaq news agency, naming the attacker as

Abu Yousif the Belgian. The claim came quickly and the naming of the assailant suggested a degree of direct contact with Islamic State. The group also claimed responsibility for a car attack in London last month killing four, but gave no name or details. “A little after 9 PM a vehicle stopped alongside a police car which was parked. Immediately a man got out and fired on the police vehicle, mortally wounding a police officer,” Brandet said. Police authorities called on the public to avoid the area. TV footage showed the Arc de Triomphe monument and the top half of the Champs Elysees packed with police vans, lights flashing and heavily armed police shutting the area down after what was described by one journalist as a major exchange of fire. The incident came as French

Venezuelan opposition protests again against Maduro Venezuela’s opposition renewed nationwide protests on Thursday to pressure the government of President Nicolas Maduro to hold elections and improve a collapsing economy, a day after three people were killed in similar demonstrations. However, crowds were smaller than the hundreds of thousands of people who flooded the streets of Caracas and provincial cities on Wednesday, the latest and largest in several weeks of protests against what Maduro’s opponents condemn as a lurch toward dictatorship. Government officials dismiss the protests, characterized by street barricades and clashes with security forces, as violent and lawless efforts to overthrow Maduro’s leftist government with the backing of ideological adversaries in Washington. The opposition counters that Maduro, deeply unpopular as Venezuelans grapple with tripledigit inflation and shortages of food and basic consumer goods, is seeking to stay in power indefinitely by barring opposition leaders from office and quashing independent state institutions. At around midday on Thursday, a few thousand people protested in Caracas, although opposition lawmakers accused security forces of using excessive tear gas and force to block the marches. “It’s time for the armed forces to realize that they’re protecting corrupt leaders and not the Venezuelan people,” said opposition lawmaker Jorge Millan, who represents part of the poor hilltop Caracas neighborhood of 23 de Enero, once a government stronghold. The opposition had called on its supporters to gather at about two dozen points around Caracas and march to the office of the state ombudsman, a human rights activist, just as they tried to do on Wednesday. The current wave of marches, the most sustained protests against Maduro since 2014, has sparked regular melees in which youths and National Guard troops exchange

A demonstrator faces police in Caracas volleys of rocks and tear gas. There were also late-night barricades and some looting in Caracas’ middle class neighborhood of El Paraiso on Wednesday night. Two students and a National Guard sergeant were killed in Wednesday’s demonstrations, bringing the death toll in demonstrations this month to eight. Rights group Penal Forum said more than 500 people were arrested in relation to Wednesday’s protest and 334 remained in detention. “We are concerned about the latest developments in Venezuela and urge that all efforts be made to lower tensions and prevent further clashes,” a spokesman for U.N. SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Thursday. Maduro, 54, called on his backers to stage counterdemonstrations in Caracas on Wednesday. Supporters of the president, who was elected in 2013 and assumed the socialist mantle of late leader Hugo Chavez, say the opposition’s street protests are violent disruptions of public order that exceed the rights of free assembly and would not be tolerated in any other country. ‘ROCK BOTTOM’ The renewed wave of protests was sparked by a Supreme Court move in March to assume the powers of the opposition-led Congress, a

move that it largely reversed a few days later. They were further fueled when the government barred the opposition’s best-known leader, twotime presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, from holding public office. “This is the moment,” said Raquel Belfort, a 42-year-old protester in wealthier eastern Caracas on Thursday, sporting a hat in the yellow, blue and red colors of the Venezuelan flag. “People are sick of this.... we’ve touched rock bottom. I think if we take to the streets every day we’ll end this government.” The push to keep up constant demonstrations increasingly mirrors protests in 2014 in which Maduro’s critics barricaded streets and battled police for close to three months. That effort ultimately faded amid protester fatigue and a heavy state crackdown. But the sharp deterioration of the economy, which has put many foods and medicines out of the reach of the average citizen, and a more organized and united opposition coalition have injected fresh energy into the current protests. Maduro critics increasingly doubt that the ruling Socialist Party, which was soundly defeated in 2015 legislative elections, will allow for free and fair elections. The ballot for state governors has been delayed since last year and elections authorities have not announced when it will be held.

voters prepared go to the polls on Sunday in the most tightly-contested presidential election in living memory. “We shall be of the utmost vigilance, especially in relation to the election,” said President Hollande, who is not himself running for reelection. Earlier this week, two men were arrested in Marseille who police said had been planning an attack ahead of the election. A machine gun, two hand guns and three kilos of TATP explosive were among the weapons found at a flat in the southern city along with jihadist propaganda materials according to the Paris prosecutor. That incident brought issues of security and immigration back to the forefront of the campaign, with the anti-immigration National Front leader Marine Le Pen repeating her call for Europe’s partly open borders to be closed.

New York police body camera program needs changes Civil rights lawyers on Wednesday demanded changes to a pilot program for New York City police to wear body cameras, saying it does not ensure that officers are held properly accountable for how they treat people. The court-ordered program, whose details were approved by a federal monitor last week, was intended to precede a rollout of the cameras to all patrol officers by the end of 2019. That came after the New York Police Department’s “stop-andfrisk” methods, faulted by critics as a means to conduct racial profiling, were declared unconstitutional. But lawyers including Darius Charney of the Center for Constitutional Rights and Angel Harris of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund said the year-long pilot program was vague about when officers must use cameras. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in Manhattan, they said officers should be required to turn cameras on during “forcible” stops, encounters where people are free to walk away and when they are “generally” looking out for crime. The lawyers also said the program should clarify when officers must alert people about the cameras, and that officers cannot review videos until after writing their reports or making statements, so the footage does not color their recollections. “Details of the policy as approved by the monitor turn the cameras from an accountability tool into a tool for surveilling and criminalizing New Yorkers,” the Center for Constitutional Rights said in a statement. Nick Paolucci, a spokesman for the city’s law department, said: “We are reviewing the plaintiffs’ submission and will respond in due course.” The stop-and-frisk litigation helped start the body camera program in New York City, which joined cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C., that also adopted the devices.

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Suspect in Facebook video murder kills self

Steve Stephens was accused of shooting 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. A murder suspect who police said posted a video on Facebook of the killing of a Cleveland man fatally shot himself after a “brief pursuit” by Pennsylvania State Police officers on Tuesday, police said. Steve Stephens was accused of shooting Robert Godwin Sr., 74, on a sidewalk on Sunday before fleeing in a car and uploading a video of the murder to Facebook, becoming the focus of a nationwide manhunt. Pennsylvania State Police officers found Stephens in Erie County, Pennsylvania,

after getting a tip around 11 a.m. local time from a “concerned citizen” who saw Stephens at a McDonald’s, Major William Teper Jr. of the Pennsylvania State Police told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. Local media said an employee at the restaurant’s drive-through window called police. Stephens had left the restaurant but stopped briefly when officers located his car nearby. He sped away, and police then hit his car with their vehicle, causing him to lose control and spin out, at which point Stephens shot himself, Teper said. Stephens, who had no prior criminal record, was not suspected in any other killings, Cleveland officials said. Stephens said in a separate video on Facebook on Sunday that he had already killed a dozen others. The shooting marked the latest video clip of a violent crime to turn up on Facebook, raising questions about how the world’s biggest social media network moderates content. The company will do all it can to prevent content like Stephens’ post, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told Facebook’s annual conference for software developers on Tuesday in San

Jose, California. Facebook on Monday said it would review how it monitors violent footage and other objectionable material in response to the killing after Stephens’ post was visible on the social media site for about two hours. Stephens is not believed to have known Godwin, a retired foundry worker who media reports said spent Easter Sunday morning with his son and daughter-in-law before he was killed. Beech Brook, a behavioral health facility in a Cleveland suburb where Stephens had worked since 2008, said in a statement on Tuesday that Stephens had cleared an extensive background check. In interviews, some of Godwin’s relatives forgave his killer. “I forgive him because we are all sinners,” Robby Miller, Godwin’s son, said in an interview with CNN. Others were less sympathetic. “All I can say is that I wish he had gone down in a hail of 100 bullets,” Godwin’s daughter, Brenda Haymon, told CNN. “I wish it had gone down like that instead of him shooting himself.”

Judge seen walking alone in video before her death Pioneering Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam was captured on video walking alone near her home the night before her body was discovered in the Hudson River, police said Wednesday. The 65-year-old jurist was spotted on footage from a security camera on W. 131st St. at 8:30 p.m. on April 11, cops said. Officials say she was headed toward the river. That is at least a half-mile from where she was discovered near W. 132nd St at 1:45 p.m. the next day, police said. The video helps narrow the scope of the investigation, a law enforcement official said. Before the video was discovered, the last sighting of the judge had been at 10 a.m. the day before she was found, cops said. That day, she called her assistant to say she was sick and would not be going to work. Abdus-Salaam — the first African-American woman to serve on the state’s highest court — was allegedly depressed. Police suspect the Court of Appeals judge, was despondent over her mother’s death a year ago, as well as her brother’s suicide. The pain, sources said, may have driven her to suicide. But the NYPD has labeled her death suspicious because no suicide note was found, and there are no witnesses.

Police suspect the 65-year-old Court of Appeals judge, despondent over her mother’s death a year ago and the suicide of her brother, killed herself, sources have said. Abdus-Salaam, one of Legislature, Abdus-Salaam drew seven children born to a working- a chuckle from lawmakers when class family in Washington, she said she was first inspired graduated from Barnard College to become a lawyer as a child and received her law degree from watching the television shows the Columbia University School of “Perry Mason” and “East Side/ Law, where she was a classmate West Side.” of Eric Holder, who later served Abdus-Salaam married as President Barack Obama’s the Rev. Gregory Jacobs last first attorney general. June at the Greater Newark Before her nomination to Conservancy, according to a the top court, she was a judge in marriage announcement. Manhattan Supreme Court for 14 She spent the weekend years, and an attorney with East before her death with her Brooklyn Legal Services Corp., husband at his New Jersey home. the city Law Department and the A spokeswoman for the city Office of Labor Services. city medical examiner’s office said During her confirmation Abdus-Salaam’s cause of death is hearings before the state pending further study.

Russian court bans Jehovah’s Witnesses as extremist Russia’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Jehovah’s Witnesses was an “extremist” organisation and must hand over all its property to the state, Russian news agencies reported. Interfax news agency quoted Sergei Cherepanov, a Jehovah’s Witnesses representative, as saying that the group will appeal the decision in the European Court of Human Rights. “We will do everything possible,” he said. Russian authorities have put several of the group’s publications on a list of banned extremist literature and prosecutors have long cast it as an organisation that destroys families, fosters hatred and threatens lives. The group, a United States-based nontrinitarian Christian denomination known for its door-to-door preaching and rejection of military service and blood transfusions, says this description is false. The religious organisation has expanded around the world and has about eight million active followers. It has faced court proceedings in several countries, mostly over its pacifism and rejection of blood transfusions, but has Russia has been most outspoken in portraying it as an extremist cult. Its Russian branch, based near St Petersburg, has regularly rejected this allegation. It has said a ban would directly affect around 400 of its groups and have an impact on all of its 2,277 religious groups in Russia, where it says it has 175,000 followers.

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WORLD NEWS

In South Florida, green iguanas spread into suburban scourge SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. Vesely complained to the umpire that called Iguana Catchers. — Perched in trees and scampering he couldn’t concentrate. An ATP Tour He wants to breed the iguanas down sidewalks, green iguanas have video shows the umpire telling Vesely, he catches to sell hatchlings as pets in become so common across South “It’s not a dangerous animal.” northern states with cold winters. In Florida that many see them not as Trapper Brian Wood easily the meantime, he euthanizes them exotic invaders, but as reptilian caught three iguanas one recent and sells their meat as a delicacy. He’s squirrels. afternoon, each roughly 3 feet long, also trying to generate interest in Native to Central and South basking on a condominium’s seawall iguana skins as a sustainable leather America, green iguanas that escaped in the resort community of Sunny Isles source, alongside alligator and python or were dumped as pets have been Beach. Using a long fishing pole, he skins available in his Hollywood store. breeding in the Miami suburbs and looped wire around their necks, reeled “They’re like rats, they’re always going the Keys for at least a decade without them in, and placed them in a narrow to be here,” Wood said. “I think it’s making headlines like other voracious metal cage. going to be a growing business.” invasive reptiles such as Burmese Janet Sarno, board Not much threatens adult pythons or black-and-white tegu chairwoman at King’s Point Imperial iguanas here except cars and cold lizards. Condo, hired Wood because the weather, which has kept them from They’ve been considered number of iguanas — big adults and spreading farther north. Prolonged mostly harmless because they eat bright green babies — hanging around cold snaps in 2009 and 2010 killed off plants instead of native animals. But the building’s pool has been growing many of them — news stations showed their burrows undermine seawalls, despite residents’ attempts to chase frigid iguanas stiffly falling from sidewalks and levees, and they them away or block their entry. trees — but the population rebounded. eat their way through valuable “Maybe 10 years ago, you Scientists say development has only landscaping as well as native plants. might see one or two on the seawall. increased their preferred habitat. Their droppings can be a significant Now there’s 20 at a time coming out. The damage, cleanup and cleanup problem, as well as a potential There’s just too much,” she said. health concerns associated with source of salmonella bacteria, which The iguanas burrow under the iguanas, as well as their dramatic causes food poisoning. seawall and first-floor patios, climb population growth, has prompted Compared with elusive trees to reach second-floor balconies state officials to start thinking about pythons in the Everglades, iguanas and eat the bright blooms off recently management strategies. are easy to spot. They can grow to planted bougainvillea, Sarno said. “Calls from residents about more than 5 feet long, and they “They just come and they eat, iguanas have increased, which pushed like what draws people to Florida: they dig ... they’re in the pool,” Sarno us to address them this year,” said nice landscaping, waterfront views, said. “Lately, there’s crap all over. It’s Sarah Funck, non-native species swimming pools and sunbathing. terrible.” program coordinator for the Florida One iguana even stopped Wood primarily hunts alligators and Fish and Wildlife Conservation a first-round tennis match at this tans their skins for luxury leather Commission. year’s Miami Open by crawling over goods, but he’s received so many calls In the Florida Keys, iguanas a scoreboard onto the court. German from homeowners seeking help with ate up the host plant for the player Tommy Haas snapped a selfie iguanas in the last several years that endangered Miami blue butterfly in with it, but his Czech opponent Jiri he created a pest control business Bahia Honda State Park. Nearly 600

In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017 photo, trapper Brian Wood holds an iguana he caught behind a condominium in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla iguanas have been removed from the park in the last two fiscal years, according to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, but the quarter-sized butterflies haven’t returned. State officials worry their digging may exacerbate long-term ecological damage if their burrows destabilize water restoration projects or flood-control structures near the Everglades. The South Florida Water Management District has reinforced some canal banks in Palm Beach County to prevent damage from burrowing iguanas, said Rory Feeney, the district’s land resources bureau chief. “Burrowing in these levees, particularly around structures, can cause hydraulic eddies and can increase erosion to our system,” Feeney said. Florida wants to protect its smaller native lizards and keep green iguanas from becoming as big a pest as they have become in the Caribbean. In the Cayman Islands, researchers have confirmed with DNA evidence that green iguanas have hybridized with native iguanas.

White House sidewalk to be closed to public permanently

Regular and mini cans of Coke and Pepsi are pictured in this photo illustration in New York

US soda sales drops for 12th straight year

A restricted area sign outside the White House The U.S. Secret Service said it would end public access to a sidewalk along the south fence of the White House beginning on Wednesday night. The sidewalk has been closed nightly from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. since 2015 and will now be off-limits around the clock, the Secret Service said in a statement. The closure will “lessen the possibility of individuals illegally accessing the White House grounds,” Secret Service Communications Director Cathy Milhoan said. In March, a man scaled a fence east of the White House at night and was on the property’s grounds for 16 minutes before being detained. He never entered the White House, the Secret Service said. President Donald Trump was

inside the residence at the time of the March 10 incident. The intrusion was the latest in a series of breaches at the White House in recent years. Security has been boosted, including the installation in 2015 of sharp spikes on top of the black iron fence that circles the 18-acre (7-hectare) property. Blocking use of the south fence sidewalk will not obstruct the public’s ability to view or photograph the White House and its grounds, the Secret Service said, adding no additional “physical” barriers would be installed. The same restrictions are in place on the north fence of the White House grounds, according to the Secret Service.

Sales of soda drinks decreased about 1.2 percent in the United States in 2016, falling for the 12th year in a row, a report by trade publication Beverage Digest showed, as demand was hit by consumer choosing healthier options and a slew of sugar taxes aimed at stemming obesity and diabetes. The per capita consumption of soda drinks, including energy drinks, fell to about 642 8-ounce servings last year, the lowest level since 1985, when the Beverage Digest began tracking consumption trends, the publication said on Wednesday. However, total sales dollars increased 2 percent to $80.6 billion as soft drink makers aggressively pushed smaller packs at higher prices per ounce, while lowering emphasis on large discounts packs, the Beverage

Digest said. Soda makers such as CocaCola Co (KO.N) and PepsiCo Inc (PEP.N) have been relying on smaller pack sizes and premium packaging to drive margins in developed markets. They are also making more non-carbonated drinks as well as reformulating drinks to lower sugar levels and launch sugar-free versions. These measures come amid a wave of sugar tax approvals in the United States and Europe. The consumption of added sugar in foods and beverages has been linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes. The World Health Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Heart Association have all recommended reducing consumption of soda as a way to cut down on added sugars.

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BUSINESS &

TECHNOLOGY

Facebook has 60 engineers working on controlling computers from your brain

Facebook on Wednesday where she led a similar group working unveiled a series of ambitious on advanced projects; prior to that research projects designed to help she was a director of DARPA, a U.S. humans communicate using new and Defense Department group with a similar mission. startling technologies. The company already has 60 The development efforts include systems that will allow people engineers working on the systems, to type using their thoughts -- or hear including what Dugan called “a brain mouse,” but is just getting started. through their skin. Such a product could allow Driven by the company’s year-old hardware group, known as the deaf and blind to communicate Building 8, the projects are among more easily -- or allow everyone else Facebook’s most advanced efforts yet “to type five times faster than you to realize its mission of connecting can on a smartphone,” according to Dugan. the human race. The efforts take advantage “What if you could type directly from your brain? It’s closer of the immense computing power of than you think,” said Regina Dugan, the human brain, which can stream the head of Building 8 research, who 40 high-definition movies at any unveiled the projects during a speech moment, Dugan said. to the company’s annual developer At the same time, these conference in San Jose, CA. Dugan efforts raise hard questions related to joined Facebook in 2016 from Google, patient privacy, as any brain-to-

Fackbook Logo text system will essentially read a person’s unspoken thoughts. On the Internet, many reacted with alarm, as any hardware could blur the definition between human and machine. Dugan acknowledged some of these issues in her talk, which

was laced with terms more akin to a science fiction movie or a conversation among physicists. At one point, she noted that her teams were using optical imaging to advance the technology because the only alternative right now would be to implant hardware in people’s brains. “Optical imaging is a good place to start,” she said wryly, before adding that part of the research required “filtering for quasi-ballistic photons.” Still, the end products produced by Dugan and her Building 8 teams could greatly enhance the ability of the disabled to see and hear. They also play into the vision of CEO Mark Zuckerberg to increase the scope of the social network beyond its 1.8 billion users. “If we fail, it’s going to suck,” Dugan said.

Bose headphones spy on listeners, a law suit claims A lawsuit charged that Bose Corp spies on its wireless headphone customers by using an app that tracks the music, podcasts and other audio they listen to, and violates their privacy rights by selling the information without permission. The complaint filed on Tuesday by Kyle Zak in federal court in Chicago seeks an injunction to stop Bose’s “wholesale disregard” for the privacy of customers who download its free Bose Connect app from Apple Inc or Google Play stores to their smartphones. “People should be uncomfortable with it,” Christopher Dore, a lawyer representing Zak, said in an interview. “People put headphones on their head because they think it’s private, but they can be giving out information they don’t want to share.” Bose did not respond on

Bose wireless headphones Wednesday to requests for comment on the proposed class action case. The Framingham, Massachusetts-based company has said annual sales top $3.5 billion. Zak’s lawsuit was the latest to accuse companies of trying to boost profit by quietly amassing customer information, and then selling it or

using it to solicit more business. After paying $350 for his QuietComfort 35 headphones, Zak said he took Bose’s suggestion to “get the most out of your headphones” by downloading its app, and providing his name, email address and headphone serial number in the process. But the Illinois resident said he was surprised to learn that Bose sent “all available media information” from his smartphone to third parties such as Segment.io, whose website promises to collect customer data and “send it anywhere.” Audio choices offer “an incredible amount of insight” into customers’ personalities, behavior, politics and religious views, citing as an example that a person who listens to Muslim prayers might “very likely” be a Muslim, the complaint said. “Defendants’ conduct demonstrates a wholesale disregard

for consumer privacy rights,” the complaint said. Zak is seeking millions of dollars of damages for buyers of headphones and speakers, including QuietComfort 35, QuietControl 30, SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II, SoundLink Color II, SoundSport Wireless and SoundSport Pulse Wireless. He also wants a halt to the data collection, which he said violates the federal Wiretap Act and Illinois laws against eavesdropping and consumer fraud. Dore, a partner at Edelson PC, said customers do not see the Bose app’s user service and privacy agreements when signing up, and the privacy agreement says nothing about data collection. Edelson specializes in suing technology companies over alleged privacy violations.

Britain loses $1.28 billion through VAT fraud and error by Amazon and eBay sellers A report by the British government auditor said the UK is losing up to 1 billion pounds ($1.28 billion) a year in value added tax (VAT) because of fraud or error by sellers using online marketplaces eBay and Amazon. The National Audit Office (NAO) said on Wednesday that the sellers involved are often based in China and that consumer regulator Trading Standards had found that U.S. companies Amazon and eBay had failed to remove sellers that were flouting VAT rules, even after being informed of the sellers’ noncompliance. All retailers selling to customers in the UK must collect VAT of 20 percent of the value of goods sold and pay this to the government. Most western countries operate similar VAT systems. EBay said it is committed to making its platform, where sellers advertise their goods for sale, a fair place to buy and sell.

“We will continue to work closely with (British tax authority) HMRC to ensure that all sellers on our platform comply with the law,” eBay said in an emailed statement. Amazon, which has also been criticized by British lawmakers for using complex corporate structures to avoid paying tax on the profits it makes from UK customers, did not respond immediately to requests for comment. New rules aimed at making operators of marketplaces liable for VAT not paid by a seller identified to the operator as non-compliant would help to tackle the problem, the NAO said. The auditor said that eBay and Amazon supported this measure but that Amazon had opposed another rule due to come into force next year, under which such businesses must perform due diligence checks on their overseas customers. Amazon felt this was “disproportionate and

Amazon boxes are seen stacked for delivery in the Manhattan borough of New York City ineffective”, the NAO said. In addition to offering a marketplace to sellers, Amazon has a business that acts as a dispatcher for goods sold by third-party sellers.

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WORLD NEWS BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

iPhone 7 Plus is still more GoPro just unveiled a powerful than Samsung’s Galaxy super high-resolution S8, according to one set of tests camera for virtual reality The iPhone 7 Plus is performing many tasks at once more powerful than Samsung’s or is attempting to save battery international Galaxy S8, life. The Galaxy S8 beat out according to some tests performed the iPhone 7 Plus in multicore tests, however, showing it has by Ars Technica. Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus beat the required extra muscle for out the new international Galaxy running more demanding apps, S8 in a multitude of tests that are like the latest games or playing designed to measure performance 4K video. The iPhone 7 also beat for single core processing, battery life and browser tests. Before out the Galaxy S8 in battery we go on, know that these life tests, though there wasn’t a tests benchmarked Samsung’s comparison to Samsung’s Galaxy international Galaxy S8, S8+ which has a larger capacity which uses the company’s in- battery pack. The iPhone 7 Plus house Exynos processor and again took the crown in several not Qualcomm’s brand new tests designed to measure browser Snapdragon 835 chip. The latter performance and graphics. Much of this might sound is included in the US models. Without getting too like a bunch of gibberish unless technical, the iPhone 7 Plus you’re a smartphone enthusiast. appears to have handily beat Here’s why this matters: the tests the Galaxy S8 in single core tells us that Apple’s iPhone 7 tests. A single processing core Plus A10 processor still holds up is used when the phone isn’t very well against the best chips

developed in-house by Samsung, which is impressive considering the iPhone 7 Plus is 7 months old. Keep in mind this doesn’t mean that Samsung’s phone is slow or that you shouldn’t upgrade from another smartphone. It’s still very quick and we doubt the regular consumer will notice the differences that these benchmarks point out. The Galaxy S8 also has other bonuses the iPhone 7 Plus does not, like Qualcomm’s new modem which supports Gigabite LTE networks. Carriers are starting to roll the new networks out this year and they’ll promise much faster data speeds than what you’d get with a standard 4G LTE smartphone like the iPhone 7 Plus. I’d choose support for newer networks than faster browser rendering speeds any day.

SWIFT warns on vendor security after documents leaked by hackers SWIFT, the global bank messaging system, on Monday advised clients to pay close attention to security when selecting firms to help them access the network following the release of data that suggested the U.S. government sought to spy on their clients. “Customers should pay close attention (to) their own security and take security into consideration when selecting a service bureau and working with other third-party providers,” SWIFT, also known as the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, said in a press release published on its website. A hacking group calling itself the Shadow Brokers on Friday released files that cyber security experts said suggest the U.S. National Security Agency sought to monitor messaging traffic by hacking into the networks of two firms in the Middle East and Latin America known as service bureaus, which help SWIFT clients access SWIFT. The NSA has not responded to requests for comment on the Shadow Brokers’ release but the data dumped by the group prompted bank security teams to work over the Easter weekend to learn more about hacking operations described in the documents and better understand attack code released with the file dump. “We are still trying to get a full understanding as to whether this information is all accurate,” said John Carlson,

Swift code bank logo is displayed on an iPhone 6s on top of Euro banknotes an executive with the Financial Services and Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a bank security group that shares data on emerging cyber threats. “There are a lot of allegations included in the material. It is an ongoing process to understand if this information is all real,” Carlson said. SWIFT also said that it had asked the two service bureaus, Dubai-based EastNets and Business Computer Group (BCG) Panama, for information about their security practices. “We are in close contact with the service bureau to remind them of their responsibility to inform their customers and to perform additional checks against the identified and other known threats, as well as to

make sure that any necessary additional preventative measures are put in place,” SWIFT said on its website. Representatives with the two firms could not be reached for comment on Monday. SWIFT did not respond to requests for more details on its communications with EastNets and BCG. EastNets said on its website over the weekend that it reviewed its network and found no evidence of a cyber attack or security vulnerabilities. “The EastNets Network internal Security Unit has ran a complete check of its servers and found no hacker compromise or any vulnerabilities,” the site quoted Chief Executive Hazem Mulhim as saying.

GoPro camera GoPro just unveiled the Fusion, a new camera that’s capable of recording really sharp spherical images for all sorts of use cases, including virtual reality. The Fusion isn’t going to be like GoPro’s other cameras, though. You won’t find it sitting on a shelf at your local sports store or in the hands of some surfer, at least not yet. Instead, GoPro will give the camera to “professional content creators” early this summer before it becomes available to the general public. This seems like a bizarre move, as GoPro has struggled to sell cameras — and yet decided to introduce a new model that its customer base can’t buy. GoPro said the Fusion is very advanced, though, and provides the same sort of content you’d get if you molded six traditional GoPro cameras into a single unit, CEO Nicholas Woodman explained in a press release. “Whether filming for VR or traditional fixed-perspective content, Fusion represents the state-of-the-art in versatile spherical capture,” he added. The Fusion should help provide sharper VR content. It’s difficult to capture really high resolution spherical video, which is why we’re only now starting to see companies like Facebook and GoPro introduce cameras with these capabilities. Facebook introduced two new models on Wednesday, for example. If you put on a VR headset and watch a video now, chances are it looks relatively blurry compared to something you’d see on a 4K TV. With introductions like Fusion, however, that should change relatively quickly. GoPro didn’t announce pricing for the Fusion and said it only plans a limited commercial release by the end of this year

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CARIBBEAN

SPORTS

Lord Coe hails FLOW for raising profile of CARIFTA Games

The partnership between telecoms provider Flow and the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) has been hailed as a triumph for regional athletics. According to Lord Sebastian Coe, President of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), greater benefits are now being delivered to young Caribbean athletes through the worldwide coverage available on Flow Sports Premier. “What has been established with Flow is nothing short of phenomenal. My eyes have been opened to the quality of the CARIFTA Games,” said Coe, a four-time Olympic medal winner. This is the second year of Flow’s three-year partnership with NACAC. “One of the most popular questions I get is ‘where is the next Usain Bolt coming from’. I couldn’t answer that question until I came to the CARIFTA Games. If you come to the CARIFTA Games you will find out.” He also said the results of

Lord Sebastian Coe, President of the of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), speaks during a press conference at the 2017 Flow CARIFTA Games in Willemstad, Curacao. Looking on is Victor Lopez, President of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) Caribbean athletes on the international stage were directly a result of their participation in school-based athletics and the Flow CARIFTA Games. “The quality of sport at the international level is dependent on what is happening at the local level, and it is no coincidence that in the forty six years of the CARIFTA Games, the quality and the vibrancy of Caribbean athletics at the international level has

grown exponentially,” he said. “There is no Caribbean athlete that has graduated to the very highest level of sport that cannot look to the opportunities that the Flow CARIFTA Games has afforded them, and I want to congratulate NACAC for establishing its relationship with Flow. It is very important there is now a relationship that allows the CARIFTA Games to be seen not just

around the region, but across the globe on a number of platforms. This is the future of our sport.” Sean Riley, Managing Director of Flow Sports, said the 2017 Flow CARIFTA Games was available in almost every country in the world. “Throughout the Caribbean, the 2017 Flow CARIFTA Games are available to all Flow customers in more than twenty countries on the Flow Sports Premier channel, which is open to all customers as a free preview this weekend. The Games are also available to all Flow customers on www.flowsports.co and the Flow Sports App,” he said. “In the United States, the Games are available on 11 Sports, which is a cable sports network available to more than fifty million households. For anyone who does not have 11 Sports in the United States, the Games are available on FloTrack, which is a digital subscription videoon-demand platform specialising in track and field events. In Canada, the Games are also available on CBC Sports.”

Blow for Jamaica as Powell withdraws from Jamaican World Relays Olympic and double world sprint relay gold medalist Asafa Powell has withdrawn from Jamaica’s team for this weekend’s third IAAF World Relays event in the Bahamas. The team’s technical leader, Maurice Wilson, confirmed to Reuters by phone on Thursday that Powell -- twice world 100m bronze medalist -was among three athletes to pull out of the team currently heading for the Bahamas. “I’ve been informed that Asafa Powell is not available; Julian Forte is also not available; Rusheen McDonald is also out. Those are experienced athletes that would make a big difference to the composition of the team,” Wilson said. Powell’s absence is a huge blow to the Jamaican team, who are already without eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, who did not make himself available. Powell’s publicist, Tara Playfair-Scott, told Reuters on Thursday that the 34-year-old’s decision to withdraw was strategic. “He’s training. We’re just being very selective in what he runs, because he has Doha (Diamond League meet) next week,” she said. “To do World Relays and Doha, to come back to do all of the other stuff ... we want to do as limited

Thompson would only be available for the 4x200 and Shericka Jackson (Olympic and World Championship 400m bronze medalist) for the 4x200 as well,” Wilson added. Despite the withdrawals, Wilson is confident the Jamaica team will do well in the Bahamas. REVISED JAMAICAN TEAM FOR IAAF/BTC WORLD RELAYS BAHAMAS 2017

Asafa Powell amount (of races) as possible and just focus on the bigger ones,” Playfair-Scott added. Wilson also revealed that two of Jamaica’s top female competitors might be competing in only one relay each. “I’ve not had any final discussion with the coach (Stephen Francis), but I was advised that (Olympic sprint double gold medalist) Elaine

Men4x100m: Kemar Bailey-Cole, Yohan Blake, Everton Clarke, Jevaughn Minzie 4x200m: Nickel Ashmeade, Oshane Bailey, Rasheed Dwyer, Nigel Ellis, Chadic Hinds, Warren Weir4x400m: Javere Bell, Javon Francis, Demish Gaye, Steven Gayle, Peter Matthews Women 4x100m: Gayon Evans, Simone Facey, Sashalee Forbes, Natasha Morrison, Christania Williams 4x200m: Samantha Henry-Robinson, Anastacia Le-Roy, Jura Levy, Dawnalee Loney, Audra Segree, Elaine Thompson 4x400m: Verone Chambers, Christine Day, Shericka Jackson, Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby, Stephenie Ann McPherson, Janieve RussellMixed 4x400m: Natoya Goule, Jaheel Hyde, Tiffany James, Martin Manley, Jamari Rose, Ristananna Tracey

Olympic athlete Germaine Mason killed in crash in Jamaica KINGSTON, Jamaica — Olympic medal-winning track and field athlete Germaine Mason died Thursday in a motorcycle crash in outside the capital of his native Jamaica, police in the Caribbean island said. Mason, who competed for Britain in the 2008 Olympics, apparently lost control of his Honda motorcycle before dawn in St. Andrew Parish, the Jamaica Constabulary Force said in a statement.

The 34-year-old athlete was taken to a local hospital but did not survive. Authorities did not disclose a possible cause of the accident, which occurred in an area by the airport that is frequently used by people to race cars and motorcycles in the early morning hours. The Gleaner newspaper in Jamaica reported on its website that several other athletes, including

sprinter Usain Bolt, turned up at the accident scene immediately after crash, which occurred around 4:30 a.m. Bolt’s agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ewan Scott, records director at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association, told The Associated Press that the island’s governing body for track and field has “not heard of any of our athletes being part of this incident.”

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APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

Tremendous turnout for 25th annual kite flying competition

Large ones, small ones, The annual Children’s traditional and artistic, a beautiful Easter Egg Hunt, which kick-started assortment of kites took to the Turks the kite flying competition, too saw and Caicos skies on Easter Monday. record number of eager participants Continuing in grand with the winners collecting over tradition, the Turks and Caicos 14 eggs each. Face painting and Tourist Board held the 25th Annual giveaways were also part of the day’s Kite Flying Competition and beach activities. party on the islands of South Caicos There were a number of and Providenciales in collaboration private sponsors who contributed with private sponsors. to the success of the events across Skillfully crafted kites, with the islands and the Tourist Board bold designs and long tails, soared wishes to register its gratitude. They high above the skies as spectators are: The Sands at Grace Bay, Turk’s watched kite makers vie for trophies Head Beer, Gordon’s Electrical, in various divisions. Local churches Executive Tours, Villa del Mar, provided food and drinks, whilst C.O.R.E. Resources, IGA, Business Pastor Alexander Minott on South Solutions, TCHTA, N.W. Hamilton, Caicos and the Tourist Board team PTV8, Caicos Express Airways, in Providenciales ensured the event Caicos Wheels, Discovery Tours, flowed smoothly. West Bay Club, Point Grace, Miller “Our annual Kite Flying Simon O’Sullivan, Do It Center, Blue Competition continues to be a staple Mountain Water, and Casablanca on the calendar for locals and tourists Casino. alike,” says Tourism Training Meantime, the 25th Annual Manager, Blythe Clare. “This Kite Flying Competition continues year we saw tremendous support this weekend, Saturday, April 22 from our communities and a surge on the island of North Caicos. The in the number of kite entries in Grand Turk competition is scheduled Providenciales. We welcomed first for Saturday, April 29. Residents and time participants, returning veterans, visitors in the respective communities and sadly saw the retirement of are encouraged to come out and competition veteran King Yelo from participate in good family fun. Providenciales, who has consistently Patrons on North Caicos and won multiple categories year-after- Grand Turk are reminded that kites year.” entering the annual competition must

be handmade and registered with the judges prior to taking flight. Kites in all classes must fly for at least 2 minutes. Kites flown in last year’s competitions will be disqualified from entry. Prizes and trophies will be given for The Smallest Kite, The Largest Kite, Best Company Kite, and Best Traditional Kite. Children and adults are welcome to fly non-competition kites throughout the day and beyond the competition period. For more information regarding the 25th Annual Kite Flying Competition, contact the Tourist Board office in Providenciales at (649) 946-4970 or in Grand Turk at (649) 946 2321. The official results for both islands by categories were: SOUTH CAICOS COMPETITION Smallest Kite 1st Place Judy Been 2nd Place Luc Clerveaux 3rd Place Vivienne Clare Largest Kite 1st Place Turton Clare 2nd Place Trofibio Clare 3rd Place Arthur Vargas Children’s Easter Egg Hunt Most Eggs (Girl) Callie Hall

Most Eggs (Boy) Edmario Blackman PROVIDENCIALES COMPETITON Smallest Kite 1st Place Aaron Rodney 2nd Place Deon Rodney 3rd Place Jewel Diamond Largest Kite 1st Place Dylan Brubaker 2nd Place Linda Grant 3rd Place Ollie Stubbs Best Company Kite 1st Place West Bay Club 2nd Place Gungo Shack 3rd Place TCIPS Comprehensive High School Best Traditional Kite 1st Place John Ewing 2nd Place Nia Ewing 3rd Place Demari Fulford Children’s Easter Egg Hunt Under 7 years Most Eggs (Girl) Most Eggs (Boy)

Tianna Tyreek

7 – 10 years Most Eggs (Girl) Most Eggs (Boy)

Tracey Antwan

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LOCAL SPORTS

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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SPORTS

Serena Williams confirms pregnancy

Tennis superstar Serena Williams is pregnant and taking maternity leave through the rest of 2017, expecting to give birth this fall, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday in an announcement that upended a sport the 35-year-old athlete has dominated for the past decade. The confirmation came hours after Williams, due to regain to the No. 1 world ranking next week, set off a day of frenzied speculation with a short-lived selfie posted on social media - posing for a photo in a yellow one-piece swimsuit on Snapchat with the caption: “20 weeks.” Williams deleted the photo shortly after it appeared and waited more than six hours to make any public comment, stoking debate among tennis fans about whether or not she was joking. “I’m happy to confirm Serena is expecting a baby this fall,” Los Angeles-based publicist Kelly Bush Novak said. Bush Novak told Reuters that Williams intended to sit out the remainder of the 2017 season and return next year. Williams, the world’s highest paid female athlete, announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian last December. Days ago she seemed to quell speculation about impending motherhood with an Instagram post praising a newly published guidebook for new mothers by former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland, adding in the caption: “One of these days I hope

to apply this (but for now I’ll stick to my dog Chip).” If Williams is indeed 20 weeks into her term, that would mean she was approximately two months pregnant when she captured her record 23rd Grand Slam tournament singles title at the Australian Open in January. Her victory over older sister Venus Williams broke a tie with Steffi Graf for the most Grand Slam singles championships in the sport’s modern era. Serena Williams has not played since then, citing a knee injury. TECHNICALLY A DOUBLES MATCH? Fans and celebrities reacted with a mixture of awe and glee to Williams’ Snapchat post. “Serena Williams was pregnant when she won her 23rd grand slam tournament at the Australian Open. And did not drop ONE SET. Let that sink in,” wrote Twitter user @ noelleharmony. “So Serena cheated,” Trevor Noah, the host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, wrote on his Twitter account. “Because that’s technically a doubles match.” The Women’s Tennis Association congratulated Williams on Twitter before deleting its post. Tennis’ U.S. governing body, the United States Tennis Association, wrote on Facebook, “Join us in congratulating the GOAT and her fiancé Alexis Ohanian on this incredible news!” referring to Williams

Serena Williams with the acronym for “Greatest of All Time.” Researchers who study pregnancy in high-performing athletes said her training during pregnancy, the speed of her body’s recovery after giving birth and her will power are the keys to Williams returning to top-level play. James Pivarnik, a kinesiology professor at Michigan State University, said her muscular build could overcome some of the changes

that usually impair performance. Other women have left the tour to have children and returned at a high level, although none has done so at Williams’ age. Kim Clijsters of Belgium retired and had a child before coming back at age 26 and winning three Grand Slam titles as a mother. Australians Evonne Goolagong and Margaret Court also won Grand Slam titles after having children. Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 27, missed most of the 2016 season to have a baby and is expected to return to the tour this summer. “We’ve seen some other mothers come back ... but will she have enough motivation when she sees that little one?” former world No. 1 Hall of Famer Tracy Austin said on the Tennis Channel. “She’s already done so much, does she need more?” For Williams, who commands nearly $29 million in salary and sponsorship earnings, becoming pregnant makes her all the more attractive to corporate sponsors, industry executives said. Williams is the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title and still dominates the tour at an age when most players have retired. Williams, who has played professionally for two decades, first gained the No. 1 ranking in 2002 and has held that spot for more than six years in total. Sister Venus, 36, has won seven Grand Slam singles titles.

Hernandez family shocked about suicide, seek probe The family of former New circumstances of the death of the England Patriots tight end Aaron former rising star in the National Hernandez expressed shock on Football League, and a coroner was Wednesday that he had apparently performing an autopsy on Wednesday. “There were no conversations hanged himself in his prison cell, and they vowed to investigate the or correspondence from Aaron to his circumstances. family or legal team that would have The 27-year-old former indicated anything like this was athlete’s body was found hanging possible,” said lawyer Jose Baez, who from a bed sheet at the Souza successfully defended Hernandez in Baranowski Correctional Center in the double-murder trial. “Aaron was Shirley, Massachusetts, where he looking forward to an opportunity was serving a life sentence for the for a second chance to prove his 2013 murder of an acquaintance, just innocence.” days after he was found not guilty of Baez called on authorities to killing two other people. “conduct a transparent and thorough State police were investigating the investigation” and vowed his own

Brian Murphy, said on Twitter that examination of the death. A prison spokesman told the he did not believe the athlete had Boston Globe that Hernandez had killed himself. “Absolutely no chance he not been on a suicide watch and did not indicate that he intended to harm took his own life,” Murphy said. himself. The spokesman did not “Chico was not a saint, but my family immediately respond to a request for and I loved him, and he would never comment. take his own life.” Hernandez’s two murder “Mr. Hernandez hanged himself utilizing a bed sheet that trials revealed a troubled man who he attached to his cell window,” the often used illegal narcotics and state corrections commission said in at times believed strangers were a statement. “Mr. Hernandez also challenging or disrespecting him. attempted to block his door from Hernandez was expected to appeal the inside by jamming the door with his sentence of life in prison without various items.” possibility of parole for the 2013 Hernandez’s former agent, murder.

Races key for successful relay teams, Lewis says When relay teams drop batons and make Houston coach, along with new U.S. relays coach other costly mistakes, they are usually criticized for Orin Richburg, is a strong advocate of expanding lack of practice. top U.S. sprinters’ participation in domestic relays U.S. teams have suffered from a number during the American spring. of high-profile gaffes in recent Olympics and world “You need to do it in live meets,” said Lewis, championships but American great Carl Lewis, who whose Houston men’s 4x100m relay team ranks won five global gold medals in the 4x100 meters among the nation’s top five. relay, says practice is not the key. As the athletes run around the track you “Everyone thinks it is about practice,” Lewis will not hear Lewis’s charges call “stick” as they told Reuters. “It is not about practice, it’s about prepare to pass the baton. understanding the system and then doing it in front “That is too much to listen for,” said Lewis. of a live audience. “If you are calling stick, then your mind is “It’s more important to get races than it is to worrying about something behind you. The race is in get practice.” front of you. That is one reason the University of “We do a blind pass. It’s all designed for the

outgoing person to run to a spot and the incoming person to try to beat him to that spot.” Lewis is no fan either of resting sprinters on U.S. relay teams, changing the order of runners and using alternates in the early rounds of global competitions. Noting today’s sprinters face fewer rounds than in his day when he said he regularly ran four 100s, four 200s, two days of long jumping and all three relay rounds, Lewis questioned how they can be tired. “I don’t like it,” said Lewis. “Because what they do is (have) every agent screaming to get their kid in to run. “What it is about is trying to get someone a medal. We should be focused on winning.”

APRIL 22TH, 2017 – APRIL 29TH, 2017

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St. Louis sues NFL for more than $1 billion over loss of Rams football team The city of St. Louis and other regional groups on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the National Football League and all its teams and owners, claiming the league violated its relocation guidelines when it allowed the Rams to leave the Midwest city. The city, St. Louis County and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, in a lawsuit filed in Circuit Court of St. Louis City, is seeking damages totaling more than $1 billion for the move by the Rams to Los Angeles from Missouri last year. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said there was “no legitimate basis” for the lawsuit. “While we understand the disappointment of the St. Louis fans and the community, we worked diligently with local and state officials in a process that was honest and fair at

all times,” he said in an email. Rams spokesman Artis Twyman said the team would not comment on pending litigation. Since the Rams move, the San Diego Chargers announced their relocation to the Los Angeles market for the coming season. The Chargers and Rams will share a new stadium scheduled to open in 2019. In March, the owners also approved the eventual Oakland Raiders’ move to Las Vegas. Charges in the St. Louis lawsuit include breach of contract, unjust enrichment, fraudulent misrepresentation and business interference. The city and other plaintiffs in a statement claim the NFL, the most popular U.S. sports league, failed to follow its own guidelines for franchise relocation even as it induced the city to

spend “considerable time and money to generate a compelling new stadium development.” The plaintiffs said they made investments in the team’s home stadium based on the NFL’s policy requiring teams to work in good faith to remain in their home community, but team officials were aiming to move long before they made such plans public, the lawsuit said. “The Rams never intended to engage in good faith negotiations with St. Louis,” the lawsuit said. In one instance, the plaintiffs cited a December 2016 interview with Rams former head coach Jeff Fisher, who said when he was hired in January 2012 he was told of plans to move to Los Angeles. Fisher was fired in December. The plaintiffs said the loss of the Rams hurt the city and region and

Brady, LeBron named to Time most influential list New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James were among seven sports figures named to Time Magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people, which was announced Thursday. While Brady and James have ample championships on their resume, polarizing NFL free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick also appeared on the list that included pioneers, artists and leaders. Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein, 2016 Olympic gold-medal gymnast New England Patriots quarterback Tom Simone Biles, UFC light Brady heavyweight champion Conor instrumental in helping his team McGregor and Barcelona rally from a 3-1 series deficit to superstar forward Neymar were upend the Golden State Warriors also included on the list. in the NBA Finals. Brady collected his fifth “By making good on his Super Bowl ring in February pledge to bring a championship after helping the Patriots to the Cleveland Cavaliers and overcome a 25-point deficit in by investing in the promise of the third quarter to defeat the future generations through his Atlanta Falcons in overtime of foundation, LeBron James has Super Bowl LI. not only bolstered the self-esteem “The mic was dropped,” of his native Ohio but also become talk-show host Conan O’Brien an inspiration for all Americans wrote of the victory over the -- proof that talent combined with Falcons. “But Tom’s real passion, tenacity and decency can achievement is that he willed reinvent the possible. Poetry in himself to be (the best).” motion, indeed,” wrote Rita Dove, James also was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and former U.S. poet laureate. Kaepernick’s initial refusal to stand for the national anthem as part of his protest for racial injustice led others around the NFL to follow suit. “I thank Colin, for all he has contributed to the game of football as an outstanding player and trusted teammate,” Kaepernick’s former coach Jim Harbaugh wrote. “I also applaud Colin for the courage he has demonstrated in exercising his guaranteed right of free speech. His willingness to take a position at personal cost is now part of our American story.”

benefited the league and its owners, who received a $550 million relocation fee, the lawsuit said. Meanwhile, the value of the Rams increased by nearly $700 million. Among other damages cited by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit were city and county bond obligations totaling $360 million, the loss of more than $100 million in net proceeds, $30 million for the installation of a new playing surface and other renovations, the loss of state revenue of more than $15 million and about $7.5 million in lost property taxes. The city said it also contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to attract and retain an NFL team over the past 20 years, the lawsuit said. The sports complex authority spent more than $17 million during efforts to build a new stadium for the Rams.

Woods hits first public shots in months, no date for return

Tiger Woods Tiger Woods took his first public golf shots in over two months during an event to announce his first public course on Tuesday but the former world number one remained noncommittal about his return to competitive action. Woods, who has not played a tournament since pulling out of a European Tour event in February because of back spasms, took two swings into a parthree hole in front of a crowd that were on hand for his course design announcement in Missouri. His first shot off a makeshift tee bounced off some rocks that will front the green on the still-to-be built course while his second landed about 10 feet from the hole. “The back is progressing,” said Woods. “I have good days and bad days. I’ve had three back operations and that’s just kind of the nature of the business unfortunately. That’s all I can say.” Woods returned to the PGA Tour in January after a 17-month absence following back surgery. He missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open and shot an opening-round 77 a week later in Dubai before withdrawing. His course, which is scheduled to open in 2019, will honor late Missouri native and three-times major champion Payne Stewart and be called Payne’s Valley.

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