VOLUME 9 ISSUE 11 by The SUN Newspaper

MARCH 25TH - APRIL 1ST 2013

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VOLUME 9 - No. 11

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PNP WINS AGAIN

Amanda Missick beats Oral Selver 455 to 384 votes

BY VIVIAN TYSON

Victorious PNP candidate Amanda Missick celebrating with Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing and his wife Dr. Dawn Perry-Ewing on Friday March 22, 2013.

DETAINED CUBANS SEW LIPS IN PROTEST

6-YEAR-OLD BOY BEATEN WITH HAMMER

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$10MILLION AIRPORT WORKS TO START SOON

VAT MORE EQUITABLE FOR THE BAHAMAS

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or the second time in four months, Amanda Missick of the Progressive National Party (PNP) defeated her People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) opponent Oral Selver at the polls, in a by-election victory on Friday March 22nd that allowed her party to retain the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Missick amassed 455 votes compared to Selver’s 384 to win by a wider margin than she did in the November 9th 2012 general election, when she got 394 votes and he received 364. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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PNP WINS AGAIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“It is a wonderful feeling, a wonderful feeling, and I want to thank God, because I know God brought me through this,” an elated Missick told The SUN. “To the people of Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill, want to say thank you, oh my God, especially the people of Kew Town. I am indeed grateful and humbled by the victory and to be their servant.” Missick attributed her win to what she described as a high level of conﬁdence that the voters of the constituency placed in her. “I know how to go out there and reach people. All I had to do was to be Amanda, simply be that person that I know that I can be and I had always been to the people of Cheshire

Hall,” she explained. Missick received 61 more votes than she did in the November 12th general election, while Selver got 20 more votes than he did then. Last year, she beat him by 30 votes but on Friday it was by 71. Her victory meant that the PNP, which is led by Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing, will retain the 8 to 7 majority which it had after the November 9th general elections that returned the Turks and Caicos Islands to self-rule. If Selver had won the by-election, the PDM would have become the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its leader Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, the country’s first female Premier. The by-election came about because the result in that constituency was declared null and void after High Court Judge Madame Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale ruled that the 58 votes gained by Dr. Edward Smith of the People Progressive Party interfered with the result. After that, Missick faced another legal challenge and the prospect of being disqualified when the Integrity Commission raised an alarm about the filing of her declarations, causing the Attorney General’s Chambers to file a case against her for filing late. However, Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough ruled that she was eligible to stand in the by-election. Meantime, Premier Ewing used

the occasion to thank the many party functionaries and supporters for the win, telling them that their efforts would not go unnoticed. He revealed to the crowd that after working the numbers he predicted that his party would amass 454, but the voters had given them a bonus vote. “We, the PNP, have a team that knows how to do the job and how to campaign. And we have a team that delivers. Most of all, I would like to thank you the voters because without you there are no us… we wouldn’t be here today celebrating,” Ewing said. He told the crowd that Leader of the Opposition Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson had earlier called him to concede. “I thank her for her congratulations, and I pledge my support to work with her in the best interest of the Turks and Caicos Islands. And so, as we go forward carrying out the mandate that we put forward in November, I want you to continue to support us because the road ahead is not easy,” he warned. Missick confessed that the race had left her exhausted, and so, she would need some time to rest before, according to her, resume her job working for the people of the constituency and the Turks and Caicos Islands. She is expected to be handed back her Ministry of Health portfolio that was taken from her after the court declared her seat vacant in

February. Friday’s win was the third time that Missick was staking claim on the constituency through the ballot, having won in 2007 and 2012. The significance of the poll was reflected from early in the day with strong police presence at the two polling stations – the Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Complex and the Community College compound. The cordoning off of the downtown area in the vicinity of the sports complex - the busiest thoroughfare on Providenciales – magnified its seriousness even more. As a result, motorists, including taxis ushering tourists to and from the Providenciales International Airport, were forced to find alternative routes to get to their destinations, including driving onto private properties. Police posted at the barricades at both locations were militant in ensuring that no loitering took place at those surrounding areas. Cars were not allowed to park even on private parking lots close to the polling centres. Police were seen at a section of the Island Pride Supermarket parking lot, close to the roadway, urging motorists not to stop at that location. With the announcing of the final scores minutes after 9p.m., the mood at both headquarters bore sharp contrast. At the PNP base there was wild celebration among the throng of yellow-clad supporters who rocked to

popular music blasting from a disco, which also provided the public address system. The music was punctuated by short speeches from English, Spanish and French- creole presenters. Each speaker whipped the packed open lot into a frenzy after Missick’s colourful campaign director, Devon Williams introduced them on stage. At the PDM headquarters, a strong sense of despondency permeated the compound although an upbeat Opposition and Party Leader Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, her fellow party bigwigs and losing candidate Oral Selver did a great job to lift the spirits of the scores of downhearted party faithful, who had visited the location to witness the election of TCI’s ﬁrst female premier. Ironically, the evening ended with a reversal in contrasts, as it was PDM supporters who were in post-voting celebratory mode, while the PNP followers showed signs of uneasiness. One PDM supporter, at the time, told The SUN, “I believe we got this”. The Cheshire Hall constituency was declared vacant by the High Court in early February, after Selver claimed that Dr. Edward Smith of the People Progressive Party’s (PPP), did not relinquish his United States citizenship that would make him eligible to contest the seat. Selver claimed that had Smith not in the race, the result could have been different. Smith, a retired U.S. professor, who was born in Grand Turk, claimed that his swearing allegiance to the Queen, before assuming a local census supervisory job should have been enough to make him eligible. Under the new interpretation by the country’s attorney general of the 2006 election ordinance, anyone wishing to compete in a local election must cut all foreign citizenship ties. The new interpretation affected several candidates from both sides of the political divide, who were forced to travel to Nassau, Bahamas either to relinquish their Bahamian or United States citizenship. Among the affected candidates were Cartwright Robinson and Selver.

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LOCAL NEWS

The Commonwealth Charter, human rights and Sri Lanka BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

he most important reason for the selection of a countPry as the host-venue for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is that it serves the interests of the Commonwealth as a whole.

If this reason were a consideration, President Mahinda Rajapaksa would already have withdrawn Sri Lanka from hosting the CHOGM in November. The President has not done so. Instead, he has insisted that the Commonwealth Summit must be held in Sri Lanka even as his government is mired in intense controversy over violations of human rights and disregard for the rule of law. By this insistence, the Sri Lanka President demonstrates only an ambition to claim honour and respectability through hosting the meeting and representing the Commonwealth for the next two years as its Chair. This self-serving position of the Sri Lanka government is injuring the Commonwealth. Every member state of the Commonwealth – particularly its small and weak ones - needs the Organisation to be strong and credible. A discredited Commonwealth, that cannot stand-up for its own declared values, would have no moral authority or convincing status to advocate effectively for the welfare of its member countries in the international community. President Rajapaksa’s dismissal of the country’s Chief Justice, Shirani Bandaranayake, after an unfair impeachment process that was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, and the appointment of his former Attorney-General to the post, is “serious” and it comes amid evidence of “persistent” human rights abuses of journalists, and other groups within Sri Lanka. These developments follow the government’s refusal to allow an independent inquiry, as requested by the United Nations, into the deaths of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in 2009 towards the end of a conﬂict between government forces and the Tamil Tigers. The unsuitability of Sri Lanka at this time to host the CHOGM is drawn into stark clarity by the Charter of the Commonwealth that was signed on March 11by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth after the complete concurrence of 53 of the Commonwealth’s 54 Heads of Government. The ﬁfty-fourth member state, Fiji whose military government seized power in 2006, is currently suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth. The Charter was one of the important recommendations for reform of the Commonwealth made by an Eminent Persons Group

(EPG) of which I was privileged to be a member. The recommendation was accepted by all Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in Australia in October 2011. An important clause in the Charter reads: “We are committed to equality and respect for the protection and promotion of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights including the right to development, for all without discrimination on any grounds as the foundations of peaceful, just and stable societies”. Unless the Sri Lanka government demonstrates that it upholds that commitment through actions that have been urged upon it by the UN, many Commonwealth Governments, and a myriad number of international legal and judicial organisations, it is not qualified to host the CHOGM. Attendance by other Heads of Government would sully the Commonwealth by validating the Rajapaksa government. This is not the first time that the Commonwealth has had to deal with violations of its values and principles by a member state. It did so in 1977 in relation Idi Amin whose brutal regime in Uganda engaged in massive violation of human rights and sustained disregard for the sanctity of life. At that time, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shridath Ramphal, said to Commonwealth leaders: “There has been in the Commonwealth, of course, as in the international community, a long and necessary tradition of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states. No commonwealth country (indeed, who anywhere in the world?) is above reproach in some respect or other. If these traditions were not to be respected there would be no end to recrimination and censoriousness. How to strike a balance of political judgement between the two extremes of declamation and silence is sometimes difficult – but it would be entirely illusory to believe that such a judgment could, or indeed should, be avoided altogether. There will be times in the affairs of the Commonwealth when one member’s conduct will provoke the wrath of others beyond the limits of silence.... although the line may be indefinable, all the world will know when it has been crossed.” It had been crossed in Uganda; and at their meeting in 1977, Commonwealth leaders stated that it was their “overwhelming view” that the excesses of Amin’s regime “were so gross as to warrant the world’s concern and to evoke condemnation by Heads of Government in strong and unequivocal terms”. In those days, there was no Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) as there is now, tasked with dealing with States

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

where the Commonwealth’s declared values have been violated. Nonetheless, Heads of Government themselves made it clear that the excesses of Idi Amin were unacceptable, as they did later with the white minority government of Ian Smith in Southern Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe) and the Apartheid regime in South Africa. As CMAG has since suspended other member states – Fiji, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan – after addressing their violations of Commonwealth values, it should do so now with Sri Lanka, or the freshly minted Commonwealth Charter will simply become another set of words, not worth the paper on which they are inscribed in the name of the people of the Commonwealth. There is also precedent for moving a Commonwealth meeting if the host government has breached Commonwealth agreed principles and values. In 1981, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, ignored the 1977 Gleneagles Agreement that banned sporting contact with Apartheid South Africa. Muldoon strongly supported the South Africa Springbok Rugby team’s tour to New Zealand. Commonwealth governments, feeling that Muldoon had violated agreed Commonwealth principles and values, moved a Finance Ministers meeting from New Zealand to the Bahamas as a mark of their displeasure. The Sri Lanka government should withdraw from hosting the CHOGM in November, or the other Commonwealth countries should withdraw themselves from attending. Either action would strengthen the Commonwealth and enhance its authority. But, on no account should the CHOGM be held in Sri Lanka.

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LOCAL NEWS

Cubans sew lips shut to protest illtreatment at detention centre BY VIVIAN TYSON

our Cubans, who are among several inmates at the detention centre in Providenciales who went on hunger strike to protest what they claimed to be numerous human rights violations by the authorities, stitched their mouths shut using needles and ﬁne cords. It understood that at least eight inmates at the facility participated in the strike. Aside from the Cubans, who sew their lips together, the other participants included another of their countryman, two Haitians who have been at the prison for ﬁve months an African, who has been there for four months. The SUN understands that the Cubans, who have been at the facility from October, complained that of late that they have been deprived of certain rights such as access to medical treatments and a lack of recreation. They also complained that they have been denied visits and food brought to them by family members, and also a lack of amenities such as television, to take their minds of stressful situation which they said existed at the centre. “They have nothing to do to take their minds away from stress. They

Photos of the Cubans who sew their lips together to protest ill-treatment at the detention centre just wake, eat and sleep. They have been denied those rights since Sunday. Normally, they are supposed to go downstairs to get sun and fresh air in the afternoon for maybe one hour. They have not received that since Sunday (March, 17). They don’t have any TV in the place. No exercise, no nothing,” a family member said. The family member accused the authorities of denying the inmates medical care, and only afforded them such right after their symptoms got worst. “They have problem going to the hospital; immigration does not take them to the hospital. They have to be like dying on the ﬂoor for them to be taken to the hospital. And even after they have seen the doctor, they have been denied medication. “One of there, it took him one and half weeks before he was able

to get medication; after crying and shouting continuously to them (centre management). Another one who had a tooth problem after he fell in the bathroom was denied hospital care for two and a half months, and they still have not bought the medication for him,” the family member continued. The source said the Cubans currently at the detention centre were not connected to those who departed the country in a speed boat for the United States two weeks ago. “There is one other Cuban, whose wife was released before – the actual one that lost the baby while she was in detention because of no medical attention. He is there too and said he will not eat because they are telling him that his wife cannot come and visit him. “The Cubans who left the coun-

try were the ones who had lawyers and their families are connected overseas. So, those ones’ lawyer only used the other lady as an excuse to convince the judge in a compassionate way that one of the ladies had a miscarriage and lost the baby there because of no medical attention. “But that lady was not among the family that had that lawyer; the lawyer just used it as a strategy to get a positive decision from the judge. They released the lady two days after she lost the baby, because they were scared and knew what they did,” the source said. The inmates also accused security personnel at the facility for treated them like animals, and that they would prefer to be at Her Majesty’s Prison in Grand Turk where they would be allowed fresh air, watch TV and listen to musical devices.

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LOCAL NEWS

Six year-old attacked with hammer in Kew Town BY VIVIAN TYSON

six year-old Kew Town boy is considered very lucky to be alive after another boy said to be between 14 and 15 and allegedly high on drugs, slammed him at the side of the head with a hammer damaging tissues below the right ear. The incident took place on Tuesday, March 19, in the community while the child laid in wait for his father at his game, who was expected from work at that time. The SUN understands that the boy spent about 10 hours at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, while doctors there ran numerous tests on him to diagnose the severity of the injuries, including whether or not any bones were broken. Brian Dean, father of the injured boy, said that his son was at the game playing in the dirt, while waiting for him to arrive home - as he regularly did - when the aggressor walked up to him and slammed him at the side of the head with the hammer, after a brief conversation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He (son) told me that he was waiting for me at about 6 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock â&#x20AC;&#x201C; normally, I come from work at about 6p.m., and so he was waiting at the gate and playing in the dirt.

The boy walked up and asked him what was he was doing, so he said he was drawing a line for the dogs not to pass. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The boy then took out his hammer from his waist and hit him near to the ear, which seems badly injured. The doctors did a lot of scanning, and he should undergo more scanning for the result and he still has to go through a lot of therapy,â&#x20AC;? Dean said. Dean alleged that the attacker was a member of a group of his peers who regularly indulged in smoking of drugs, and is of the view that the boy might have been high on illegal substance when he attacked his son. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They all smoking, and when they smoke they do crazy stuff. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want it to happen to other children; I just want the public to be aware of what is going on, and parents to control their children. The doctors did not ďŹ nd any broken bones; but they said that the soft tissues behind the ears are damaged, which caused the swelling,â&#x20AC;? the distraught father, who has vowed to press charges, said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I cannot leave it this way, because I want the parents to discipline their children when they do wrong.â&#x20AC;?

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Photo shows a huge swelling under the right ear of this little boy who was attacked by bigger boy in Kew Town with a hammer

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

The State Department did not issue Travel Warning for TCI BY VIVIAN TYSON

he United States Department of State did to issue a travel warning for its citizens not to visit the Turks & Caicos Islands after, but rather, issued a simple messaging through its United States Embassy in Nassau, Bahamas, advising of a spike in robbery and for them to take precaution. John Lowell Armstrong, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission based at the United States Embassy in Nassau, Bahamas, who was in the Turks and Caicos on Monday, March 11, to inform the country of the changes that the U.S. was making worldwide to its visa application programme, said that the advisory sent out by the embassy was at the very minimal and was dispatched only to those who have been registered with the embassy. “It is our duty to look out for the welfare of our citizens, and that’s the ﬁrst thing. A travel warning which essentially comes from the State Department – not from a speciﬁc embassy – is much more serious and longer term. The State Department did not issue a travel warning for the Turks and Caicos, I want to make perfectly clear. “We sent a message to American

John Lowell Armstrong, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission based at the United States Embassy in Nassau citizens, who had taken the step to enroll themselves with the embassy. If they share that information with someone else they are perfectly free to do that. But we did not issue a travel warning,” Armstrong reiterated. He said that the advisory was sent because the embassy has noticed a jump in armed robberies in the Turks & Caicos Islands, and so, they were putting their citizens on their guard. “I would say in the past month, month and a half there has been

a noticeable spike in incidents involving American Citizens. We also heard of other incidents that did not involve Americans, but of course, the greatest concern is American Citizens. Our primary duty is to look out for the welfare of American citizens abroad. “Every diplomatic service has its primary mission to lookout for the welfare of its citizens abroad, just like the Bahamian Foreign Service - their consulates in the United States - if they see a situation that would be a danger to Bahami-

an citizens, they would tell their citizens about it,” Armstrong emphasized. Armstrong continued: “If we would see a situation in another country, be it Brazil, Belize or Belgium, we would also tell our citizens about it. And that’s exactly what we did in this situation because we had noticed this trend, and it is a cause for concern. I have talked to a few people when I got down here and they believe that there is a spike in crime. “Of course we have full conﬁdence in the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force to deal with the situation. But we wouldn’t be doing out duty, just as the Bahamian diplomats or the British diplomats, Belgian or Brazilian diplomats, who wouldn’t be doing their duty if they didn’t inform their citizens of possible danger, and maybe they would follow some of the tips and not become victims.” He told journalists that advisories posted by the embassy were not only crime-related but also other matters, such as the weather. In the meantime, Armstrong urged all Americans living and visiting TCI, to enroll in the programme, so that they can receive information when the needs arise.

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER This position is responsible for the leadership and direction of the organization’s activities in accordance with the goals and objectives of the organization to safeguard and grow the value of the organization, ensure that Company’s Service Territory (ST) has safe, reliable electricity services, while providing sound returns to shareholders.

Main Duties • Define and articulate the organization’s vision and to develop strategies for achieving that vision • Give direction and leadership toward the achievement of the organization’s philosophy, mission, strategy and its annual goals and objectives. • Coordinate all aspects of the organization, including: human resources, engineering, electricity production and transmission, financing and commerce, regulatory, environment and safety. • To implement the strategic goals and objectives of the organization. • Promote a culture that reflects the organization’s values, encourages good performance, and reward productivity • Assure that the organization’s mission, programs and services are consistently presented in a strong positive image to relevant stakeholders. • Develops and monitors strategies for ensuring the long-term financial viability of the organization • Manage the physical and human resources of the organization to achieve maximum results.

Minimum Requirements: • Post graduate degree in business or engineering • Minimum of 20 years’ experience in the electricity utility industry • Minimum of 10 years’ experience at senior executive level • Proven exceptional leadership skills • Extensive global knowledge of the electricity utility industry and regulatory frameworks • Extensive knowledge in leading utility power plant procurement and installation • Extensive knowledge of global and regional energy markets • Extensive knowledge of fuel specs and regional fuel supply chains • Extensive knowledge of fuel hedging strategies • Extensive experience in risk management, disaster preparedness and recovery, and business continuity • Extensive experience in structured financing and debt placements • Proven track record of leading investor-owned electricity utilities and creating shareholder’s value • Exceptional analytical skills • Excellent written and oral communication skills • Ability to deliver to strict deadlines and to work under pressure

Compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications Deadline for submission of applications is April 5, 2013 to: Manager, Human Resources FortisTCI Limited P. O. Box 132, Providenciales Email address:hrapplications@ppcltd.tc fax: 649-941-4304

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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LOCAL NEWS

About 300 competing for 150 public school spaces BY VIVIAN TYSON

ore than 300 parents flocked the Gustarvus Lightbourne Complex on Monday, March 18, to secure one of 150 spaces at the Primary schools on Providenciales for the new school year which begins in September. The Education Department said it was only registering for children born before December 31, 2009, to be entered into infant one classes. Although the registration was a three-day process, there was a huge turnout of parents on the first day. The parents and guardians braved the hot mid to early afternoon sun to jockey for a spot to make sure that they are at a favourable position on the registration sheet. At one stage the police had to be called in to bring stability to the pushing and shoving that persisted at the venue. Sarah Kennedy, Education Officer in charge of Public Schools, said that the process was made to be very orderly, but some of the parents were intent of making a chaotic situation out of the process. We are registering only for Infant One - those children who are born in 2009, before December 31st. As usual, we have the process at the Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Centre, and

A number of persons queue outside the Gustarvus Lightbourne Complex in Providenciales to register their children as usual you can see the chaos outside. “Every year we try to operate a numbers system, but it is always the pushing and rushing by the people that make things seems a little out of control because some of them can’t wait. It is a three-day process;

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what we do is collect all the information and then we do the processing,” she explained. A number of parents, who turned up, did not have all their documentation, especially for their child and were forced to depart the location to retrieve them.

Among the documents needed for application were two passports size photograph, immunization card of medical certiﬁcate, birth certiﬁcate and photo page of passport for the child, plus proof of parent or guardian and evidence of legal status in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

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Distribution Center Assistant • Must have minimum of 5 years experience in Foodservice Distribution • Must have Foodservice knowledge • Must have strong organizations skills • Degree from a recognized university • Specialized in Foodservice Industry Interested applicants should apply to quality@alliedcaribbean.com Qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview. Salary commensurate with experience Belongers Preferred

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LOCAL NEWS

Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson: ‘We will run Government from behind’ BY VIVIAN TYSON

eemingly undaunted by the Cheshire Hall constituency by-election loss, Opposition Leader and Head of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Sharlene Cartwright Robinson said that her parliamentary aggregation will lead from behind in the House of Assembly. Cartwright Robinson was giving her concession speech, which appeared more of a motivational session, at the party’s headquarters downtown Providenciales on Friday, March 22, to dozens of party faithfuls, after the party’s candidate Oral Selver lost to the Progressive National Party (PNP) Amanda Missick. A win would have ﬂipped the seat of power from the PNP to the PDM and would also give the country its ﬁrst female premier. The win enables the PNP a one-seat (8 to 7) majority in the House of Assembly. Despite the loss, Cartwright Robinson remained convinced that the PDM has

Cartwright Robinson addresses the audience at the PDM Headquarters in Providenciales. Immediately ﬂanking her are Deputy Leader Hon. Sean Astwood (right) and losing candidate Oral Selver. At far right is party chairman Lynden Hall, while at far left is Selver’s brother, Orville. the better team, and so it would prove just that in the House. “…At the end of the day, we are going to run the government from behind,” She said, urging her supporters not to hang their heads in shame, since they all gave a good account of themselves. “Tonight we emerged as a stronger team. We touched people in their homes last night, people know who

we are. We don’t have anything to be ashamed about. We went with our integrity in this race and we came out with it. Turks and Caicos lost, and I am going to say to you, there will be boasters and haters – the young people say. Do not prolong any bitter bickering and ﬁghting. We don’t need that. “The eyes of the world are on us like never before, and they are wondering what is

going on in this country. So, we have to show them that there are mature, sensible people in the Turks & Caicos – I am not saying that the people who vote otherwise are not sensible. This ignorance on the internet has to stop,” she asserted. A sometimes philosophical Cartwright Robinson, who declared that the country lost good man in Selver, told cheering supporters that

the loss could mean that it’s “blessing” had been held up a bit, but was still on its way. “I say to you, ‘stand still and see the salvation of our God’. Of course we are disappointed, but blessing delayed is not blessing denied. Anybody who has me on their BBM, you will see that I said, ‘God, let your perfect will be done’. I would lie to you if I said once, ‘God, let the PDM win’. Because if we prayed for the PDM to win and stuff supposed to happen, it is going to fall on us, and we would be out of his perfect will,” she opined. “And to be honest to God, I do not feel it (loss), because we ran a campaign that they (PNP) did not expect. And let me tell you something, we are going to be stronger than ever,” she continued. For his part, Deputy Leader Sean Astwood, said that while the opposition would be assisting the government to stimulate the economy, it would be pushing the PDM schema in the House of Assembly, which includes protecting workers rights.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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LOCAL NEWS

Government warns of stiff penalty for human traffickers BY VIVIAN TYSON

n the wake of a boat laden with 115 Haitians being intercepted by local authorities and taken to shore on Tuesday, March 19, the Turks & Caicos Islands Government is sending a strong warning of severe punishment to those indulging in human trafficking. At about 5 a.m., on Tuesday, the sloop carrying the illegal migrants was spotted by operators of the TCI Coastal Radar Station a few miles off the coast of Providenciales. The Marine Branch of the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force, which was alerted, later intercepted the vessel and ushered it to shore minutes past 7a.m. The 86 males and 29 females, which included two minors, were taken from the boat and processed before being taken to the detention centre in Five Cays on the island. The authorities wasted no time in carting off the wooden vessel to the dump for destruction. The arrival of the Haitian sloop came on the heels of the unauthorized departure of a 16 Cubans, who fled Turks and Caicos Islands’ shores last week, via speed boat. The Cubans came into the Turks and Caicos Islands illegally from their home country with the intention of making it to the United States, in what the local authorities theorized was a clear case of human trafficking. The Cubans were apprehended at dwelling in Discovery Bay, by Immigration Officials. They were held on suspicion of entering the TCI, but while efforts to repatriate them were being made, the illegal Cubans filed for asylum. They were in-

ing

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The sloop which was intercepted with illegal Haitians on board. terviewed by representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). And after being order released from the detention centre by the courts and awaiting the results of their interview, the Cubans ﬂed the TCI. As a result of the latest developments, the government said that he would institute the stiffest possible penalty to those who continue to circumvent the law in that regard. In a statement later in the week, the Ministry of Border Control and Labour unequivocally issued stern warning to those who may be engage in the act of human trafﬁcking and also those who fall victims to the practice. “The Ministry of Border Control and Labour

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and the RTCI Police Force are keen on sending a strong message of zero tolerance to any individual(s) attempting to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands illegally. In that regard, any of the above mentioned passengers identified as repeat offenders, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. “Likewise, anyone proven to be in any way involved in the facilitation of this type of human trafficking is liable on summary conviction, to a fine of $15,000 or to a term of imprisonment of three years or both fine and imprisonment, in accordance with Section 69 (2) of the Immigration Ordinance,” the statement said. The statement continued: “It is the commitment of the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands to maintain protection of its borders and to unequivocally demonstrate the resolve to ensure that safe haven will not be afforded to those who attempt to circumvent normal immigration procedures.” The Haitian Consulate, which opened recently in the TCI, said it has been working closely with the government in order to arrive at a solution to stem the problem. In the meantime, the government said that arrangements for repatriation of the individuals were being made, and the illegal migrants could be sent home between this weekend or early next week.

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At the age of two our son Isreal wasn’t talking yet. No “Ma-ma”, “Da-da”, “buh-bye”, nothing. He only played alone for hours, never interacting with anyone else at home or school. This often made me wonder if something was wrong or if I was comparing him too much to his older brother. However we decided to take him to his pediatrician and sure enough, something wasn’t right. “He may be autistic...” she said. I was suddenly confused. Every single moment from the day I found out that I was pregnant, seem to flash before my eyes that day. I also started to question everything I knew about raising a child but I knew I had to do something. Isreal’s pediatrician referred us to Miami to meet with a team of specialists to confirm the diagnosis and in April of last year, Isreal was diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The journey continues and it’s been one year since the diagnosis. With the help of ABA therapy, Isreal has learnt to answer simple questions, interact with others and continue going to school. We spent a lot of time talking and playing, laughing and growing but mostly learning and developing. On this journey the challenges are sometimes great but the success is worth it all. Our family offers us support and understanding but most of all love. Love helps us to keep moving forward on this journey, forward until all the pieces fit!! Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. You can offer your support by joining in with Austism Speaks in their “Light it up Blue” campaign leading up to World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd. Log in to their website at www.autismspeaks.org for more information.

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LOCAL NEWS

Government breaks ground on $10million expansion for Providenciales International Airport H

on. Dr. Rufus Ewing, Premier for the Turks & Caicos Islands wants the phase two of the Providenciales International Airport to not only build to speciﬁcation, but also within budget and by the 18-month period that is proposed. The premier also wants the project to employ as many Turks and Caicos Islanders as possible. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony to kick-start $10 million phase two of the airport

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expansion, on Thursday, March 21, Ewing pointed to the importance of the project and what it means to the country’s economy and the significance of it finish well and on time. “I want to say to the persons who are awarded the contract to get the job done properly, high quality, quickly, within budget and employ Turks and Caicos Islanders more than 75 percent if you can,” the premier urged. The Premier said that already he has insisted upon the Airports Authority to begin making plans for the further expansion of the facility, since it is expected that within five years it is expected that the increased traffic at the facility would again warrant an expansion. “Right now, we are at a critical phase that in order for us to grow our tourism industry, we need to increase the capacity (at the airport) urgently. It is a difficult decision to decide whether or not you are going to take a few months to build something that is very, very much bigger and better that can last you for the next 25 years or whether or not you should do something intermediate or short term that can accommodate the current needs now and for the next five years out, while we then continue to raise the revenue that we need LYNDON GARDINER to pay our own way is seeking One Labourer to build a state-of-theart, brand new facility Must be able to work shifts that can accommodate Must be able to lift heavy items over the next 25 years,” Must be able to read he stated. and write English The Premier added: Belongers only need apply. “And that was the de$5.50 per hour cision that was made, and that was the decision we made, that we think that this facility once built, should Send resume to be able to accommoFax 946-4040 date our needs over or email HR@flyairtc.com the next five years,

and I sincerely hope that it does not, because if it does not accommodate our needs for the next five years it means that we have done a great job, as a government in bringing more and more tourist arrivals to this country, more airlifts, hence we should have more money available to build whatever we want to build to accommodate them.” Chief Executive Officer for the Providenciales International Airport, John Smith, said that the need to expand the airport arose as a result of the facility having challenges coping with the current traffic. Smith said that the expansion of the airport would not hamper the construction of a new terminal in the future should the government decide to go that route. He said also that the Turks & Caicos Islands Airports Authority would ensure that the contractors employ as many local construction workers on the project as possible; reminding the audience that phase one employed more than 90 percent Belonger employment “It is a significant project for us, but by no means a very expensive project, relatively speaking. And, it is by no means the largest project that we have dealt with. As the Airports Authority has managed the first project, we insist, and through the contract, ensure that there is a minimum of 75 percent local involvement. And we can say to you, as the previous one was - that boasts over 94 percent local involvement - we will be able to do the same thing again,” Smith said. “I can assure you that once it is completed, it is something that we all can be proud of. We managed it tightly, we managed it well. We spend the money that we have and manage that money through the board very tightly and very well,” Smith added. CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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LOCAL NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Governor Ric Todd said that the expansion of the Providenciales Airport has to do with the enormous level of work put in by a number of persons, some within the aviation and other persons in the community. “The airport is a symbol of several things. It is a symbol of success of the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airports Authority in making this such a successful venture. It is the success of TCI in bringing people to these islands. It is a symbol of our desire to keep investing in the things that really matter to everyone here and to our economy,” he said. In the meantime, Minister of Finance Hon. Washington Misick expressed the hope that within five years the TCI would fashion a terminal reflective of its accommodation opulence. “ I think I have made it clear on a number of occasions that I want to see a terminal that befits out five-star destination here within five years. One of the things we have in our government manifesto is the development of the overall development plan. That would require a number of policy documents, including tourism, including an aviation policy. And so, it is very early days yet for us to determine which direction that it is going to go into,” Misick said. Phase two of the airport expansion is geared towards improving the guest experience at the facility. Dolmen Import and Export Ltd,

Ric Todd (left) Governor for the Turks and Caicos Islands and Premier Rufus Ewing break ground for the Provo Airport expansion, while John Smith, CEO For the Airports Authority looks on the construction company which built the Our Lady of Devine Providence Catholic Church in Providenciales, has been awarded the contract to carry-out phase two of the project. On completion, according to the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, passengers will be able to enjoy expanded check-in counter areas and self check in facilities, additional bathroom facilities, larger re-

tail space for shops and restaurants, and improved medical amenities. The TCIAA disclosed that the expansion will nearly double the size of the terminal to better accommodate the 500,000 passengers who pass through the airport each year, since the expansion in capacity will increase from 51,462 to 92,321 sq ft. The second phase of work will be done in three stanzas. The ﬁrst will

include the construction of a new trafﬁc circulation system, an extension to the existing west car park, and extension of the departure Lounge. The second phase will continue with the extension on the international check-in area, security check point as well as the arrivals hall. The third and ﬁnal phase will include the domestic departures and arrivals area, completion of car park and aesthetics, including water features.

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LOCAL NEWS

Beaches new recruits make media appearance BY VIVIAN TYSON

ome of the more than 100 persons recently granted employment opportunities at Beaches Turks and Caicos were presented to the media during their orientation process on Monday, March 19, at the property. Lorenzo Seymour, Assistant Human Resource Manager at Beaches Turks and Caicos said that the orientation, which was held over three days, afforded the new recruits the opportunity of getting to know the company a lot better, and also to make them aware of their reciprocal responsibilities. “This is where we allow the team members to go through their ﬁrst ofﬁcial training at Beaches Turks and Caicos. They also learn about what the company expects from them and what they should expect from the company,” Seymour said. He pointed out that part of the training would include medical care, thereby enabling them to assist guests in the wake of such emergency. It is widely speculated that all the new employees would be placed at Key West Village (the former Veranda Resort). But Seymour dispelled those rumours, rather stating that they would be dispersed across the sprawling property, of which the

Beaches new recruits posing for the cameras. newly acquired resort is now a part. “As everyone tends to always think about it (Key West Village) as another hotel by itself; basically, it is another village. These people will be employed by Beaches Turks and Caicos. It won’t be a separation to make them think that they are not a part of the team. Everyone that works

here, works at Beaches Turks and Caicos,” Seymour pointed out. From the seven job fairs hosted by the resort since the start of the year – two in January and ﬁve in February - more than 100 persons have been offered employment across all departments, including food and beverage, housekeeping, cost con-

trol, front ofﬁce, concierge, photo shop, water sports and security. Seymour said that a huge makeup of its new core comprises school-leavers, pointing to the employment registration drive that his resort has forged with the Clement Howell High School through the Labour Department.

The Alexandra Resort & Spa is inviting applications for the following positions: CHIEF ENGINEER

NIGHT AUDITOR

ROOM ATTENDANTS

Responsibilities: • Overseeing the functions of all Engineering and maintenance staff to ensure that all required maintenance and up-keep of property is carried out; • Accountability for all Engineering inventories i.e. equipment and supplies inventories; • Be responsible for hiring of Engineering staff; • Also to ensure that all staff are trained and coached on all aspects of their job • Promoting an atmosphere of teamwork and professionalism within the department; • You must be able to maintain as well as offer new avenues on all electrical and mechanical systems

Responsibilities • Ensuring that all charges and credits are posted accurately to guest accounts; that the telephone call accounting system reporting has been completed and system is functional • Balancing all credit card charges to cashiers reports and hard and soft copies are balanced with credit card folios • Organizing the night audit work in an orderly manner for distribution to the accounts department • Closing out of accounts and resetting the system for the next days operation • Conducts analytical review of all daily Front Office and Room transactions reports and to rectify and discrepancies. • Acting as Manager on Duty and maintain an open line of communication between guests, team members and management. • Performing Front Office duties, processing express checkouts and assisting guests as needed during the shift

To ensure the cleanliness and orderliness of the assigned guestroom, work areas and equipment. Must be able to push and pull carts weighing up to 150lbs and be able to climb flights of stairs several times daily. Previous experience in this area is a must. Salary range for the above listed position is $5.00 - $7.00 per hour.

Job Requirements • Must have 6 or more years previous experience as a Night Auditor in a resort or condominium environment • Proficient in Microsoft office and Visual one is a MUST • Clear communications skills (written and oral) • Must be able to work nights, weekends and holidays Salary payable for the positions listed above are in the range of $25,000.00 - $66,000.00 per annum.

To assist in, maintaining the grounds of the resort. Duties to include: removal of trash, weeding, mowing, planting, pruning, watering and application of chemicals. Must be of good character. Be able to lift 50lbs., bend and stand for long periods of time. Must be able to speak English and understand instructions. Previous experience is a must. Must be in excellent health. Salary range for the above listed position is $5.00 $7.00 per hour.

Requirements; • At least 5 years experience with at least 3 or more those years in a four star resort property • Must have a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. • A proven track record in managing an efficient diversified workforce is a MUST • The ability to focus on preventative maintenance of the resort’s engineering, grounds, pools, public areas, guestrooms • Must be highly organized and have excellent communication skills written and oral • Must be knowledgeable of all Engineering/maintenance functions • Must have the ability to manage department’s budget • Knowledge of visual one IS A MUST

LABOURERS To assist in maintaining the buildings of the resort. Must be able to lift 50lbs, bend, stand for long periods of time and must be able to push and pull carts weighing up to 250lbs. Be able to lift 50lbs., bend and stand for long periods of time. Must be able to speak English and understand instructions. Must be in excellent health. Salary range for the above listed position is $5.00 $7.00 per hour. GARDENERS

OPEN APPLICATION HOURS: Tuesdays 9:30-11:30am and Thursdays 1:30-3:30pm Any person interested in applying may do so by submitting their Resumes to the Labour Board and directly via fax to 941-4240 or via email to hr@alexandraresort.com Persons selected for an interview will be notified and at that time a full job description and compensation package will be discussed. Submissions for these positions to be received no later than April 6th, 2013

Only qualified Turks and Caicos Islanders need apply. Applicants who require a work permit will not be considered

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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GOVERNMENT OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS BASIC NEEDS TRUST FUND SEVENTH (BNTF 7) PROJECT CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR: REVISION & UPDATING OF THE POVERTY REDUCTION ACTION PLAN (PRAP) REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands (GOTCI) has received financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) towards the cost of financing the BNTF 7 Project and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under a contract for which this invitation is issued. Payments by CDB will be made only at the request of GOTCI and upon approval by CDB, and will be subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Financing Agreement. The Financing Agreement prohibits withdrawal from the financing account for the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, or for any import of goods, if such payment or import, to the knowledge of CDB, is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. No party other than GOTCIshall derive any rights from the Financing Agreement or have any claim to the proceeds of the Financing. Basic Needs Trust Fund Office (BNTFO), the Executing Agency, now wishes to procure consultancy services for the revision and updating of the Poverty Reduction Action Plan (PRAP). The objective of the consultancy is to review and update the BNTF 7 PRAP which provides the mechanism for targeting poor communities linked closely to wider national policies and development priorities and strategies aimed at reducing poverty. This will be achieved through the review of the Government’s National Socio-economic Development Strategy (2008-2017); Medium Term Socio-economic Development Framework (2008-2010); National Development Strategy 2011 and other credible data sources; conduct of interviews with a wide range of key stakeholders including government officials, NGOs and community groups; and the development of specific actions for BNTF interventions supported by an implementation plan and results framework. The duration of the assignment is expected to be for a period of eight weeks. BNTFO now invites interested eligible individual consultants to submit Expressions of Interest indicating qualifications and experience required to provide these consultancy services.

Consultants shall be eligible to participate if: (a) the persons are citizens or bona fide resident or residents of an eligible country; and (b) in all cases, the consultant has no arrangement and undertakes not to make any arrangements, whereby any substantial part of the net profits or other tangible benefits of the contract will accrue or be paid to a person not a citizen or bona fide resident of an eligible country. Eligible countries are member countries of CDB. In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to qualifications and experience on similar assignments. All information must be submitted in English. Further information may be obtained from the first address below between the hours of 9:00a.m and 4:30p.m. Mondayto Friday. Two hard copies of the Expressions of Interest must be received at the first address below no later than 12:00 noon on Wednesday the 27th of March, 2013 and one copy must be sent simultaneously to CDB at the second address below. The sealed envelope containing each submission should include the name and address of the applicant and shall be clearly marked, “Expression of Interest- Consultancy Services forthe Revision and Updating of the PRAP - TCI”. Following the assessment of submissions, the most technically capable and appropriately experienced applicant will be invited to negotiate a contract to provide the consultancy services. GOTCI reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. It will not be bound to assign any reason for not short-listing any applicant and will not defray any costs incurred by any applicant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest. Address 1 Ms.Salace Richardson Project Manager, BNTF c/o Department of Economic Planning and Statistics South Base Grand Turk Turks and Caicos Islands

Address 2 Mrs.Darran Newman Belgrave Portfolio Manager, BNTF Social Sector Division Caribbean Development Bank P.O. Box 408 Wildey St. Michael BARBADOS Fax: +246-426-7269 Email: bntf@caribank.org

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LOCAL NEWS

UK Minister Mark Simmonds writes to CARICOM U

K Minister for Overseas Territories Mark Simmonds has written to Caricom to reject what the British government has called misleading remarks made by the Premier about the past and present situation in the TCI over governance arrangements and essential reforms necessary to the economy and public administration. At the 24th Inter-sessional meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community on 18th February, Premier Hon Dr

Rufus Ewing made a speech presenting his interpretation of the relationship between TCI and the UK. Following the conference, the Premier issued an open letter to the Foreign Secretary where these remarks were re-stated. On 12th March the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, issued a detailed response in which he says, ‘I regret you substantially misrepresent both the past and present situation to both the people of the TCI and to the leaders of the Caribbean’.

A Government press release issued by Director of Strategy Dr. Philip Rushbrook, stated: “To correct the misrepresentation to the Caricom leaders the United Kingdom Minister responsible for relations with the Caribbean, Mark Simmonds, has written to the President of Caricom, His Excellency Michel Martelly, President of the Republic of Haiti, to ask for the response by the Foreign Secretary to be circulated to all of the Heads of Government in the Caribbean Community.”

Health Ministry reports decrease in vomiting, diarrhea cases in Grand Turk T

he Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) is reassuring residents and visitors to Grand Turk that there has been a decrease in the number of cases of diarrhea and vomiting on the island. Surveillance Teams are continuing to monitor the situation and both the MOHHS and the Ministry of Government Support Services have conﬁrmed that the public water supply is safe. Tests for Fecal Coliform, Total Coliform and Entercoccus have been carried out on the Reverse Osmosis Plant to ensure that there was no contamination of the public water supply. The Ministry also cautions anyone who experiences any signs of diarrhea and/or vomiting

to seek medical attention and to give samples to their medical provider as this is vital for identifying the cause of the illness. At the same time, the Environmental Health Department and the National Health Planning and Promotion Unit under the MOHHS are continuing their outreach initiatives and have conducted site visits to sensitise both the general public and other important stake holders in the tourism industry on the prevention and control of vomiting and diarrhea. The MOHHS advises, that while the numbers of diarrhea and vomiting cases have decreased, residents and visitors should continue to practise

proper personal hygiene. Hygiene measures include washing hands properly after using the toilet, changing diapers, handling animals and before and after handling food. This helps to prevent the spread of various forms of gastroenteritis, some of which can cause serious health problems. Use soap and warm running water and wash hands for at least 20 seconds. Liquid soap is best. The Ministry also points out that a hand sanitiser should only be used after ﬁrst washing and drying hands properly. Hand Sanitisers should not be used as a substitute for hand washing. Also, all foods should be properly cooked and stored at the correct temperatures.

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LOCAL NEWS

Stop practicing evil against others BY VIVIAN TYSON

radley Handfield, pastor of the Faith Fellowship Assemblies of God Church in Providenciales is urging the Turk & Caicos Islands to stop practicing evil against others or suffer the consequences that could be lurking around the bend. Pastor Handfield, who was speaking at the Clement Howell High School’s 25th anniversary awards ceremony at the Gustarvus Lightbourne Complex in Providenciales on Thursday, March 21, warned that whatever is sewn that is what would be reaped and so attitudes must change. Basing his message on Galatians chapter 6, Handfield told the gathering that they should make the effort to do good to others at every turn, and not just to those whose groupings they belong. “We have this way of doing good to those who are like us; doing good to those who we like; doing good to those who we think are on our level. But those persons who are not like us; those persons who are not from here; those persons who are not my colour; those persons who don’t speak my language, we believe that it is okay to do evil to them,” Handfield opined Handfield also brought a messaging for students who were in attendance, reminding them that the level of work that they put into what they do would yield the equivalent result. “If you put in bad stuff, you will get bad out. If you put in pornography, you will reap promiscuity. If you put in violence you are going to reap war. If you put in laziness, you are going to reap

Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing and his brother Goldray Ewing, who is an opposition member share in a family moment with their father, who was honoured by the Clement Howell High School Es and Fs when the exam time comes. Whatever you put in that is what you are going to get out. And so, I am saying to the students this morning, you have every opportunity to put into your lives a good education – a solid education. “You have the opportunity to fill yourself with good thoughts, to fill yourself with good ideas, to fill yourselves with good attitudes. And if you do so at the proper time, what you put in is going to come out, and it is going to be good, and it is going to affect our community and our country in a good way,” Handfield said. He added: “Let us plant good; let us plant righteousness; let us plant justice; let us plant

love; let us plant peace. And those good things that we plant, at the proper time they would spring up, and we will reap a harvest – a good reward of the good that we have done.” Scores of individuals from the TCI community were honoured at the event for their dedication to the progression of Clement Howell High School and the wider community. The honorees stemmed from varying backgrounds such as education, business, politics and community activism. Among those honoured were former chief minister and current House of Assembly member Hon. Derek Taylor; Former Minister of Education Hon. Lillian Boyce; retired politician Hilly Ewing, who is the father of Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing; longstanding businessman, Albray Butterﬁeld Sr.; Community Activist Marion Williams; culture icon David Bowen; and Ellen Howell, former teacher and widow of the school’s patron, Clement Howell. A number of business entities were also awarded at the ceremony. They include the Sandals Foundation for its charity work; Beaches Turks and Caicos; Graceway IGA Supermarket; Pennylaine and Fanart Photo studios and The Hartling Group. The institution also honoured longstanding teachers and students who had done well. The event was also attended by Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing; Minister of Education Hon. Akierra Misick; Minister of Home Affair and the Environment Hon. Porsha Stubbs-Smith; Opposition Leader Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson and some of her colleagues.

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Mariah Carey

Almost Home Hey, hey..... You’re almost home You’re almost home You’re almost home

You think, you think you know

I’ve seen the light in the sky In the skies are like ﬁreﬂies Burning bright, just to vanish in the dark

When you’re almost there And you’re almost home Just open up your eyes and go, go When you’re almost there, almost home Know you’re not alone You’re almost home

I’ve held hope in my two hands That there would be another chance To ﬁnd the kingdom, I’m believing in my heart Cause underneath the good there’s something greater than you know

When you let your heart be the compass You won’t get lost, not if you trust it When you hear the sound of the trumpet Louder than ever before

When you’re almost there And you’re almost home Just open up your eyes and go, go When you’re almost there, almost home Know you’re not alone You’re almost home

Oh, when you’re almost there Almost home Just open up your eyes and go, go Cause you’re almost there Almost home Know you’re not alone You’re almost home

When you run, run so far You’ve forgotten who you are Where you’re from, it’s like some other universe You count your steps, like they’re regrets You catch one breath then lose the rest Wrong is right, right is left And there’s nowhere left to turn So don’t believe in everything

When you’re almost there Almost home Just open up your eyes and go, go Almost there You’re almost home Know you’re not alone You’re almost home

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Jay Leno Fired from NBC’s Tonight Show - Jimmy Fallon to be New Host N

BC has settled on two new stars for “The Tonight Show”: Jimmy Fallon and New York City. The network has made a commitment to Mr. Fallon, the current host of its “Late Night” program, for him to succeed Jay Leno as the next host of “Tonight,” according to several senior television executives involved in the decision. As part of the agreement, the show would move from Burbank, Calif., back to New York, where it started in 1954 with Steve Allen as host. NBC has not completed a deal with Mr. Fallon yet, but his assent is considered mostly a formality, since the move would represent a significant step up for him. And the network has not settled on an exact timetable for the switch, though it is expected to take place by fall 2014 at the latest, said the executives, who spoke on the condition of anonym-

JAY LENO ity because discussions were still continuing. One senior executive who has been involved in the discussions said on Wednesday that “there is no way on earth that this is not going to happen.” The move to Mr. Fallon would be a signiﬁcant cultural, and geographic, shift. Mr. Leno delivers a more traditional Las Vegas-style comedy act that is viewed as a link to previous hosts, including his immediate predecessor, Johnny Carson. Mr. Fallon,

38, offers a more contemporary and varied brand of entertainment, with a heavy reliance on the Internet. His best material gains additional life on sites like YouTube, and he actively courts interaction with his viewers by having them submit comedy ideas through Twitter. NBC has been desperate to avoid a repeat of the circuslike atmosphere that accompanied previous transitions on “Tonight,” the executives said. The changing of the guard is one of the biggest personnel decisions in television, and has always been fraught with intrigue and backroom maneuvering. Three years ago, NBC’s effort to replace Mr. Leno with Conan O’Brien ended in recriminations and a deﬁnitive reversal; Mr. Leno was reinstated as host after only seven months, and NBC endured weeks of negative news coverage. In the early 1990s, Mr. Leno and David Letterman en-

BEYONCE Bill O’Reilly Divorce RECRUITING Turns Nasty: Custody SCARFACE, BUN B, Battle Rages On, He MORE FOR ‘BOW Wants Marriage Annulled DOWN’ REMIX? B B ill O’Reilly and Maureen McPhilmy have been living separately for years but, Gawker has learned, their dispute is far from over. Now divorced, the two are locked in such a bitter court battle over their defunct marriage and custody of their two children that “even God got involved.” The publication has uncovered a series of documents that prove how O’Reilly, a popular Fox News ﬁxture, author and public speaker, manipulated people around him in an attempt to get back at his exwife, who dared date another man after their relationship was over. According to the report, O’Reilly used a social worker who was supposed to act as arbiter between the two, always keeping in mind the best interest of their 2 children, to get leverage on McPhilmy. He took the woman, put her on his payroll and employed her as his nanny, thus violating the custody agreement. At the same time, Gawker suggests, O’Reilly pressured the church into warning his ex she will be excommunicated if she kept telling the children that her second marriage, to a cop she started dating after they broke up, was valid in the eyes of God. “Gawker has learned that McPhilmy has been formally reprimanded in writing by her church for continuing to take communion in her Long Island parish despite having been divorced and re-

BILL O’REILLY married—a no-no according to the Pope,” the publication writes. “The reprimand also instructed her to stop telling her children that her second marriage, to the Nassau County detective O’Reilly tried to destroy, is valid in the eyes of God. It warned her that if she didn’t comply, harsher measures may be in order,” adds the same media outlet. Moreover, O’Reilly is trying to get the marriage annulled, as yet another way of getting back at his ex. “While he’s busy harassing McPhilmy for asserting the holiness of her second marriage, O’Reilly is trying to deny the existence of his ﬁrst: He is, Gawker has learned, seeking an annulment of his 15year marriage, which produced two children. Null and void. Invalid in the eyes of God. Never happened,” Gawker writes. Contacted for comment, neither O’Reilly nor McPhilmy would address any of the above claims. Head on over to Gawker for the full story, including documentation to back up the allegations.

eyoncé may be representing for Houston in a major way, but Queen Bey hasn’t forgotten about H-Town’s underground kings. This past Sunday, Bey dropped the Southern-dripped audio for her new single “Bow Down/ I Been On,” and while many were taken back by the track’s throw to Houston’s infamous chopped-and-screwed sound, the global pop icon appears set to take things a step further by adding a number of Texas rap notables to an upcoming remix Scarface, Willie D., Slim Thug, Kirko Bangz, Lil KeKe and Port Arthur native Bun B will all show up on the “Bow Down” remix, according to a local reporter from Houston’s FOX 26, Isiah Carey. “A nationally known rapper told me he and a long list of other en-

JOHN MAYER TO TOUR THIS SUMMER

ohn Mayer announced on Friday he will mount a major concert tour this summer, his ﬁrst in three years. The tour comes after a lengthy period of surgery and resting his voice to repair damage to his vocal cords. Mr. Mayer will play in 41 cities in the United States, as well as two performances in Latin America, starting on July 6 at the Marcus Amphitheater in Milwaukee and ending Oct. 5 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The only shows in the New York City area are an Aug. 28 appearance at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater

gaged in an often acrimonious competition to replace Mr. Carson. But a transition totally free of tumult may be difﬁcult to accomplish. Already there has been sniping between Mr. Leno and NBC’s top entertainment executive, Robert Greenblatt, over some stinging jokes Mr. Leno made in his monologue about the failure of NBC’s prime-time schedule. Mr. Greenblatt, who is responsible for that schedule, directed some pointed criticism at Mr. Leno in an e-mail to him. Mr. Leno stood his ground in a response, asserting that jokes spooﬁng the network are part of the job for a late-night host. Mr. Leno, who will turn 63 next month, has continued to take shots at NBC’s management. On Monday, he joked about how the snakes that St. Patrick drove from Ireland came to the United States and became NBC executives.

tertainers would be in the studio in Houston recording a remix for Beyoncé’s controversial new song Bow Down,” Carey wrote in a post on his personal site. “That person said it would be Slim Thug, Willie D, Scarface, Bun B, Kirko Bangz, and Lil KeKe.” Carey mentioned that he had planned to keep the news quiet but changed his mind once photos from the studio session began to find their way onto Twitter. The track, which features production from Hit-Boy, Timbaland and a host of others, plays out in two parts. On the first, Beyoncé commands her female adversaries to praise all that she’s done, singing to them “bow down bitches.” The “I Been On” half of the track finds her in full-on rap mode, however, spitting bars in a slow, pitched-down style of rhyme patterned after DJ Screw’s syrup-soaked mixtapes from the 1990s. Bey also shouts out Geto Boys rap vet Willie D. and pays respects to the late Pimp C of UGK. While Beyoncé nor her team have confirmed that an official remix is in the works, the reported lineup makes a whole lot of sense. and a Sept. 1 performance at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, N.J. Before the tour, he’s also appearing in April at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. A year ago, Mr. Mayer was forced to cancel a tour to promote his fifth studio album, “Born and Raised,” (Columbia) because of recurring problems with inflamed growths, known as a granuloma, on his vocal cords. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and has received critical acclaim. Since 2011, Mr. Mayer, known for his acoustic rock and blues songs, has undergone surgery twice to repair his voice and has remained out of the public eye except for a brief appearance at a benefit concert in Bozeman, Mont., in January.

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News CARIBBEAN

McKeeva Bush charged, declares innocence F

ormer Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush wasted no time declaring his innocence Wednesday after police charged him on 11 counts, including corruption-related offences and theft. Mr. Bush, 58, was charged with two counts of misconduct in a public office, four counts of breach of trust by a member of the Legislative Assembly, contrary to the Anti-Corruption Law, and five counts of theft. The former head of government and longest-serving current member of the Legislative Assembly has been bailed to appear in court on 12 April. Less than three hours after police announced publicly the filing of charges, Mr. Bush and the United Democratic Party, which he leads, issued a statement in which the West Bay lawmaker proclaimed his innocence. He said he had expected charges to be brought against him before the upcoming general election, slated for 22 May, and added that he expected further charges to be laid against him as part of the “continuing effort” to influence his re-election campaign. ”I have done nothing illegal, and will defend every one of these charges,” Mr. Bush said. “As I’ve stated since this campaign against me began over three years ago, I am innocent. I will continue as the leader of the United Democratic Party, with its full support. These charges will not deter my faith and dedication to all the people of Cayman and to the United Democratic Party.” Mr. Bush had been released on police bail overnight Tuesday after undergoing a day of questioning and returned to the Financial Crime Unit office at Elizabethan Square on Wednesday with his lawyer, Michael Alberga, after first attending George Town police station. Police sent details of interviews with Mr. Bush

MCKEEVA BUSH to Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards, who advised on whether to lay charges against the former premier. Mr. Bush’s legal team includes Mr. Alberga of Travers Thorp Alberga, Jeffery Cox, a United Kingdom QC who appeared in the EuroBank case, and K.D. Knight, a QC from Jamaica. The charges come just a week before the 27 March nomination day in the run-up to the May general election. Mr. Bush was arrested at his West Bay home on 11 December on corruption-related offences and theft and his home and ofﬁce were searched by police, who conﬁscated a number of items. He was initially bailed to report to police in February, at which time he was re-bailed to report back on 19 March. Businessman Suresh Prasad, who was arrested on the same day as Mr. Bush as part of a police investigation into the importation of explosives, faced further police questioning Tuesday when he also reported back to police in line with his bail conditions. He was re-bailed to report back to police in early April. Mr. Prasad had not been charged with any crime by press time Wednesday. When Mr. Bush was bailed in February, police

said at the time that they were carrying out further investigations in a number of foreign jurisdictions, including locations in Europe, the United States and Asia. Mr. Bush, who was first elected to the legislature in 1984 and became the Cayman Islands first premier in 2009, was ousted as head of government a few days after his arrest in December when the majority of lawmakers, including five members of his own nine-member government, backed a vote of no confidence in the United Democratic Party government. He remains an elected representative for West Bay. The current interim government is made up of the five government members who backed the no-confidence motion. He was replaced as premier by his former deputy Juliana O’Connor-Connolly. Mr. Bush, who is expected to run as a West Bay candidate again in the upcoming election, can still run and be elected to political office while facing these charges. Under the constitution, only candidates who have received a prison sentence of 12 months or more, even if the sentence has been suspended, or who have been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty, are barred from running for election. The United Democratic Party vowed to stand behind its leader. Party chairman Tessa Bodden described the charges against Mr. Bush as part of a campaign to “embarrass” him, his family, the UDP and its supporters. “Our country has faced adversities before and like before, the UDP will stand united with the people of the Cayman Islands to face these challenges,” she said. The UDP General Assembly, scheduled to take place Saturday, will go ahead as planned, according to the news release.

UN calls for elections in Haiti

GRENADA’S ST. GEORGE’S UNIVERSITY UP FOR SALE?

NITED NATIONS - The United Nations Security Council has called on Haiti’s political leaders to break a 16-month impasse that has prevented the holding of long overdue elections. Legislative and elections were due to take place in January 2012 at the latest, but in spite of an agreement signed in December between the executive and legislative branches to form an electoral commission, there have been no new developments. “In the absence of these elections, over the past year we have seen the replacement of some 130 elected municipal governments with Presidential appointees,” said the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) Nigel Fisher. Earlier this week, Haiti’s National Palace noted that parliament had ﬁnally sent the names of three of its members to sit on a nine-member electoral council that will be tasked with holding elections for mayors and 10 of 30 senate seats. But ongoing political friction, disagreements and concerns

about who will ultimately sit on the powerful council risk delaying the balloting further. “If elections are not held in 2013, it will become ever more difﬁcult for the international community to accept excuses and delays,” Ambassador Guillermo E. Rishchynski of Canada said. “These overdue elections must be held in 2013 and as soon as possible.” According to Fisher, the Haitian authorities must pass an electoral law and one governing political parties. “Politics as zero sum gain is not something that moves a country forward. Developing a consensus around core elements of an inclusive, political process and democratic institutions is very important,” Fisher said. Last month, Fisher scolded Haitian ofﬁcials, saying the country was not “open for business” despite the assertions of its leaders. Rishchynski said while Canada welcomes the spirit of the slogan, President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe “must devote themselves to delivering the reforms that have been promised.”

EW YORK - Grenada’s St. George’s University, which came to prominence in 1983 when U.S. President Ronald Reagan sent in troops to evacuate American students following a military coup, is up for sale, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The university is speaking to private equity ﬁrms about a deal and is hoping to fetch more than $1 billion, said the four sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are conﬁdential. A sale could end more than 36 years of independence for the university, one of the largest medical schools in the world. Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.VX) is advising St. George’s University on the sale, one of the people said. Last year the bank helped arrange a $250 million loan whose proceeds were partly used to pay the university’s founders a special dividend. St. George’s University, founded in 1976 by Charles and Louis Modica, Edward McGowan and Patrick Adams, generates annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of over $100 million, the sources said. Representatives of St. George’s University and Credit Suisse did not respond to requests for comment. In 1983 a Marxist coup led to the overthrow of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and the United States launched Operation Urgent Fury in which about 6,000 American troops invaded Grenada to evacuate nearly 1,000 Americans, mostly medical students attending St. George’s University.

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

VAT more equitable for Bahamians, says former minister T

he proposed value added tax (VAT) in The Bahamas will “essentially be a sales tax that applies on goods and services,” according to a former Cabinet minister. According to the Nassau Guardian, James Smith, former state minister for ﬁnance, told Guardian Business that a new tax system, including the proposed VAT, would seek to broaden the revenue base and lower the tax rate, which would be much more equitable for The Bahamas. “The proposal would be for a VAT at about 15 percent but simultaneously with that, you roll back the customs duties, which average around 40-50 percent and at the end of the day, the public will be no worse off in a sense,” he said. “They will be paying less on imported duties and now the VAT will of course be in places they have never seen before, like services they are getting probably with the exception of medical and education services.”

Prime Minister Perry Christie tabled the highly-anticipated 32-page white paper on tax reform in the House of Assembly on Wednesday afternoon. The proposals in the white paper have a three-fold objective: To secure an adequate revenue base in support of modern governance; to establish a tax structure that promotes economic efﬁciency growth, and to make the tax system more equitable. Smith noted that most of the country’s revenue is derived from customs duties, which is only a tax on goods. However, The Bahamas is a service-based economy. “The Bahamas is a service-driven economy in the sense that approximately 80 percent of our output is actually services. So purely from a revenue standpoint, we are taxing the smaller part of the economy, which is the importation of goods rather than the production of services, from the point of view of eq-

uity,” he shared. He pointed out to Guardian Business that the government first considered the option of implementing a VAT in 2004 under Christie’s first administration. Therefore, The Bahamas is not “reinventing the wheel and VAT is in place in at least 150 countries around the world”. “We invited studies from both the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and Crown Agents. At the time, I was in the Ministry of Finance and deployed some of our staff to Trinidad and Barbados to look at what was happening on the ground. They brought back information so now we are at the point where we at least have a white paper to further discuss the implementation of a new tax regime,” Smith said. The government is looking to introduce a 15 percent VAT, which would take effect on July 1, 2014. Michael Halkitis, minister of state for finance, told Guardian Business he believes the government

Plot uncovered to kill retired Jamaica cops, including the feared Reneto Adams F

OLLOWING the brutal murders of retired cops Deputy Superintendent Roy Boyd and Senior Superintendent Anthony Hewitt, police investigators have learnt of a plot hatched by the criminal underworld to target and kill retired cops. Boyd was gunned down on February 24 after he returned to his Queensborough, St Andrew home and gunmen distracted him by asking if he knew of any houses in the community being available for rent. He was shot three times in the head and died on the spot. His killers stole his licensed firearm before escaping. Hewitt was shot dead when he went to visit a relative at Donmair Court Apartments in St Andrew on September 16 last year. He was caught off guard after he left his licensed firearm in his car. Similar to Boyd, his killers engaged him in conversation before cutting him down. His gun was not stolen. Last week, a Jamaica Observer source revealed that retired cops have been alerted by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) of the plot and increased security has been deployed in an effort to protect them. Retired Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams has confirmed that he was alerted that a threat has been issued against his life. Adams, who grabbed headlines with his flamboyant, no-nonsense style of policing, said he has taken extra precautions to ward off any attempt to take him out. “It is a fact. I know that criminals have been plotting to kill me. I learnt of the plot even before I was contacted by the police high command. I have used my own resources to bolster my security. I am not perturbed, but I am not taking any chances. In my time I have been threatened 61 times,” Adams said. Adams retired after serving in the constabu-

BARBADOS FOREIGN MINISTER APPEALS TO CARIBBEAN GOVERNMENTS TO WORK TOGETHER

RENETO ADAMS lary force for 41 years. “I cannot afford to be careless,” Adams said. “I know that if a man kills me it will be, for him, a prized scalp. I know they want to kill me, but I am not afraid.” Police sources say a cellular phone call was intercepted and gangsters from Montego Bay and August Town were heard hatching the plot to end Adams’ life. Another retired superintendent, who worked in St Catherine, said he, too, had been advised of the plot. “I have been contacted by the NIB. They asked me where and where me go, and for real, they have been patrolling my area more often. I will shoot to kill, and I am waiting for any man to come and try,” he said. However, not all retired cops feel it is necessary to walk with a gun. “I know of the plot to kill retired cops. But after handling guns for most of my life I don’t want to handle any more weapons,” one former policeman, who asked not to be named, told the Sunday Observer. “When you have a gun… things you used to do, you don’t do them anymore. Places we used to go, we don’t go anymore.”

will be able to make the deadline. Smith agreed. “The VAT in The Bahamas could very well be implemented in a shorter space of time for the simple reason that we don’t have a very large manufacturing base where you see the intermediate production. That means with a VAT, you tax in different stages of the production process and we don’t have a very broad manufacturing base,” Smith added. In fact, Smith believes The Bahamas should have implemented this form of taxation sooner, which may have alleviated some of the burden that the country experienced during the global economic downturn. “I think during the recession, you’ll ﬁnd that there is always a sharp decrease in imports simply because unemployment goes up, visitor arrivals go down and the customs taxes are not buoyant enough to keep steady even though the economy is shrinking,” he said.

RIDGETOWN, Barbados - Barbados’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxine McLean has highlighted the importance of trade to counteract “perceived weaknesses” within national economies across the region. In an address to delegates at Wednesday’s opening of a two-day colloquium hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency, McLean appealed to Regional governments to capitalize on the various opportunities which present themselves for countries to work together to chart a path towards regional economic development. She said heads of government, business and civil society must closely to develop a regional strategy as it relates to trade, and called on them to take up the charge to capitalize on the many opportunities that have been created. “This is a critical step in our regional integration process, we are hampered not only by size by our vulnerability to external shocks. In the Caribbean our geographical location also presents a major challenge as we strive to successfully penetrate other markets. The time has come for us to accept that we must pursue this matter on a collective basis as well in order to advance individual levels of development.” “This strategy must recognize our various national strengths, at the same time we must continue to mitigate our national weaknesses, as the global market is continually falling,” she said McLean whose Member State, Barbados, has responsibility for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy in the CARICOM quasi cabinet, challenged the business community to “take up the charge to capitalize on the opportunities created. It is not going to be an easy task, while governments have sought to do it, the task will ultimately be undertaken by the private sector,” McLean pointed out.

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Barbados police officer denies private parts search and mistreatment of Jamaican Shanique Myrie B

RIDGETOWN, Barbados - A Barbados police officer accused of conducting a cavity search on Shanique Myrie denied the allegation when she took the stand before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Constable Sirphene Carrington also insisted that she did not make any derogatory remarks or searched the luggage of the Jamaican national who was denied entry into the island on March 14, 2011. During cross examination Myrie’s Attorney, Michelle Brown sought to suggest that Carrington was “gruff, rough and boisterous with her client”. Brown told the court that prior to taking Myrie to the bathroom during which a demeaning vaginal search was conducted, Carrington said she hated Jamaicans and accused Jamaicans of being liars who came to Barbados to steal men. “Ms Myrie was never in the bathroom. Ms Myrie was not subjected to a cavity search...,” Carrington said. Carrington, who was assigned to the Barbados Drug Squad, for two years, testified that she was present during an interview conducted by her superior officer, Constable Everton Gittens but she hardly spoke during the interview, which she estimated lasted for about 15 minutes. Carrington maintained that Gittens did not search Myrie’s bag or her cell phone - rejecting claims levelled by Brown. The police officer said Myrie was questioned in relation to the purpose of her visit to Barbados, where she was staying and her relationship with her host.

Carrington told the court that after the interview was completed Myrie was taken to Customs where her bags were searched by officials there. Carrington said no drugs were found and Myrie was returned to the Immigration office. The police officer said she left the airport along with Gittens soon afterwards. But Brown sought to bring into question the accuracy of Carrington’s statement suggesting that it was near identical to the one provided by Gittens. Carrington maintained it was written by her and no one helped her to word the statement. Gittens had delivered his testimony ahead of Carrington’s. Pressed why Myrie was selected for the police interview, Carrington told the court that as a normal practice police interviewed passengers who are referred to the Immigration Supervisor. Gittens also told the court that he had a feeling Myrie was a drug courier but he later dismissed the thought after conducting an “extensive interrogation” with the Jamaican national. He told the court he felt Myrie came to work. The police officer said Myrie was not under arrest and if she wanted to she could have left. Gittens, who is also assigned to the Barbados Drug Squad, strongly denied suggestions he showed Myrie blue folders which represented Jamaicans who had tried to enter Barbados with illegal drugs. Gittens also rejected suggestions from Myrie’s lawyer Nancy Anderson that he cut a slip-

per owned by Myrie, denied her a phone call and threatened to take here to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to be x-rayed for drugs, while attempting to persuade her that if she told him the truth he would help her. “I did not make any threats to Ms Myrie,”he said. During Brown’s cross examination, the police constable stoutly defended his colleague Constable Carrington. He said Carrington had not made any derogatory statements to Myrie neither did she take her to the bathroom. “I was the senior ofﬁcer on duty, no such statement would have been made by Ms Carrington. “Ms Carrington did not go to any bathroom with Ms Myrie, “he said. Gittens told the court he discovered Myrie was lying about her host in Barbados after having separate conversations with Pamela Clarke, the woman with whom Myrie said she was staying. The ofﬁcer also spoke to Daniel Forde the man who came to the airport to collect Myrie. In a witness statement, Forde said he had asked Clarke for her name and number to give to a visitor he was expecting from Jamaica. The Trinidad-based CCJ is hearing testimony in the case brought by the 25-year-old Myrie, who alleged that when she travelled to Barbados on March 14, 2011 she was discriminated against because of her nationality, subjected to a body cavity search, detained overnight in a cell and deported to Jamaica the following day.

CRIME AND AIR TRANSPORT WOES NEGATIVELY IMPACT CARIBBEAN TRADE, SAYS GONSALVES

ST. KITTS PRIME MINISTER IS PREPARED FOR A GENERAL ELECTION”

RIDGETOWN, Barbados- As members of the Region’s private sector gather in Barbados to examine challenges to Caribbean exports, the problems surrounding air transportation and the proliferation of Crime have been highlighted as being among the more serious challenges to regional trade. The Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in his address to the Caribbean Exporters’ Colloquium that opened here on Wednesday, pointed out that high crime levels which are affecting several Caribbean countries are not only a deterrent to visitors, but serve also as a disincentive to potential investors. Dr. Gonsalves pointed to the high rate of crime in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, which he said, was an hindrance to investment opportunities as criminal activities serve to escalate the security costs of doing business. “If you can’t work a late shift, if the business has to have extra security, if skilled people don’t want to come to work because they feel they can go somewhere else where they are safe, we are in trouble. A citizen’s security is vital - women and men have to go home after late

shifts. I know it affects people at an individual level” On the matter of regional air transportation, Gonsalves who has responsibility for air transportation in the CARICOM quasi Cabinet, again pointed to the need for a resolution in the matter of the competition between LIAT and Caribbean Airlines. “Yes there is need to address matters such as energy costs, fuel and we need to address the subsidy which CAL (Caribbean Airlines) is getting and competing with LIAT in the same space, the same single economic space. It seems that whoever you put in charge of CAL, something happens to them, the logic as to how we should work together is clear.” “I don’t understand why we are in the position that we are, we ought not to have these problems,” he said, pointing out that regional governments all have the capacity to do better. “My message is very simple, we have a lot of possibilities and we have some limitations, we can get things done but we have to build a modern competitive, many sided post colonial economies t hat are national, regional and global,” Gonsalves declared.

ASSETERRE, St. Kitts – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas says his governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party is prepared for a general election if one has to be called. “The Labour Party stands ready to be prepared for any event electorally. We are a party established since 1932. We have been in government for the last 17 years after being able to defeat a 15 year opposition regime (PAM),” said Prime Minister Douglas, who said his Party “has the confidence and the support of our people if we were to go into a General Election, if they were to be called.” “We have made it absolutely clear the SKNLP would not lose any Motion of No Confidence in the Parliament and the Constitution gives us options which is why I am confident that we will not lose any motion of No Confidence if it comes to the vote,” Dr. Douglas said on his weekly radio programme “Ask the Prime Minister.” “We will not lose that vote. We will not see the vote, if we believe the chances are that we will lose the vote, then we will go to our options which are placed clearly in our constitution,” said Prime Minister Douglas. Dr. Douglas said his government during any debate will

be to convince them to convince to support the Government with all of the achievements that they were apart of and maybe in areas that we did not achieve, they were also part of the non-achievement.” “This is not a Douglas thing. It is a Government- Cabinet thing. All of us contributed to where we are. Not one more than the other,” said Dr. Douglas, adding: “this nonsense of trying to demonise the leader and blame him for everything that is not good, but taking the credit for them for whatever may have been good, is absolute hypocrisy as I’ve said in the past.” “They (Dr. Timothy Harris and Sam Condor) have said basically that we are no longer with this Labour Party that is on its way out. They say, ‘We want to be part of this Unity Government that is on its way in.’ But I say to you…it will not get in because it is really a disunity government. It is a government of convenience, where each man having his own little personal interest wants to sit together; but we have evidence of what happens in Unity Governments,” said Dr. Douglas, pointing to examples of recent unity governments in Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.

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News W

RLD

Only hard choices for Cyprus

ith “only hard choices” remaining, talks on a rescue for Cyprus are going down to the

wire. Negotiations between Cyprus and its wouldbe bailout partners at the European Union and International Monetary Fund continued through the weekend as the clock ticks down on the country’s financial system. “The events of recent days have led to a situation where there are no longer any optimal solutions available,” Olli Rehn, the EU’s top economic official, said Saturday. “There are only hard choices left.” Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Finance Minister Michalis Sarris traveled to Brussels Sunday for talks with Rehn, and the heads of the European Commission, European Central Bank and IMF, among others, before a crucial meeting of eurozone finance ministers due to start at 3p ET. A government spokesman said Cyprus faced “very tight” time limits to find a solution. The tiny island nation needs to find a way to raise nearly €6 billion to satisfy the conditions

of a €10 billion EU rescue or face economic meltdown when banks reopen Tuesday after a 10-day hiatus. Late Friday, after a long debate, the Cyprus parliament passed bills to create a sovereign wealth fund, nationalize pension assets and impose strict limits on the movement of capital. Still unresolved is one of the most controversial parts of the bailout plan -- a tax on bank deposits. The original EU bailout plan called for an unprecedented tax of on all bank deposits. Since then talks have focused on proposals that would protect deposits of less than €100,000 euros but impose a heavy tax -- perhaps 20% to 25% -- on larger accounts. Officials have been scrambling to find ways to raise Cyprus’ share of an EU bailout since parliament threw out the original terms last week. Under the financial restructuring being considered, the country’s second largest bank, Popular Bank of Cyprus, would be broken up and depositors under €100,000 protected. The proposed tax on all accounts, including

deposits covered by the national guarantee program, outraged Cypriots and prompted widespread condemnation for undermining the principle that ordinary savers should not pay for bank failures. Without a rescue, the European Central Bank has said it will cut off the emergency funding that has been keeping the country’s biggest banks afloat, potentially leading to Cyprus’ exit from the eurozone. Cypriots have been queuing at cash machines since the EU bailout proposal was first announced on March 16. Cyprus has been brought to its knees by the losses that its oversized banking sector sustained on investments in Greece, as well as a deep recession. Eurozone policymakers want Cyprus to stump up cash from its banks as part of the rescue to ensure the country’s debt doesn’t become unsustainable. And the EU believes wealthy foreigners who have profited from Cyprus’ low tax rates should contribute. More than half of bank deposits are held by foreigners, many of them Russian.

Former Russia tycoon Boris Berezovsky found dead M

OSCOW — Boris Berezovsky, 67, an exiled Russian ex-tycoon who played a key role in bringing Vladimir Putin to power, only to have a bitter falling out, has died in Britain, according to his family and Russian news reports. Berezovsky had claimed to be the subject of assassination attempts, and there were conﬂicting reports Saturday about the circumstances of his death. Rossiya 24, a Russian television news channel, reported that he was found dead in the bathroom of his London home. Other reports said he died at his home in the county of Surrey in the south of England. Wellknown Russian lawyer Alexander Dobrovinsky said he learned from a close friend of Berezovsky that he had committed suicide. Thames Valley police would not directly identify him, but told the Associated Press that the death was being treated as unexplained. Born in 1946 to a Jewish family in Moscow, Berezovsky earned a degree in mathematics and worked as an engineer and researcher until shortly before the breakup of the Soviet Union, when he set up a private car-trading company. That endeavor brought him his ﬁrst millions of dollars, and by 1995, he also ran a bank and helped found Russia’s main national television

network. The next year, he helped organize a group of the richest and most influential Russian oligarchs to back and finance President Boris Yeltsin’s election campaign, which resulted in a controversial runoff victory. Yeltsin returned the favor, granting Berezovsky and other oligarchs lavish chunks of state property. Berezovsky eventually had interests in or controlled the Sibneft oil company, two television networks, the largest Russian air travel company, newspapers, magazines, a radio station and a car firm. His wealth was said to run into the billions of dollars. Berezovsky’s political career also flourished during the late 1990s, when he served as the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council and held the post of executive secretary of the CIS, a union of post-Soviet states. From 1999 to 2000, he was a member of the lower house of Russian parliament. Berezovsky said he first met Putin in 1991 and that he assisted in promoting him to chief of the FSB, the domestic successor to the Soviet KGB. Seven years later, he alleged-

Berezovsky had claimed to be the subject of assassination attempts ly masterminded the campaign for Putin to succeed the ailing Yeltsin as acting president. In late 1999 and early 2000, Berezovsky conducted an unprecedented media campaign to help Putin win the presidential election. “Berezovsky had an extremely brilliant mind of a mathematician and he also was a genius of political schemes and intrigues, but he grossly miscalculated Putin, which became his fatal mistake and largely served his ultimate undoing,” said Sergei Markov, a member of the Public Chamber, a Kremlin advisory body, and a staunch supporter of Putin. Shortly after Putin came to power, he distanced himself from most of Yeltsin’s favorite oligarchs and demanded that they return major tele-

vision companies to the state and pay full taxes on revenues from their oil businesses. “Those who tried to oppose were thrown out of favor, including Boris Berezovsky, Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky,” Markov said. Khodorkovsky is now in prison and Gusinsky is in exile in Spain. Berezovsky had lived in Britain since 2003 and had been sought by Russian authorities, who said they suspected him of embezzling $47 million and conspiring to bring down the constitutional structure of the Russian Federation. Over the years, Berezovsky conducted an active campaign to discredit Putin, including accusing the Kremlin of having organized explosions at residences in Moscow and two other cities, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and led to the war with Chechnya that helped consolidate Putin’s grip on power. Last year, Berezovsky begged the public to forgive him for helping elevate Putin to the presidency. “I repent and ask for forgiveness for bringing Vladimir Putin to power,” he wrote on his Facebook account Feb. 26, 2012. “I should have but I failed to see in him a future avid tyrant and usurper, a man who trampled upon freedom and halted the development of Russia.”

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Kerry warns Iraq on Iran flights to Syria B

AGHDAD (AP) — Just days after the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry confronted Baghdad for continuing to grant Iran access to its airspace and said Iraq’s behavior was raising questions about its reliability as a partner. Speaking to reporters during a previously unannounced trip to Baghdad, Kerry said that he and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had engaged in “a very spirited discussion” on the Iranian flights, which U.S. officials believe are ferrying weapons and fighters intended for the embattled Syrian government. Kerry said the plane shipments — along with material being trucked across Iraqi territory from Iran to Syria — were helping President Bashar Assad’s regime cling to power by increasing their ability to strike at Syrian rebels and opposition figures demanding Assad’s ouster. “I made it very clear that for those of us who are engaged in an effort to see President Assad step down and to see a democratic process take hold ... anything that supports President Assad is problematic,” Kerry said at a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad after meeting separately with Maliki at his office. “And I made it very clear to the Prime Minister that the overflights from Iran are, in fact, helping to sustain President Assad and his regime.” The overflights in Iraq have long been a source of contention between the U.S. and Iraq. Iraq and Iran claim the flights are carrying humanitarian goods, but American officials say they are confident that the planes are being used to arm the support the Assad regime. The administration is warning Iraq that unless action is taken, Iraq will be excluded from the international discussion about Syria’s political future. U.S. officials say that in the absence of a complete ban on flights, Washington would at least like the planes to land and be inspected in Iraq to ensure that they are carrying humanitarian supplies. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton secured a pledge from Iraq to inspect the flights last year, but since then only two aircraft have been checked by Iraqi authorities, according to U.S. officials. One senior U.S. official traveling with Kerry said the sheer number of overflights, which oc-

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right meets with Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 24, 2013. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made …more an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday and will urge Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to make sure Iranian flights over Iraq do not carry arms and fighters to Syria, a U.S. official said. cur “close to daily,” along with shipments trucked to Syria from Iran through Iraq, was inconsistent with claims they are only carrying humanitarian supplies. The official said it was in Iraq’s interest to prevent the situation in Syria from deteriorating further, particularly as there are fears that alQaida-linked extremists may gain a foothold in the country as the Assad regime falters. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said there are clear links between al-Qaida linked extremists operating in Syria and militants who are also carrying out terrorist attacks in Iraqi territory with increasing regularity. Kerry’s comments in Baghdad come as U.S. lawmakers are calling for President Barack Obama to do more to stop the bloodshed in Syria, including possible airstrikes against Assad’s aircraft fleet. The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, said Sunday the U.S. should create a “safe zone” in northern Syria that would give the U.S. more leverage with opposition forces. “This doesn’t mean the 101st Airborne Division and ships” are deployed, Rogers told CBS’ “Face the Nation.” ‘’It means small groups with special capabilities reengaging the opposition so we can vet them, train them, equip them so they can be an effective fighting force.”

Last week, Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and John McCain, R-Ariz., asked Obama in a letter to step up U.S. military efforts in the region, including destroying Assad’s aircraft using precision airstrikes. Kerry said Iraq’s tacit approval of Iranian overflights left the American people wondering how an ally would undermine U.S. efforts, particularly after the enormous sacrifices made by the United States in liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical rule. “There are members of Congress and people in America who increasingly are watching what Iraq is doing and wondering how it is that a partner in the efforts for democracy and a partner for whom Americans feel they have tried so hard to be helpful, how that country can be, in fact, doing something that makes it more difficult to achieve our common goals, the goal expressed by the prime minister with respect to Syria and President Assad,” he said. In addition to the overflights, Kerry said he had urged Maliki and other Iraqi officials to promote unity amid a spike in sectarian violence and called on them to ensure that upcoming provincial elections are free and fair. Kerry said the postponement of the polls in two provinces — Anbar and Ninevah — was unacceptable and should be reversed. “We strongly urge the prime minister to take this issue to the cabinet and to see if it can be revisited, because we believe very strongly that everybody needs to vote simultaneously,” he said. In addition to his meeting with Maliki, Kerry saw Iraqi parliament speaker parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, whose faction is at odds with Maliki’s Shiia. Kerry also spoke by phone with Massoud Barzani, the head of the Kurdish Regional Government based in Irbil to encourage the Kurds not go ahead with unilateral actions — especially involving oil, like a pipeline deal with Turkey. Kerry arrived in Baghdad from Amman, where he had been accompanying President Barack Obama on his tour of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. His visit to Iraq is the first by a U.S. secretary of state since Clinton went in April 2009. During Obama’s first term, the Iraq portfolio was largely delegated to Vice President Joe Biden as Obama wound down the war.

Grandfather of African literature, Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart,dies aged 82 L

AGOS - Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, widely seen as the grandfather of modern African literature, has died at the age of 82. From the publication of his ﬁrst novel, “Things Fall Apart”, over 50 years ago, Achebe shaped an understanding of Africa from an African perspective more than any other author. As a novelist, poet, broadcaster and lecturer, Achebe was a yardstick against which generations of African writers have been judged. For children across Africa, his books have for decades been an eye-opening introduction to the power of literature. Describing Achebe as a “colossus of African writing”, South African President Jacob Zuma expressed sadness at his death. Nelson Mandela, who read Ache-

be’s work in jail, has called him a writer “in whose company the prison walls fell down.” Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, published in 1958, told of his Igbo ethnic group’s fatal brush with British colonisers in the 1800s - the ﬁrst time the story of European colonialism had been told from an African viewpoint to an international audience. The book was translated into 50 languages and has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. He later turned his sights on the devastation wrought to Nigeria and Africa by military coups and entrenched dictatorship. ”Anthills of the Savannah,” published in 1987, is set after a coup in a ﬁctional African country, where power has corrupted and state brutality silenced all but the most cou-

rageous. The pain at Achebe’s death was felt across Nigeria, and particularly in the southeast homeland of the Igbos. Born at Ogidi in southeast Nigeria on November 16, 1930, Achebe was the son of a Christian evangelist. He went to mission schools and to University College, Ibadan, and taught brieﬂy before joining the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, where he was director of external broadcasting from 1961 to 1966. When his homeland broke away from Nigeria in a disastrous bid for independence, Achebe launched a publishing company in Enugu, capital of the self-declared republic of Biafra. After the war, which cost a million lives along with Biafra’s hopes of statehood, Achebe returned to

Enugu to teach at the nearby Nsukka University. In 1972 he moved to Massachusetts and since then spent much of his time in the United States, with occasional spells in Nigeria. His last post was at Brown University in Rhode Island. Through tears, former government minister and friend Dora Akunyili said Achebe’s death “leaves a void in Nigeria, Africa and globally.” Although Achebe never won the Nobel literature prize like fellow Nigerian Wole Soyinka, his works won praise for their vivid portrayal of African realities and their accessibility for all readers. His contribution was recognised when he won The Man Booker International Prize in 2007.

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Obama ends Mideast trip with tour of ancient Petra P

resident Barack Obama set aside the Middle East’s tricky politics Saturday to marvel at the beauty of one of the region’s most stunning sites, the fabled ancient city of Petra. “This is pretty spectacular,” he said, craning his neck to gaze up at the rock faces after emerging from a narrow pathway into a sun-splashed plaza in front of the grand Treasury. The soaring facade is considered the masterpiece of the ancient city carved into the rose-red stone by the Nabataeans more than 2,000 years ago. Obama’s turn as tourist capped a four-day visit to the Middle East that included stops in Israel and the West Bank, as well Jordan. The White House set low policy expectations for the trip, and the president was returning to Washington with few tangible achievements to show. Aides said his intention instead was to reassure the region’s politicians and people — particularly in Israel — that he is committed to their security and

prosperity. Curious residents and picture-taking tourists lined the streets of modern Petra as Obama’s motorcade wound toward the entrance to the ancient city. The president, dressed in khaki pants, a black jacket and hiking boots, began his walking tour at the entrance to the Siq, a narrow, winding gorge cutting between two soaring cliffs. The path opened into a dusty plaza with the massive columned Treasury as its centerpiece. Obama declared the carved monument is “amazing.” The Bedouins named the building the Treasury because they believed that urns sculpted on top of it contained great treasures. In reality, the urns represented a memorial for Nabataean royalty. Over time, historians have disagreed on the Treasury’s purpose. However, a recent excavation proved that a graveyard exists underneath it.

The Nabataeans established Petra as a crucial junction for trade routes linking China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. The city flourished until trade routes were redirected in the seventh century, leading to Petra’s demise. Petra is Jordan’s most popular tourist attraction, drawing more than a half million visitors yearly since 2007. It may be familiar to many people who saw the 1989 movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Some scenes were filmed in the ancient city. High winds and overcast skies nearly grounded Marine One, the presidential helicopter, in the Jordanian capital of Amman, which would have forced Obama to scrap the tourist stop. But the weather cleared enough for him and his delegation to make the hour-long flight across Jordan’s rugged landscape, arriving in Petra under bright sunshine.

Former President Musharraf returns to Pakistan for elections K

ARACHI - Pakistan’s former President, Pervez Musharraf, returned home on Sunday after nearly four years of self-imposed exile to contest elections despite the possibility of arrest and death threats from the Taliban. Musharraf hopes to regain inﬂuence so that his party can win seats in the general election scheduled for May 11, when he will face ﬁerce competition, including from the man he ousted in a military takeover. “People said I would not come. Where are those people now? People were trying to scare me. I only fear Allah, no one else,” Musharraf said at Karachi’s airport, as more than 1,000 supporters cheered. The former army general, who seized power in a 1999 coup, resigned in 2008 when his allies lost a vote and a new government threatened him with impeachment. He left the South Asian nation a year later. Musharraf has been far re-

moved from Pakistan’s numerous troubles during his exile in London and Dubai, where he lived in a posh part of the Gulf Arab emirate. “Where has the Pakistan I left ﬁve years ago gone? My heart cries tears of blood when I see the state of the country today,” Musharraf said. “I have come back for you. I want to restore the Pakistan I left.” Musharraf has not spelled out how he would do that as the election race heats up. Pakistan’s military has ruled the nation for more than half of its 66-year history, through coups and from behind the scenes. It sets foreign and security policy, even when civilian administrations are in power. But the powerful generals have meddled far less in politics than in Musharraf’s era, preferring instead to let civilian governments take the heat for the country’s failures. The ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has had little success in tackling corruption, chronic pow-

er cuts and rebuilding the dilapidated infrastructure. Pakistan may soon have to turn to the International Monetary Fund again to keep the economy aﬂoat and avoid a balance of payments crisis. A caretaker government, headed by newly-appointed Hazar Khan Khoso, a former judge, will make preparations for elections. Musharraf may soon run into legal problems. He faces charges of failing to provide adequate security to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto before her assassination in 2007. He also faces charges in connection with the death of a separatist leader in southwestern Baluchistan province. He denies any wrongdoing. Musharraf had been granted bail in advance to avoid being arrested upon his return, but could be detained at a later date. It remains unclear whether Musharraf will regain inﬂuence in Pakistan, a nuclear-armed U.S. ally.

He is unlikely to beat former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, whom he removed in a military coup. He is believed to be the frontrunner in the election race. Other contenders include cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who has been delivering speeches for months, hoping to tap into deep public discontent. Musharraf’s most immediate concern may be Pakistan’s Taliban, who threatened in a video on Saturday to dispatch suicide bombers and snipers to kill him and send him to “hell”. Musharraf dismissed the threats, but a rally he was supposed to hold on Sunday afternoon was canceled. Al Qaeda assassins tried to kill Musharraf at least three times in the past. He angered the Taliban and other groups by joining the American war on terror following the September 11, 2001 attacks and by later launching a major crackdown on militants.

Gay marriage opponents march in Paris before vote P

ARIS - Hundreds of thousands of people poured onto the streets of central Paris on Sunday to protest against President Francois Hollande’s plan to legalize gay marriage and adoption by June. Television footage showed some scuffles breaking out, with security forces firing tear gas on pink-clad marchers waving flags and chanting slogans against Hollande. In France, anti-gay protesters often wear pink.

Ofﬁcial police estimates put the turnout at around 300,000. It was the second such protest this year after a similar march in January highlighted eroding public support for the bill that had forced deputies to put off a plan to allow lesbian couples access to artiﬁcial insemination. President Hollande has pledged to push through the law with his Socialists’ parliamentary majority and has angered opponents by try-

ing to avoid public debate on the reform, which Justice Minister Christine Taubira described as a “change of civilization”. The French Senate is due to examine the bill in April. Opponents of gay marriage and adoption, including most faith leaders in France, have argued that the reform would create psychological and social problems for children, which they believe should trump the desire for equal rights for gay adults.

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WORLD NEWS

Head of Western-backed Syria rebel coalition quits B

EIRUT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The leader of the Western-backed Syrian opposition coalition resigned Sunday, citing what he called the lack of international support for those seeking to topple President Bashar Assad. The resignation of Mouaz al-Khatib deals a blow to the most credible body seeking to represent the opposition, which remains deeply divided and continues to struggle to present a united front two years into Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bloody uprising. Al-Khatib, a respected preacher who has led the Syrian National Coalition since its creation late last year, said in a statement posted on his Facebook page that he was making good on a vow to quit if certain undeďŹ ned â&#x20AC;&#x153;red linesâ&#x20AC;? were crossed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am keeping my promise today and announcing my resignation from the National Coalition so that I can work with freedom that is not available inside the ofďŹ cial institutions,â&#x20AC;? he said. He also blamed world powers for providing insufďŹ cient support for the rebel cause and complained that many â&#x20AC;&#x153;international and regional partiesâ&#x20AC;? insisted on pushing the opposition toward dialogue with the regime. Most opposition leaders

Mouaz al-Khatib and activists say Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime has killed too many people to be part of a solution to the conďŹ&#x201A;ict. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All that has happened to the Syrian people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from destruction of infrastructure to the arrest of tens of thousands to the displacement of hundreds of thousands to other tragedies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is not enough for an international decision to allow the Syr-

ian people to defend themselves,â&#x20AC;? the statement said. Al-Khatib was chosen to serve as president of the Coalition, which was formed in November under international pressure to serve as the oppositionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ofďŹ cial liaison with other countries and coordinate anti-Assad forces inside and outside of Syria. Despite electing a new, U.S.-educated prime minister to head a planned interim government last week, the Coalition has failed to establish itself as the top rebel authority on the ground in Syria, where hundreds of independent rebel brigades are ďŹ ghting a civil war against Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forces. The Coalition did not immediately respond to al-Khatibâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resignation. Al-Khatibâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spokesman, Ali Mohammed Ali, conďŹ rmed the authenticity of the statement in a phone call with The Associated Press. He declined to discuss any issues inside the Coalition that could have inďŹ&#x201A;uenced al-Khatibâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision. Speaking on Al Arabiya TV, the former head of the Syrian National

Council, which preceded the coalition, said that he and other coalition members were surprised by the resignation. Burhan Ghalioun also said he assumed the resignation was a protest against world powers that have not provided the opposition with the aid it needs, unnamed countries that have interfered in the coalitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work and other coalition members who have impeded al-Khatibâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I lived this, so I know what it means,â&#x20AC;? Ghalioun said, speaking of his own resignation as head of the SNC last year. Observers and some members of the Coalition have complained that Qatar, which heavily ďŹ nances the opposition, and the Muslim Brotherhood exercise outsized power inside the Coalition. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was sorry to learn of al-Khatibâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resignation, but that it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affect U.S. cooperation with the Coalition on aid. He called such transitions natural, adding that it shows â&#x20AC;&#x153;an opposition that is bigger than one person and that opposition will continue.â&#x20AC;? The Syrian government has largely ignored the opposition and says the civil war is an international conspiracy to weaken Syria. Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conďŹ&#x201A;ict has split regional and world powers, with some backing the rebels and others standing by Assad. Russia, China and Iran remain the regimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strongest supporters. On Sunday, Kerry told reporters during an unannounced trip to Baghdad, that he had made it clear to Iraq, Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eastern neighbor, that it should not allow Iran to use its airspace to shuttle weapons and ďŹ ghters to Syria. Kerry said he told Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that the transfer of anything that supports President Bashar Assad and his regime is â&#x20AC;&#x153;problematic.â&#x20AC;?

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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MARCH 25TH - APRIL 1ST 2013

usiness B AND

O T BlackBerry 10 makes US debut ECHN

LOGY

lackBerry’s new Z10 smartphone goes on sale in the U.S. Friday, almost two months after its debut in other countries, putting the company’s turnaround plan to the test in its largest market. Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins kicked off U.S. sales of the touch-screen device Thursday night at a theater in New York’s Times Square. The event, which featured performances by rapper Ludacris and R&amp;B singer Janelle Monae, marked the arrival of the Z10 at AT&amp;T Inc. stores today. The phone will be offered by Verizon Wireless on March 28. A lot of hard work has resulted in the “culmination of selling a fantastic device in the U.S.” Heins told those gathered at the Best Buy Theater. Heins is trying to reverse BlackBerry’s fortunes in the U.S., where the onetime smartphone leader has lost ground to Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Google Inc.’s Android. Sales in the country fell by almost half to $520 million (U.S.) in the third quarter from a year earlier, through the U.S. still accounts for about a fifth of revenue for Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry. “There’s no risk of overstating the importance of the U.S. for BlackBerry,” said Ramon Llamas, an analyst with IDC in Framingham, Massachusetts. “It’s such an important bellwether market.” AT&amp;T, the second-largest U.S. carrier, will offer the Z10 for $199.99 on a two-year contract, putting it at the same price level as the main iPhone. The phone was first unveiled on Jan. 30, and it’s been available for weeks in the U.K., Canada and other markets. Heins has attributed the U.S. delay to the longer equipment-testing procedures of American carriers. Verizon Wireless, the nation’s biggest carrier, has begun taking orders for the Z10 ahead of making it available in stores next week. Sprint Nextel Corp., No. 3 in the market, won’t sell the Z10 at all. It’s waiting to offer the Q10, a version with a smaller screen and physical keyboard that’s coming out later this year. Early demand suggests that the Z10 will perform as well in the U.S. as in BlackBerry’s home market of Canada, Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben said in an interview.

“I expect that we’re going to hit the ground running,” he said, citing “substantial pent-up demand.” The U.S. will add to the phone’s global footprint, Boulben said. By the end of April, BlackBerry expects the Z10 to be available from 150 carriers around the world. By this time next year, there should be six different BlackBerry 10 models on the market, he said. “It’s not a one-trick pony — neither from a country standpoint nor a device standpoint,” Boulben said. The rollout of the new phones is supported by the biggest marketing campaign in the company’s history. As part of the blitz, BlackBerry splurged on a Super Bowl ad in early February, betting that it could build excitement around the phone even though a U.S. debut wasn’t imminent. BlackBerry, long popular with corporate clients, has tried to project a more artistic image with the new products. At the Jan. 30 unveiling, it introduced Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys as its global creative director, a new title. At last night’s event, Richard Piasentin, BlackBerry’s head of U.S. sales, said he had been on the road for almost four weeks straight promoting the new lineup. “This is a pivotal moment for the company and we all know it,” he said in an interview. “I’ve

never seen a team galvanized around a moment like this.” The key to the Z10’s success will be how well store salespeople can demonstrate how the phone works to both BlackBerry loyalists and others, said IDC’s Llamas. “This is an entirely different platform,” he said. Critics have praised the Z10’s features, including its virtual keyboard. It also dispenses with a home button, which is used by the iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy S to take users back to the main screen. The Z10 relies instead on gesture-driven navigation to switch between applications and peek at messages while still in the Web browser. Shares of the company, formerly known as Research In Motion Ltd., have rallied 36 per cent this year on optimism that the new lineup can revive BlackBerry’s prospects. The stock added 1 percent Thursday, closing at $16.16 (U.S.). Still, it remains down almost 90 per cent from its 2008 high of $147.55. The staggered rollout of the new devices makes it tougher for analysts to predict the impact on quarterly results. Sales estimates for the period that ended March 2 range from as little as $2.41 billion to as much as $3.42 billion. The average estimate is $2.84 billion. While that would represent a decline of 32 per cent from a year earlier, it’s a smaller drop than the company posted the previous quarter. Ehud Gelblum, an analyst with Morgan Stanley in New York, raised his rating on the stock this week to the equivalent of a buy, citing the potential for the BlackBerry 10 phones to lift the company’s average selling price and proﬁtability. Still, BlackBerry will struggle to regain lost market share in the U.S., he said. The company will appeal mainly to existing BlackBerry users looking to upgrade, rather than gaining converts from Android and Apple’s iOS operating system. “Our more bullish stance is not based on a resurgence in share in the U.S., where we believe users are already mostly sold on the Android/iOS duopoly,” he said.

BP to buy back $8bn in shares after Russian sale O

il giant BP has said it will buy back $8bn (£5.2bn) of shares, returning to shareholders the money they had put into a complicated Russian venture. It said it “expected to return to BP shareholders an amount equivalent to the value of the company’s original investment in TNK-BP”. BP agreed to sell back its 50% stake in TNK-BP to Russia’s Rosneft in October in return for $17.1bn in cash and shares. It invested in TNK-BP in 2003.

BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said: “We expect our stake in Rosneft will generate long-term value for BP and its shareholders. But this buyback programme should also allow our shareholders to see beneﬁts in the near-term from the value we have realised by reshaping our Russian business.” BP expects the share buyback programme could take between 12 and 18 months to complete. “In 2003 BP invested around $8bn in cash, shares and assets in

the formation of TNK-BP,” the oil giant said. “Over the following decade BP received a total of $19bn in dividends from the joint venture.” Although BP’s involvement in the Russian joint venture has been lucrative, relations with its partners have often been fraught with disagreement. In 2011, the AAR consortium attempted to block a drilling joint venture in the Arctic between BP and Rosneft through the courts and the plan was eventually dropped.

As well as internal wrangles, BP employees at TNK-BP have fallen foul of Russian authorities. While serving as head of TNK-BP, Bob Dudley - now the head of BP as a whole - had his office bugged and raided by the police and met with onerous back-tax demands, legal action and visa problems. He eventually fled the country in 2008. But the tie-up with Rosneft will keep BP in Russia, allowing it to continue to explore and exploit the country’s vast energy resources, including in the Arctic region. And Rosneft benefits from BP’s expertise in exploring in difficult and potentially hazardous conditions.

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BUSINESS AND T ECHNOLOGY

UK Finance Minister George Osborne concedes lack of progress in cutting deficit G

eorge Osborne has conceded that he is not making “as much progress” as anyone would like in bringing down the national deficit. The chancellor, who halved the UK’s growth forecasts for the year ahead to 0.6% in the budget, told the BBC Today programme on Thursday that “we’ve not made as much progress as anyone, myself included, would have liked”. He said he was “absolutely determined” to make sure the interventions announced in the budget got the economy growing and reduced the deficit. Osborne refused to agree with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) that his plan to get borrowing down had “stalled”. “We can see where we need to get to but the weather has got worse,” he said. Osborne defended his handling of the economy, saying the nation’s financial problems “could be a lot worse” if not for some of the “tough decisions” he had taken as chancellor. On ITV1’s Daybreak he said he “wanted to be straight with the nation about the problems we face”. “We have made a lot of mistakes as a country, over many years, building up these debts,” he said. “But my determination is not to run away but to confront them head on. “I’ve laid down a challenge to myself and this country. We’ve got to confront those problems, not just shy away from them. But we’re on the right track. It is a hard road, but we’re getting there.” Osborne said he wanted to help “hard-working families”, adding that they would be in a better situation as a result of the budget, with help to buy their own homes and to keep more of the money they earn. “We’re doing everything we can in very difficult times – which I don’t excuse, people know these are difficult times – to help all those fami-

lies who aspire to work hard and get on.” The chancellor said that “of course” the government would “be judged on whether we made the right call”. “But my judgment was that when you’re in a debt crisis, when your borrowing is high, if you deliberately seek to add to your borrowing, you’re going to make the situation worse.” The chancellor also that he was surprised to see a mocked-up image of himself as Lady Thatcher on the front page of Thursday’s Daily Mail, with the headline: The laddie’s not for turning. “I did choke on my toast and Marmite this morning,” he added. Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, said only the rich were better off following Osborne’s budget. “He told us two years ago he would get the economy growing, get rising living standards and get the deﬁcit down,” he said. “Borrowing is up, the national debt is rising, the economy is absolutely ﬂat and everybody in our country is worse off year by year, apart from the rich. It’s not working.” In a populist budget on Wednesday that aimed to please swing voters in marginal seats, the chancellor delivered government help for homebuyers, motorists and beer drinkers. Despite announcing a halving of growth to just 0.6% this year, Osborne said money from pension changes, an extended public sector pay squeeze, underspending Whitehall departments and a fresh crackdown on tax avoidance gave him scope to deliver for an “aspiration nation”. After his “omnishambles” budget a year ago, in which most of the key details were leaked and the chancellor was forced into embarrassing U-turns

George Osborne - We have made a lot of mistakes as a country on Cornish pasty and caravan taxes, Osborne received an early blow when the London Evening Standard tweeted a copy of its front page containing many of the budget’s key elements before he gave his statement. But he focused on mainstream crowd-pleasers such as 1p off a pint of beer, further freezes in fuel duty (representing £21.5bn in lost revenue over the parliament), and lifting the personal tax allowance to £10,000 a year, in addition to help with childcare announced earlier this week. He also announced two schemes to boost the housing market, now seen as vital if the economy is to be growing strongly in the runup to the 2015 general election. The Treasury will provide £3.5bn over three years for shared equity loans to increase the sales of new homes, and will give mortgage guarantees to lenders to encourage them to lower the cost of home loans to all buyers.

Police search home of IMF chief Lagarde P

ARIS — French police searched the Paris apartment of International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the awarding of ﬁnancial compensation to a supporter of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Lagarde, who served as France’s ﬁnance minister during Sarkozy’s presidency before taking her current post, has been the subject of a preliminary police investigation for alleged “complicity of the embezzlement of public funds” since 2011. The scandal broke shortly before she was named managing director of the IMF, replacing her compatriot Dominique StraussKahn after he was arrested in New York over the alleged assault of a hotel maid. Charges in that case

IMF chief Christine Lagarde were later dropped. The Lagarde investigation centers on a $400-million settlement awarded to controversial French business tycoon and former football club owner Bernard Tapie in 2008. The payment was compensation

following a 20-year legal battle with a bank owned in part by the government over the sale of sportswear brand Adidas, of which Tapie was the main shareholder. While serving as ﬁnance minister in the center-right

government led by Sarkozy, Lagarde referred the long-running dispute between Tapie and the bank Credit Lyonnais to a private arbitration service. Critics have said Lagarde abused her authority and should never have brought in private arbitrators because public money was involved. The search of Lagarde’s apartment came just hours after a government minister in Socialist President Francois Hollande’s administration resigned in a separate case involving allegations of tax evasion. Jerome Cahuzac, the budget minister in charge of clamping down on ﬁscal fraud, was accused of hiding money in a secret Swiss bank account. Both Lagarde and Cahuzac have strongly denied the allegations against

them. Lagarde, who approved the Tapie damages, said at the time it was the “best solution.” Lagarde’s lawyer Yves Repiquet told reporters Wednesday that the search of her property “will serve to establish the truth and contribute to the exoneration of my client of any criminal wrongdoing.” Tapie, who was convicted of match ﬁxing while he was head of the French football club Olympique de Marseille and imprisoned in 1997 for six months, had lost his case in France’s highest law court but was planning to appeal when Lagarde stepped in to resolve the case. Lagarde may be forced to stand down from her IMF post if investigators decide there is enough evidence to open a full inquiry.

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Sports LOCAL

24 strong team for CARIFTA GAMES in Nassau

BY VIVIAN TYSON

wenty-four athletes who participated in the National High School Track and Field Championship have been selected to participate in the 2013 CARIFTA Games in Nassau, Bahamas from March 29 to April 1. Edith Skippings, President for the Turks & Caicos Amateur Athletics Association, announced the team on Monday, March 18, at the National Stadium. The Female Under 17 team is comprised of rising star athlete Akia Guerrier , Helcy-Ann Sauver, Myah Audea Simpson and Sanadia Forbes. The Male Under 17 category comprise of Courtney Missick, Khambrel Caley, Darly François, Edwin Forbes, Stanley Jean, Omel Gardiner and Woodens Corvil. One participant has been selected in the Female Under 20 category in Jesthea Saunders. The Male Under 20 aggregation is made of Luke Cox, Shyon Parker, If-

Akia Guerrier and Edith Skippings eanyi Outonye, Angelo Garland, Cliffton Jean, Junior Fils –Aime, Frantzley Benjamin, Marckendy Antenor, Lucien Robinson, Javardo Smith, Wesley chery and Kendino Adderly. Team ofﬁcials are Alvirto Smith - Head coach; Donovan Garvey – coach; Rosalee Ingham – Team Man-

ager; Charlene Higgs – Chaperone; and Edith Skippings – President of the TCAAA. Skippings told journalists that she team comprised a number of ﬁrst-timers as well as those who participated last year. She said that the team this year should give a good ac-

count of themselves and on their return some of them should be sporting medals of varying colours around their necks. Middle and long distance runner Guerrier, 14, who snared five medals – four goal medal at the high school championship, said that while it was her first time at the CARIFTA, she would be looking to secure medals for the Turks and Caicos Islands. She said that she was pleased with her performance at the local meet, and said that things were going well during training, and she remained confident that she would be bring home medals of undisclosed colours. In the meantime, Skippings said that Williams, who is the champion in the 200m at last year’s CARIFTA Championships, will not be eligible to compete at this year’s event because he turns 20 in December, and according to the rules of the games, a competing athlete should still be 19 years of age for the entire year for them to be eligible to compete. Photo: Vivian Tyson

Eagles, Grasshoppers fight for leadership of Sailrock U15 Boys T

he U15 Boys Sailrock league continues to provide some exciting games this season and any of the four teams involved are capable of winning the league. At the moment the Eagles have a narrow lead over the Grasshoppers but both the Golden Retrievers and the Tigers are within striking distance. The Eagles had a narrow victory 3-2 against the Retrievers last Saturday as two strikes from Myrohn Pereira and and own goal saw off Gabriel Diotte’s hard working Retrievers. The Eagles then lost by the same margin to the Grasshoppers. Pereira and Adner Davilmar scored for the eagles but goals from Kevin Simon (2) and Wilkins Sylvain saw the Grasshoppers move up the table. The Grasshoppers also had a comfortable win against the Tigers (4-1) as Raymondo Carasco (2) Simon and Jeff Beljour scored after Jackson Pierre had given the Tigers an early lead. The ﬁnal game of the day was a high scoring affair as the Golden Retrievers and the Tigers fought out a 4-4 draw. Gabriel Diotte (3) and Idlin Beloni scored for the Retrievers but a Mackenson Cadet hat-trick and an own goal ensured that the Tigers got a share of the points. With four weeks left it is

Action from the Sailrock league difﬁcult to spot a clear favorite as all teams are blessed with talented players. The U12 Sailrock League continues to produce some exciting games. The six team league is currently led by the Blue marlins on 13 points with the Orange All Stars one point behind on 12.

Goals in this league have been spread out between many players but the current top scorers are AJ Augustine, Junior paul, Kervins Alexis, Jordan McGregor and Youvens Timney with four each. The Orange All Stars had a good day with wins against the red Devils (2-0) and the Yellow Jaguars (2-0) before they drew 1-1 with the Blue Marlins. The Blue Marlins also managed two wins on the day, both 1-0 victories against the Jaguars and the Devils. The standard of play continues to improve week after week but Junior paul and Jamie Grey have been impressive so far claiming the MVP award for week 1 and 2 respectively. Javed Shearer and CJ Mills claimed the goal of the day award as Shearer hit a ﬁerce strike from a tight angle and Mills scored a great solo goal after dribbling past several opposition players. Defenders are also being noticed as Dylan Ayer pulled of a great save to deny Jordan McGregor and Darren Pierret made a last ditch sliding tackle to dent the Green Dragons a last minute goal against the Marlins. With three weeks left to play the Marlins and the All Stars appear to be the early pace setters but the race is not run yet.

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TURKS & CAICOS SUN

LOCAL SPORTS

Wrightfully Fit Fitness Center opens swanky new Grace Bay gym are articulated, provides total workout. “Wrightfully Fit II, Salt Mills Plaza brings Providenciales the ride of its life with functional indoor cycling classes. This dynamic method integrates several muscle groups for a cohesive totally body workout that improves strength, stability, and coordination while increasing cardio capacity and burning extra calories,” Wright said. He said that since the Gym’s opening under a month, the feedback from the community has been great, since the Wrightfully Fit Fitness Center is the ﬁrst of its kind in that section of the island.

The Real Ryder Indoor bicycles with which the Wrightfully Fit Fitness Center is equipped BY VIVIAN TYSON

rightfully Fit Fitness Center opens a swanky new gym in Grace Bay, which is equipped with the latest work-out equipment currently available on the market.

Wrightfully Fit II is situation upstairs the Salt Mills Plaza in the tourism district. According to John Wright, proprietor for the gym, the work-out equipment at the center is the Real Ryder Indoor cycling machines. He said that the bikes, which

A section of the Wrightfully Fit Fitness Center

Yellow Jaguars lead Sailrock U15 Girls Leagues T

he U15 Girls Sailrock League has reached the half way stage with three teams ﬁghting it out for the top spot. The Yellow Jaguars have been in good form this season and currently lead the standings on 22 points. Captain Yarileny De La Cruz has led her team well but she was been well supported by strong performances by Briandie Brooks, Ketani Marajah and Sharika Been. Last weekend they defeated one of their closest rivals, the White Wolves by a 2-1 margin before going on to tie with the Red Devils 0-0. Their ﬁnal game was a comfortable 5-1 win against the

Blue Titans. The White Wolves are currently in second place on 18 points and have been keeping up the pressure on the Jaguars courtesy of the skills of Shinaydine Pluviose and Sydnee Campbell. Despite losing to the Jaguars they had impressive wins against the Titans (4-0) and Striking Cheetahs 1-0. The Red Devils has a slow start to the season but they still have a chance to win the lead as they also sit on 18 points. Yarielca De la Cruz has been scoring goals at will this season and scored all six of her team’s goals at the weekend as they

beat the Striking Cheetahs 4-0 and tied 2-2 with the Green Dragons. The green Dragons moved up into fourth place with two wins and a draw. A 3-1 win over the Titans was followed up with a 1-0 win over the Cheetahs before they surrendered a two goal lead agsinst the Devils. Crystal Stirling has been an inspiration to her team this season and scored some important goals at the weekend. With just two weeks remaining the jaguars will be favourites to claim the title but with the Wolves and Devils breathing down their necks nothing is assured at this time.

IF YOU NEED YOUR SPORTING EVENT COVERED JUST CALL US AT 946-8542 OR EMAIL US YOUR REPORTS AND PHOTOS AT sun@suntci.com

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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MARCH 25TH - APRIL 1ST 2013

Sports CARIBBEAN

Bahamas preparing for the Jamaicans at the Carifta Games

BY ALPHEUS FINLAYSON

he 2013 BTC Carifta Games promises to be the best ever. The visiting ofﬁcials and athletes will be impressed as soon as they enter the hall at the new Lynden Pindling Airport and until the time they depart The Bahamas. The fans are expecting to be impressed by the performances of the athletes. If last year and this season so far is any indication the fans will certainly be impressed. A lot of the athletes who are expected to impress are from Jamaica. They have had unbelievable success in the sprints, jumps and throws. They even dominate some of the middle distance and distance events, although sprinting is what Jamaica is known worldwide for. Historically, we remember athletes like sprinters Merlene Ottey, Raymond Stewart, Veronica Campbell, Aileen Bailey, Shelly Ann Fraser-Price, Usain Bolt, Roy Bailey, Yohann Blake, Dexter Lee, Odane Skeen, quarter miler Claudine Williams, distance stars Inez and Janice Turner, and hurdlers Michelle Freeman, Deon Hemmings, and Melaine Walker. Just take a look at the weekend’s Boys’ & Girls’ Championships. It was quite competitive and turned out quite impressive results. This year the Jamaican Carifta squad should

be led by World Youth and Junior Discus champion Federick Dacres who threw 62.80m (206’0’’) at Champs, tying his Personal record done at the Barcelona World Junior Championships, and setting a new personal best of 19.29m (63’3-1/2’’) at Champs, in the Shot-Put. In the Long Jump Clive Pullen jumped 7.57m (24’10-1/4’’) and a personal best of 15.83m (51’11-1/4’) in the Triple Jump at Champs. In the High Jump Christoffe Bryan cleared 2.19m (7’2-1/4’’) at Champs, a personal best, one of the best performances for juniors in the region this year. In the Girls Under-20 100m Monique Spencer ran 11.59sec to win. A non-Jamaican, Delano Williams from the Turks & Caicos ran an amazing 10.27sec and 20.28sec to win Champs. He won the 200m in the World Junior Championships last year. Williams is not eligible this year. He turns 20 in late December. Odail Todd, who ﬁnished second to Jevaughn Minzie in the Jamaican Carifta Trials ﬁnished second at Champs in 10.49sec. Todd is the 2011 100m IAAF World Youth champion. At Champs he also ran 20.78sec for the Silver in the 200m. Jovan Francis ran 20.82sec in the 200m for third place and clocked a quick time of 46.21sec to win the one lapper.

Shericka Jackson won the 200m in a personal best of 22.98sec. Jackson also captured the 400m in 51.60sec, another personal best. Jackson captured the Bronze medal in the 200m at the Lille’ World Youth Championships in 2011. Interestingly enough, she is not listed for the 400m for the Games. Chris Ann-Gordon ﬁnished in second place in 52.16sec She impressed in the 800m with a 2:09.56 clocking. Simoya Campbell has run 2:07.56. Omar McLeod was quite impressive running 13.24sec in the 110m Hurdles and 49.98sec in the 400m Hurdles. These are just some of the Jamaicans we anticipate giving us great and exciting competition at the Games. They will be the team to beat at Carifta. In the last 41 editions of the Games they have lost only ﬁve times, in 1975 to Bermuda, and in 1980, 1981, 1983, and 1984 to The Bahamas. Wherever they compete at the Carifta Games there are usually hordes of their countrymen lending their support. So will it be in The Bahamas, March 29 -April 1 this year. Do you have your tickets yet? If not, you will miss out on of the best sports and entertainment deals of the year. Next week we will talk about some of the star athletes from the other teams attending the 2013 BTC Carifta Games.

Regional cricket under threat from new league format F ormer President of the Barbados Cricket Association and West Indies Cricket Board, Captain Peter Short, is not convinced the format of the imminent Caribbean Premier League is the best for the region and fans of the game. Captain Short, who served as BCA president from 1973 to 1993, and WICB head from 1994 to 1996, said he would not presume to know all the finer details being worked out with respect to the CPL but suggested that the stated format could put a damper on inter-territorial rivalry and identification of spectators with specific teams that generated the interest and competitive edge of regional cricket. Short told Barbados TODAY that change was part of life but noted that the success of previous regional tournaments was the fact that the various islands supported their home players and rooted for teams which were made up of players that were part of their domestic environment. “We could be treading dangerous waters with the format and it could become a bit of a mess. I am wondering if the organisers did any research on this going forward and are bas-

Captain Peter Short ing their strategy on that research,” Short said, stressing he had no problem with the idea of having another regional tournament. But the retired administrator advised it might have been better to maintain the individual territorial teams with which regional fans could identify, and then boost those teams with international stars. He said the advantage other countries staging Twenty20 tournaments had, was that they were one land mass, with players representing state teams with which fans identiﬁed. Short said teams in the Big Bash and the Indian Premier League and others, were then strengthened with the inclusion of international franchise players.

But he noted the core base of the state teams remained identiﬁable to fans. The Caribbean Premier League, the inaugural edition of which is set to begin†on July 29, will include six franchises with 90 contracted players in all. Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and Kieron Pollard have been named ‘franchise players’. Each of these icon players will turn out for one of the six teams, which are likely to be from Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. The CPL is looking to rope in six international ‘franchise players’, one for each franchise. Every franchise will contract 15 players in all, with a maximum of four overseas signings. Of the regional players, at least six must be from the franchise country (in the case of St. Lucia, locals will include players from the Windward Islands and the in case of Antigua, players from the Leeward Islands) and four must be under-23 players. Apart from the appointed icon players, the rest of the squads will be assembled via a draft system.

Dirk Hall, managing director of Verus International, the driving force behind the CPL, stressed last month that regional icon players would not necessarily represent their country in the league and noted this was to ensure better balance. Meanwhile it was revealed today that former Australian captain Ricky Ponting†had announced his participation in the CPL, becoming the ﬁrst international player to be involved in the newly formed T20 league. Presently no decision has been made as to which franchise Ponting will be associated with. This is now Ponting’s fourth international T20 team, as he is already a part of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, and Surrey in English county cricket. “The West Indies has always been one of my favourite cricket destinations,” Ponting said. “The mix of entertainment and cricket is the perfect recipe for West Indian cricket fans, as well as the rest of the world. The format and concept is fantastic, and I am sure it will be a huge success right from the start.”

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Sports W

RLD

Fitness and bodybuilding icon Joe Weider dies at 93

oe Weider, a legendary figure in bodybuilding who helped popularize the sport worldwide and played a key role in introducing a charismatic young weightlifter named Arnold Schwarznenegger to the world, died Saturday at age 93. Weider’s publicist, Charlotte Parker, told The Associated Press that the bodybuilder, publisher and promoter died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. “I knew about Joe Weider long before I met him,” Schwarzenegger, who tweeted the news of his old friend’s death, said in a lengthy statement posted on his website. “He was the godfather of fitness who told all of us to be somebody with a body. He taught us that through hard work and training we could all be champions.” A bodybuilder with an impressive physique himself, Weider became better known in later years as a behind-the-scenes guru to the sport. He popularized bodybuilding and spread the message of health and fitness worldwide with such publications as Muscle & Fitness, Flex and Shape. Schwarzenegger himself is the executive editor of Muscle & Fitness and Flex. He created one of bodybuilding’s pre-eminent events, the Mr. Olympia competition, in 1965, adding to it the

Joe Weider Ms. Olympia contest in 1980, the Fitness Olympia in 1995 and the Figure Olympia in 2003 He also relentlessly promoted Schwarzenegger, who won the Mr. Olympia title a record seven times. “Every sport needs a hero and I knew that Arnold was the right man,” he once said. Weider brought Schwarzenegger to the United States early in his career, where he helped train the future governor of California as well as aided him in getting into business. Schwarzenegger also said Weider helped land him his ﬁrst movie role, in the forgettable ﬁlm “Hercules in New York,” by passing him off to the

producers as a German Shakespearean actor. “Joe didn’t just inspire my earliest dreams; he made them come true the day he invited me to move to America to pursue my bodybuilding career,” the actor said in his statement. “I will never forget his generosity. One of Joe’s greatest qualities is that he wasn’t just generous with his money; he freely gave of his time and expertise and became a father ﬁgure for me.” Weider also mentored numerous other bodybuilders as well. Born in Canada in 1919, Weider recalled growing up in a tough section of Montreal.

Just like the apocryphal tale of the skinny kid who starts working out after a bully kicks sand in his face, Weider said he was indeed a small, skinny teenager picked on by bullies when he came across the magazine Strength. He had actually tried to join a local wrestling team, he said, but was turned down by the coach who feared he was so small he’d be hurt. Inspired instead by the magazine, he built his own weights from scrap parts found in a railroad yard and pumped them relentlessly. Word of his efforts got around and he was eventually invited to join a weightlifting club. “When I saw the gym, saw the guys working out, supporting one another, I was mesmerized,” he recalled. He won his first bodybuilding contest at age 17, and soon after began to publish his first magazine, “Your Physique.” Later he started a mail-order barbell business, and in 1946 he and his younger brother staged the first Mr. Canada contest in at Montreal’s Monument National Theater. At the same time they formed the International Federation of Bodybuilders. He is survived by his wife, Betty Weider.

Miami Heat 25 game winning streak further proof LeBron James is best athlete to watch in all sports W

e all know by now that LeBron James is the current MVP of all our professional sports, and the biggest star we’ve got, not even the bigname quarterbacks of the NFL in the conversation with him. Baseball? You tell me who’s the biggest star right now, the one who makes you watch the game if he’s in it. There isn’t one. Michael Jordan was the king once, and then Tiger Woods, at least before the bumper-car trip down the driveway and the conga line of girls. Now it’s LeBron, hands down. He made you watch when he lost the NBA Finals with the Heat, when people were still cheering against him because of that chowderhead decision about “The Decision.” He made you watch him even closer last season, watch one of the great individual performances in NBA playoff history, Game 6, against the Celtics in Boston, Heat down three games to two, James facing not just elimination, but the idea in the minds of the American public that he might never win a title. Now comes this streak for the Heat, 25 and counting, the main event right now in sports even with the NCAA basketball tournament going

on, a streak somehow preserved the other night in Cleveland — of all places — as LeBron James and the Heat made a 27-point Cavaliers lead disappear in eight minutes. Of course it was a wounded Cleveland team without Kyrie Irving. Still: James was having an awful game, couldn’t throw the ball in Lake Erie, then dialed it up to another triple-double in a blink. Mostly because he could. What he really did on this night is what the Heat have done from the time they turned it on this way, as they now take dead aim on the Lakers’ all-time win streak of 33 games, set 41 years ago: The Miami Heat have made a regular season in professional sports mean more than it has in such a long time. Lately they have made every game feel like a playoff game, against good teams and bad teams. If you watched last Monday night’s game against the Celtics in Boston, saw the Celtics lead for most of the night and then the Heat take it from them at the end, you know what you were watching, which means something that looked and felt like a Game 7. Or that Game 6 the two teams played

last spring. In the middle of March. The majesty of James’ talent and his athletic character and the force of his game and will is exactly the same as Michael’s once was, when Michael accepted the responsibility of being Michael Jordan, every single night. This all goes back to the old Joe DiMaggio line, DiMaggio once asked back in the ’40s why he had played so hard in a meaningless late-season game for the Yankees. DiMaggio said, and famously: “Because there might have been somebody in the stands today who’d never seen me play before, and might never see me again.” We all understand that there could be no such sentiment in the modern world of sports, we’ve been watching LeBron James play basketball since they started putting his high school games on television. But he gives you a Joe DiMaggio game every night, does it now more than ever, does it in Cleveland when he can’t score and it looks as if his old team might beat his new team and end Miami’s streak and probably turn the next day in Cleveland into a sports holiday.

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WORLD SPORTS

Dominican Republic caps perfect WBC with 3-0 win over Puerto Rico S

AN FRANCISCO — As jubilant as the celebration was at AT&T Park, with Dominican players carrying flags large and small as they raced across the outfield grass, Giants reliever Santiago Casilla knew there was an even bigger party raging back home. “I think right now it’s crazy,’’ Casilla said. “Everything in the Dominican is baseball, baseball, baseball.” The dominant Dominican Republic planted its flag firmly into this World Baseball Classic, beating Puerto Rico 3-0 in the championship game Tuesday night before a crowd of 35,703. A light but persistent rain did little to dampen the mood for the players wearing Dominicana stitched across their chest. Thanks to one last sterling effort from their bullpen, which finished the tournament with 25 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, the Dominican Republic went 8-0 and

INDIA BEAT AUSTRALIA IN FOURTH TEST FOR CLEAN SWEEP

ustralia suffered a familiar batting collapse on Sunday in Delhi as they earned the title of Australia’s worst-performed side since 1978/79. Stand-in skipper Shane Watson chose to blame his bowlers, who were defending a target of just 155 on day three of the fourth Test against India. India reached 4-158 off just 31.2 overs to win with more than two days to spare and sweep the series four-nil. Sixteen wickets fell on day three on a turning pitch in Delhi which suited India’s threepronged spin attack. India resumed on 8-266 and were bowled out for 272 including spinner Nathan Lyon’s career-best 7-94. Australia were skittled for 164 as man-of-the-match Ravindra Jadeja claimed 5-58 with his left-arm spinners. Embarrassingly for the Aussies, tailender Peter Siddle (51 and 50) top-scored for the second time in the match. It’s the ﬁrst time Australia have lost four matches in a Test series since going down 5-1 in the 1978/79 Ashes during the World Series Cricket days. Chasing 155 to win, India lost 3-5 in a mini-collapse at 4-128 before MS Dhoni (12 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (82 not out) guided the home side to an historic series triumph, their biggest in a home series. It was sweet revenge for skipper Dhoni after losing 4-0 in Australia in 2011/12.

became the first team to go undefeated over the course of a WBC. “I’ll tell you one thing: Tonight we’re going to celebrate. Tomorrow we’re going to celebrate,’’ said Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, who hit .469 during the tournament to earn MVP honors. “And Thursday we will go back to spring training.” The three games at AT&T Park drew a total of 96,913 fans, extending the overall WBC attendance record to 885,212. Chilly supporters on Tuesday night waved flags, tooted horns, pounded drums and shook noisemakers throughout the low-scoring contest. When it was over, Casilla stood under blasts of confetti and proudly showed off his new hardware. Nodding across the field toward his Giants teammate, Angel Pagan, who was being interviewed by the Puerto Rican press, Casilla held up his medal and said: “Pagan is a great guy, but

“I thought we were deﬁnitely in the game,” said Watson, who led the side in the fourth Test in the absence of injured skipper Michael Clarke. “If we got to 150 and more if we bowled well on that wicket then we were going to give ourselves a very good chance. “Unfortunately things didn’t go exactly right with the ball. “In the end we were very close.” Key batsmen Watson (averaging 16.50), Phil Hughes (18.37) and openers David Warner (24.37) and Ed Cowan (33.12) had modest series. “We came here with high hopes of having a good series here and the four-nil here is what we deserved,” Watson said. “The Indians have totally outplayed us.” Clarke, who has returned to Sydney for scans on his back, was the only Aussie player to score a century in the series and topped his side’s averages with 286 runs at 47.66. Watson made a joke about his curse of having scored only two centuries in his 41-Test career. “Hopefully I haven’t rubbed off on too many of them because that would be a shame if they all get my disease,” he said. “For all of us as top-order batsmen, it has been very disappointing.” Watson said Clarke, who was Test cricket’s leading runscorer in 2012, was in amazing form. “We’ve all got to continue to strive for what Michael has been able to achieve as a batsman,” Watson said. “I’m the ﬁrst one to put my hand up because I certainly haven’t been good enough in this series.”

when I see him I’m going to say: ‘I’m sorry, but we got it.’ “ Casilla walked Pagan leading off the eighth but promptly retired the next three batters, providing one of four more scoreless innings for the untouchable Dominican bullpen. Tampa Bay Rays closer Fernando Rodney finished up to earn his seventh save of this WBC. “Wow. It has to be the best bullpen I’ve ever seen,’’ said former Giants outfielder Moises Alou, the general manager for the Dominican Republic. “And we have the best closer in baseball.” Dominican starter Samuel Deduno (Minnesota Twins) delivered five scoreless innings. The righthander could breathe a little easier after his team scored twice in the first off Puerto Rico starter Giancarlo Alvarado. Edwin Encarnacion delivered the big hit, a two-run double to center field for a 2-0 lead.

EXPERTS SAYS LINDSEY VONN AND TIGER WOODS PAIRING SMELLS LIKE A PUBLICITY STUNT

ast week celebrated skier Lindsey golf clubs, then I think this will impact Vonn confirmed rumors she and Ti- her good girl image negatively,” She said. ger Woods were a couple via her Face- “But if they kind of stay private, and peobook page. On Friday, the New York Post reported that the whole thing was a publicity stunt to help salvage Woods’ shattered image as a serial cheater with porn stars and pancake waitresses, an boost Vonn’s profile ahead of the 2014 Olympics. So is Vonn crazy for dating Woods, or are the TIGER WOODS AND LINDSEY VONN two playing the media-and the public--like puppets? ple don’t really know the ins and outs of “I think Lindsey Vonn is cuckoo for what’s going on, it may just be perceived dating Tiger Woods,” said Peter Davis, that’s she’s, you know, a love struck, the Editor in Chief of Scene Magazine. “I naïve girl.” just think it’s funny that they were seen Tiger, on the other hand, has much on his boat Privacy, because it should be less to lose. changed to Paparazzi, because no one “I think Lindsey Vonn is definitely gois going to give them any privacy. And I ing to make Tiger Woods look a lot coolthink it’s a little bit questionable.” er and a lot smarter and more stable,” Dorothy Cascerceri, Senior Editor Davis said. “And I think Elin is probably at In Touch Weekly Magazine, says she happy he’s out of the picture.” smells a rat. “Tiger Woods can definitely stand to “[It] kind of makes you wonder is this benefit from this,” added Cascerceri. “If kind of publicity stunt,” she said. “Cer- someone like Lindsey Vonn, who’s kind tainly Lindsey Vonn is a very well known of a good girl, sweetie pie, is into him, and Olympic skier, but she’s not that well she’s giving him a second chance, then known. She’s not a household name, but maybe people in the public will be willshe’s going to be, now that’s she dating ing to give him a second chance as well.” Tiger Woods.” For their best chance at love, Our In But could Vonn’s good girl image take the Zone experts recommend the two a hit by dating a bad boy like Tiger? stay as under the radar as possible. “I think Lindsey dating Tiger will neg“The relationship advice I have for atively affect her public image because Lindsey is run!” Cascerceri quipped. “But she has endorsements with Rolex and as a couple, the relationship advice I huge companies,” Davis said. “I don’t would give them is you know stay as prithink anyone wants to be associated vate as possible. In fact, this ridiculous right now with Tiger Woods.” photo shoot they did seems very conBut Cascerceri said if the duo pres- trived to me. It doesn’t seem that their ents the image of happy couple, it could staying very private. It seems that they help them over time. really want to be out there and they want “If stories come out that things have people to know that they’re together, behappened between them, and it’s a huge cause they obviously think they stand to argument, or there’s an incident with gain from it.”

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