TC Weekly News March 25 - 31, 2023

Governor Nigel Dakin bids farewell to TCI this month

BY DELANA ISLES

Four years, two governments, a global pandemic, an office of transparency and a hands-on approach to governance, His Excellency Governor Nigel Dakin this week chaired his last Cabinet meeting.

From his date of appointment, July 15, 2019, to March 2023, the former Army Commander set the bar high in terms of public transparency: regularly keeping residents and the world at large informed on matters of governance, security, social issues, family life and the accomplishments of Islanders, all from his Instagram account.

This week, he reflected on his term in office, looking back on his inaugural speech in which he succinctly stated: “In truth, I come with only one idea: To preserve and to improve.”

In keeping with the stance he has taken over the years, Dakin shared his appreciation for his colleagues in Cabinet, the work they have undertaken as a collective for the good of TCI, singling out the two Premiers during his tenure for high praise.

“I’ve worked with two Premiers and two Cabinets from two different political parties. I mentioned in my inaugural speech that most nations would be more

than happy to have leaders of the calibre of the then Premier, Hon Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, and then Leader of the Opposition, Hon Charles Washington Misick and for me, so it proved.

“Having worked closely with both, I continue to hold both in the highest regard.

“They faced different challenges: the first rebuilding from two hurricanes and managing a defining period of the Pandemic, and the second consolidating gains and engaging on an energetic agenda of change. I’ve learnt much from both.”

The Governor shared that the Cabinet meeting he remembers the most was in March 2020, as members sat down to discuss and come to terms with the very real effects of the pandemic on the territory’s economy and the population’s health.

He recalled: “In recognising how poorly prepared we were in terms of our health care, the decisions we collectively took about rapid closure of the territory to reduce the first COVID wave, while rapidly building health capacity, stood the test of time.”

He credits the success of this to the “extraordinarily sensible approach taken by the people of TCI”.

He said the singular decision he most remembers - one that took close to 40 hours of debate - was to reopen the Islands to the world, with very few restrictions, in July 2020.

“We were in the global vanguard. It allowed us to restart our economy and steal a march on our competitors, providing a topend safe tourist destination, with effective protocols, when others remained closed.”

He said this was a decision that

worked wonders for the private sector, ensuring a surge in tourism and real estate.

He reflected: “Leaving the pandemic with zero debt, six months reserves and an enhanced brand once seemed impossible, yet it is where we are, and that was linked to these earlier decisions and further hard decisions on vaccination policy in 2021.”

Weekly News will bring a more in-depth exit interview with the Governor as he prepares to hand the baton over to Her Excellency, Deputy Governor Anya Williams, who will serve as Governor until the new Governor is sworn-in in June 2023.

“A big thank you to colleagues who approached Cabinet as just that, a Cabinet of colleagues in a shared endeavour. I will always admire the service you gave and give,” Governor Dakin stated.

Published

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House passed $140m Provisional Warrant as Budget is late – Minister of Finance

The budget for financial year 2023-2024 will be late, as such the House of Assembly has approved the extraction of $140.3m from the consolidated fund to ensure the smooth function of government.

The Provisional Warrant was presented to the House on Monday, March 21, by Minister of Finance, Deputy Premier Hon Erwin Jay Saunders.

The money will be utilised to fund the Recurrent Expenditure of the Islands for part of the new fiscal year.

In his presentation of the motion, Saunders said that it is unlikely that the approved 2023/2024 Appropriation Ordinance (Budget) will take effect at the beginning of the fiscal year on April 1.

The current budget cycle ends on March 31.

He said the money withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund is necessary to carry on the services of the government after the start of the new financial year, and the use of those funds for up to four months or until the coming into operation of the Appropriation Ordinance, whichever is earlier.

Governor Dakin celebrates his last Cabinet meeting with his soon-to-be former colleagues (Governor’s photo)

His Excellency Governor Nigel Dakin will depart at the end of March, 2023

BY DELANA ISLES

Residents who are still paying down their TC Invest loans can breathe a bit easier as the Government has written off their unpaid interest, placed a one-year moratorium on interest payments and slashed the interest rate from 8.75% to 6.79%.

On Tuesday, March 21, Minister of Finance, Deputy Premier Hon Erwin Jay Saunders presented to the House of Assembly a motion for the ‘Write-Off of Unpaid Interest On Existing TC Invest Loans’.

In his presentation on the motion, Hon Saunders recalled the initial write-off of unpaid interests in 2020, by the PDM administration in the amount of $8.153 million, and the putting into effect of a moratorium from April to September of that year.

The intention at the time was to provide an incentive for borrowers to pay off their balance and help

those who were most affected financially by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Deputy Premier noted that because of the moratorium, some borrowers continued to make regular payments, as they explored avenues to refinance their loans with other institutions.

He stated: “Where it was expected that collections during the pandemic would diminish, it actually increased, as the moratorium incentivised borrowers to pay off their loans, as well as help those who needed the financial support.”

However, interests continued to accrue at a high rate, surpassing the principal.

It is with this in mind that the finance minister sought the House’s approval to bring further relief to residents.

He said as of January 31, 2023, 48% of the loans in the portfolio were delinquent, 26%

were performing, and 26% were performing non-current loans. The total amount of interest was $1,866,165.50, which represented the original TC Invest portfolio of $1.18 million, and the acquired TOLCO portfolio of $686,000.

The motion sought to write off the unpaid interest of $1,866,165.50 which represents the period from February 28, 2020, to January 31, 2023.

It also places a moratorium on interest payments from February 2023 to March 2024, and implements a new interest rate of 6.79%, which is the current market rate.

Saunders stated that the interest forgone as a result of the rate reduction will amount to $330,211 for the period February 2023 to March 2024.

He said the new interest rate will be reassessed and approved by Cabinet on an annual basis.

“The writing off of the interest, the

moratorium on interest payments, and the interest rate reduction will put the loan portfolios in better standing, and allow borrowers to move their loan statuses from delinquent to performing,” the finance minister assured the House.

Adding: “Most importantly, by helping them find alternative means to service their debt obligations with financial institutions, this

House approves $1.8m write-off in unpaid interests on TC Invest loans Government moves a step closer to the creation of a national credit union

BY DELANA ISLES

Government has created a Citizens Empowerment Fund under the National Wealth Fund¸ ensuring the transfer of $7m for the national credit union this financial year.

Presenting an amendment to the Turks and Caicos National Wealth Fund Ordinance this week was Deputy Premier and Minister for Finance, Hon Erwin Jay Saunders.

The intention of the Bill was to expand the wealth fund to include a fourth branch to ensure the

money allocated can be accessed for the credit union.

The minister told the House that the Bill – which went through all three readings and was passedwill ensure that the $7m earmarked for Turks and Caicos Islanders and British Overseas Territories

Citizens customers of the Credit Union can be appropriated during the 2023/2024 financial year.

In January 2020, the government, headed by Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson joined the World Council of Credit Unions, making TCI the organisation’s first government associate member in

its 49-year history.

Since that time, work has been continuing to establish for the first time, a National Credit Union in the territory.

Since coming into office, the Misick administration has promised to fund the credit union, and in 2021, they allotted $250,000 to kick start the set-up of credit unions in the territory.

Earlier this month, a further allocation of $7 million was passed in the House of Assembly under the third Supplementary Appropriations Bill.

Tuesday’s passage of the

amendment to the National Wealth Fund further enables access to the money.

Speaking on the amendment bill, Saunders stated: “The government finds that there is a need to better provide opportunities in the Islands for savings and investment. The government, therefore, seeks to provide for the Citizens Empowerment Fund to further promote the prosperity and wealth of Islanders, through the establishment of critical empowerment institutions in the Islands.”

The coming into force of the

motion will provide much-needed relief to Turks and Caicos Islanders who are trying to service their debts and avoid losing their properties.”

He said the social impact of the motion will provide an economic benefit to the borrowers, as it will put them in a better position to service their loans, as well as make it easier for them to refinance their loans with mortgage lenders.

credit union has been delayed for the past four years to allow for the establishment of a deposit insurance scheme, which creates a safety net for depositors’ money.

The scheme would ensure that a percentage of depositors’ money is insured in the event the credit union goes under.

Considering this, the government had delayed the coming into operation of the Credit Union Ordinance for five years to accommodate the establishment of the scheme.

That delay expires in August 2024.

Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon E. Jay Saunders

Matthew Flores’s accused killer found not guilty

A directed verdict of not guilty was handed down in the trial of Shaquant Walkin for the August 2020 murder of Florida native Matthew Florez.

After a one week trial this month, Walkin’s attorney, Sheena Mair filed an application that the prosecution had failed to present a case against her client.

That application was accepted by Justice Davidson Baptiste, and the jury was directed to return a verdict of not guilty.

Thirty-nine-year-old Florez was gunned down on August 5, 2020, sometime around 11pm as he and another person were changing a tire on a vehicle in the vicinity of the Thomas Stubbs roundabout, Leeward Highway in Providenciales.

CONSTITUTIONAL UPGRADE

THE TCI Government has engaged the services of a constitutional specialist, Sir Jeffrey Jowell, KC (King’s Counsel), who will travel to the territory later this month for discussions, as it prepares to review the territory’s relationship with the United Kingdom.

The services of the high-powered expert, who worked on the Cayman Islands constitution in 2018 were sought out to help the TCI negotiate with the United Kingdom as the Government moves ahead with its plans to reform the territory’s constitution.

Premier Charles Washington Misick said that as times change, the constitution must be “flexible enough to respond to the needs of the people, to ultimately create a politically independent country.

Reports at the time was that two masked men in a vehicle approached the duo, opening fire before speeding away.

Flores was fatally shot and died at the scene.

On November 17, 2020, Shaquant Walkin and Myrohn Pereira were arrested, charged with murder, discharging firearm, discharging ammunition, possession of firearm with intent to endanger life and carrying firearm.

Pereira was discharged following submissions by his attorney, leaving Walkin to face the murder charge alone.

The Crown did not oppose the defence counsel’s no case submission against Walkin.

(DELANA ISLES)

With a self-assured and confident people, we need a modern and active constitution. The constitution provides the framework for decisionmaking, promotes good governance, and secures human rights and responsibilities. We must constantly review our relationship with the UK”, he said, during a recent national address. What are your thoughts?

Tread carefully

Washy is highly educated and intelligent. He knows that no country on Earth is “politically independent”. Please remember we have large, hostile neighbours and a nightmare happening in Haiti, so we must tread very carefully. The WN should publish a list of what the TCI can’t do without the permission of the UK.

Overdue

The ruling party should long ago have secured an expert to guide and advise, then reach out to the opposition and advance the path to change. Why did it take you this long Washy?

Respect local talent

Why do we always have to get outside people to represent us in articulating our goals and aspirations as a country? Do we not have any confidence in ourselves or does the UK not respect us enough to give us the time of day in this matter? We will always be treated

as children because we behave that way.

Did JAGS have to hire outside help to get the constitutional advancement we had before it was taken away by the colonizers or was it his love for country coupled with passion and deep conviction?

Waste of time

The PNP Government sure has its work cut out with this “constitutional advancement” vision. The UK could care less about these territories as it has demonstrated over the last few years, why waste time and precious resources to propose what will be rejected in the end?

False hope

Are we sure this would pan out? Seems like the Premier is either privy to information that we don’t know about or this is a political ploy.

Will the TCI benefit from this in the long run? Or will this be false hope?

There are so many questions, I don’t think Sir Jeffrey Jowell, KC (King’s Counsel) would just come to

these shores on an invite, especially if the UK is opposed to his visit. We need more information Mr Premier.

Constitution reform is welcomed

The world continues to advance and reformation of the territory’s constitution is an important step for us to move to some level of advancement. I feel that although Sir Jowell should use his knowledge to guide the process, a local non-government committee should spearhead the initiative. We need to understand that although we don’t want the country to change a lot, it will and we should have laws to guide the process.

BECOME A CONTRIBUTOR

Want to become a contributor or have a suggestion for a Talk Back topic for us? What questions do you think we should be putting to the public? And what are your thoughts on it?

Shaquant Walkin is not guilty of the drive-by murder of Matthew Florez

welcome letters from all members of the public on a variety of topics

Outstanding performance of TCI’s three Chevening Scholars celebrated

Three outstanding Chevening Scholars - Alexa Cooper, Christanae Lewis and Shanice Williams – are now back home, basking in their accomplishments and serving their country.

On March 17, His Excellency Governor Nigel Dakin presented the three young ladies with their certificates of completion at a ceremony hosted at the Governor’s Office.

In 2021, for the first time, Turks and Caicos Islands secured three scholarships out of the 10 offered to Overseas Territories within the same academic year, securing spots for the three young women.

The three were selected for the postgraduate programmes based on their outstanding academic achievements, leadership potential, and commitment to serving their community.

They returned in 2022, with Cooper securing her master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Lewis in International Accounting and Finance, and Williams in Finance and Management.

“Each talked of the amazing experience they had had, and implored others to apply,” the Governor said following the event.

“They talked not only about education, but travel, growing confidence, building an international network, and accruing a whole set of

experiences that only travel can bring. They return enriched by education, experience, and lifelong friendships.”

Chevening Officer, Neville Misick shared that for the first time, TCI has received two distinctions through Ms Cooper and Ms Williams. Misick congratulated all scholars on their success and thanked them for representing the TCI well during their studies in the UK. He also encouraged them to stay connected with the Chevening community and to continue to support and inspire other aspiring scholars.

Kayon Cox, a Chevening alum, formally welcomed the scholars to the Chevening alumni community, emphasising the significance of the alumni network and the opportunities it provides for continued professional development, networking, and mentorship.

Governor Dakin reiterated his call for young men in the territory to apply for the scholarship.

“Man or woman, you’ve got to be in it to win it - we’ve got a good record now of helping those in TCI get to the UK to study - so absolutely no reason that the next person to benefit couldn’t be a young man,” he said.

Cooper, Lewis and Williams are to take up prominent positions in their respective fields, the Governor’s office has revealed.

Governor Dakin presents the scholars with their Chevening certificates of completion (Governor ’s office photo)

Chevening Scholars Alexa Cooper, Christanae Lewis and Shanice Williams (Governor’s office photo)

Department of Correction and Rehabilitation fosters positive relationships in the community

In an effort to provide rehabilitative opportunities for the inmates in the TCI, the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation recently embarked on a new initiative to visit a local church every quarter in a bid to foster positive relationships between the community and the department.

The initiative geared towards the reintegration of inmates started with a visit on Sunday, March 12, 2023, to the New Testament Church on Grand Turk.

Newly appointed Superintendent Mr Michael Woodbine, members of his senior management team, officers, and inmates were in attendance, according to a statement from the department.

During his address to the congregation, Superintendent Woodbine expressed his intentions for the future which include closer collaboration with the community to provide support, hope, and successful reintegration into society for inmates after release.

During the service, produce from the farm along with other food items were presented for distribution to the less fortunate.

Bishop Austraham Hamilton in his response welcomed the initiative and acknowledged the need for community support. He also emphasised the positive influence of Prison Chaplain Rev. Dennis Simmons and his efforts to impart God’s word to the inmates.

In responding to the donation he stated, “Thank God for them for thinking about us while they

are there, don’t take this lightly brethren, this is an act of God.

“This is the step in the right direction, you being here this morning is a blessing”.

He admonished the inmates to take comfort in God’s word and be reminded that God has them in mind.

The Department of Corrections

Jerry Dossou guilty on illegal gun and ammo charges – convict to sue police for shooting him

Jerry Dossou has been found guilty of carrying a firearm and ammunition following a threeweek trial and an extensive remand period.

The man was tried before an empaneled jury in the Grand Turk Supreme Court.

The charges stem from an attempted stop and search that occurred in August 2020. During that time, police attempted to stop a car the accused was driving.

Dossou refused to stop, taking police on a high-speed chase in the Grace Bay area, eventually pulling

over and escaping on foot.

He was reportedly shot. Failing to capture the fleeing man, police left the scene, returning several hours later and recovering a discarded loaded firearm in the vicinity of Dossou’s escape.

Judge Davidson Baptiste handed down Dossou’s sentence on Tuesday, sentencing him to seven years imprisonment.

Reports are that the convict will be filing a civil suit against the police force for wrongfully shooting him. During the trial, officers alleged that Dossou came

towards them with a firearm before escaping on foot, causing them to discharge their own weapon.

He was represented at trial by attorney Lara Maroof-Misick.

(DELANA ISLES)

Jerry Dossou has been found guilty of carrying a firearm and ammunition following a threeweek trial and an extensive remand period

stressed that it recognises the importance of building social capital for those in prison and helping them build a sense of pride in their local communities.

“We will be embarking on more community engagement projects to help inmates recognise their value and what they can offer back to our communities”.

Inmates along with members of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation during a church service

Police probes burglary and sexual assault in Blue Hills

One man in custody

Crime sleuths are investigating a recent burglary and sexual assault which occurred in Blue Hills, Providenciales.

One male was detained on Monday, March 20 in connection with reports of sexual assault and robberies in Blue Hills.

Head of Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection

Superintendent Dean Holden confirmed the arrest in a statement on Monday.

He said: “Investigators remain open-minded about this individual’s full involvement and local communities should remain vigilant and consider their personal safety and the security of their properties.

“In recent weeks, there have been a small number of offences in the Blue Hills area involving burglaries occurring within the early morning hours, during which the offenders have sexually assaulted female occupants.”

He emphasised that while these sorts of offences are rare, such crimes are unacceptable and the RTCIPF has implemented a robust response.

“We have a dedicated

investigative team with specially trained officers who are supporting the victims. Additionally, we have increased uniform patrols in the Blue Hills district to provide reassurance and a visible deterrent”.

Despite this, Supt. Holden said members of the community are advised to remain vigilant for any suspicious activity.

The public is being urged to notify the closest police station

or to contact Crime Stoppers and give any information regarding the robberies and assaults, or any illegal activity anonymously.

Crime Stoppers calls are answered in Miami and in Houston by Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers which is a non-profit and not a police agency.

The calls are anonymous and cannot be traced in the United States or the TCI.

Five Cays man murdered – police trying to ascertain motive

Bahamian DJ jailed in the TCI for sexually assaulting a teenager

Lopez Keno Levar Williams, a 39-year-old Bahamian national has been sentenced to four years in prison, for sexually assaulting a female teenager.

Williams, a well-known Disc Jockey (DJ) resided in Long Bay at the time of the incident.

He was charged by officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force -Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit (SPPU) with assault by penetration, following a report made by the victim on November 27th, 2020.

At the time of the assault, the victim was 13 years old.

The guilty verdict was delivered on January 17th, 2023.

The SPPU further expressed gratitude to officers and civilians who assisted with this case and reminded residents to report any suspicions of child abuse to the nearest police station or contact the Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit at 232- 6696, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) -338-4013, Department of Social Development at 3384008 or call 911.

The bullet-riddled body of 33-yearold Jeron Merveille was recovered by police early Sunday morning, following reports of gunshots in the Five Cays community.

Police said they were alerted to the gunshots at around 9:33 am last Sunday, March 19, by calls from several residents who reported the shots were emanating from an area behind ‘Liz Kakery’ located just off the Five Cays road.

When cops and medical officers arrived on the scene, they found Merveille’s lifeless body lying face down on the ground with what appeared to be gunshot wounds about his body.

A widely circulated WhatsApp video of the dumping ground showed Merveille’s body among heaps of garbage.

No indication has been given as to the reason for the murder, and police are still gathering information to ascertain the

motive.

Dean Holden, Superintendent of Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection said the information cops have gathered so far has revealed that Merveille was targeted by unknown armed assailants.

He appealed: “If you have a family member or a friend or know someone that is involved in

illegal activities who has an illegal firearm, do something that will save their life. Report them by contacting Crime Stoppers or the closest police station. Urge them to hand in their guns.”

Members of the public can notify the closest police station or contact Crime Stoppers at 1- 8008477 to give any information of illegal activity anonymously.

Lopez Keno Levar Williams- (RTCIPF photo)

Murder victim, Jeron Merveille

Five Cays crime scene (RTCIPF photo)

Empowering the disempowered

Reaching the unreached

For the past couple of years, there has been an increase in conversations, conferences, and books on empowerment. However, most of the time the people we cater to are already empowered resulting in more encouragement and validation.

On the other hand, some of the people who we have not reached remain hopeless and disempowered. Mind you, there are some people that don’t need anyone to empower them but at the same time, there are others who need guidance and instructions to be empowered.

If we really want to see a significant change in the workplace, the home, and the community, empower those who are disempowered.

I do like the fact that many schools have a mentor programme whereby individuals go to the school on a regular basis and

BY DREXWELL SEYMOUR

Drexwell Seymour is a certified public accountant and is the managing partner for HLB TCI. His favourite hobby, however, is writing. He has a personal website, www.drexwellseymour. com, where all of his writings are posted. He also has a YouTube channel where you can find inspirational videos. Drexwell has a BA in Accounting and an MBA in Finance.

engage with the students. The good thing about this is that they can reach all the students and in so doing the unreached are being reached.

I also admire those churches that go out of their four walls to preach the gospel. Too many times, the pastors are preaching to the choir while so many people on the outside are so lost. Thankfully due to technology, the church can reach others beyond the walls, but more must be done. I think one

of the greatest ways to empower someone is through the word of God.

I am also grateful for all the empowerment conferences as from time to time we do need to be uplifted. However, wouldn’t it be more impactful if we are able to reach those persons who are disempowered and bring them to some of these events and then set up a walkthrough plan with them so that they can move to a state of empowerment? I believe some

people want to attend some of these conferences, but they cannot afford to attend.

Too many of us are self-centred and don’t even think about those that are lost and hopeless. This is one of the reasons why I do my weekly YouTube show which is to empower others through the sharing of stories of myself and others.

I think each person that is empowered should make it their business to find someone that is disempowered and take that person or persons under their wings and empower them. I will never forget the generosity of the Drake family who was able to empower me and three other students from South Caicos, Turks and Caicos. We were empowered through a free four-year college education in the USA and as a result of our education, we got power to achieve many goals in life.

I know many of us look to the

government for empowerment and while they have their role to play by implementing policies and legislation to empower the residents, there are many other people in the private sector who have the power and the capacity to empower others.

One of the greatest satisfactions in my life is empowering others. Too many people don’t know what to do. Some of them are depressed and discouraged and in many cases, all it takes is for someone to reach out to them and show them the way. Some may argue that there is no need to spoon-feed people. The thing is there are many different types of people in this world. Some people will initially have to be spoon-fed. Reach the unreached, find the lost, help the hopeless and together we can have an empowered society. If we don’t do something, then gang leaders will continue to pursue the vulnerable.

Impulsive and inconsiderate driving: A silent epidemic in Providenciales

The roads in Providenciales are swamped with some of the most irresponsible and inconsiderate drivers, with a diverse set of apathetic personality traits, attitudes, and behaviours, causing road mayhem, which sometimes results in accidents; not forgetting, the many close calls!

While drivers with such temperaments exist all around the world, it is lawmakers’ lack of scrutiny and policy framework that are exasperating the situation here in the TCI.

First, there is a swarm of errant drivers – exhibiting a sense of a lack of ‘adaptability’ to driving on the left side of the road. They

BY D MARKIE

are clueless at roundabouts and other intersections and drive unto major roads with zero attention to incoming traffic. Specifically, adaptability implies the individual’s ability, temperament, motivation, and capacity to acclimatise to a particular task.

There are also the ‘jitney’

drivers, who are causing endless road havoc! Though illegal; however, in the absence of public transportation, ‘jitneys’ play an important role in accommodating commuters with no access to private automobiles. Nonetheless, these drivers stop abruptly everywhere without any consideration for other road users and in a similar way drive back onto the road, as if they are the only operators.

And there are the drivers, who are always in a hurry going nowhere! They overtake anywhere; irrespective of corners, double solid white lines or speed bumps, which are designed to slow drivers. They pass other vehicles on hard shoulders and between two vehicles on the highway, while simultaneously, using their

cellular phones, which serve as a distraction – making them swerve from lane to lane.

All these callous behaviours culminated in unwanted accidents and sometimes, narrow escapes. Witnessing these misadventures daily, I am convinced, these drivers are either unaware of the traffic rules, or simply lawless, or maybe, they are just unconcerned about the safety of others.

However, these dilemmas can be mitigated through wellthought-out strategies and while this proposition will certainly fall on deaf ears, as a careful driver, I am compelled to highlight the seriousness of drivers’ conduct.

Foremost, driver’s education and safety programs are important to address these road impasses, while reiterating traffic rules, especially at intersections, which are causing a myriad of challenges.

Borrowing from the theory of ‘deliberate practice,’ a phenomenon referred to a particular practice, which is persistent and structured, and requires focused attention to enhance performance, lawmakers should mandate a ‘crash course’

for drivers, who are unfamiliar with driving on the left side of the road.

To improve the situation, traffic signs, including stop lines and arrows must be erected and painted on major roads, and maintained. There are too many roads without signs! However, this move won’t be possible unless there is a complete makeover of the deplorable roads throughout.

It is imperative that double white solid lines be painted in areas, where commercial building exits meet major roadways to restrict drivers from overtaking; hence preventing accidents. In front of The Alexandra and The Palms resorts on Princess Drive and The Tuscany, The Venetian and Ocean Club hotels on Grace Bay road are two problem areas.

If these behaviours are not monitored for compliance, the countless close calls would eventually turn deadly.

Drivers, who lack the right attitude toward safety, cannot be consistently good drivers, no matter their level of knowledge or skills.

SPRING

D Markie Spring, a TCI resident of 15 years, is an expert in law enforcement. He worked as a detective in the Royal TCI Police Force and was director of security at Beaches Turks and Caicos.

You are your circle of friends

Social psychologists’ research suggests that your circle of friends shapes you. This happens in several ways; your friends influence the way you think and behave, they help to determine the values and attitudes you adopt, they dictate your perception of the world and your self-identity and they can have a significant impact on your happiness or lack thereof. If your friends have such an outsized influence on what you become, it stands to reason that choosing them would be done prayerfully, carefully and wisely. And yet so often the opposite is done.

There are several reasons why we choose the wrong friends and therefore have toxic relationships. The first one is the need for validation. This happens when our desire for attention and being liked overshadows unhealthy patterns in those we want to associate with. We also tend to gravitate to people who do not challenge our existing beliefs and attitudes. This is okay if we have healthy values, but if we are unhealthy ourselves then it becomes really scary. Lastly, quality friendships take time, effort and energy and for many of us, it is too much work, so we settle and stick our heads in the sand hoping it would all work out.

KENYATTA E. LEWIS

Kenyatta Lewis is the pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, a growing church committed to taking followers of Jesus deeper and going further in their faith. Besides loving, serving, and helping people he has watched the extended Director’s cut of the Lord of the Rings trilogy multiple times.

I am sorry to say this, but it does not. If you want to have a good quality life, you have to have good quality relationships. And here is how you go about that.

PRIORITISE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Guard Your Time With God. Set a time for your personal devotions, find a place, and guard it against all distractions, turn off the notifications on your phone, shut down the tablet or computer. Do whatever it takes to guard your time with God.

Talk to God often. This is what prayer is, talking to God. Pray aloud; praying out loud helps to keep your mind free from distraction, pray with others and by yourself. Keep a journal of your prayers as it helps you to see how God has been answering you, and remember to give thanks to God.

Spend time with others who love God. Being around others who

passionately love and follow God helps to ignite your passion for God. They provide encouragement, support, help in times of need and ultimately help to strengthen your relationship with God. Seek out and spend time with those people.

FIX YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SPOUSE AND CHILDREN

For those of us who have families, working on building those relationships is time and effort well spent. Some things to do:

1. Do stuff together – Walk, watch a movie, play a game, exercise.

2. Practice praying for each other – During family devotions and in your personal prayer time. Encourage family members to share their prayer requests, so that you not only pray together but rejoice together when those prayers are answered.

3. Bless one another with your words – Be extremely generous

with both compliments and encouragement. This will help to take the ‘sting’ out of the correction you will sometimes have to give, as you create a healthy balance between correction and positive reinforcements.

Work on your relationship with others

Many men do not have a good, close friendship with other males. Sadly, the same applies to some women. While we may have had experiences that led to trust issues and caused us to be wary of friendships, it is in our best interest to get past this and aim to have meaningful relationships in our lives. Do not allow pride, busyness or selfishness to rob you of the joy and fulfillment that meaningful friendships bring. Let’s make an effort to have better relationships. Here’s how we can do this:

1. Make friendship a goal – Make it a priority to seek out and or maintain healthy friendships.

2. Eliminate substitutes – That person you met from Vanuatu is not your best friend, even if they liked every post you made. Face-to-face communication cannot be replaced. According to studies, while the virtual world has its benefits, nothing compares to being in a close, face-to-face personal relationship with another person.

3. Prepare for disappointments –As you pursue friendships, some might end abruptly, even badly. It doesn’t mean all humans are bad. Learn from the experience, forgive and move on. There are other people you can connect with, and when you find the right friends it will be worth it.

4. Grow – Many friendships are built on things that do not and cannot last, if you build your friendships on mutually healthy values, you will grow, and so will your friendships.

Rest. Reduce. Relate. Three critical things we need to do to reset our lives towards health. There is more, but begin practicing these now.

Eight ways to have better conversations

“Smile!”, “Make eye contact!” and “Nod whilst the other person is speaking!” These are some generic rules to show that you are listening.

There are countless conversation gurus online, providing ways to “show” just how to be a good listener, but there is no reason to learn to show that you’re paying attention if you are, in fact, paying attention. Quite frankly, we need to spend less time learning how to show people that we are listening and spend more time learning how to actually listen to each other and converse effectively.

Far from being a conversation connaisseur myself, I have however developed some simple ways “to be present” in conversations with others.

Here are eight ways to show that you are engaged.

BY DAVIDSON LOUIS

Rachel Wolchin once said: “If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have had roots instead of feet.” On this quest to self-discovery, TC Islander Davidson Louis vowed to travel, write, paint, laugh and forgive. Subsequently, he hopes to find himself and or, leave behind a few pieces of himself. Contact him at hello. octopen@tcinews.tc

ACTUALLY LISTEN

The most important thing to remember is you are listening to understand, not just to reply. Keep the focus on the other person’s responses, ask insightful questions, and not wait for the conversational trigger to transition to talk back to us. Remember to remove yourself from the conversation from time to time, it is a dialogue.

BE BRIEF

Get to the point. Don’t overexplain. Say what you need to say, then stop talking and listen to what the other person has to say. That isn’t so bad.

DO NOT REPEAT YOURSELF

If you do feel like you have a tendency to ramble, try to turn the conversation back to the other person. Open the door for them to speak about their experiences in more detail. When put into practice, you should feel that the conversation

becomes more even and you are dominating it less.

THEIR STORY IS NOT YOUR STORY

It’s not the same. It is never the same. All experiences are individual. And more importantly, it is not about you. Conversations are not a promotional opportunities.

IT IS OKAY, TO NOT KNOW

One of the biggest mistakes you can make on your coffee chat is to lie, it makes you look unreliable and untrustworthy. “Talk should not be cheap”. People appreciate vulnerability and honesty and it should always be the foundation of a good conversation.

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

Avoid very closed-ended questions which could be answered with a simple “yes” or

“no”. Investigate and try to pull out more from the person. There is something so charming about a good listener.

GO WITH IT

Almost everyone is guilty of thinking of a really interesting point whilst someone is speaking, and then waiting impatiently for the person to finish jumping in!

DO NOT MULTITASK

Be present. Be in that moment. Avoid thinking about the argument you had with your boss. Avoid thinking about what you’re going to have for dinner. If you want to get out of the conversation, get out of the conversation but don’t be half in it and half out of it.

How do you show that you are engaged in a conversation? Share to louisedens@gmail.com

The CARIBAVIA vision for Caribbean airlift

A vision is the catalyst to raise aspirations for what can become, and to release energies to get there.

In 2015, a visiting British aviation journalist suggested to me that I would be the designated person to create a Caribbean Business Aviation Association. Knowing the complexities and issues in the region, I rejected the suggestion. Instead, I considered it to be wiser to create a results and solutions-oriented communication platform on airlift and gathering the stakeholders in the region to explore how to proceed and with who.

For that purpose, I organised the 1st annual Caribbean Aviation Meetup in 2016 which was held in Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica. Thereafter the meetups were held in Nassau, Bahamas and on St Maarten/St Martin (four times).

CARIBAVIA BRINGS INDUSTRIES TOGETHER

‘Airlift’ is the common denominator of the interests of stakeholders in the aviation, tourism, business development and investment industries. It is equally important to government decisionmakers.

CARIBAVIA brings them all together for better understanding and increased collaboration. Matters like inter-island transportation and trade, its dilemmas and opportunities require increased attention since they are needed to prepare for future changes in the region.

CARIBAVIA is formatted and shaped towards the current needs and the future opportunities in the Caribbean region which is a dynamic process. Foresight and a view beyond current situations are essential. By heightening the level of communication between all stakeholders, the issues are amplified.

The exploration of new ways and means to improve air transportation and the positive impact on economies and communities of the Caribbean region will be intensified. CARIBAVIA focuses on rising the quality and value of the content of presentations and information. Besides informing, much attention will be given to the development of education and training.

IT IS NOT ENOUGH!

Just organising an annual conference event is like operating a circus, yet instead of hopping from town-to-town, it hops from year-

to-year. There needs to be more and more meaningful. It must lead to a long-term objective.

After having successfully organized the Caribbean Aviation Meetup six times, I do have a clear picture of what is, what is needed and what the opportunities are to serve the Caribbean region in the future.

The time stretch between now and reaching the ultimate goal of a Vision is only depending on passion, commitment, support and cooperation.

CARIBAVIA’S ULTIMATE GOAL

The ultimate goal of the CARIBAVIA Vision is twofold.

1. CARIBAVIA Institute of Higher Learning

2. CARIBAVIA Airlift Council

It started with a conference:

● CARIBAVIA, Caribbean Aviation Meetup the next steps towards the ultimate goal are:

● CARIBAVIA TV, video-ondemand platform

● CARIBAVIA educational and training events

● CARIBAVIA Learning Resource Center

● CARIBAVIA Tele-Presence and Tele-Immersion Facility

● CARIBAVIA Research and Development Center

CARIBAVIA SUMMIT & RETREAT (CONFERENCE)

The first phase was to create that platform for communication, the conference which will go by the brand name CARIBAVIA and it is growing in popularity and importance. CARIBAVIA is not just a Conference anymore. Because of the characteristics of the event, it will be renamed to CARIBAVIA Summit & Retreat. Summit stands for a top meeting of leaders. Retreat relates to an undisturbed time to get back on track, re-energized and focused. The event is held in an exotic tropic Caribbean

Bud has written numerous articles and columns for international and regional magazines. As a specialist in strategic communication, he aims to ensure that the essential information is noticed by the senses, sticks in the mind, and affects thinking, behaviour, or activities of an audience.

environment, rather than in a metropolitan location adds to the appeal. The word conference is used everywhere and all the time for gatherings of people, be it live, or nowadays increasingly virtual.

CARIBAVIA Summit & Retreat shall be an innovative conference model with added benefits for the audience, speakers and sponsors. It will be reasonably priced for participants and cost-effective for sponsors.

CARIBAVIA Summit & Retreat shall always remain CARIBAVIA’s flagship event. It shall be a sustainable development in conferencing that will be unique and stand out and it shall be the ‘mouthpiece’ of CARIBAVIA’s symbolic and philosophical values.

CARIBAVIA 2023

In 2023, the 7th annual CARIBAVIA Summit & Retreat will be held June 13-15 on St.Maarten, Dutch Caribbean. Workshops or side events may be held around the main event.

CARIBAVIA TV

CARIBAVIA-TV will be developed as an online videoon-demand platform to air and stream audio-visual presentations. Recording the presentations of the conference and making them available for larger audiences is a logical step. Separate from the presentation, professionals of interest may be interviewed. As part of the conference, workshops will be held. These may also be video recorded.

Contrary to webinars and live streaming, video-on-demand productions related to aviation, airlift and travel matters in the Caribbean region and beyond can be viewed at any convenient time, by individuals or audiences worldwide.

With the development of CARIBAVIA-TV, online educational programs will be created.

that are specific to education and dissemination of information, its programs shall include:

● Awareness, skill-building, activity and/or classroom supplements.

● Create volunteer opportunities.

● Student or community-based contests and awards.

CARIBAVIA SPEAKERS BUREAU

Learning will raise the levels of competence and capability. CARIBAVIA will arrange for workshops and other educational and training events. There will be a need for classrooms for the workshops that are not held during the annual conference. CARIBAVIA also aims to develop a pedagogical platform on the internet.

CARIBAVIA LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER

As the task of CARIBAVIA is growing and the activities are increasing, the organization needs to have a shelter and domicile. It needs office space, classroom facilities, and studio for video production. It may begin with providing CARIBAVIA with a location which may initially become a Learning Resource Center. However, it is possible that CARIBAVIA may operate from more than one location depending on the kind of activities that will be carried out. From within the facilities of the CARIBAVIA CENTER

● the annual CARIBAVIA SUMMIT & RETREAT will be organized.

● the CARIBAVIA-TV online video-on-demand platform activities will be executed.

● the CARIBAVIA educational and training events will be organized.

CARIBAVIA PUBLIC OUTREACH

The CARIBAVIA Learning Resource Center shall establish an Education and Public Outreach program created to advance awareness and understanding of all issues dealt with in the various CARIBAVIA activity segments. The CARIBAVIA Outreach Program aims to maintain contact with the community at regular intervals. The program shall become a powerful information and education platform to serve a wide range of audiences. Since the Outreach Program is a variation of focused public affairs activities

The CARIBAVIA Learning Resource Center shall also manage a ‘Speakers Bureau’, which will be a roster of associated or visiting professional speakers and presentations that are available to audiences of various community groups (e.g., Schools, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Libraries, Community Events, etc.) with the intention of informing, inspiring and motivating an audience.

CARIBAVIA TELEPRESENCE AND TELEIMMERSION FACILITY

To combine classroom with remote classroom education, TelePresence shall be accommodated.

Tele-Presence is a technology that will enable users in different geographic locations to come together in a simulated environment to interact. The rooms on either side look the same to deliver the illusion that meeting participants in two or more sites at completely different locations are in the same room. Persons are life-size on the screens. Participants will feel like they are actually looking, talking, and meeting with each other faceto-face in the same room.

Tele-immersion goes one step further. It involves the construction of a three-dimensional (3D), realistic holographic environment. Existing video conferencing applications lack this dimensionality and realism.

Participants at geographically remote sites can collaborate in realtime in a shared, simulated, hybrid environment submerging in one another’s presence and feel as if they are sharing the same physical space. Tele-immersive systems significantly change educational, scientific and manufacturing paradigms.

Having 3D reconstructed ‘real’ objects coupled with 3D virtual objects can be crucial for the successful fulfilment of the tasks. Some tasks would not be possible to complete without having such combination of sensory

Commander Bud Slabbaert from Sint Maarten is the initiator and chairman of the Caribbean Aviation Meetup conferences.

Throughout his professional activities, he was involved in international aviation promotion, development and management matters in the region and in Europe.

CDR BUD SLABBAERT

The CARIBAVIA vision for Caribbean ...

information.

Users can also interact with shared non-existent virtual objects placed in the environment with them.

To achieve this effect, computers are used that recognize the presence and movements of individuals and objects, tracking those individuals and images, and reconstructing them onto one stereo-immersive surface. 3D reconstruction for tele-immersion is performed using stereo, which means two or more stereo (depth) cameras take rapid sequential shots of the same object, continuously performing distance calculations, and projecting them into the computer-simulated environment, as to replicate realtime movement.

CARIBAVIA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER

The development of a CARIBAVIA R&D Center is a crucial element to contribute to the development and dissemination of new rigorous evidence and innovative products, methods or technologies that provide practical solutions to issues, confrontations and problems that must not be overlooked in the Caribbean.

CARIBAVIA R&D Center shall be the place where scientists and engineers will meet, plan, investigate, and test methods, technologies and products typical for the Caribbean region (e.g. interisland trade and transportation, archipelago geography, small island issues, hurricane impact, etc.).

The Caribbean may be a test ground or laboratory for studying any kind of impact of its entire or its individual components, as well as how extreme external conditions may be of impact. The conclusions and solutions may be applied in other regions worldwide with geographic or socio-economic similarities. The findings may on their turn encourage other positive developments which will support economic and industrial advances and may benefit humanity and environment.

Complex projects that the CARIBAVIA R&D Center is involved in, shall have the interest of multiple industry stakeholders. They will be interested to cooperate and find innovative solutions. It represents an opportunity whereby new products or services may complement the existing ones in a united effort.

On the one hand it will be a donation by the industry to a good cause, on the other hand it is an opportunity to develop innovations that may result in new business opportunities.

It may be wise for interested

stakeholders to invest in the developments of the CARIBAVIA R&D Center as it becomes a test lab where new materials and innovative techniques will be experienced.

The CARIBAVIA R&D Center shall have simulators used for training purposes with sets of controls. designed to provide a realistic imitation of complex systems or operations. Foreseen are:

● Aircraft simulator

● Air traffic control simulator

Periodical CARIBAVIA ThinkTank Summits shall be organized to establish new relations and gather fresh knowledge that will support the implementation of current projects and provide inspiration and feedback for additional and future projects.

THE CARIBAVIA R&D CENTER WILL:

● provide leadership in defining research and development directions within its topic areas.

● attract scientists, engineers, and students to visit the location.

● be subject to worldwide media exposure of new development or discovery function as an

● educational resource center.

● create opportunities for cooperation with other educational institutions of various levels for the

● development of new dedicated programs and conducting supplemental research.

● extend the dissemination of its findings though online educational and informational offerings.

● inspire the future plans of young people in the community and region.

It is envisioned that the CARIBAVIA R&D Center shall find its own place in the international community of Research and Development Centers.

CARIBAVIA INSTITUTE OF HIGHER LEARNING

Through the development of the CARIBAVIA education programs, the CARIBAVIA Learning Resource Center and the CARIBAVIA Research and Development Center, the organization shall be prepared to become an Institute of Higher Learning.

CARIBAVIA associates and the participants in all activities will be some of the best scientists, engineers, industry experts and other respected professionals from any thinkable segment and function that the covers airlift in a wider sense. The CARIBAVIA Institute of Higher Learning shall maintain high levels of academic and scientific accuracy while employing best educational

practices.

The CARIBAVIA Institute programs shall touch on subjects varying from air traffic control to airport management, aviation safety to aircraft crew training, from destination marketing to client/passenger services.

Multi-semester programmes with recognised certification and ultimately accreditation shall be offered. Students from the region can stay in their region to be educated and trained on matters that affect the region and shall become members of a highly qualified and competent workforce that will serve the region.

Brain drain in the region shall be exchanged by brain gain. The CARIBAVIA Institute shall also appeal to students from abroad to come to the Caribbean to learn about subjects that cover unique professional skill circumstances and a unique work environment.

CARIBAVIA AIRLIFT COUNCIL

CARIBAVIA Airlift Council is an independent and impartial entity with neither political ambitions, nor geographical limitations. Caribbean Airlift Council recognizes that airlift is of critical importance to the economic and social development and wellbeing of the communities of the Caribbean region.

All aviation and travel segments in the Caribbean region have similar interests and have similar hurdles to deal with. There is also common interest by tourism and hospitality stakeholders. Airlift is the common denominator of both industries.

The Caribbean Airlift Council aims to stimulate growth and improvement of airlift, identify, and remove unnecessary impediments, and improve the air transportation methods and services to, from, and between the territories of the Caribbean, in order to accelerate the sustainable positive economic and social development in the region. It shall initiate and establish partnerships, community platforms, strategies, and educational programs to support airlift development that is needed for creating a relevant international market and business environment, and that fulfills the needs for affordable uncomplicated air transportation serving the Caribbean communities.

CARIBAVIA Airlift Council aims to establish a relationship of understanding, trust, and professionality in meetings with industry representatives as well as government authorities.

● finding interdepartmental comprehensive solutions

● functions similar to those of a court of arbitration in case of conflicting situations

Governments of the various territories, especially the smaller ones, are in need of having specialized expertise available for the planning and implementation of their projects, and often consultants are hired at a high expense. CARIBAVIA Airlift Council may be approached by government authorities to assist in finding the most appropriate consulting or development companies. CARIBAVIA Airlift Council may assist by giving preliminary evaluations, or provide an impartial non-binding second opinion, or assist in supervision of a project. CARIBAVIA Airlift Council may be approached for making feasibility studies or impact projections.

CARIBAVIA Airlift Council will follow needs, standards, and requirements, yet apply innovative concepts to make propositions and recommendations to the best of its knowledge and to find optimal solutions.

They will be based on the expertise and competence of its CARIBAVIA associates and professionals.

Major public or industry associations are not quite able to deal with airlift matters and dilemmas of the Caribbean because they may be too specialised and represent only one, or just a part of one industry segment. Too often the Subregion Caribbean is categorized under ‘Latin America and Caribbean’ or ‘North America and Caribbean’, yet the region has its own unique complexities and dilemmas.

Subsequently, the region is treated as a stepchild. CARIBAVIA Airlift Council aims to offer the solution.

CARIBAVIA AIRLIFT COUNCIL shall be the umbrella entity of all CARIBAVIA activities and represent the airlift interests for all the various stakeholders in the Caribbean.

POSITIVE IMPACT OF CARIBAVIA ON LOCAL ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT

The CARIBAVIA projects will have a positive economic impact on the location where it will have its domicile. The various CARIBAVIA activities (conference, thinktanks, and workshops) may result in a form of education and science tourism as visitors will need accommodations to stay overnight.

The projects will need a number of local employees. However, it should be clear that the project requires the involvement of

highly qualified topic specific professionals from abroad who are needed and be able to assist in projects on location. Having these professionals on location will provide an opportunity to motivate young local talent and to prepare them for a future career.

CARIBAVIA aims to observe the principles of gender equality.

CARIBAVIA IMPACT ON YOUNG PEOPLE

The envisioned CARIBAVIA Learning Resource Center and the Research and Development Center are sources of knowledge and information that can be an inspiration for young people to become involved or be encouraged to look at educational opportunities that will have a significant impact on their future careers and subsequently a high-income level. CARIBAVIA intends to share as much as possible with the local community through developing educational presentations and programs, as well as through supporting social interactive events. CARIBAVIA aims to appeal to young people’s curiosity, their taste for exploration and discovery and their pioneering spirit.

INVESTMENT INTEREST

Well-educated and trained individuals are the human capital of a location or region. The availability of human capital is one of the premises for foreign investment. Presence of institutions such as the CARIBAVIA R&D Center and the CARIBAVIA Institute for Higher Learning make it more interesting as industry is looking for innovation and progressing intelligence.

CARIBAVIA MEDIA EXPOSURE AND PROMOTION

The uniqueness of the CARIBAVIA projects will find media exposure worldwide of which the domicile location will benefit with an image of being progressive, an attractive tourism and potential foreign investment destination. Because the CARIBAVIA projects will result in new frequent research findings, progress in development and its conferences and educational events, the reports will be covered by general and industry-subjectspecific media (aviation, tourism, economy, education, etc.).

CARIBAVIA shall be considered a gift and asset to its hosting communities and its supporting associates and friends, and especially to the younger generation that will be prepared to conceive and determine the future of the Caribbean.

Having a vision is only half of getting there. Only when we explore and dare go too far, we will discover how far we can go!

The Life of Gustarvus O’Neil Lightbourne – A Turks and Caicos Islands Legend

BY CARLTON MILLS & TANYA PARNEL

EARLY LIFE

Gustarvus Lightbourne

(affectionately called Gus) was born on January 21st, 1921 to parents Mr and Mrs Emmanuel Lightbourne of Blue Hills, Providenciales. He attended the Blue Hills School in High Rock the site of The Centre of Hope and Love AIDS Hospice. He was taught by Mr Aaron Gardiner. Boys usually attended school until they reached the age of 14 afterwards they would learn a trade or go fishing for a living. Gus was brought up by his grandparents who made sure that he attended school. He also engaged in most of the activities boys of his age were involved in.

Gus’s life was filled with challenges and hardships. On November 30th, 1934 at the age of 13 years, while he was still a student, the General Express, a boat carrying his father, his mother and two sisters disappeared from his sight in rough weather never to be seen or heard from again. This must have been a horrifying experience for this young boy who had just become a teenager. Despite this dreadful experience, he still managed to move on.

Growing up in Blue Hills at the time, the most popular way for young men to make a living was fishing and boat building. Young men look forward to owning their boats. Gus was instrumental in building his own boat. He named his first boat the G.L. Progress. This name was personal for him – Gustarvus and Livingston Progress. This boat made several trips to Haiti which was one of the main trading partners of the TCI. Gus would take conch and other marine products from the local fishermen to Haiti to trade. In return, he brought back food items such as fruits and clothing. His bold initiative opened the gateway for a variety of goods and services to reach the Caicos Islands which were previously neglected. As it stood then, the bulk of the trading activities took place between other countries, Grand Turk and South Caicos. For people in the Caicos Islands to get items for their survival, they had to travel to South Caicos or Grand Turk by small sloops to purchase such

items. With this initiative by Gus, they now had direct contact with a trading partner (Haiti).

Gus loved sailing and constructing boats. He built several of them and bestowed on them fancy names such as ‘The Glancing Shadow”, The Cassius and the K.C. M Orlando. He told me that this last boat was named after his wife Kathleen, whom he loved dearly. He not only loved to build boats. He also loved to race boats. This is a sport that he enjoyed tremendously.

Gus Lightbourne had a character larger than life. He is described by many as a man who would tell you a piece of his mind in a heartbeat. He was a no-nonsense man, straightforward and plain speaking who did not stand for foolishness.

You knew where you stood with him because he cut no corners. He was also described as being a sharp fellow – he was cool and charming with ladies. This earned him the nickname “Sharper”. He fell in love with Kathleen Howell and on September 28th, 1944, they were married. This union produced four children. He loved “My Kathleen” (as he would normally refer to her as) dearly. During several of our conversations, he would tell me how much he missed her and how he longed to see her once again in Heaven.

LIFE’S CHALLENGES

Gus’ life was filled with challenges. He got shipwrecked aboard The Lady Austin in 1941 while on a

trip to Mayaguana in the Bahamas. In 1945, he was also lost in one of the worst hurricanes to have hit the TCI. Five of his shipmates drifted for eleven days finally coming ashore on Long Island in the Bahamas. It was another eight days before they finally arrived home. In September 1945, while fishing off Blue Hills on The G.L. Progress with a crew of five men, a dangerous Hurricane impacted the islands. They were totally unaware of the hurricane as they did not have at that time updated information systems. Their boat was wrecked and they drifted at sea for twelve days without food and water. Through it all, God was with them. They finally ended up on Crooked Island in the Bahamas. This was a test of his faith. This

did not stop him.

In 1946, Gus still undeterred by his previous losses, launched the ten ton ‘General Progress’. This boat was used to take passengers to the Bahamas (Freeport) and bring back lumber and remittances from family members living and working there. Many men from the TCI, because of hardships at home, sought economic prosperity in the Bahamas to be able to provide for their families. This link provided an opportunity for people to travel to and from the Bahamas and fostered the opportunity for trade. This was a vital service once again to the Caicos Islands that Gus was instrumental in providing. It is through this initiative that

Gus received the Queen’s Commendation of Member of the British Empire (MBE) on January 1st, 1966 and the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on June 13th, 1998

Gustarvus Lighbourne was a man of all season

Soca artiste ‘Lyrikal’ to headline Big South Regatta show

Popular Trinidadian artiste, ‘Lyrikal’ will headline the 56th annual South Caicos Regatta show.

Lyrikal is an international performing soca artiste with an extensive catalog of several hit songs including Happy Place, Loner, Cloud 9, and Conquer Meh!

The Big South Regatta Committee unveiled the name of the main artist for the muchanticipated celebration during its food sale event over the weekend in Butterfield Square, Providenciales as part of its efforts to promote the event.

In a statement issued earlier this week, the committee said it has been working tirelessly to restore the local festival and bring it back to its former glory.

At the food sale event, one of the founding members of the regatta, Bill “Archie” Clare, expressed his excitement about this year’s festival and said he is looking forward to attending it with his family.

President of the Committee, Luedell Goldman, said the

committee needs a tremendous amount of support to pull off this year’s festival.

Coordinators of the Pageant Committee, Bryada Howell and Lashanna Goldman, shared with the public that the pageants this year will be one to remember as all contestants are talented and motivated.

“We are thrilled to have Lyrikal as our headliner for the 56th Annual Regatta Celebration,” said Goldman.

“His music is loved by many, and we are confident that he will deliver an amazing performance for our visitors”.

The Regatta Committee is currently seeking donations, sponsorships, and partnerships to make the event a reality.

Persons and organisations interested in becoming a donor, sponsor, or partner, are being asked to send an email to (thebigsouthregatta@outlook. com) or directly call +1 (649) 3452000 or +1 (649) 232-8193.

Contributors needed

Do you have a subject of interest that you’d like to share with our readers?

Perhaps you’re a great cook and have created lots of delicious recipes that use local ingredients.

Maybe you have ideas on how to save money when shopping and know where to find all the latest bargains.

Or are you an entrepreneur who would like to share tips on setting up a new business?

We need regular contributors

of 400 word articles on a variety of topics for our Lifestyle pages.

Get in touch with us at the Turks and Caicos Weekly News and pitch your idea for a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly column.

You will have your name in print along with your business contact details if requested.

It’s a great way to share your knowledge and promote your business or start-up.

Contact us now at tcweeklynews@gmail.com

Members of the Committee

South Caicos Regatta poster

TCI’s 10-year Physical Development Plan to receive an award in Philadelphia

TCI’s long-awaited National Physical Sustainable Development Plan (NPSDP) will receive an award from the American Planning Association (APA) later this year.

The NPSDP is a 10-year plan that will promote and encourage sustainable physical, economic and social development, while at the same time protect and enhance the natural environment of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, Hon Jamell Robinson described the accolade as a “big deal” for his Ministry and the territory as a whole.

During a recent media meeting, Robinson said: “The National Physical development plan we’ll be receiving an award later this year in Philadelphia from the American Planning Association.

“I think that’s a big deal…what I think is it definitely shows the type of work that went into that.

“So it’s something that we’re very proud of”, he added.

The APA’s National Planning Awards which will be held in July 2023, recognises outstanding efforts in planning and planning leadership and bestows awards on recipients that demonstrate exemplary commitment to planning healthy, sustainable, and inclusive communities for all, while the projects and the planners behind them illustrate how planning connects communities.

Deputy Director of the Department of Planning within the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing & Planning, Mr Toriano Williams explained that the ultimate goal of the National Physical Sustainable Development Plan (NPSDP) is a sustainable future based on the aspirations and collaboration of government, the community, and public and private stakeholders.

He said: “The Department of Planning through the ministry has initiated the National Physical development plan in the last two months.

“This is something that we are proud of as a Department and as a Ministry, the reason being is that the Turks and Caicos Islands have not had an active National Physical Development plan within the last 20 years.”

He further stressed that the NPSDP is based on both sustainability and growth while ensuring that the country’s land and other natural resources yield the greatest benefit to both present and future generations.

Williams said: “This plan becomes the actual Bible or dictates where, when, and how development happens, we went through a rigorous process in terms of getting this plan to where it is today, we would have conducted a number of different surveys for the various islands, Providenciales, Grand Turk, and Salt Cay.

“We would have engaged key

stakeholders, we would have engaged the public, we would have had a number of different surveys that were completed, and that basically was to engage the national public at large.

“So development is about people. It’s about you, me. It affects us and everything that happened it’s a collective effort.”

He underscored that the plan will help to address a number of infrastructure and building challenges in several important sectors including tourism, agriculture, fishing, industry, services, and transportation.

VISION OF THE NPSDP

According to the Government’s website, the intent of the NPSDP is to strike a balance of economic, social, physical and environmental objectives that maintain the “natural beauty and serenity of the islands while utilising its natural resources in a sustainable manner”, thereby providing for responsible development, growth and the foundation of the updated National Physical Sustainable Development Plan.

As part of the lengthy process to put together the NPSDP, EDSA, an international planning, landscape architecture and urban design firm that has worked in almost 100 countries in its six-decade history, assembled a team of international experts to assist the TCI government, and stakeholders

Deputy Director of the Department of Planning within the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing & Planning Mr Toriano Williams displays a copy of the NPSDP during a recent meeting with the media.

to prepare the 10-year National Physical Sustainable Development Plan.

Blue Dolphin Research and Consulting delivered knowledge and skill as it relates to using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and physical attribute mapping.

While Applied Technology and Management Inc. (ATM) offered a uniquely integrated, interdisciplinary team of experts

comprised of engineers, analysts, and designers who studied and proposed an understanding of the TCI coastline and coastal resources.

The consultant team reviewed data, defined and developed a methodology for the process, and create land use suitability maps that will lead to a composite map defining the future preservation and development of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

NCA hands over a colposcope to TCI’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre

The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) handed over a colposcope (medical equipment) to the staff and medical personnel of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) on Friday, March 17, 2023.

International Liaison Officer for the Caribbean British Overseas Territories Sav Kyriakou MBE, made the donation on behalf of the UK organization during a brief ceremony at the Ethel Ingham Centre.

Representatives of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police

Force (RTCIPF) Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit, Department of Social Development, Chief Executive Officer of the TCI Hospital Dr Denise Brathwaite-Tennant and medical representatives were present to receive the equipment.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sav Kyriakou said: “The UK National Crime Agency is proud to lead the threat against child sexual abuse and exploitation in the UK and its British Overseas Territories, supporting them and international partners in

combating Transnational Child Sexual offenders.

“The NCA International Department and the NCA TCSO team led by Ginnie Kiddle is delighted to have formed a deep and lasting collaboration with our TCI partners to protect survivors of sexual violence in their communities.

“We are honoured to donate this key piece of equipment to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to reduce trauma experienced by survivors of

violence and to greatly increase the forensic opportunities available to bring offenders to justice”.

Head of Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit Superintendent Dean Holden in a brief statement following the donation said: “This is building on our existing Sexual Assault Referral Centre and the excellent process we have already got.

“This equipment will enhance our ability to provide a quality service to victims and to continuously preserve our evidence in the prosecution of

serious offenders”.

The device which is used for photo documentation in the evaluation of child sexual abuse cases has become the standard of care for pre-adolescent children. The primary benefit of colposcopy to the victim of sexual assault is the single examination. This examination, which has been appropriately documented through colposcopy, can then be reviewed with experts and provided to the legal system, avoiding the need for numerous examinations and/or examiners.

Public Accounts Committee scrutinises NHIB audit reports

The Public Accounts Committee of the House of the Assembly recently scrutinised independent auditor reports on the Turks and Caicos Islands National Health Insurance Board (NHIB).

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, the Public Accounts Committee chaired by the Leader of the Opposition Hon Edwin Astwood examined audit reports from Auditor General, Sandra Stephens-Malcom for financial years 2016-2020.

In a statement issued prior to the PAC meeting, the Auditor General said for the significant deficiencies identified during the audit, recommendations to add value to the operations for improved financial management and accountability were made to the NHIB.

She said: “Recommendations were made around matters of governance (as an example: lack of maintenance of reserves), revenue and contributions receivable (as an example: properly identifying and accounting for contributions receivable), and medical expenses and payables (as an example: monitoring of claims).

“To move from its modified opinions, the NHIB needs to improve shortcomings in financial management, control and governance”, she added.

Chief Executive Officer (Interim) Ms Tamera HowellRobinson and Ms Christie Ferguson Change Manager for finance at the National Health Insurance Board appeared before the Committee to address these concerns and answer a plethora of questions relating to the board’s financial management, the Treatment Abroad Programme (TAP) and implementation of recommendations made in the audits.

During her overview of the NHIB, Ms Howell-Robinson explained that the National Health Insurance Board is a strategic organisation to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government.

She said: “The board manages the National Health Insurance Plan which seeks to ensure access to health care for all its subscribers.

“In doing that, we also oversee the access to treatment abroad, where that access or where the particular health care cannot be provided locally.”

She told the Committee that although the organisation has its fair share of challenges, they “are not insurmountable challenges”.

“I’m very optimistic about the future of the National Health Insurance Board”, she said.

Responding to questions from the Speaker’s Appointed Member to the Public Accounts

Members of the House of Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee

Committee, Mr Ralph Patrick, regarding NHIB’s over-reliance on Government subvention and efforts to make the board more self-sufficient, she said:

“I will say the 2016 to 2020 audits will show that we the NHIB has raised 50% and in some years more than 50% of its annual expenditure and so we’ve often been able to match contribution from TCIG through collections, we’ve collected ourselves.

On the other hand, the Leader of the Opposition Hon Edwin Astwood raised questions relating to unspent Government funds and how it is treated within the NHIB.

He said: “For instance, if TCIG provided $23m and subvention and total treatment abroad for that year is actually $20m, what happens to that other $3m?”

In response, the NHIB CEO explained that Government funds allocated in TCIGs budget is paid to the NHIB on a monthly basis, amounting to 12 instalments at the end of the financial year.

She said: “When the NHIB wraps up, its end-of-year procedure if there is an unexpended amount, the Public Finance Management gives guidance as to what should happen with that unexpended amount.

“What I can say going forward is

that the board has made requests of TCIG to hold on to the unexpended funds as one means of helping to build the reserve fund that the ordinance also says that the NHIB should have.”

TREATMENT ABROAD PROGRAMME

The Treatment Abroad Programme (TAP) is designed to facilitate those medical cases that cannot be treated on the island, in which cases NHIP bears full responsibility for the patients once they are referred by Interhealth Canada, NHIP’s preferred provider.

However, the Speaker’s Appointed Member to the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Ralph Patrick sought clarity regarding the responsibility for incurred costs on the TAP, as he pointed out observations made by the Auditor General in the reports.

He said: “I do realise that NHIB is recognising treatment abroad expense on their books, where I think this here is maybe saying that it should actually be the expense of TCIG.”

Responding to this query, NHIB’s CEO admitted that there is some grey area regarding the programme which needs to be rectified.

She said: “As the statutory body of the TCIG, honourable chair you

obligations under the law.”

He asked: “What has been done to your knowledge in terms of strengthening this compliance department and going with the recommendations put forward here inside of the audit?”

In response to this, NHIB’s CEO stressed that in keeping with the recommendations stipulated in the audits, a compliance manager was hired.

She said: “We do recognise that just the employment of the additional staff is not sufficient, there is also the software and the data being made available for the compliance manager and his team to go out and do the work as well as the resources to do so.

“And so a number of things have subsequently been done, this was one of the reasons for capital projects for additional vehicles or replacement of vehicles in the NHIB’s vehicle fleet so that the compliance team can get out.

“It is another huge reason for our participation in the Services project that is scheduled to come on stream ensuring that the data that one statutory body has, namely the NIB is the data that the NHIB have making it efficient on the end user seeing a compliance team come in knowing that you’re going to disclose to them both.

just mentioned that the PAC will help us to clarify who plays what role in this relay for the continuity of care for the beneficiaries.”

NHIB’s Change Manager also echoed similar sentiments, she said: “I too have the opinion and the view that clarity needs to be sought around the Treatment Abroad Programme because on one end we have the National Health Insurance Board managing and recognising the costs on the books but then on one end we have legislation and other policy documents that are not necessarily consistent in their flow so that too requires clarity.”

COMPLIANCE

The lax compliance procedures at the NHIB were also highlighted in the audit reports.

To this end, the PAC Chairman Hon Edwin Astwood questioned if measures are being put in place to address these shortcomings.

Quoting from the report, Astwood said: “We saw no evidence of clear work plans for daily, weekly monthly, or annually from the Compliance Department for site visits and monitoring of the results of any on-site visits,

“Without a properly functioning compliance department, there is an increased risk that some submissions to NHIB did not meet

“So you won’t see a compliance officer for NIB and more or less not show them your books regarding NHIB.

“These were the circumstances that the auditors saw and reported on, between 2016- 2020.

She added that going forward they are now armed with “additional resources in terms of wheels to get out, armed with the resources regarding manpower, armed with a data management system that gives you good reliable data, armed with change manager finance and change manager of operations to fine-tune the procedures and processes, we anticipate that this issue will not be a repeated issue at minimum for the 2024-2025 financial year.”

Ms Howell-Robinson stressed that the organisation is working diligently to strategically address many of the issues spotlighted in the reports.

“The organisation is 14 years old this year, we’re not a toddler, we’re not a teenager.

“I’m optimistic because there are lessons that we have learned which puts the organisation in a strategic position.

“We know what likely has been done wrong, we know where we can go and we have the lessons upon which to make sure we get there”, she added.

Ms Christie Ferguson Change Manager for finance at the National Health Insurance Board and Chief Executive Officer (Interim) Ms Tamera Howell-Robinson in the House of Assembly

Higgs-Pitter

Celebrating 10 Years as Managing Director of A&S Funeral Services

Looking back on generations of service

To mark the 10th anniversary of Adelphine Higgs-Pitter in her role as Managing Director of A&S Funeral Services, we want to take a moment to honour her work and the legacy of the Higgs family throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Family lies at the heart of our values. At A&S Funeral Services, we pride ourselves in being a family serving families in their time of need. The grief process is a unique journey, and it’s our job and our privilege to aid in this process. In all the services that we provide, from pre-funeral arrangements to embalming, casket selection and burial, we attend to the needs of both the living and the deceased with the utmost respect, professionalism, and grace.

THE STORY OF ONE FAMILY

Founded in 1984, A&S Funeral Services is the longest-serving funeral business on the island that is still active to this day. Our founder, Mr Albert Higgs of North Caicos, began his work in the field as a practicing mortician several years before, making him the

longest-serving mortician in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Over the years, Mr Higgs found that his family also shared his calling to serve the community, and it became his dream to turn A&S Funeral Services into a familyrun business. He saw in his eldest daughter, Adelphine Higgs-Pitter, all the qualities of someone who could manage operations and continue to provide top-class services while upholding a legacy of compassion and care.

“I’ve been interested in this industry ever since I was a child,” says Adelphine. “I used to help my father any way I could. I would also attend the funerals that he directed so that I could learn what is perhaps the hardest part of all: knowing how to be there for the people we serve. There are so many ways to say goodbye, and each person has their own specific needs. That’s why, at A&S Funeral Services we embrace both traditional and contemporary life celebrations that fit different budgets, because we believe everyone deserves a dignified and loving burial.”

Although Adelphine knew her father wanted her to run the

business after she was done with her studies, she showed great maturity by telling him to take his time. “I wanted him to contact me only when he felt that he was ready to make that move,” she explains. That moment came in March 2013, when Mr Higgs let his daughter know that he was ready to stand aside for the next generation, trusting Adelphine to carry on his legacy of honouring lives.

A LEGACY CONTINUES

In stepping up to take over her father’s role, Adelphine was ready to make some changes while also taking care to preserve the most valuable asset of all: the connection to the community and all the individuals who have worked alongside A&S Funeral Services over the years. She said a family-run business also includes members of staff who gradually become a part of the family due to their unwavering commitment and loyalty to the job. “In the ten years since taking over the business, I’ve developed close relationships with all our members of staff and have kept them all to this day. Although I’ve had my share of difficulties

and triumphs, what I cherish most of all is getting the chance to help Turks & Caicos families,” Adelphine shared.

She went on to add that “every single experience has equipped me to continue helping Turks & Caicos families in their moments of grief. Although the journey was not always easy, three things have kept me going: my father’s unwavering faith in me, my staff’s support and their encouragement throughout, and the loyalty of many devoted families who never abandoned us when the chance to serve arose. I thank them all deeply, from the bottom of my heart.”

For his part, Mr Higgs expressed his admiration for his daughter’s work. In his own words, “Adelphine has taken the company to a higher level and has exceeded my expectations. I look forward to everything she still has to offer.”

A STORY STILL BEING

TOLD

Spanning generations, the work that we do at A&S Funeral Services is a story that continues to be told. We’re happy to announce that we’ll be expanding our presence on social media, to engage more directly with our community and share the work that we do with and for others. Beyond that, we’ll continue to build on our experiences, which allow us to apply a practical and flexible approach as we work to meet the different needs of those whom we serve. We are thankful to be a part of the stories of so many families on our beloved islands, and we will continue to do our best to ease the burden of those final moments.

TCI’s Ombudsman to host awareness symposiums in GT and Provo

The Office of the Complaints Commissioner (Ombudsman) of the Turks and Caicos Islands is gearing up to sensitise the public on the institution’s role in the territory.

To this end, the Office of the Complaints Commissioner in partnership with the Caribbean Ombudsman Association (CAROA), will host symposiums in Grand Turk on the 27th March, 2023 at the Anglican Church, Dillon Hall from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and on the 28th March, at The Jericho Baptist Church Youth Centre, Lower Bight, Providenciales from 9.30 am to 12:30, under the theme: “The Task Of The Ombudsman And Its Role In Society”

The Office investigates complaints of maladministration by Public Authorities and Institutions where a Public Officer, Government Department or Authority makes a wrong decision,

Thank you in advance for entrusting your funeral arrangements to A&S Funeral Services, where professionalism and care are our top priority. You can find out more about our services by following us on Facebook and Instagram (@ansfuneral). institution’s functions in the Turks and Caicos community, particularly among civil officials, non-governmental organizations, and ex-pat organizations.

“As members of CAROA, the organisation has agreed to help the Commissioner in this project by providing moderators for the topic. Mrs Gwendolien Mossel, the Ombudsman of Sint Maarten and the current President of CAROA, will be accompanied by Mr Randolf Duggins, the Secretary General of the Sint Maarten Ombudsman’s Office”, a statement from the office of the Complaints Commissioner said on Tuesday, March 21.

The current Complaints Commissioner is Mrs Cynthia Astwood, OBE.

Members of the public who are interested in attending either session can confirm attendance by booking a seat with the office by email: Complaints_Commission@gov.tc

Mrs Cynthia Astwood, OBE, Complaints Commissioner (Ombudsman)

The Life of Gustarvus O’Neil Lightbourne

Gus was able to establish a longlasting relationship not only between the Bahamas and the TCI but specifically with Freeport and the Caicos Islands. Many of the men from the islands found employment opportunities in the Pine Yard in Freeport. As Freeport developed, several of them found work in the hotels and in the taxi business. When Freeport began to experience hardships, many of these men particularly those who were in the taxi business, returned home and set up their independent businesses.

Unfortunately, this boat, the General Progress was wrecked in July 1954. Another misfortune for him but despite this major setback, Gus built another boat called the ‘Cherry Top’ which continued the trade.

CHURCH LIFE

Gus was a devoted Christian who spent much of his time while not at sea, participating in his Church, Bethany Baptist in Blue Hills. Every time you met him, he would also speak of the goodness of his God. He was baptised in March 1939 and served as a Sunday School Teacher and Secretary from 1939 to 1955. He was very dedicated to his God and to his Church but in July 1954, his faith was tested. While he was in his field one day, he got the news that his firstborn son had suffered a serious wound. The following night, his house caught fire. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, which would have provided good reason for others to remain at home, Gus was present in Sunday school on the following Sunday. After Sunday school that day, there was no one to preach. The dedicated congregants encouraged him to take the post. One member argued with him when he said he felt unfit for the position and told him “If you’re not fit for one thing you’re not fit for any other”. He took the pulpit and from that day, never looked back. This is proof that Gus was no ordinary man. When the new Church building was dedicated on March 25th, 1955, Gus was the same day, ordained as a Deacon by a visiting Jamaican Minister, the Rev. R.E. Rhynie.

In 1964, Gus was chosen to lead the congregation at Jericho Baptist Church in the Bight. He was instrumental in getting electricity to the Church in 1971 with its own generator. He was the first Turks and Caicos Islander to become President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Baptist Union serving from 1966 – 1973 and eight years as Vice President from 1973 – 1981.

In 1969, he represented the TCI along with Rev. E.N. S. Hall at the Turks and Caicos Islands Baptist Union Regional Conference in

Jamaica. During this time, the Baptist Churches in the TCI were under the leadership of the Jamaica Baptist Union. At this meeting, he made an appeal for help in the training of local Ministers for the Union. He wanted to see the Turks and Caicos Islands Baptist family having their own trained Ministers. The following year, 1970, was another important milestone in his life. Leaders of the Baptist Churches were invited to discussions in Jamaica. These talks were about the formation of an independent Turks and Caicos Islands Baptist Union. Also at this meeting, it was finally decided that training would be provided for the first five Ministers from the TCI to take over the running of the Churches. This was always Gus’ view that Turks and Caicos Islanders were capable of managing their Church affairs. This is what he was agitating for, for many years in his speech and daily actions. His dream had come true.

Gus is recorded as one of the longest-serving Presidents of the Turks and Caicos Islands Baptist Union. He credits his God for all of his successes.

POLITICAL SETTING PROVO IN THE 1950S

The Providenciales that Gus lived in in the early 1950s was what we termed today as underdeveloped. Residents traversed the island via footpaths. There was no electricity, no banking, no running water and no indoor plumbing. Commercial and economic life was centred around Grand Turk, Salt Cay and South Caicos – the Salt Islands as

one of the first persons that they met with was Gus. He saw the need for this. He indicated that he believed that if Provo were to move forward, the government would have to sacrifice land. He almost single-handedly brought this development to fruition.

Despite his eagerness and persuasion, Gus had a major obstacle. He noted how Mr Wood who chaired the Council of the day, adamantly opposed the development but Gus did not give up. He felt that he if this development was to get off the ground, he needed to find a way to persuade Mr Wood. Members of the Bethany Baptist Church remembered Gus preaching that God’s Word accomplishes that for which it is sent even though that fact might not be immediately apparent. He spoke the word in the House of Assembly and then went to his abode to rest. He described how he received this vision which he believed came from God to go and see Mr Wood. He obeyed.

they were called at the time. These islands had some form of political representation in the form of nominated members. The Caicos Islands in particular Provo, (which is now the economic mainstay of the TCI) was not really considered as part of the family islands. The Caicos Islands were even further removed from direct political governance by being placed under Jamaica for administrative purposes. No political figure considered visiting these islands because of their remoteness.

Gus was one who set about agitating for social, economic and political changes.

ECONOMIC CHANGE

During Gus’s 1962 term in political office, times in the islands were tough. The salt industry was on the decline and there were talks of a merger with the Bahamas. This failed in 1964. Our leaders felt that the Bahamas needed to better develop their own SouthEastern Islands before the TCI could consider becoming a part of them. They also remembered their past experience with the Bahamas which led to the Separation Act of 1848. They however agreed to meet with officials of the Bahamas and continue talks after two years. While they waited for those two years to pass, an opportunity arose.

A group under the leadership of Fritz Ludington was attracted to Providenciales and while flying over, was amazed of its natural beauty. They saw the potential for development and immediately submitted a development proposal to the government. Of course,

As Gus walked towards the north, Mr Wood coincidentally was walking South to see him. Gus noted that the member came walking towards him to indicate his approval. In his opinion the Word had accomplished that for which it was sent. The Assembly voted in favour of the development. This was one of the initiatives that jumped started the economy of Providenciales. This can largely be attributed to the efforts of Gus. He fought for this because he believed that once Provo developed, it will positively impact the Caicos Islands and eventually the entire Turks and Caicos Islands.

Gus was one of the first men from Provo to serve in the Legislative Council. He was first elected in 1956. This period saw the ushering in of representative government for the Turks and Caicos Islands but more so, the latter. He set about immediately agitating for social, economic and political change for the islands. He had a passion for his country. He was a true patriot. He served for three consecutive terms (1956, 1959 and 1962) giving him eleven and a half years of providing representation for his people. Along with the outspoken Paul Higgs from North Caicos, he was one of the key stakeholders who supported the breakaway from Jamaica in 1962.

Gus Lightbourne and Paul Higgs forged an indomitable bond that resulted in an important milestone for the Turks & Caicos Islands. These men were so similar in character. They were outspoken, hardworking, Godly, dependable and fearless. Their voices were heard from the pulpits of the churches that they attended to the streets they traversed daily.

Trial elections were held in the islands in 1953. Both Gus and

Paul Higgs were invited to Grand Turk to meet with Governor Foot from Jamaica. At this time, the TCI was being administered by Jamaica. Both men challenged the Governor for the provision of political representation of the Caicos Islands. The Governor, after much persuasion, agreed, and in 1956, members of the Caicos Islands were involved in the local government of the TCI. This was regarded as the first Legislative Assembly of the TCI. Because of the nature of the 1956 Constitution which both men were actively involved in designing, the new members could not receive any form of compensation. This did not matter to these men. They were about country, not self. They worked for three years without any form of compensation putting together a new constitution which came into force in 1959. This was a significant political milestone for the TCI as it provided the opportunity for the TCI to break away from Jamaica opting not to go with an independent Jamaica. Gus was a part of the team that went to Jamaica and to the UK to discuss this move. This indeed was a clear indication of the vision that these men had.

THE GREAT DEBATE

The involvement of men like Gustarvus Lightbourne and Paul Higgs in the great debate was of great significance to the political growth of the TCI. They not only made several visits to Jamaica but also to the UK agitating for the TCI to sever ties with Jamaica. Paul Higgs vowed that he would not spend one more night under Jamaica. This is an indication of how seriously dedicated they were to their mission. Their efforts were not in vain as the TCI was the focus of debate in the House of Commons on January 21st, 1958.

In his opening remarks, the then Secretary of State expressed similar sentiments as was expressed by Paul Higgs and Gus Lightbourne over the years pertaining to the state of affairs in the TCI but in particular the Caicos Islands. The Secretary described the islands as being far-flung from the UK. He further noted that the Bill that he was encouraging members not to take lightly because of the small size of the country under discussion, but that it would have serious implications and far-reaching consequences for the constitutional development of the territory. In reference to the local Legislature at the time, the Secretary noted that it consisted of the Commissioner who was an exofficio President and eleven other members, three holding office under The Crown. He further noted that one of the reasons for

Gustarvus Lighbourne in his elder years

Regional News

Bahamas joins lawsuit demanding US gun makers ‘pay up $10b’

THE Bahamas has joined a $10bn lawsuit to hold US gun manufacturers to account for the spread of firearms throughout the region, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said this week.

Mr Davis issued a statement in which he said the government was joining an appeal in the United States Court of Appeal in the First Circuit in support of Mexico “to hold US gun manufacturers liable for the harm caused by their products”.

Also joining in the amicus curiae brief (friend of the court) were Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The defendants in the $10bn suit include seven major gun manufacturers and one gun wholesaler and distributor.

The case was dismissed in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts in September last year, finding that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act barred such lawsuits, but the Mexican government in its appeal “maintains that the arms industry should be accountable for how their products are distributed and sold,” Mr Davis noted.

He said in a statement last night: “The guns used in the commission of violent crimes in The Bahamas

are not manufactured here, but instead, are manufactured abroad and illegally trafficked across our borders. A critical element of the government’s effort to reduce violent crime in our country is cracking down on the proliferation of firearms, with particular focus on strengthening borders and entry points and on interrupting networks of illegal smugglers.”

The legal brief states: “Unlawful trafficking of American firearms must be curtailed at its source: the US gun industry. The gun manufacturers and distributers from a single nation must not be permitted to hold hostage the lawabiding citizens of an entire region of the world,” and notes that the governments of the participating countries “have a solemn duty to protect the lives, health, and security of their citizens.”

The brief added that the United Nations has shown that “firearms are key enablers of high homicide levels,” and notes that despite comprising less than 1% of the world’s population, the Caribbean records 23% of all homicides.

The brief argues that US gun industry practices, including the bulk sales of guns to dealers who are known to engage in practices correlated with illegal weapons smuggling, have caused

significant harm to the countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

It points to the increase in gun violence in The Bahamas, including unintended victims, such as children caught in the crossfire. It also points to the use of firearms by Haitian gangs in violent crimes and kidnapping, which has led many Haitian migrants to flee their country.

The legal move calls for reducing violence abroad by adopting retail practices, including committing to only work with dealers who take measures to stop guns being sold to criminals, and changing how guns are made to reduce the harm they cause.

Last year, Mr Davis argued at the United Nations that gun smuggling was having a major affect on The Bahamas. Speaking in September, he said: “We do not manufacture guns in our country, and yet they illegally find their way to The Bahamas, and within days, can be connected to some criminal activity.”

He added at the time: “We believe more manageable and effective efforts can be made at the source, to ensure that a right to bear arms does not quickly and easily translate into a right to traffic arms.” (Tribune242)

US jury orders former Haiti mayor to pay $15.5m for rights abuses

A FEDERAL jury in the United States has ordered a former Haitian mayor to pay more than $15.5 million in response to a lawsuit alleging that he led a campaign of political persecution.

Tuesday’s decision from a US District Court in Boston found Jean Morose Viliena liable for an array of allegations, including that he was involved in a killing, attempted murder and torture against political rivals.

The lawsuit was brought by three men who said they and their families were targeted when Viliena was the mayor of the rural town of Les Irois more than a decade ago.

While the jury’s decision was made in a civil case and has no criminal implications, the plaintiffs hailed the order as a “victory”.

“Today’s verdict brings justice to me, my family and the other families of those who have been victims of Viliena’s campaign of terror,” one of the plaintiffs, David

Boniface, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Boniface, together with Juders

Yseme and Nissage Martyr, filed the lawsuit in 2017 under the Torture Victim Protection Act, a 1991 US

law that allows civil lawsuits to be brought against foreign officials accused of wrongdoing, if all legal avenues in their homelands have been exhausted.

The lawsuit alleged that, in 2007, Viliena led armed men to Boniface’s home, where they beat and fatally shot his brother.

The then-mayor later mobilised a group in 2008 that beat and shot Martyr and Yseme at a community radio station, according to the complaint. It added that Martyr lost a leg and Yseme was blinded in one eye.

The lawsuit also said that, in 2009, Viliena coordinated arson of dozens of homes occupied by the plaintiffs and people associated with the political opposition in Les Irois, which has a population of about 22,000 people.

The three men had previously tried to hold Viliena accountable in a Haitian court, but he was ultimately released and never tried.

The lawsuit plays out as

Haiti faces compounding crises, including repeated natural disasters, a cholera outbreak and the increased influence of powerful gangs, particularly in the wake of the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

One plaintiff in the case, Martyr, died after filing the US lawsuit. His son Nissandere Martyr replaced him as a plaintiff.

Viliena — who has since relocated to the US and currently lives in Malden, Massachusetts, where he works as a truck driver — has denied being directly responsible for the violence.

The jury on Tuesday found him not liable for burning down the plaintiffs’ homes.

Ela Matthews, a lawyer for the Centre for Justice and Accountability, which represented the plaintiffs, said Tuesday’s verdict “represents a 15-year-long struggle for the plaintiffs and the people of Les Irois for justice”. (Aljazeera)

The Bahamas and Jamaica, who are both suffering from an influx of illegal weapon, joined a separate amicus curiae brief

Former Haitian Mayor Jean Morose Viliena

Regional News

Water security a challenge for Caribbean region

Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell says all stakeholders must work together to address the water challenges facing the Caribbean region brought about by climate change and extreme events.

Mitchell delivered the keynote address virtually at the Opening Ceremony of the Caribbean Science Symposium on Water which began today under the theme, “Conservation and Innovation: Changing the Regional Water Paradigm.”

The prime minister says as a region, and as it relates to the impacts of climate change, the reliability of water supplies is becoming an increasing issue.

Mitchell states: “Water security continues to be challenged by the

April

Governor John Rankin has announced that the British Virgin Island’s General Election will be held on April 24, 2023.

Rankin made the announcement last week after receiving the date from Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley.

In the announcement, the governor said: “Section 86 of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007 states, ‘a general election shall be held at such time within two months, but not earlier than twenty-one days, of the dissolution of the House of Assembly as the Governor shall appoint by

increasing severity of extreme events such as droughts, hurricanes, and sea level rises. Sanitation too is an area of concern as much of our wastewater goes untreated into the environment.”

He notes that according to UN Water 2018, as a region, the average scope for Sustainable Development Goal 6 (5.1) - The implementation of an integrated water resource management is 34 out of 100.

Mitchell says the Caribbean is unlikely to meet the global target unless progress significantly accelerates.

He says it is clear the region must do better to build social, economic, and environmental resilience and sustainability in our societies.

With this year’s symposium

being held under the theme, “Conservation and Innovation: Changing the Regional Water Paradigm,” the Prime Minister of Grenada says conservation and innovation working hand in hand, will be pivotal in achieving sustainable water security for the region’s economy, people and the environment.

He notes a new regional water paradigm also holds enormous potential for innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation in areas of water harvesting and treatment, water smart infrastructure and the creation of new markets for sustainable water products and services amongst others

Mitchell says understanding the

(Loopnews)

UN: Gang violence in Haiti leaves 187 dead in 11 days

proclamation published in the Gazette’”.

The territory’s election machinery is already in place.

The governor has approved over 20 polling locations across the BVI’s nine districts.

The last general election was held in 2019.

The Virgin Islands Party, which Wheatley leads, won eight of the 15 seats in Parliament under the leadership of embattled former Premier Andrew Fahie. (Loopnews)

NEW clashes between gangs in Haiti’s capital and beyond have killed at least 187 people in less than two weeks and injured more than 150 others, the U.N. said Tuesday.

The fresh wave of violence recorded from Feb. 27 to March 9 in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and in the central region of Artibonite also has displaced hundreds of people and forced farmers to abandon fields as starvation worsens, officials said.

“The situation is all the more alarming for children, who are

often subjected to all forms of armed violence, including forced recruitment and sexual violence,” the U.N. in Haiti said.

The surge of violence in central Haiti has been largely blamed on a gang called “Baz Gran Grif,” which roughly translates to “Big Claw Crew.”

In addition, nearly 260 kidnappings have been reported since the start of the year, with people abducted from their homes or public places, officials said.

Gangs have grown more powerful since the July 2021

assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, and already control an estimated 60% of Port-au-Prince. They also have been clashing in the central towns of Petite Riviere de l’Artibonite, Verrettes, Estere and Liancourt.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry signaled last week that he is seeking to mobilise Haiti’s military to help an under-resourced and understaffed police department fight the unrelenting gang violence, which has forced an increasing number of schools and businesses to shutter. (AP)

Many islands in the Caribbean are faced with fresh water shortage

challenges of sustainability, climate change and the practicalities of how to respond is not only the

responsibility of governments, but everyone’s responsibility.

The last BVI general election was held in 2019

24 announced as election day in the BVI

The fresh wave of violence took place from February 27 to March 9 in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and in the central region of Artibonite

US raises interest rates despite banking turmoil

The US central bank has raised interest rates again, despite fears that the move could add to financial turmoil after a string of bank failures.

The Federal Reserve increased its key rate by 0.25 percentage points, calling the banking system “sound and resilient”.

But it also warned that fallout from the bank failures may hurt economic growth in the months ahead.

The Fed has been raising borrowing costs in a bid to stabilise prices.

But the sharp increase in interest rates since last year has led to strains in the banking system.

Two US banks - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bankcollapsed this month, buckling in part due to problems caused by higher interest rates.

There are concerns about the value of bonds held by banks as rising interest rates may make those bonds less valuable.

Banks tend to hold large portfolios of bonds and as a result are sitting on significant potential losses. Falls in the value of bonds held by banks are not necessarily

a problem unless they are forced to sell them.

Authorities around the world have said they do not think the failures threaten widespread financial stability and need to distract from efforts to bring inflation under control.

Last week, the European Central Bank raised its key interest rate by 0.5 percentage points.

The Bank of England is due to make its own interest rate decision on Thursday, a day after official figures showed that inflation unexpectedly shot up in February to 10.4%.

Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed remained focused on its inflation fight. He described Silicon Valley bank as an “outlier” in an otherwise strong financial system.

But he acknowledged that the recent turmoil was likely to drag on growth, with the full impact still unclear.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

Forecasts released by the bank show officials expect the economy to grow just 0.4% this year and 1.2% in 2024, a sharp slowdown

from the norm - and less than officials projected in December.

The announcement from the Fed also toned down earlier statements which had said “ongoing” increases in interest rates would be needed in the months ahead.

Instead, the Fed said: “Some additional policy firming may be appropriate”.

The moves “signal clearly that the Fed is nervous”, said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Wednesday’s rate rise is the ninth in a row by the Fed. It lifts its key interest rate to 4.75%-5%, up from near zero a year ago - the highest level since 2007.

Higher interest rates mean the cost to buy a home, borrow to expand a business or take on other debt goes up.

By making such activity more expensive, the Fed expects demand to fall, cooling prices.

That has started to happen in the US housing market, where purchases have slowed sharply over the last year and the median sales price in February was lower than it was a year ago - the first such decline in more than a decade.

But overall the economy has held up better than expected and prices continue to climb faster than the 2% rate considered healthy.

Inflation, the rate at which prices climb, jumped 6% in the 12 months to February. The cost of some items, including food and airfare, is surging even faster.

Before the bank failures, Mr Powell had warned that officials might need to push interest rates higher than expected to bring the situation under control.

The bank projections show policymakers expect inflation to fall this year - but less than expected a few months ago.

Still, they forecast interest rates of roughly 5.1% at the end of 2023

- unchanged since Decemberimplying the Fed is poised to stop raising rates soon.

Mr Powell described the effect of the recent turmoil as the “equivalent of a rate hike”.

He said the Fed may be able raise its key rate less aggressively, if the turmoil in the financial system prompts banks to limit lending, and the economy to slow more quickly.

But he repeated that the Fed would not shy away from its inflation fight.

“We have to bring down inflation down to 2%,” he said. “There are real costs to bringing it down to 2% but the costs of failing are much higher.” (BBC)

Canada sees record population growth in 2022 from immigration

Canada saw record population growth in 2022, with immigration accounting for the vast majority of the 1.05 million new residents.

This is the first time in the country’s history that its population has grown by more than one million people in a 12-month period, according to a press release from Statistics Canada published Wednesday.

The total population reached 39,566,248 million on January 1 –2.7% higher than a year prior, with immigration accounting for 95.9% of that growth, according to the country’s statistics agency.

While other developed nations grapple with slowing population growth, Canada has the fastest growing population of any G7 nation, and a 2.7% growth rate ranks in the top 20 globally.

If the country’s population were to continue growing at the same rate, it would double in around 26 years, said Statistics Canada.

The number of immigrants arriving in Canada reached a record 437,180 in 2022, and

Canada’s population continues to increase

increased immigration “is related to efforts by the Government of Canada to ease labour shortages in key sectors of the economy,” said

Statistics Canada.

“High job vacancies and labour shortages are occurring in a context where population aging

has accelerated in Canada and the unemployment rate remains near record low,” added the agency.

In late 2022 the Canadian

government announced that it wants to bring in 1.5 million immigrants by 2025, to bolster the gap in its economy created by an aging population.

Canada ranks highest on Gallup’s Migrant Acceptance Index, and Gallup data released December 7 last year found that Canadians are consistently among the most likely in the world to see their communities as good places for migrants to live.

However Statistics Canada raises some potential future challenges should the 2022 trend continue.

“A rise in the number of permanent and temporary immigrants could also represent additional challenges for some regions of the country related to housing, infrastructure and transportation, and service delivery to the population,” said the agency.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meanwhile is facing pressure from political opponents over migration levels, due to a sharp increase of people crossing into Canada from the US.

The Fed has been raising borrowing costs in a bid to stabilise prices

Sturgeon issues apology over forced adoption

NICOLA Sturgeon has issued a “sincere, heartfelt and unreserved” apology to people affected by the practice of forced adoption.

Thousands of unmarried women in Scotland were forced to give up their babies for adoption in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

The first minister told Holyrood it was time to “acknowledge the terrible wrongs that have been done”.

She said: “What happened to these women is almost impossible to comprehend.”

It is estimated 60,000 women in Scotland had babies adopted simply because they were unmarried.

Many women were coerced into handing over their babies and some were denied access to housing and social benefits which may have allowed them to have kept them.

Some children forcibly removed from their parents as a result of forced adoption were abused, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs.

She added: “It is important to say very clearly that many of them went to loving homesacknowledging these injustices

never be seen as a rejection of the deep bonds that people share with adopted families.

“Nothing can ever invalidate the love that these families have for one another. But it is also clear that many of those affected - far too many - had a very, very different experience.

“We know some will always have lacked a sense of belonging, some may have suffered mistreatment or abuse.”

Addressing MSPs in the Holyrood chamber as victims and campaigners watched on from the public gallery, Ms Sturgeon said forced adoption was “a level of

injustice which is hard now for us to comprehend”.

She said it was caused by a society that treated women as “second class citizens”.

‘THROWN TO THE WOLVES’

Marion McMillan, from Paisley, was 17-years-old when she had her son taken from her after she gave birth in a Christian mother and baby home.

Speaking on BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland, she said: “I was just a wee lassie and I left this country called Scotland, to go to this country England I only knew in the geography books.

“We were absolutely thrown to the wolves - you couldn’t even go to the church. You were stuck in the darkest of providences.

“Not only did your family reject you, the whole of society rejected you. You couldn’t tell anyone you had this baby.”

Ms McMillan, now in her seventies, said the formal apology will bring a “great measure of healing” to thousands of mothers

and adoptees.

Fiona Aitken, director of the Adoption UK Scotland charity, said: “We wholeheartedly support the apology for those who had their children removed and are particularly pleased to see this extend to the individuals who were adopted through this practice, whose lifelong needs have gone unacknowledged and unsupported.

“Adoption UK now calls on other UK governments to follow Scotland’s lead in issuing a formal apology to all those who have been affected by forced adoptions, and to meet the needs of all adopted individuals who would benefit from support.”

The apology in Scotland follows others around the world.

In 2013, Australia issued the world’s first government formal apology for forced adoption, taking responsibility for the practice.

Then in 2021 the Irish government apologised to former residents of mother and baby homes in Ireland for the way they were treated over several decades. (BBC)

US firms ‘more negative’ about doing business in China

US companies are “more negative than they’ve been in a long time” about doing business in China, according to the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China).

As tensions continue to grow between the world’s two biggest economies, Michael Hart says that the rivalry has “made business very challenging”.

The governments of President Xi and President Biden have been disagreeing on what seems like an ever-increasing number of issues; ranging from Ukraine, to coronavirus, and Taiwan, to Tiktok, and semiconductors.

That is reflected in AmCham China’s latest annual survey of its more than 900 members. For the first time it shows that a majority, 55%, no longer regard China as a top-three investment priority - a place where they should spend money to grow their business.

The number who see the “uncertainty of bilateral relations” as their leading challenge in China has risen 10% in the last year to 66%. At the same time, the number who think China has become less welcoming to foreign companies has grown to 49%.

It’s now five years since then US President Donald Trump

The US China trade relationship is critical to the wider global economy, says Cornell University’s Prof Eswar Prasad

imposed tariffs on $60bn (£49bn) of Chinese goods, as he stepped up his trade war over “unfair trade practices” including intellectual property theft and the trade deficit.

China followed through on its promise to retaliate with tariffs of its own.

RELATIONS BUILT ON TRADE

AmCham China members include some of the US’s most successful companies such as Nike, Intel,

Pfizer and Coca-Cola.

The latter was the first US consumer business to sell its products in communist China after then President Deng Xiaoping opened the country up to foreign companies in December 1978. Ever since then trade has been at the heart of the relationship.

Corporate pessimism over the current state of the US-China relationship reflects a tumultuous few years, according to Mr Hart.

“Companies are just really tired

after three years of Covid,” he adds, also highlighting a number of other issues. These include travel becoming more difficult, rising labour costs, executives who are “just not willing” to take up assignments in China, political pressure, and China becoming a less predictable place in which to do business.

Despite all those difficulties, the numbers show trade between the two countries hit a record high of $690.6bn last year.

This reflection of their mutual dependence has implications for the health of the entire global economy. That is according to Eswar Prasad, who is a professor of global trade policy at Cornell University, and former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China Division.

“The reality is that China does need a lot of products, especially technology products from the US, and the US does have a lot of companies that run their supply chains through China,” he says.

“This is important for the global economy because it’s not just supply chains that these two countries are critical for. The tenor for global trade is set by the relationship between these two countries.”

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is supposed to keep that tenor harmonious by upholding global trade rules.

However, in December, the Biden administration forcefully rejected two rulings that went in China’s favour about the tariffs that were imposed by then US President Donald Trump as part of his trade war. The US said they were imposed over issues of national security that the WTO had no right to rule on.

The first minister made the apology in the Scottish Parliament

should

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The Weeknd sets Guinness World Record as most popular musician on the planet

Abel Tesfaye — more commonly known as The Weeknd — is the most popular singer on Earth, according to new data by Guinness World Records.

“No one else even comes close,” the record-keeping organisation declared Monday.

Guinness argues its case by citing the “Starboy” performer’s Spotify stats, including an unmatched 111.4 million monthly listeners. The 33-yearold Grammy winner has nearly 30 million more listeners than second-placed Miley Cyrus, which also puts him far ahead of Shakira, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Rihanna.

A remix of the 2016 hit “Die For You,” which he performs with Grande, hit the top of the Billboard charts earlier this month.

The Weeknd hits the road in June when his “After Hours Til Dawn” World Tour rolls into Portugal. The Toronto native then returns to North America in September with a trio of shows in Mexico.

He was watched by millions around the world in 2021 when he performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in Tampa, Fla., drawing nearly 92 million viewers in 180 countries. That gig earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

Public interest in the superstar’s personal life went through the

Alexander

Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård is on daddy duty.

The “Big Little Lies” actor revealed the news to Entertainment Tonight Monday at the Season 4 premiere of HBO’s “Succession.”

His girlfriend Tuva Novotny, who gave birth to their baby, was not at the event. It’s Skarsgård’s

The Life of Gustarvus O’Neil ...

CONTINUED FROM  17

the Bill was that with the Order in Council in 1873, empowered Her Majesty in Council to constitute a government and Legislature other than that of Jamaica. This he noted was what the local representatives were agitating for. He felt that their wish should be granted. At this time, the islands were still being administered by Jamaica with the Governor of Jamaica having jurisdiction over the TCI.

describe the proposed structure of the Constitution. He noted that it would comprise the following:

▪ There will be a Legislative Body consisting of some exofficio members, some nominated members and a number of members elected by universal adult suffrage.

roof last year when he sang the lyrics, “My new girl, she a movie star” on the song “Here We Go... Again.” The song was released after the singer had been seen out with movie star Angelina Jolie on more than one occasion. They have never addressed the rampant

speculation that ensued. The Weeknd was named Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme in October 2021. That endeavor is said to feed more than 100 million people in 80 countries each year. (NYDailynews)

The Secretary further supported Gus Lightbourne and Paul Higgs stance by arguing that this Bill would give the TCI the power to constitute their own government independent of Jamaica. This was an important step in the political and constitutional reform of the TCI. These debates were also a consequence of developments that were taking place in the Caribbean Region at the time where countries like Jamaica and Trinidad in particular, were negotiating with the British Government for independence as the then Federation seem to be on the verge of failing. It was also being argued at the time, that since the TCI was being administered by Jamaica, it should remain a colony of an independent Jamaica and if so, what would be its role in the Federation. The TCI by virtue of its status with Jamaica had no representation in the proposed Federal Government, hence they had no voice. They would have to depend on Jamaica once again to represent them. The local leaders at the time strongly disagreed with this position. Gus in particular felt it was time that they, the local leaders, have a voice in the running of the affairs of the TCI.

Under these circumstances, this Bill was also responsible for clarifying the relationship between Jamaica and the TCI and to make it possible for the people of the TCI to have the increased autonomy which they desired and what HMG had agreed to.

▪ There will be an Executive Council consisting of officials and elected members of the Legislature with whom the Commissioner would be required to consult.

The Secretary further noted that despite the small size of the TCI, it is important that the machinery must be put in place to make participation in government possible. This was the beginning of a new political direction for the TCI. Local members were now involved in discussions about the direction that the country should go. Men like Gus Lightbourne led this debate and must be credited for the TCI receiving its first constitution giving rise to adult suffrage in 1959.

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

Gus’ life was blessed with several achievements. Some of these include being Providenciales’ first trucker, first frozen grocer and the first taxi driver.

He was also the recipient of the following awards from Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth ll. He received the Queen’s Commendation of Member of the British Empire (MBE) on January 1st, 1966 and the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on June 13th, 1998. This was pinned on him by Governor Kelly. He was also appointed as Justice of the Peace.

first child and Novotny’s second. Novotny, who shares a daughter with a former partner, showed off her baby bump in April at the Swedish Elle Awards.

In 2018, the actor told The London Times that he would like to approach having a family thoughtfully.

“I’m not going to … say, ‘Oh,

you’re all right — let’s make a family,’” he said at the time. “I’m more romantic than that. I have friends who’ve done that, and they’re not happy, and then they go through horrible divorces.”

In 2017, Skarsgård said he admired his father, actor Stellan Skarsgård, who had eight kids of his own.

The Secretary also noted that another important reason for the Bill was that it is necessary to enable Her Majesty in Council to constitute a separate Government and Legislature for each Dependent Territory of the UK. The idea was to also ensure that the pace of constitutional development remained on track with that of Jamaica. Her Majesty’s Government also wanted to ensure that the TCI maintained administrative links with Jamaica as a matter of support rather than just being detached on their own. The constitution would also take into consideration the wishes and desires of the people of the TCI.

The Secretary also went on to

Gustavus Lightbourne was an outstanding Turks and Caicos Islander. The late lawyer Finbar Dempsey referred to him as “The Man for All Seasons”. He was certainly a man committed and dedicated to country. He was relentless in his efforts to make the Caicos Islands a place where his people could live comfortably. He believed in Turks and Caicos Islanders managing their own affairs. His actions clearly demonstrated that he believed that Turks and Caicos Islanders should play their rightful roles in their country.

Gus enjoyed sharing his experiences with anyone who found the time to listen. He held a treasure trove of historical knowledge and I am honoured to have had the opportunity to sit at his feet. Unfortunately, Gus spent the last of his days at Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas battling cancer. At 6:15 am on September 24th, 2005, his dear Kathleen’s birthday, he passed away.

The 33-year-old Grammy winner has nearly 30 million more Spotify listeners than second-placed Miley Cyrus

Alexander Skarsgård and girlfriend Tuva Novotny

Skarsgård is a new dad

Beethoven: Tests on hair prove composer’s genetic health woes

Beethoven had a likely genetic predisposition to liver disease and a hepatitis B infection months before his death, tests have revealed.

A team of researchers led by Cambridge University analysed five locks of hair to sequence the composer’s genome.

They were, however, unable to establish a definitive cause of his hearing loss.

Lead author, Tristan Begg, said genetic risk factors, coupled with Beethoven’s high alcohol consumption, may have contributed to his liver condition.

The international team analysed strands from eight locks of hair kept in public and private collections, in a bid to shed light on Beethoven’s health problems.

Five locks were deemed “authentic” by the researchers and came from a single European male.

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770 and died at the age of 56 in Vienna,

in 1827.

The prodigious composer and pianist suffered progressive hearing loss, which began in his mid to late 20s and led to him being functionally deaf by 1818.

Mr Begg said the team surmised from the composer’s “conversation books” - which he used in the last decade of his life - that Beethoven’s alcohol intake was regular, but the volumes he consumed were difficult to estimate.

“While most of his contemporaries claim his consumption was moderate by early 19th Century Viennese standards, this still likely amounted to quantities of alcohol known today to be harmful to the liver,” he said.

“If his alcohol consumption was sufficiently heavy over a long enough period of time, the interaction with his genetic risk factors presents one possible explanation for his cirrhosis.”

The team said, based on the

Stranger Things prequel play combines darkness and fun, creators say

THE creators of Stranger Things have said their upcoming stage show, based on their hit supernatural Netflix series, is a possibility they “never expected”.

Matt and Ross Duffer said the concept had not been “part of the original plans” when they first wrote it for television eight years ago.

The duo told the BBC there were more spin-off ideas in the works, but said taking the series to the stage is “completely new ground”.

Presented by Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions, the new play, called Stranger Things: The First Shadow, will premiere in London’s West End on 14 December.

The spin-off prequel will take place in the same universe as the much-loved TV series.

Ross Duffer spoke of his surprise at the TV show’s success.

“When we made that first season, we were just shocked we were allowed to make a show, so

to see what it has become, and now the world is starting to expand, is pretty great. But this is something we never expected,” he said.

Stranger Things debuted on Netflix in 2016. Seven years and 12 Emmy Awards later, the show is still garnering record-breaking viewing figures.

The fourth season was released in 2022 and currently tops the Netflix most popular English TV list, with over 1.35 billion viewing hours. It also became the biggest premiere weekend ever for an English-language TV show on the streaming service.

The new play is written by Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry and directed by three-time Tony Award-winning director Stephen Daldry.

Daldry was also Oscarnominated for The Reader, The Hours and Billy Elliot and is executive producer on the TV series The Crown.

Asked how the idea for a theatre

genomic data, that Beethoven’s gastrointestinal issues were not caused by coeliac disease or lactose intolerance.

Johannes Krause, from the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, said: “We cannot say definitely what

killed Beethoven but we can now at least confirm the presence of significant heritable risk and an infection with hepatitis B virus.

“We can also eliminate several other less plausible genetic causes.”

Dr Axel Schmidt, of the

Institute of Human Genetics at the University Hospital of Bonn, said: “Although a clear genetic underpinning for Beethoven’s hearing loss could not be identified, the scientists caution that such a scenario cannot be strictly ruled out.” (BBC)

Matt and Ross Duffer have teamed up with Stranger Things show writer Kate Trefry on the stage play

production came about, Matt Duffer explained: “The idea did not come from us. I don’t think I would have had the idea. The idea came from Stephen Daldry.”

“Daldry was a big fan of the show and wanted to do a play, but he was so busy with The Crown that I thought this would never happen. Finally a window opened up, he came back and expressed his interest again, and we met up with him and started to talk about what the play could be.”

He added that Daldry had firm ideas about what he had in mind.

“I think when I first heard play, you immediately think it’s going

to be a musical of season one or something like that. He was not interested in that kind of thing at all. He wanted to tell a new and original story,” he said.

The plot will see the audience transported back to the town of Hawkins, where Stranger Things is set, in the 1950s and will feature storylines for already-known characters including Jim Hopper, Joyce Maldonado and Bob Newby as high schoolers, as well as the show’s current villain Henry Creel.

Matt Duffer said it would be “a lot of fun” to meet younger versions of the show’s current

characters, adding that “in the show, you can meet them as high schoolers - basically the same age as the kids are in our show”.

“So yes, we have the darkness and the horror that comes along with the Henry Creel story, but then we have sort of the fun and pop that comes from meeting and getting to know young Joyce, young Hopper, young Bob.”

Ross Duffer said the stage show will feel very much like another series of Stranger Things, saying “we’ve got multiple storylines and strands going on throughout, and they all build to a pretty epic climax”.

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770 and died at the age of 56 in Vienna, in 1827

Dick Van Dyke crashes his car into a gate in Malibu

HOLLYWOOD legend Dick Van Dyke reportedly lost control of his car and crashed into a gate on Wednesday morning, TMZ first reported.

The 97-year-old is said to have lost control of the wheel of his Lexus over wet streets in Malibu, California, recently drenched by rain.

Bruised and bloodied, the Mary Poppins star appears to have only suffered “minor injuries”, police

said.

He was treated at the scene by medics and then brought home by a friend.

Police officers have said drugs and alcohol are not suspected to be involved in the accident.

However, it has been reported that police submitted documents to the Department of Motor Vehicles for him to retake his driving test, due to his near-centenarian status.

The 97-year-old is said to have lost control of the wheel of his Lexus over wet streets in Malibu

Van Dyke’s Hollywood career spans over seven decades between film, television and theatre. His accolades include Golden Globe, Tony and Grammy awards.

Although the peak of his career climaxed in the 1960s - when he starred in Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - last month Van Dyke appeared on TV screens yet again

as the oldest contestant ever to perform on Fox’s singing contest, The Masked Singer.

This is not the actor’s first close call. In 2013, he was rescued from a burning car on the California freeway. He did not sustain any serious injuries.

He later humorously tweeted a picture of the burned-out car with the caption: “Used Jag for sale

REAL CHEAP!!”

In 2010, in an interview with Craig Ferguson, the then-84-yearold recalled an incident where he drifted out to sea after he fell asleep atop his surfboard. In an incident that could have been a scene cut from Mary Poppins: Beach Vacation, he said a group of friendly porpoises helped push his board closer to shore. (BBC)

Bafta TV Awards 2023: This is Going to Hurt and The Responder lead nominations

BEN Whishaw’s This Is Going To Hurt and Martin Freeman’s The Responder lead the field at his year’s Bafta TV Awards, with six nominations each.

Whishaw is up for best actor for playing a doctor in the adaptation of Adam Kay’s best-selling memoir.

He will go up against Freeman, who is shortlisted for playing a police officer in his Liverpool-set drama.

Sarah Lancashire, Kate Winslet, Cillian Murphy and Daniel Radcliffe are among the other acting nominees.

But author and former Pointless co-host Richard Osman criticised the daytime category, which sees just three shows nominated, including one - The Repair Shop’s royal special - which aired at 20:00.

“Daytime TV punches far above its weight in terms of ratings, cost and popularity,” Osman wrote on Twitter. “To have only two daytime shows on this list is a bit of a kick in the teeth for producers.

“If I made Bridge Of Lies, Homes Under The Hammer, Come Dine With Me, Lingo etc. I think I’d feel robbed. Why bother having the category?”

Osman said TV can be a “snobbish industry sometimes”, adding: “I love all three of those nominated shows (but the brilliant Repair Shop was on at 8pm).”

A Bafta spokesman told BBC News having three nomination slots is the norm for categories

with fewer than 20 submissions, adding The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit “was deemed eligible by Bafta’s TV committee because it was originally commissioned by Daytime and for its volume of output as a series”.

Other leading shows include Bad Sisters, The Crown, The English and Slow Horses, which have five nominations each.

There are four nominations apiece for Daisy May Cooper’s comedy-thriller Am I Being Unreasonable?, as well as three

boy-based dramas - Top Boy, Somewhere Boy and Big Boys.

In the acting categories, Lancashire is nominated for her portrayal of US TV chef Julia Child in the HBO drama Julia.

Lancashire also recently starred in Happy Valley, but the latest series of that show was broadcast too recently to be eligible at this year’s Baftas.

She is up against Winslet (I Am Ruth), Imelda Staunton (The Crown), Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie Too), Maxine Peake (Anne) and

Vicky McClure (Without Sin).

In the leading actor category, Freeman and Whishaw face competition from Murphy (Peaky Blinders), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Taron Egerton (Black Bird) and Chaske Spencer (The English).

This Is Going To Hurt author Kay said he was “thrilled” that the screen adaptation had been recognised by Bafta, adding: “This show is a love letter to the NHS and the staff who work there.”

Tony Schumacher, the former

police officer who wrote The Responder, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it was “amazing” to be nominated.

“I grew up in one of the worst areas in the country in terms of deprivation,” he said. “I got a U in my O-level English. I’d always wanted to be a writer but I thought, I haven’t got an O-level so I can’t be a writer, and it took me 40 years to realise that I could.”

Elsewhere, the live event category sees nominations for both the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last June and her state funeral in September.

The first series of the hit BBC reality show The Traitors has scored nominations for best reality show, as well as best entertainment performance for host Claudia Winkleman.

Winkleman is up against comedian Rosie Jones, who is recognised for her programme Trip Hazard. Jones tweeted: “Erm, so I’ve just woken up to the BEST NEWS EVER. I’m a Bafta nominee, baby! I’m ringing my mum.”

Another nominee in the category, Sue Perkins, tweeted: “Beyond delighted to be nominated for this year’s Bafta Awards. Huge congrats to all my fellow nominees. Off to dance around the garden for a bit.”

In the scripted comedy category, Am I Being Unreasonable? faces competition from the final series of Derry Girls as well as Big Boys and Ghosts. (BBC)

Julianne Hough is getting even deeper into the “Dancing With the Stars” family.

It was announced Monday that she will be replacing Tyra Banks as co-host for Season 32.

Hough will co-host alongside Alfonso Ribeiro

Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, a former professional dancer on the show and Julianne Hough’s brother, will return as judges.

The news comes after Tyra Banks announced last week that she was ready to exit her gig as co-host of the reality dance competition.

The “America’s Next Top Model” creator and host told TMZ she wanted to focus on her business ventures.

“I feel it’s time for me to really focus on my business and my entrepreneurship and also producing more TV but behind the scenes,” Banks said. “So, you know what? I think it’s time to graduate from the dance floor to the stock market floor.”

Like her brother, Hough was a former professional dancer on the show, having joined in 2007 and winning two seasons.

She left in 2009 to pursue other projects, but has appeared on “DWTS” over the years as a guest host.

Most recently, she made her Broadway debut playing Dusty in the Tony-nominated political farce, “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumba** Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.” (CNN)

Martin Freeman is recognised for his performance as a front-line police officer in The Responder

Julianne Hough will co-host alongside Alfonso Ribeiro

Julianne Hough replacing Tyra Banks as ‘Dancing With the Stars’ co-host

AUTO SALES

REAL ESTATE

TRANQUILITY CLEANING SERVICES

TURQUOISE LANDSCAPING

#8 LEEWARD DRIVE, LONG BAY, PROVIDENCIALES Is seeking to employ a

LABOURERS & DOMESTIC WORKERS

DATE OPEN: MARCH 20TH, 2023 FIRST TIME WORK PERMIT APPLICATIONS

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Perform routine landscaping, painting, undertake light repairs, maintain trash and recycling receptacle. Rearranging furnitures, lifting heavy loads, stone floors cleaning windows and treating pool.

Is seeking to employ a JOB REQUIREMENTS: Knowledge of which cleaning products are appropriate for different uses. Understanding of cleaning appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, and vacuums. Ability to clean villas and office spaces and well organized. Ability to take initiative and good listening skills.

QUALIFIED ISLANDERS CAN EMAIL THEIR RESUME TO TRANQUILITYCLEANING.TC@GMAIL.COM OR CONTACT: 649-242-8434 HOWEVER; CANDIDATES MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF THEIR RESUME TO THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR & WORK PERMIT BOARD ZONE 2 SALARY RANGE: $8.00

3 GARDENERS & 1 LABOURER

• Must have previous gardening experience and be familiar with landscaping equipment such as lawn mowers, trimmers etc.

• Must be willing to carry out work such as heavy lifting, digging, weeding,

35515

SECURITY MANAGER

SALARY $3,500.00 PER MONTH

The Role requires a tract record of excellent leadership, risk management and personnel management skills. Must have experience in coordinating security across multiple remote sites and be flexible to work at any time around the 24-hour

period. Possess a certified qualification from a recognized security training body at managerial level or above. Must have at least ten-year experience in private security provision and five years of Police experience.

CONTACT: 333-6577

IS URGENTLY LOOKING FOR A FLORIST

Applicant must have experience as a Floral Assistant or Florist. Must have extensive knowledge of tropical flowers, foliage and potted plants, including their names, seasonal availability and lifespan. Candidates must have experience using current styles in floral design while at the same time understanding the traditional use of certain flowers for weddings, funerals etc. salary commensurate with experience.

CONTACT: 231-3788

trimming and plant waste removal

• Must be willing to work weekends and holidays

• Must have a clean police record and provide employers references on request

• Pay - $6.50 - $7.00/hr depending on experience

CONTACT: 649-332-4280 OR EMAIL: TURQUOISELANDSCAPING@TCIWAY.TC TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEND A COPY OF THEIR RESUME TO THE LABOUR BOARD. THESE POSITIONS ARE FOR WORK PERMIT RENEWALS

• Turks Head Inn Ltd is looking for two (2) Domestic Workers at Grand Turk, TCI area. Not limited to Cleans and sanitizes hotel and guest rooms.

• Vacuums and sweeps floors, carpets, and rugs.

• Makes beds and changes

35531

• Cleans and sanitizes bathrooms, showers, toilets, sinks, and countertops.

• Replenishes toiletries and towels.

• Empties trash receptacles.

Salary: $8 per hour

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Complete ground works as directed by the Property Manager which include but not limited to maintaining landscaping, trimming shrubs, spraying, picking up trash, upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, cleaning dumpster areas and drainage, cleaning recycling water cistern and lift stations

Must have knowledge of maintaining and repairing irrigation system and storm drainage

Must have the ability to lift heavy items weighing up to 150lbs

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be a team player with a desire to deliver excellent customer service to our guests

Must have clear English communications skills (written or oral)

Previous experience in this area would be an asset

GUSTAVE ISRAEL

HERITAGE HORSEBACK RIDING

Cleaning property, picking up yard waste, dispose of trash, clean windows, and doorframes.

$7.00 Hourly

LABOURER BABYSITTER

Ensuring a safe environment, preparing and giving meals, bathing and dressing children, administering medicine, doing housework, and etc.

$7.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 343-1844

35598 BELONGERS ONLY APPLY

CONTACT: 241-3716

Brush and groom, feed, handle and exercise horses, and lead them to their stables. Check horses for lameness, common injuries, ailments and infections. Give first aid, medication or other treatment to horses.

Salary: $12.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 649-232-3264

BELONGERS ONLY APPLY

HOWARD GARDINER

TEL: 231-1803

Glass Shack, Providenciales Salary: $6.25 per hour

General cleaning of premises, garbage removal etc.

HEMINGWAYS'S RESTAURANT TEL: 941-8408 The Sands, Grace Bay, Providenciales

BELONGERS MAY APPLY WITH LABOUR EMPLOYMENT DEPARTMENT

DOMESTIC WORKER

CONTACT:

35552

MUSIC TEACHERS

CASHIER

Cleaning outside the property with a sweeper, pick up yard waste and collecting leaves, dispose of trash, clean windows, and door frames. Salary: $8.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 247-1864

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD

DOMESTIC WORKER

CONTACT: 649-346-6359

Cleaning outside the property with a sweeper, picking up yard waste and collecting leaves, dispose of trash, clean windows, and door frames.

Salary: $7.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 246-3355

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD

MASON

Mixes mortar; lays bricks and stones and/ or concrete sidewalks; makes and repairs steps and plasters. $7.00 Hourly

Installs pipes and fixtures, installs supports for pipes, equipment, etc. $7.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 241-9020

TO THE LABOUR BOARD

J.M.A BARBER SHOP

vacuuming, mopping, restroom cleaning etc. $6.50 Hourly Cutting, trimming, shampooing, and styling hair, trimming beards, or giving shaves. $7.00 Hourly CLEANER BARBER The Bight Is seeking to employ a JOHN WILLIAMS

Airport Rd., South Caicos Is seeking to employ a AGNES

SWANN

Central Square, Whitby North Caicos Is seeking to employ a

Rate: $6.50 per hour

35603

$7.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 343-1844

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE

JUSTIN FRANCK BERLUS

Blue Hills Is seeking to employ a KALL’S KICKIN KITCHEN Long Bay Is seeking to employ a

Salary: $6.50 Hourly

35563 COOK BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO

35571

SEND A COPY OF THEIR RESUME FOR THE LABOUR BOARD. RENEWAL Setting up workstations. Preparing ingredients, chopping and peeling vegetables, cutting meat etc. Cooking food in various utensils or grillers. Salary: $6.50 Hourly KRYSTAL D. KARIOKA CONTACT: 247-1428 35608 BELONGERS ARE TO SEND A COPY OF THEIR RESUME TO THE LABOUR BOARD. WORK PERMIT RENEWAL Sweeping, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, toilets, kitchen, living room, laundering sheets, towels, personal clothing, and other housework. Salary: $8.00 hourly DOMESTIC WORKER Over Back, Grand Turk Is seeking to employ a KWEEOMED DELANCY CONTACT: 649-347-4441 35615 BELONGERS ONLY APPLY Work weekends, Take care of the family house, Cleaning outside the property, pick up yard waste etc. Salary: Monthly$1,200.00 LABOURER The Bight, Providenciales Is seeking to employ a L & J BARBIELOON CONTACT: 245-9125 35562 BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD Greets customers, receive payment by cash, checks and credit cards, Issue receipts, and change due to customers. $7.00 Hourly CASHIER Downtown, Providenciales Is seeking to employ a MACKENSON JOSEPH CONTACT: 345-1065 35559 BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD Cleaning outside the property with a sweeper, pick up yard waste and collecting leaves, dispose of trash, clean windows, and doorframes. Salary: $6.50 Hourly HELPER Blue Hills Is seeking to employ a LA FAMILIA RESTAURANT 35580 BELONGERS ONLY APPLY. RENEWAL Measure and mix raw ingredients, bake and decorate items, and ensure that all raw and finished goods adhere to quality and food safety standards. Salary: $300.00 weekly BAKER #8 Ball Park Lane, Kew Town Is seeking to employ a CONTACT: 649-341-1021 LEVONJAH M. SMITH 35568 BELONGERS ONLY APPLY. RENEWAL Ensuring a safe environment, preparing and giving meals, bathing and dressing children, administering medicine, doing housework, and disciplining children when necessary. Salary: $6.25 Hourly BABYSITTER #66 Miller Clark Ave., Blue Hills Is seeking to employ a CONTACT: 343-8753 MADSEN ACCILIEN Blue Hills Is seeking to employ a CONTACT: 341-5552 35549 DOMESTIC WORKER BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEND A COPY OF THEIR RESUME FOR THE LABOUR BOARD. Sweeping the house, mopping the floor, cleaning bathrooms, toilets, kitchen, living room, laundering sheets, towels and personal clothing and other housework. Salary: $6.50 Hourly

Mixes mortar; lays bricks and stones and/or concrete sidewalks; makes and repairs steps and plasters.

$11.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 232-3899

CLEANER

Stocking and supplying designated facility areas, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, restroom cleaning etc. Salary: $6.50 Hourly

CONTACT: 341-3579

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD

MASON HELPER

Candidate must have ASME operations experience and be efficient in maintaining a fleet of Diesel and Propane Trucks.

AND CAICOS ISLANDER APPLICANTS MUST SEND THEIR CV/DOCUMENTS TO PROVOGAS@GMAIL.COM OR CONTACT (649) 242-3131 FOR

Cleaning outside the property with a sweeper, pick up yard waste and collecting leaves, dispose of trash, clean windows, and door frames.

Salary: $8.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 241-4156

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD

GARDENER

Soil cultivation, digging and forking, mulching, watering weeding and seed sowing

Salary: $6.50/ Hourly

CONTACT: 649-245-5955

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD

2 FISHERMEN

Must have some knowledge of using fishing equipment such as fishing reels and fish traps.

based on Catch

2 PLANT WORKERS

Must be able and willing to clean seafood. $8.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 649-231-0293

DOMESTIC WORKER

CONTACT: 232-8096

DOMESTIC WORKER

Cleaning the house, laundering sheets, towels and personal clothing and other housework. Salary: $6.50 Hourly

CONTACT: 247-1444

• Visit the site, estimate, and plan.

• Provide all tools and materials.

• Adhere to building code.

• Manage all employees. Salary: $2,500.00 Monthly

CONTACT: 345-8238

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD

LABOURER/ GARDENER

To weed, shape trees, water plants, maintain the cleaning of the yards, pick up and throw out trash of the managed Salaryproperties. $6.50 per hour

CONTACT: 649-245-4153 OR

UPMBS.TCI@GMAIL.COM

DOMESTIC WORKER

Duties: To help in an Electrical Service business SALARY: $6.50 per hour

CONTACT: 241-2579

Cleaning outside the property with a sweeper, pick up yard waste and collecting leaves, dispose of trash, clean windows, and door frames.

CONTACT: 341-1406

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

DOMESTIC WORKER

Duties: Regular household chores, And Laundry. SALARY: $6.50 per hour

CONTACT: 343-1691

Stocking and supplying designated facility areas, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, restroom cleaning etc.

CONTACT: 246-7583

DOMESTIC WORKER

Duties: Regular household chores, And Laundry.

$6.50 per hour

CONTACT: 341-8501

CATHOLIC TEACHERS

Sweeping the house, mopping the floor, cleaning bathrooms, toilets, kitchen, living room, laundering sheets, towels and personal clothing and other housework.

Salary: $8.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 649-348-7539

SONIA GIBBS

DOMESTIC WORKER

Duties include but not limited to: Carrying out daily cleaning including sweeping, moping, cleaning windows, dusting etc.

Must be willing to work weekends and holidays as required.

Ability to speak a foreign language (e.g. Spanish and Creole) would be helpful.

Salary: $6.25 per hour

CONTACT: 232-0918

CUSTOMER SERVICE ATTENDANT

• Maintain the upkeep of premises neat and clean.

• Respond to customer inquiries and resolve.

• Display merchandise in a visually appealing manner.

• Assist and support selling staff in a store.

• Receive new merchandise

•

•

services to guests and customers.

• Interact with management and coworkers in ensuring best services to customers and guests.

• Ensure compliance of all service regulations and laws.

CONTACT: 231-6858

ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT

• Prepares budgets and records and sends invoices for services or products rendered by company employees that have been approved by management. They handle cash transactions and perform other administrative duties as needed, such as about financial reports.

• Maintain & update Asset Register including

FULL TIME RENTAL AGENT

depreciation & reconciliation to general ledger.

• Supports company operations by maintaining office system.

• Completes general operational and maintained inventory.

• Job experience atleast 3 years

• Must be willing to work 5 to 6 days per week.

• Driving license is a must.

• Salary range: $9.00-$11.00 per hour

CONTACT: 432-2211

• Must be fluent in English with the ability to compose emails etc.

• Must be Customer Service Oriented

• Must be willing to work on weekends, holidays and at nights as required

• Minimum of 2 years working experience

• Knowledge of computer software

• Must be 21 years or older

• Three references required

• Must have a Valid Driver’s License, clean Police Record and Valid TCI Status

Applicants without a Valid Driver’s License will not be considered for an interview

Salary will be based on qualifications and experiences

BLUSH SALON STUDIO

Millenium Highway Unit# 4 Grant’s Plaza, Providenciales

CONTACT: 649-231-7201

SKYLINE

DISTRIBUTORS LTD. IS LOOKING FOR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS;

All interested applicants, please send resumes to PO Box 762. Preference will be given to experienced and qualified Belongers.

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Reporting to the Managing Director, most senior responsibility for all aspects of the business. Previous experience, including recruiting staff, marketing and sales, budgeting, performing office and administrative functions, promoting the business activities, customer interaction, vendor relationships required. Full control of COGS to comply with budgets, maximizing revenues through price negotiations, maintain inventory control, communicate between management and suppliers on order fulfillment, ability to multi-task and work under pressure within a fast-paced work environment. Strong negotiation, mathematical, analytical and communication skills. Must have a vehicle, valid drivers’ license and be willing to work holidays and weekends. Must have a 4-year college degree with a related field and/or 5+ years’ experience in a business of this nature. Strong negotiation, accounting, mathematical, computer/POS and analytical skills. Detail oriented, excellent communication skills. Salary: $48,000 + per annum, depending on experience.

MARKETING & SALES SUPERVISOR

Reporting to the Managing Director, most senior responsibility for all aspects of the Marketing & Sales Operations, sales and costs analysis to comply with budgets, maximizing revenues through sales techniques, product sourcing and pricing structures, inventory control, inventory and account reconciliations, web-site design and update, customer interaction, vendor relationships. Must have a vehicle, valid drivers’ license and willing to work holidays and weekends. College degree with background in marketing/finance or related fields, 3+ years’ experience in operations control or sales. Strong computer/POS and analytical skills. Detail oriented, excellent communication skills, cooperative attitude, hands on work ethic. Salary: $42,000 + per annum, depending on experience.

Is

Duties: shampooing, cut, styling and treatment.

Duties: Acrylic, design, manicure, and 3D

SERVICE

Millenium Highway Grant Plaza

Providenciales

CONTACT: 649-244-4241

General laborer duties

Basic Salary: $300.00 weekly

WASH BAY SUPERVISOR

• Must have 5 years’ experience

• Planning and managing logistics rentals, dispatching and customer services.

• Meeting, optimizing and coordinating with rental agents liase with managers and negotiating discounts on rentals.

DOMESTIC WORKER WANTED

software’s, excel, Europcar, QuickBooks, and computing

• Ensure all rentals are properly cleaned in and out before they are sent to the airport.

• Ensure all vehicles are properly repaired mechanically and body repaired.

SALARY: $1367.59 bi-weekly

• Full knowledge rent centric, CONTACT: 649-441-8515

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEND A COPY OF THEIR RESUME TO THE LABOUR BOARD EMAIL: FRANTZ@GRACEBAYCARRENTALS.COM

JOB VACANCY

Andaz Turks and Caicos Residences at Grace Bay is a luxury boutique hotel nestled along the shore of the world’s number one beach Grace Bay. We are seeking determined and energetic professionals who provide discreet yet personalized and attentive service that well defines the Andaz Turks and Caicos experience.

Senior Project Manager - As the Senior Project manager you will be responsible to plan, direct, manage and provide oversight of assigned design and construction projects to ensure that Andaz Turks and Caicos Residences’ goals and objectives are met within prescribed schedule and budget parameters. Effective communication with FF&E, OS&E and GMP contract management as well as the field staff and technical staff.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervises management of construction projects; monitors and coordinates work performed by architectural, engineering and construction firms.

• Inspects, approves, and accepts or rejects completed projects for the company, ensuring correction of deficiencies and that work is performed to conformance of established standards.

• Leads project delivery resources/team (typically larger more experienced team) providing project guidance and direction to achieve project goals.

• Responsible for inventory management and for enhancing operational efficiency.

• Plans and coordinates formulation of design alternatives and solutions for corporate and branch construction projects; provides conceptual estimates, feasibility studies and cost estimates, program development, preparation of space plans, block plans and determination of telephone, data, power, and furniture requirements.

• Collaborate with key stakeholders on process and timeline for projects

• Facilitates request for service and repair. These requests include adding or reconfiguring workstations, ordering furniture, coordinating repair of existing furniture, processing building work orders and requests for security access cards for associates and vendors.

• Prepares, reviews & negotiates contracts, purchase orders and

REQUIREMENTS

• A minimum of bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related field required.

• Certifications in Project Management or any field

• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience

• Proof of completed projects in relation to hotels/resort in the past 10 years

An experienced Domestic Worker is required for full time employment. Candidate must have own transportation and be willing to work late/flexible hours. A demonstrated ability to work unsupervised, must speak English and have excellent communication skills.

Salary starting at $7.00 per hour. This advertisement is required

for a work permit renewal application for this position.

All suitably qualified TC Islanders are requested to submit resumes/portfolios to PO Box 560, Regent House West, Regent Village, Grace Bay, Providenciales, TCI or by email to tos@mslaw.tc.

Prospective TC Islander applicants are also free to lodge a copy of their applications with the Labour Board.

Environmental Arts Irrigation Ltd

IRRIGATION TECHNICIAN

• Knowledge of the installation and operation of irrigation systems and components.

• Knowledge of work methods, tools, equipment and materials used to maintain and repair irrigation systems

• Knowledge of electronically controlled irrigation systems and programming functions

• Knowledge of drip irrigation systems

• Skill in reading construction drawings, blueprints, plans and specifications

• Skill in maintaining records of the installation and maintenance of irrigation systems

• Ability to diagnose and troubleshoot irrigation problems

• Ability to work both independently and with others

• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions

• Ability to fine tune irrigation systems to optimum operating potential

• Ability to troubleshoot pumping systems and remove and install pumps.

• Ability to install and replace faulty valves and solenoids

• Repairs of piping of all types

• Direct, train, and evaluate subordinate personnel.

• Coordinate, assign, and review the work of assigned maintenance personnel

• Review work orders and schedule personnel and equipment in accordance with job requirements

• Plan and recommend materials needed for work projects; order approved supplies and materials

• Prepare and maintain maintenance logs of work performed

• Order supplies; keep time sheets; assist with budgeting; complete written records of work performed, material/labor estimates and training

• Respond to inquiries from company client’s

• Safely operate and maintain a variety of related tools, power, and agricultural related equipment

• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other contractors employees and the public using principles of good customer service

Salary 9/hr

This is for a renewal

Contact 649-941-5579

IRRIGATION LABOR

Irrigation labor wanted for manual labor such as digging trenches, holes, cleaning irrigation tanks, moving equipment, moving soil, cleaning and assisting technicians on other duties as require.

Salary 8/hr

649-941-5579

#1216 Leeward Highway, Providenciales Is seeking to employ a

Mixes mortar; lays bricks and stones and/ or concrete sidewalks; makes and repairs steps and

CONTACT: 348-7838

CONTACT: 346-1243

CONTACT: 241-6461

HOUSEKEEPING

TRADESMEN

2 CARPENTERS

DOMESTIC WORKER

Applicants must be honest, reliable and hard working.

Salary: $6.50 Hourly

CONTACT: 649-232-1288

CONTACT: 649-232-4272

DOMESTIC WORKER

Sweeping the house, mopping the floor, clean bathrooms, toilets, kitchen, living room, laundering sheets, towels and personal clothing and other housework. Salary: $6.50 Hourly

CONTACT: 232-1588

Mixes mortar; lays bricks and stones and/or concrete sidewalks; makes and repairs steps and plasters.

CONTACT: 231-7363

2 SPECIAL NEEDS TEACHERS

Ensuring a

CONTACT: 343-9399

CONTACT: 232-1473

CONTACT: 341-3697

Richmond Hill Preparatory School is looking for a Trained Primary School Teacher with a minimum of Ten Years’ teaching experience and a teacher's certificate from an accredited institution. Teacher should be able to teach all subjects to any grade level, complete unit and lesson plans, serve on various committees, and complete annual reports.

Salary is $1500-2000 per month.

DOMESTIC WORKER

Sweeping, mopping, clean bathrooms, toilets, kitchen, living room, laundering sheets, towels, personal clothing, and other housework.

$8.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 345-1745

DOMESTIC WORKER

Sweeping, mopping, clean bathrooms, toilets, kitchen, living room, laundering sheets, towels, personal clothing, and other housework.

Salary: $6.25 Hourly

CONTACT: 345-6043

GEORGE

LABOURER

Cleaning property, pick up yard waste, dispose of trash, clean windows, and doorframes.

$6.25 Hourly

CONTACT: 347-9345

Soil cultivation, digging, and forking, mulching, watering, raking, weeding, edging, pruning, seed sowing, bed preparation and planting.

Salary: $6.50 Hourly

CONTACT: 244-1676

Ensuring a safe environment, preparing and giving meals, bathing

CONTACT: 345-0305

649-346-2583

DOMESTIC WORKER

Installs pipes and fixtures, such as sinks and toilets, for water, gas, or other liquids. Installs supports for pipes, equipment, etc.

CONTACT: 241-4976

Sweeping, mopping, clean bathrooms, toilets, kitchen, living room, laundering sheets, towels, personal clothing, and other housework. Salary: $6.50 Hourly

CONTACT: 342-4843

DOMESTIC WORKER

Help the patient get dressed, eat, bathe and complete light housekeeping duties, such as dishes or folding laundry. Plan, prepare and monitor meals. Run errands, remind patients of medications.

$6.25 hourly

CONTACT: 341-6586

Cleaning outside the

CONTACT: 247-7945

Follow blueprints and building plans to meet the needs of clients. Measure, cut, or shape wood, plastic, and other materials. $10.00 hourly

The Somerset Strata Management Co Ltd, is seeking a qualified Belonger who possess the listed requirements. Ideal candidates should have luxury resort experience, professional attitude and demeanor and must read and speak English fluently

GARDENER

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Complete ground works as directed by the Property Manager which include but not limited to maintaining landscaping, trimming shrubs, spraying, picking up trash, upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, cleaning dumpster areas and drainage, cleaning recycling water cistern and lift stations

• Must have knowledge of maintaining and repairing irrigation system and storm drainage

• Must have the ability to lift heavy

PHYSICIAN

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of M.B.B.S. or a Medical Doctor Degree from an accredited University

• Patient consultations and examinations

items weighing up to 150lbs

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be a team player with a desire to deliver excellent customer service to our guests

• Must have clear English communications skills (written or oral)

• Previous experience in this area would be an asset

Salary for this position will commensurate with qualifications and experience

QUALIFIED BELONGER CANDIDATES ARE REQUESTED TO SUBMIT A CV BY E-MAIL TO: THE SOMERSET RESORT ON GRACE BAY. SOMERSETSTRATAACCTS@GMAIL.COM 35498

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!!

B105 Regent Village, Grace Bay, 941-4848

JOB OPPORTUNITY – DESIGN STUDIO

MANAGER POSITION

– Local Interior Design Firm Available Immediately

REQUIREMENTS

• Applicant must have a minimum of 10 years experience in the Interior Design field

• Ability to manage multiple projects on a deadline schedule

• Must possess strong leadership, organizational, communication skills and be able to work independently

• Be proficient with Auto Cad, Excel, Word, Quick Books and Photoshop

• Have experience and knowledge in the recruitment of prospective clients and projects

• Must be prepared to supervise the container offload and install of client furnishings

• Must be prepared to work most local holidays and weekends

• Applicant must own a vehicle and carry a valid Turks and Caicos Drivers License.

• Salary U.S.$4,000 per month plus commission

QUALIFIED CANDIDATES SHOULD EMAIL THEIR CV TO FAYE@DESIGNSTUDIO.TC OR HAND DELIVER TO UNIT B105 REGENT VILLAGE 941-4848

The closing date for application is Apr 8 2023. This position is currently held by a work permit holder. All applicants should also send a copy of their application to the department of labor and employment services. Please note only people short-listed for interview will be contacted.

• Minimum of 5 years work experience in a Primary Health Care setting and a minimum of 3 years working in a Secondary Health Care institution

• Minimum of 5 years registered Medical Practitioner on a register of a recognized Medical Board.

• Diagnosis and treatment of illness/ailments

• Manage acute and chronic illnesses, patient education

• Order laboratory/ diagnostic tests

• Perform minor procedures

• Liaise with healthcare professionals and/or hospitals

• Computer knowledge –experience using EMR files. Monthly Salary: $8000.00

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

The Turks and Caicos Islands oldest and leading publishing house is in need of additional staff to fill the following posts:

WRITERS/ PHOTO JOURNALIST

Candidates must have at least five (5) years’ experience working full-time for daily newspapers and/or news/features magazines, reporting on hard news, features and parliamentary/court proceedings. Salary paid weekly will commensurate with experience.

FOR MAGAZINES AND OTHER PERIODICALS GRAPHICS PRODUCTION DESIGNER/ PAGINATOR

This position requires someone with at least five (5) years’ experience working with Macintosh or PC computers. Must be skilled in the make-up of advertising and pagination. Proficiency using InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop software for print is essential. Some technical, networking and web design knowledge an asset. Salary paid weekly will commensurate with experience.

COURT REPORTER

College or high school graduate with at least five (5) years’ experience in community reporting. Ability to drive and use a camera a desirable asset. Salary paid weekly will commensurate with experience.

ADVERTISING SPACE SALES PERSON

Candidates must have had actual hands-on experience selling advertising space for newspapers and magazines. Ability to assist clients with the writing of copy for ads and gathering of collateral an asset. Salary is commission based.

THE LARGEST READERSHIP IN THE TURKS & CAICOS

DOMESTIC WORKER

LABOURER

AIR CONDITIONER TECHNICIAN

Should be able to install and troubleshoot various types and model of AC units, be dependable and punctual. Working hours: 6 days per week, Salaries base on experience.

CONTACT: 332-1305

STORE CLERK

CONTACT: 946-4075

EMAIL: WESLEYAN@TCIWAY.TC

Receive, price and display stock. Must be able to move 40lbs boxes Salary: $6.50 an hour. Position will be required to work nights, long hours, weekends and holidays. Ability to speak English, French, Spanish and other languages will be a necessary.

GUTTER INSTALLER

Should be able to work on high structures, roll form, install and operate a JB6 gutter machine without supervision. Working hours 5-6 days per week salaries base on experience.

Should have the abilities to handle logistics, proficient in Manage more Pos system and work with minimum supervision. Working hours 5-6 days per week, salaries base on experience.

Sports International

Chelsea earn crucial European win at holders Lyon

Chelsea came away with a crucial victory over holders Lyon in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final in France.

Guro Reiten’s brilliant curling finish put Chelsea 1-0 up in the first half after Scotland’s Erin Cuthbert won the ball and skilfully teed her up.

Eight-time champions Lyon controlled most of the first half but were punished for missed opportunities.

Chelsea’s Lauren James and Lyon’s Delphine Cascarino both hit the post.

Having been knocked out by Lyon in the semi-finals in 2019, Chelsea arrived in France well aware of the difficult task facing them in their pursuit of a last four spot.

Lyon, who have progressed

from 12 of their 13 quarter-finals, imposed their dominance early on, creating several chances for striker Eugenie Le Sommer which she could not convert.

Chelsea then demonstrated their ruthlessness in front of goal as Reiten’s curling shot - their first on target - nestled in the far corner, before James rattled the post shortly afterwards.

The game opened up in the second half as Lyon pushed for an equaliser and Cascarino almost provided it when she struck the woodwork but Chelsea still posed a threat on the counter-attack.

Emma Hayes’ side have the advantage in the second leg at Stamford Bridge next Thursday but there will be concern for key England centre-back Millie Bright, who went off injured before half-

Guro Reiten scored with Chelsea’s first shot on target in Lyon

time and will have a scan on Thursday morning.

MOMENTS OF QUALITY DECIDE TIGHT ENCOUNTER

It was only the fourth time this season the European champions had failed to find the back of the net and Chelsea will be encouraged

LABORATORY ASSISTANT SAFETY & FIRE OFFICER

To prepare samples for testing using various laboratory equipment. Maintain all laboratory records. Comply with the correct procedures, policies, and health and safety regulations. Conduct laboratory tests, analyze results, and document your findings. Salary base on Experience. Flexible Worker include weekend, holidays ect...

by their solid defensive display in the second half.

They limited chances and frustrated Lyon, having picked them off against the run of play in the first half to take a slender lead back to London.

“It will give the team a lot of confidence. We looked nervous in the first 15 minutes. I could see

a lack of movement but once we settled, we grew into the game and got more confidence,” said Hayes. “The result and keeping a clean sheet will give the team [confidence]. We have massive respect for Lyon. To win 1-0, I’m satisfied, but we know it’s only half-time so there’s things to improve on.”

PHONE NUMBER: 231-6858

THE HEALING MEDICAL CENTER 35464

Inspect premises and the work of personnel to identify issues or nonconformity. Oversee installations, maintenance, disposal of substances etc. Stop any unsafe acts or processes that seem dangerous or unhealthy. Salary base on Experience. Flexible Worker include weekend, holidays ect...

BELONGER IS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

OSPREY SECURITY SOLUTIONS

• For this role you must have at least five years’ experience of working with electronic security systems including intruder alarm, CCTV and access control systems.

• You must be able to design, specify, install, program, service, maintain and repair such

• It is important that you have a knowledge of low voltage installations, a great customer care approach and strong attention to detail.

ONE (1) HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR

Must have a minimum of 10 years experience and be capable of operating the following equipment: backhoe, excavators, loaders and trucks. Must be able to carry out basic maintenance on equipment.

ONE (1) DOMESTIC WORKER

To clean office, Working days Monday, Wednesday and Friday Basic salary.

ONE (1) ENGINEER (BARGE MECHANIC)

Must have a valid STCW Certificate Must have a minimum of 5 years experience working on diesel engines Starting Salary: $2,200.00

ONE (1) TUG & BARGE CAPTAIN

Must have twelve (12) years experience as tug/barge Captain. Must have a valid Captain's license (tug/barge)

v LEW 1 SHIPPING 35491

CONTACT: 941-5707

123

WC

ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN SALARY FROM

• For this role you must have at least five years’ experience of working with electronic security systems including intruder alarm, CCTV and access control systems.

• It is important that you have a knowledge of low voltage installations, a great customer care approach and strong attention to detail.

• Knowledge of a range of alarm systems and CCTV by various manufacturers is a necessity.

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY CONTACT-333-6577

PUBLIC NOTICE

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDER STATUS APPLICATION

( SECTION 4(3) OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDER STATUS ORDINANCE)

Take notice that I, Nigel Dakin, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands in exercise of the powers conferred in me by Section 6(4) of the Turks and Caicos Islander Status Ordinance intend to grant a Certificate of Turks and Caicos Islander Status to Manoucheka Gordon / Louis by virtue of marriage to a Turks and Caicos Islander.

HOUSEKEEPER

Mixes mortar; lays bricks and stones and/or concrete sidewalks; makes and repairs steps and plasters.

Salary: $8.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 243-9961

BELONGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE LABOUR BOARD

Performing a variety of cleaning activities such as sweeping, mopping, dusting and polishing. Ensuring all rooms inspected according to standards.

Salary: $7.00 Hourly

CONTACT: 431-5151

Cleaning floors, equipment, and furniture. Washing pots, pans, tools, china and silverware.

Salary $8.00 Hourly

JOB VACANCY

Grant Thornton Turks & Caicos Ltd requires one (1):

OFFICE/CORPORATE SERVICES ASSISTANT

Grant Thornton Turks & Caicos Ltd is part of an international network of audit, accounting and advisory firms. We are seeking an office/corporate services assistant which would suit an enthusiastic person seeking experience in an international organization.

DUTIES INCLUDE:

• Corporate services – assist in the provision of corporate services to clients, including new company applications, annual filings and liaison with the Company Registry and Financial Services Commission

• Reception – responsible for greeting guests, taking calls, and dealing with couriers

• Document production – assist in preparing, editing and formatting documents

• Finance – review incoming invoices for accuracy, prepare wire transfers, bank deposits etc.

• Office support – monitor and maintain office supplies, and coordinate office and equipment repairs

• Other – provide assistance with a variety of ad hoc tasks that will enhance the effectiveness of the office and team.

CAPABILITIES & QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong client service focus in dealing with both external and internal clients, displaying professionalism, integrity and tact

• Proficiency to work with MS Office (Word and Excel)

• Excellent judgement and problem solving skills; exercising discretion when dealing with confidential information

• Effective listening skills; excellent oral and written communication skills

• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities with limited supervision

• Flexibility to work overtime when required

Salary Range: $20,000 to $30,000

Turks and Caicos Islanders only need apply

Deadline for applications is March 21, 2023

INTERESTED PERSONS SHOULD APPLY TO LADARNYA

Andaz Turks and Caicos Residences at Grace Bay is a luxury boutique hotel nestled along the shore of the world’s number one beach Grace Bay. We are seeking determined and energetic professionals who provide discreet yet personalized and attentive service that well defines the Andaz Turks and Caicos experience.

Senior Project Manager - As the Senior Project manager you will be responsible to plan, direct, manage and provide oversight of assigned design and construction projects to ensure that Andaz Turks and Caicos Residences’ goals and objectives are met within prescribed schedule and budget parameters. Effective communication with FF&E, OS&E and GMP contract management as well as the field staff and technical staff.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervises management of construction projects; monitors and coordinates work performed by architectural, engineering and construction firms.

• Inspects, approves, and accepts or rejects completed projects for the company, ensuring correction of deficiencies and that work is performed to conformance of established standards.

• Leads project delivery resources/team (typically larger more experienced team) providing project guidance and direction to achieve project goals.

• Responsible for inventory management and for enhancing operational efficiency.

• Plans and coordinates formulation of design alternatives and solutions for corporate and branch construction projects; provides conceptual estimates, feasibility studies and cost estimates, program development, preparation of space plans, block plans and determination of telephone, data, power, and furniture requirements.

• Collaborate with key stakeholders on process and timeline for projects

• Facilitates request for service and repair. These requests include adding or reconfiguring workstations, ordering furniture, coordinating repair of existing furniture, processing building work orders and requests for security access cards for associates and vendors.

• Prepares, reviews & negotiates contracts, purchase orders and

REQUIREMENTS

• A minimum of bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related field required.

• Certifications in Project Management or any field

• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience

• Proof of completed projects in relation to hotels/resort in the past 10 years

ARIEL MCARTHUR GRAY

Ferguson scores first goal as Republic beat Latvia

In-form teenage striker Evan Ferguson scored his first international goal as the Republic of Ireland beat Latvia 3-2 in a friendly at Aviva Stadium.

Callum O’Dowda gave the hosts the lead before Brighton’s Ferguson pounced from close range to open his Ireland account midway through the first half.

Roberts Uldrikis pulled a goal back with a screamer and Arturs Zjuzins levelled in first-half injury time.

Substitute Chiedozie Ogbene struck a winner in the second half.

All eyes were on Ferguson, making his first senior start in an Irish jersey, after his goalscoring exploits in a breakthrough season Brighton.

Dubbed a “superstar” by Danny Murphy after scoring twice as Brighton reached the FA Cup semifinals, the 18-year-old reacted quickest to Michael Obafemi’s cutback to spark the loudest cheer of the night in Dublin on 17

minutes.

Ferguson became the Republic’s youngest scorer since legendary striker Robbie Keane with his goal.

The strike partners had been involved in the Irish opener as their link-up play allowed debutant Will Smallbone to whip in a first-time ball and Cardiff’s O’Dowda raced in to head home after five minutes.

Ferguson, buoyed by his goal, almost doubled his tally when his effort from a tight angle was deflected into the side-netting by Antonijs Cernomordijs as the hosts missed numerous chances to pull further clear.

Alan Browne, O’Dowda and Smallbone all had attempts and Latvia capitalised on the Republic’s lack of a clinical edge.

Vladislavs Gutkovskis had spurned a golden chance after racing in behind the home defence, but Stephen Kenny’s were eventually punished when Uldrikis’ 25-yard screamer flew past helpless Liverpool goalkeeper

Evan Ferguson doubled the Republic of Ireland’s lead on 17 minutes with his first international goal

Caoimhin Kelleher and into the top corner.

The home crowd were temporarily silenced by the Latvian goal, but they were stunned in first-half injury time when Zjuzins’ low effort flew off the soaking turf, took a deflection off Nathan Collins and, to compound the Republic’s misery, took a touch off Kelleher en route to the top corner.

OGBENE MAKES INSTANT IMPACT

Latvia almost took the lead less than a minute into the second half when Gutkovskis fired over when well placed.

Ferguson, still brimming with

confidence despite the Latvian fightback, fired narrowly over from 25 yards and Uldrikis attempted to repeat his first-half effort but Kelleher was equal to it.

Mikey Johnston, who changed allegiance from Scotland, was introduced for his debut in the second half along with Ogbene in the 64th minute and the substitutes made an immediate impact.

Johnston struck the post after a driving run at the Latvian defence 45 seconds after coming on and Ogbene reacted quickest to tap into the unguarded net.

Tiring after taking a couple of knocks, Ferguson was given a standing ovation as he was replaced by Troy Parrott with 18

minutes to play.

Johnston introduced himself to the Irish support with a lively performance and he almost capped with a goal after some mesmerising footwork but his effort was well blocked by the scrambling Latvian defence.

While there were positives in the win - most notably Ferguson, Smallbone and Johnston - manager Kenny knows his side will have to improve as World Cup finalists France travel to Dublin on Monday in the Republic’s opening Euro 2024 qualifier.

The Irish are underdogs to reach the finals with the Netherlands, Greece and minnows Gibraltar to come in Group B. (BBC)

Ice Hockey World Championships: Russia claim exclusion ‘not beneficial’ for sport

Russia’s ice hockey federation says the country’s exclusion from this year’s World Championships is not “beneficial, nor constructive” for the sport.

The International Ice Hockey Federation last year suspended all national teams and clubs from Russia and Belarus due to the military conflict with Ukraine.

The IIHF has now extended that ban for the 2023-24 season, saying “it is not yet safe to reincorporate” the teams.

The World Championships take place in Finland and Latvia from 12-28 May.

They were due to take place in St Petersburg, but the IIHF stripped the city of its host status and says risks to the safety of players, officials and fans is the reason behind the continuation of the ban.

Ice hockey powerhouse Russia has won the event five times since 1993, while the former Soviet

Russia’s players enjoyed an open-top bus parade the last time the country won the Ice Hockey World Championships in 2014 Union lifted the world title on 22 occasions.

Taken together, those 27 triumphs are the joint highest

World Championship victories of any nation, alongside Canada.

“The format of such tournaments as the World Championships

implies competition between the strongest athletes of the planet, without national or ethnic discrimination,” the Russian Ice

Hockey Federation said. “Russia is one of the world’s leading ice hockey countries, it is among the leaders in terms of victories and medals of the most prestigious international tournaments.

“The suspension of the Russian national team from World Championships and other competitions under the contrived pretext of ‘security of participants’ is a decision that is neither constructive, nor beneficial for world hockey.”

The International Olympic Committee last year called on sports federations to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and teams from international events wherever possible.

The majority of mainstream sports have implemented similar bans, most prominently tennis, although some have allowed individuals from the countries to compete as neutral athletes. (BBC)

Sports International

The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, who previously had breast cancer in 2010, was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer late last year

Martina Navratilova: Tennis legend says she is ‘cancerfree’ after treatment

Tennis great Martina Navratilova says she is “cancer-free” after fearing she “would not see next Christmas”.

The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, who previously had breast cancer in 2010, was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer late last year.

In January, she said both cancers had been caught at an early stage.

“As far as they [the doctors] know I’m cancer-free,” the 66-year-old said on Piers Morgan’s TalkTV show on Tuesday.

“I still need to deal with the right breast, probably need to have radiation but that’s a couple of weeks and that doesn’t even count.

“That’s more preventative than anything else. I should be good to go. It’s 99% solvable.”

Navratilova noticed an enlarged

lymph node in her neck during November’s WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.

A subsequent biopsy revealed stage one throat cancer.

During the tests, a lump was also discovered in her breast, which was later diagnosed as an unrelated cancer.

“I was in a total panic for three days thinking I may not see next Christmas,” she told Morgan.

“The bucket list came into my mind of all the things I wanted to do.

“And this may sound really shallow, but I was like, ‘OK, which kick-ass car do I really want to drive if I live like a year’?’”

Navratilova said her friend and former rival Chris Evert, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2021, supported her “so much” through her treatment.

Morant scored 17 points and registered five assists against the Rockets

Ja Morant helps Memphis Grizzlies beat Houston Rockets on return from eight-game ban

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said the fan reaction helped him “a lot” on his return from an eight-game ban.

Morant, 23, was suspended without pay by the NBA after a video showed him holding a gun in a Colorado nightclub.

He returned off the bench in a 130-125 win against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday as the Grizzlies secured the Southwest Division title.

“It felt good to be back, super excited. Glad we were able to get the win,” said Morant.

Arthur says he ‘on a collision course’ to fight European champion Azeez

Lyndon Arthur says he is on a “collision course” to fight fellow Briton Dan Azeez, who is the European light-heavyweight champion.

Manchester’s Arthur, 31, will challenge Argentine Braian Nahuel Suarez for the vacant IBO world light-heavyweight title in Bolton on Friday.

“Dan Azeez - me and him will probably fight in the future,” Arthur - who has won 21 fights and lost one - said.

“I feel like it’s a great fight. A clash of styles.”

And Arthur added: “We’re both on a collision course. I do think it

will happen in the future.”

Azeez, 33, won the European title on Saturday with victory over Frenchman Thomas Faure in Paris.

The Londoner has won all 19 of his bouts and is a former English, British and Commonwealth champion.

“The Azeez fight hasn’t happened yet because promoter Ben Shalom offered me the fight but silly money,” Arthur - who has also held the Commonwealth title - added.

But before a potential fight with Azeez, Arthur must overcome knockout specialist Suarez.

The 30-year-old has won 18

fights, with 17 stoppages, and lost one.

“He looks dangerous,” Arthur said. “From what I’ve seen, he’s tough, game, willing to fight, raw, rugged opponent who can box. I’m excited for the test.”

Arthur’s most high-profile win was a split-decision victory over another Briton, Anthony Yarde, in December 2020, but he was spectacularly knocked out in the fourth round of their rematch a year later.

“It was a hard pill to swallow but it’s the game that I’m in,” Arthur said.

“You have to take the pros

He had been available to face the Dallas Mavericks on Monday but sat the game out.

Morant played 24 minutes against the Rockets and finished with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists.

“Once I got out there on the court and saw the fans’ reaction to me being back, it definitely helped me a lot. Made me feel good inside,” he added.

Elsewhere, Luka Doncic recorded 30-plus points for the 41st time this season - the most in a NBA campaign for the Dallas

Mavericks - but could not stop them losing 127-125 to the Golden State Warriors.

Doncic was making his return after a five-game absence because of a thigh injury and registered a game-high 30 points and 17 assists, while managing a team-high seven rebounds.

Stephen Curry finished with 20 points and a team-high 13 assists for the Warriors, who are sixth in the Western Conference and three places above the Mavericks. (BBC)

with the cons. When you win, it’s amazing, when you lose, it’s hard. It’s about how you bounce back.” Yarde’s profile has grown since

the rematch. In January he lost to unified world champion Artur Beterbiev but a spirited effort won many fans.

Arthur (right) has won 21 fights, with 15 KOs, and lost one since turning professional in 2016

Science & Technology

UN: Global water crisis could ‘spiral out of control’ due to overconsumption

THE world is facing a looming global water crisis that threatens to “spiral out of control” as increased demand for water and the intensifying impacts of the climate crisis put huge pressure on water resources, a UN report has warned.

Water use has increased by about 1% a year over the last 40 years, driven by population growth and changing consumption patters, according to the UN World Water Development Report published Tuesday, on the eve of a major UN water summit in New York.

By 2050, the number of people in cities facing water scarcity is projected to nearly double from 930 million people in 2016 to up to 2.4 billion, the report found. Urban water demand is expected to increase by 80% by 2050.

Without action to address the problem of water scarcity, “there definitely will be a global crisis,” said Richard Connor, the report’s lead author, at a news conference

to launch the report.

‘DIRE CONSEQUENCES’

Water access is already a huge problem. Two billion people do not currently have safe drinking water and 3.6 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation, according to the report.

About 10% of the global population already lives in countries with high or critical water stress.

Urban and industrial growth and agriculture are compounding existing shortages, with agriculture alone using up 70% of the world’s water supply, Connor said.

Seasonal water scarcity is set to increase in areas where water is currently plentiful including in Central Africa, East Asia and parts of South America, the report found. Meanwhile, scarcity will worsen in the Middle East and the Sahel region in Africa, where water is already in short supply.

Sweet snacks rewire the brain to prefer unhealthy food

Extreme and prolonged droughts, made more frequent and severe by the climate crisis, are also putting pressure on ecosystems, which could have “dire consequences” for plant and animal species, the report’s authors said.

Solutions include better international cooperation to avoid conflicts over water, Connor said.

Flood and pollution control, data sharing and efforts to reduce levels of planet-heating pollution should “open the door to further collaboration and increase access to water funds,” he said.

“There is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiraling out of control,” said Audrey Azoulay, the director general of UNESCO, the UN’s cultural body.

“Water is our common future, and it is essential to act together to share it equitably and manage it sustainably.” (CNN)

James Webb telescope detects dust storm on distant world

A RAGING dust storm has been observed on a planet outside our Solar System for the first time.

It was detected on the exoplanet known as VHS 1256b, which is about 40 light-years from Earth.

It took the remarkable capabilities of the new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to make the discovery.

The dust particles are silicates - small grains comprising silicon and oxygen, which form the basis of most rocky minerals.

But the storm detected by Webb isn’t quite the same phenomenon you would get in an arid, desert region on our planet. It’s more of

a rocky mist.

“It’s kind of like if you took sand grains, but much finer. We’re talking silicate grains the size of smoke particles,” explained Prof Beth Biller from the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, UK.

“That’s what the clouds on VHS 1256b would be like, but a lot hotter. This planet is a hot, young object. The cloud-top temperature is maybe similar to the temperature of a candle flame,” she told BBC News.

VHS 1256b was first identified by the UK-developed Vista telescope in Chile in 2015.

It’s what’s termed a “super Jupiter” - a planet similar to the gas giant in our own Solar System, but a lot bigger, perhaps 12 to 18 times the mass.

It circles a couple of stars at great distance - about four times the distance that Pluto is from our Sun.

Earlier observations of VHS 1256b showed it to be red-looking, hinting that it might have dust in its atmosphere. The Webb study confirms it.

“It’s fascinating because it illustrates how different clouds on another planet can be from the water vapour clouds we are

IN a new study led by the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, experts set out to investigate how the brain develops a preference for unhealthy foods.

The researchers found that foods with high fat and sugar content actually rewire our brain. By regularly eating these foods, even in small amounts, the brain unconsciously learns to prefer high-fat snacks.

“Our tendency to eat high-fat and high-sugar foods, the so-called Western diet, could be innate or develop as a result of being overweight. But we think that the brain learns this preference,” explained study lead author Sharmili Edwin Thanarajah.

In collaboration with experts at Yale University, the researchers designed an experiment with two study groups who were instructed to eat pudding once per day for eight weeks in addition to their normal diet.

One group of participants was

given a small pudding containing a lot of fat and sugar, while the other group received a pudding that contained the same number of calories but less fat. The researchers measured the brain activity of the volunteers before and during the eight weeks.

The study revealed that among the group that ate the high-sugar and high-fat pudding, the brain’s response to this type of food had greatly increased after eight weeks. In particular, the brain responded by activating dopaminergic pathways that are associated with reward and motivation.

“Our measurements of brain activity showed that the brain rewires itself through the consumption of chips and co. It subconsciously learns to prefer rewarding food,” said Marc Tittgemeyer, who led the study. “Through these changes in the brain, we will unconsciously always prefer the foods that contain a lot of fat and sugar.”

Artwork of VHS 1256b: The planet takes about 10,000 years to go around its two parent stars

familiar with on the Earth,” said Prof Biller.

“We see carbon monoxide (CO) and methane in the atmosphere, which is indicative of it being hot and turbulent, with material being drawn up from deep.

“There are probably multiple layers of silicate grains. The ones that we’re seeing are some of the very, very fine grains that are higher up in the atmosphere, but there may be bigger grains deeper down in the atmosphere.”

The researchers found that foods with high fat and sugar content actually rewire our brain

Water use has increased by about 1% a year over the last 40 years

Science & Technology

Steps have dropped since Covid-19 and the trend is worrisome, study says

AMERICANS took fewer steps during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and they still haven’t gotten their mojo back, a new study found.

“On average, people are taking about 600 fewer steps per day than before the pandemic began,” said study author Dr Evan Brittain, associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

“To me, the main message is really a public health message — raising awareness that Covid-19 appears to have had a lasting impact on people’s behavioural choices when it comes to activity,” he said.

WHO WALKED THE LEAST

The study used data from the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Programme, which is focused on identifying ways to develop individualised health care. Many of the 6,000 participants in the programme wore activity trackers for at least 10 hours a day over multiple years and allowed researchers access to their electronic health records.

Brittain and his colleagues have used the ensuing data before, publishing a study in October 2022 that found overweight people could lower their risk of obesity by 64% by increasing their steps taken from about 6,000 to 11,000

On average, people are taking about 600 fewer steps per day than before the pandemic began

per day.

In the new study, published Monday in JAMA Network Open, researchers compared steps taken by nearly 5,500 people who wore the programme’s activity trackers. Most were White women, with an

average age of 53. Step counts collected between January 1, 2018, and January 31, 2020, were considered pre-Covid. Steps tracked after that date until the end of 2021, which is when the study ended, were considered post-

Covid.

Results showed no difference in identified step activity based on sex, obesity, diabetes and other illnesses or conditions such as coronary artery disease, hypertension or cancer.

People who took the fewest steps were socioeconomically disadvantaged, under psychological stress and not vaccinated, the study said.

Age made a difference as well, but in an unexpected manner: People over 60 were not impacted by the pandemic, the study found — they continued to keep their steps up.

Oddly, it was younger people between 18 and 30 whose step counts were most impacted, Brittain said. “In fact, we found every 10-year decrease in age was associated with a 243 step reduction per day.”

“If this persists over time, it could certainly raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other conditions strongly linked to being sedentary,” Brittian said. “However, it’s too soon to know whether this trend will last.”

YOUNGER GENERATIONS MORE AT RISK?

Why would a younger generations lose steps while older people did not?

“I think it’s difficult to interpret

because it’s only 600 steps, which you could argue is what some people would get simply walking into work and through their day,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health, a hospital in Denver, who was not involved in the research. “I think the question is who is more likely to work from home?”

Younger generations make up the majority of workers in technology, software and other professions that are able to work from anywhere, “whereas older people may have less of those jobs,” Freeman said.

Whatever the reason, the study data shows that people were not moving as much during the pandemic as they used to. That is worrisome, Freeman added.

“If this trend remains, we should really be cognizant that if you’re going to work from home, use either a standing, treadmill or bike desk,” he said, adding that managers of remote employees should “insist people take periodic breaks for people to do exercise, which also is proven to improve mental clarity and acuity,” he said. Health professionals should always be talking to their patients about activity levels, but “the impact of Covid-19 might make those kinds of messages all the more important to discuss with patients,” Brittain said. (CNN)

For women who are struggling to conceive, chemicals could be the culprit — that’s according to a new study published in Science of the Total Environment.

The study found that women whose blood plasma contained higher amounts of PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) — chemicals often found in drinking water and in ordinary household products — had up to a 40% lower chance of pregnancy and live births.

Researchers from Mount Sinai, an integrated health system that includes the Icahn School of Medicine and eight

hospital campuses in the New York metropolitan area, focused on 1,032 Singaporean women between the ages of 18 and 45 who participated in a population-based study.

Within one year of follow-up, the women with a combination of seven PFAS in their blood were 30% to 40% less likely to conceive and deliver a live birth.

Dr Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not surprised by the findings (he was not involved in the study) — given that PFAS are linked to plastics,

which are on the increase.

“Many of these chemicals are endocrine disrupters, which can affect fertility,” he told Fox News Digital.

“This study is an important indication of that. The risk is increasing as these chemicals are found in more and more places in higher amounts.”

CERTAIN CHEMICALS HAVE GREATER IMPACT

Among all types of PFAS, the one that had the most adverse impact on fertility was perfluorodecanoic

To avoid PFAS exposure, the study author recommends using stainless pans instead of non-stick cookware.

Chemicals in water and household objects could reduce chances of pregnancy, live births: new study

Science & Technology

Progestogen-only pill breast cancer risk revealed

Taking a progestogen-only ‘mini pill’ carries a small risk of breast cancer - similar to combined oral contraceptive pills, say researchers.

The study, in PLoS Medicine journal, is one of the first big ones able to assess the odds for users of this type of birth control.

It shows a tiny risk, skewed towards older users, which goes away within a few years of stopping the medication.

On the flip side the pills protect against some other female cancers.

Women who take hormonal contraceptives have a lower risk of womb and ovarian cancer, with that protection lasting for decades, the researchers, from Oxford University, say. And people should weigh up all the pros and cons.

WHAT IS THE MINI-PILL?

Mostly used as a contraceptive but sometimes for help with painful, heavy periods, the mini-pill: contains just one hormone, progestogen (a synthetic version of progesterone), while the combined pill also contains oestrogen can be a good alternative for those who cannot use oestrogen - if breastfeeding or with an increased risk of blood clots, for example taken daily, with no break between pill packs, can be more than 99% effective against pregnancy can be used up to the menopause or the age of 55, if generally fit

The study, in PLoS Medicine journal, is one of the first big ones able to assess the odds for users of this type

and well can be bought without a prescription at pharmacies will not protect against sexuallytransmitted infections

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

Breast cancer is relatively rare among younger women - the age group most likely to be on the pill. So a slight increase in risk during the time a woman uses hormonal contraceptives means only a small number of extra cases of the disease.

The researchers looked at nearly 30,000 patient records held by

family doctors.

They found being on these pills for five years increased a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer within the next 15 by 20-30%, depending on how old she was at the time.

That sounds large, until you look at absolute risk - for example, the number of extra breast-cancer cases for every 100,000 women on the pill:

eight, if they take the pill in their late teens

265, if they take the pill in their late 30s

Experts say the findings are

reassuring.

One of the Oxford University researchers, Prof Gillian Reeves, said: “I don’t really see that there’s any indication here to say that women need to necessarily change what they’re doing.

“The main purpose of doing this research was really to fill a gap in our knowledge.”

Dr Michael Jones, from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “These findings suggest the use of hormonal contraceptives is associated with a slight increase in breast cancer risk before the menopause.

“The results were similar for different types of hormonal contraception, including progestogen-only contraceptives, where less is currently known about their risks.”

Prof Stephen Duffy, head of the Centre for Cancer Prevention, Detection and Diagnosis, at Queen Mary University of London, said: “10 years after stopping, there was no excess risk associated with oral contraceptive use.”

Dr Kotryna Temcinaite, from the charity Breast Cancer Now, said: “If you’re worried about breast cancer and contraception, or are unsure of what type you’re using, talk to your doctor or familyplanning clinic. You can also speak to our expert nurses by calling our free helpline.”

According to Cancer Research UK, there are other, bigger avoidable risk factors for developing breast cancer.

An estimated eight out of every 100 breast-cancer cases is linked to obesity. Alcohol is thought to contribute to a similar proportion.

Older age is the main risk factor though. Genetics or family history can also play a part. And men can develop breast cancer too.

Senior Health Information Manager at Cancer Research UK, Claire Knight, said: “For anyone looking to lower their cancer risk, not smoking, eating a healthy balanced diet, drinking less alcohol, and keeping a healthy weight will have the most impact.

“There are lots of possible benefits to using contraception, as well as other risks not related to cancer. That’s why deciding to take them is a personal choice and should be done after speaking to your doctor so you can make a decision that is right for you.”

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER?

Common breast-cancer signs and symptoms include:

a lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit ,which may not be visible changes in the size or shape of the breast

puckering or dimpling of the skin

a change in the colour of the breast - it may look red or inflamed rash, crusting or changes to the nipple

any unusual discharge from either nipple (BBC)

Chemicals in water and household objects ...

acid (PFDA).

PFDA is found in the environment and also in coatings on carpets, couches and food packaging, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Other chemicals that affected fertility in the study were perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (a key ingredient in stain repellents), perfluorooctanoic acid (found in Teflon and GoreTex) and perfluoroheptanoic acid (an environmental contaminant).

DANGERS GO BEYOND FERTILITY IMPACT

The study’s senior author Dr. Damaskini Valvi, assistant professor of environmental medicine and public health at Icahn Mount Sinai in New York City, believes that PFAS pose multiple

risks to public health.

“In girls and women in particular, PFAS exposure has been further associated with delayed puberty onset, as well as increased risk for endometriosis, PCOS and breast cancer, which further supports the adverse effects that PFAS have on the female reproductive system,” he told Fox News Digital in an email.

PFAS have also been shown to increase the risks for thyroid diseases, high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes and chronic liver disease, as well as certain types of cancer, such as kidney and testicular cancer, Dr. Valvi added.

Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, medical toxicologist and interim executive director at the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C., said PFAS exposure is also associated with increased risks of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, as

well as decreased fetal growth and reduced birth weights.

She was not involved in the study.

“Since PFAS chemicals are known to cross the placenta, they can potentially affect the health of both the mother and the fetus,” she told Fox News Digital in an email.

‘WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH DATA’

Lead study author Dr. Valvi noted that population studies in the U.S. and many other countries have identified adverse health effects from exposure to even very low amounts of PFAS.

“There is also continuous PFAS exposure through the consumption of contaminated drinking water, contaminated food and consumer product use — which means PFAS accumulates in our body over time, potentially increasing our risk for

chronic diseases in later life,” he said.

“At the current time, we don’t have enough data to tell us what a ‘safe’ level of PFAS exposure is,” said Dr. Johnson-Arbor.

“There are ways to monitor the levels of PFAS in human blood, but these tests are not readily available in hospitals or doctors’ offices and are typically used for research purposes only.”

‘STRICTER REGULATIONS’ NEEDED, SAY SOME

Dr Valvi stressed the importance of limiting exposure to PFAS, given the health risks.

“However, because PFAS are widely used in several consumer products and we now face a global contamination PFAS problem, we cannot fully avoid exposure without stricter regulations that ban the use of PFAS as a class,” he

told Fox News Digital.

“There are more than 10,000 PFAS released in our environment, but current regulations consider only 10-20 of those. That’s not enough.”

“To effectively address the PFAS problem, it is important to advocate for stronger regulations that ban the presence of PFAS as a class in consumer products and drinking water in the U.S. and globally,” Dr. Valvi continued.

Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new federal regulations of PFAS chemicals in drinking water, which would limit them to the lowest possible level that can be measured.

The proposal calls for limiting the PFOA and PFOS chemicals to 4 parts per trillion, and would also limit four other PFAS as a mixture. (Foxnews)

of birth control

Sports International

World Baseball Classic final: Japan beat defending champions USA 3-2 to win third title

JAPAN earned a thrilling 3-2 victory over defending champions USA to win the World Baseball Classic for a third time.

Japanese star Shohei Ohtani clinched the win in Miami by striking out US captain Mike Trout, his Los Angeles Angels team-mate, in the ninth inning.

Japan won the first two editions of the tournament in 2006 and 2009.

“This is the best moment in my life,” said Ohtani, 28, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

“I’ve seen Japan winning and just wanted to be part of it. I really appreciate that I was able to have this great experience.”

He also made the team of the tournament as both the designated hitter and a pitcher.

The fifth edition of the WBC

came down to a match-up between two of Major League Baseball’s best players in the tournament’s final at-bat.

In 2021, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to be selected for the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and a hitter.

Trout, 31, signed the most lucrative contract in world sport in 2019 - a 12-year extension worth a reported $426.5m (£324m).

Ohtani prevailed in front of a sell-out crowd of 36,098 to spark wild celebrations both among his team-mates and back home in Tokyo.

“I think as a baseball fan, everybody wanted to see it. He won round one,” said Trout with a smile.

“The baseball world won tonight,” added US manager Mark DeRosa. “I was hoping it would go

Japan are just the second team to go unbeaten through a WBC tournament, after Dominican Republic in 2013

our way with Mikey popping one against Ohtani.

“The whole world got to see Ohtani come in - [in a] big spot, battling. That’s kind of how it was scripted. I just wish it would have gone differently.”

‘THIS PROVES JAPAN CAN BEAT ANYONE’

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner put the star-studded US team in front in the second inning with his fifth home run of the tournament, tying the record for a single WBC.

Munetaka Murakami homered to help Japan gain a 2-1 lead in their second inning, before Kazuma Okamoto homered in the fourth.

Kyle Schwarber hit a home run in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 3-2, before Ohtani won his individual duel with Trout.

“Whether I got him out or he got a hit off me, I didn’t want to take any risks,” Ohtani said. “I wanted to make my best pitch.

“This really proves that Japanese baseball can beat any team in the world.”

US manager DeRosa added: “Although our guys are disappointed, I couldn’t be prouder of them, the way they came together as a team. They truly started to bond and enjoy being around each other.”

The next WBC is due to be held in 2026 and Ohtani has challenged Japan to build on their success.

“Just because we won today doesn’t mean that we achieved a final goal, this is just a passing point,” he said. “Our team has just started.” (BBC)

Man Utd takeover: Sir Ratcliffe & Sheikh Jassim to submit new bids

Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim will submit improved bids to buy Manchester United after the initial deadline was extended at their request amid confusion on Wednesday night.

Bidders were told they had until 21:00 GMT to submit second, revised bids.

BBC Sport has been told several other proposed investors met the initial deadline.

It is unclear when the new deadline will be.

Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim are the only publicly declared bidders.

Initially on Wednesday evening there had been strong indications that the pair had submitted fresh bids.

It is now understood that over the past 24 hours both parties submitted requests to Raine - the investment bank conducting the sale - for more time to make their second offers, which was granted.

The situation is described as “live and fast moving” by someone

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has tabled an offer to buy Manchester United

close to the talks but it is thought both Sheikh Jassim and Ineos are committed to making second bids. However the bizarre twist in the sale process will only reinforce concerns among some fans that American owners the Glazer family may decide not to sell the club.

Ineos wants to buy the combined Glazer shareholding of about 69%, but the Qataris are targeting 100% of the club.

Both sides met with United officials earlier in March.

BBC Sport has learned that United officials met eight different

potential investors over a 10-day period of high-level meetings recently, including Ratcliffe and representatives of Sheikh Jassim.

The size of their initial bids has not been disclosed - with reports both are in the region of £4.5bnbut they were clearly far below the £5-6bn valuation that the Glazers have established, a figure that would smash the record £3.71bn paid for a sports team.

Whether they - or any other prospective bidders - are able to submit an offer that persuades the Glazers to sell is the next key question.

If not, and with United’s fortunes improving significantly in recent months under manager Erik ten Hag, the Americans may well yet decide to retain the club and perhaps instead look to sell a minority stake to the likes of US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management.

The Glazer family said in November they were considering selling United.

Announcing its initial bid Sheikh Jassim’s Qatari consortium said the offer “plans to return the club to its former glories”.

Described as a life-long Manchester United fan, Sheikh Jassim is chairman of Qatari bank QIB and the son of a former prime minister of Qatar.

The Ineos group, owned by 70-year-old British billionaire Ratcliffe, has a history of investment in sport and owns French Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss club Lausanne.

Its sporting portfolio also includes high-profile sailing team Ineos Britannia - led by Sir Ben Ainslie - and a five-year partnership with Formula 1 team Mercedes, while it took over the British-based Team Sky in cycling in 2019.

At the time of the first bid it was understood its proposal would emphasise Manchesterborn Ratcliffe would be “a British custodian for the club” and would aim to “put the Manchester back into Manchester United”. (BBC)

Mesut Ozil: Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder retires Australia win decisive ODI and go top of rankings

Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil has retired from football at the age of 34.

Ozil won nine trophies during his club career including four FA Cups and the Spanish La Liga title in 2012.

He also won 92 caps for Germany and was part of the team that lifted the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

“It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions,” Ozil said in a statement on social media.

“I’ve had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity.

“But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it’s become more and more clear that it’s time to leave the big stage of football.”

Ozil began his career at Schalke and Werder Bremen before moving

to Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

He joined Arsenal for a then club record fee of £42.4m in September 2013, winning back-to-back FA Cups in his first two seasons before being named player of the season in his third, and then winning the cup again in 2017.

The playmaker became the highest-paid player in the club’s history in January 2018, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal on about £350,000 a week before tax, but fell out of favour under new Arsenal boss Unai Emery.

After Emery’s dismissal in December 2019 Ozil returned to the side under interim boss Freddie Ljungberg and kept his place under new permanent manager Mikel Arteta, before the coronavirus pandemic forced a three-month suspension of the top flight in March 2020.

Ozil did not play for the club

when football resumed in June, although he would claim a fourth FA Cup winners’ medal when the Gunners beat Chelsea in the 2020 final.

He joined Fenerbahce on a free transfer in January 2021 but had his contract cancelled by mutual consent in July 2022 when he joined Istanbul Basaksehir, where injuries limited him to just eight appearances.

Ozil could have played for Germany or Turkey at international level but chose to play for the country of his birth.

He was named man of the match as Germany Under-21s beat England in the European U21 Championship final in June 2009, having already made his debut for the senior side aged 20 earlier that year.

Ozil was named Germany player of the year five times and was part of the side that reached the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, as well as winning the 2014 World Cup.

Australia beat India by 21 runs in their decisive one-day international in Chennai to replace the hosts at the top of the 50-over world rankings.

Adam Zampa took 4-45 as India were dismissed for 248 in pursuit of 270, sealing Australia’s 2-1 series win.

India were on top needing 52 from 38 balls, but leg-spinner Zampa dismissed Hardik Pandya for 40 and had Ravindra Jadeja caught for 18 in his next over.

Australia had earlier battled to 269 all out in 49 overs with the bat.

They reached 68-0 in 11th over but Pandya took a wicket in each of his first three overs, having Travis Head caught on the deep third boundary for 33, Steve Smith edging behind for a duck and Mitchell Marsh playing on to his stumps for 47.

David Warner made 23 batting at number four on his return from

elbow injury, Marnus Labuschagne hit 28, and Alex Carey 38 but all three fell to left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav who took 3-56.

Australia’s last five wickets added a further 131 runs, however, with Marcus Stoinis making 25 and Sean Abbott 26.

India were 185-4 in reply, needing 85 from 90 balls, when left-arm spinner Ashton Agar had Virat Kohli caught at long-off for 54 and bowled Suryakumar Yadav in successive balls.

Suryakumar’s dismissal meant he was dismissed for a first-ball duck for a third time in three matches in the series.

The series win for Australia, India first ODI series loss at home since 2019, comes after their 2-1 defeat in the Test series.

It also acted as preparation for the 50-over World Cup which will be held in India in the autumn. (BBC)

Mbappe replaces Lloris as captain of France national team

Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has been named as the new captain of the France national team.

He succeeds Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who retired from international football in January.

Mbappe, 24, has 66 caps for France since making his senior debut in 2017.

“Kylian meets all the requirements to have this responsibility,” France manager

Didier Deschamps told French TV channel TF1 in an interview to be aired on Sunday.

“On the field as in the life of the group, by being a unifying element.”

The French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed Deschamps had named Mbappe as captain and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann as vice-captain on social media on Tuesday.

Mbappe was the top scorer at last year’s World Cup as he helped

France reach a second straight World Cup final, where they were beaten by Argentina.

He scored two goals in the 2018 final against Croatia and was named as the tournament’s best young player as France were crowned world champions for a second time.

Deschamps’ side play the Netherlands at the Stade de France in their first Euro 2024 qualifier on Friday, before facing the Republic of Ireland on Monday.

Mbappe, 24, has 66 caps for France since making his senior debut in 2017

Mesut Ozil and Germany won the World Cup in 2014

Australia’s win was sealed with the run-out of Kuldeep Yadav in the final over

Sports International

Gymnastics historical sex abuse case: More women come forward over Brian Phelps claims

More women have come forward after a survivor of historical child sexual abuse at the hands of a former trampoline coach spoke out.

Last month, BBC Sport reported the account of ‘Emma’ - her name changed for anonymitywho claimed she was another survivor of convicted paedophile and former British Olympic diver Brian Phelps.

Phelps, who won a 1960 bronze medal at the Rome Olympics as a teenager, became a trampolining coach at a gymnastics club after his career finished.

But he was later jailed in 2008, aged 64, after admitting a string of historical indecent assaults against three children aged between six and 15, in the 1970s and 1980s.

Emma told BBC Sport that she was one of several further victims and claimed she was raped and abused from the age of five to 12 in the mid-late 70s and early 80s by Phelps in the Olga gymnastics gyms he ran with his wife.

Emma said there were 15 further survivors from her conversations with other women which began after she read about Phelps being jailed in 2008 - and she said she always believed the number could be even higher.

She also accused British Gymnastics of “catastrophic failures” in what she claims is the

Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk: Promoter Frank Warren says fight is off

Promoter Frank Warren says Tyson Fury’s heavyweight fight with Oleksandr Usyk is off - and he “does not think” it will happen in the near future.

Talks over a bout at Wembley Stadium on 29 April have broken down, despite a late bid to salvage the situation.

Usyk had agreed a 70/30 purse split in Fury’s favour with terms for a rematch the only outstanding issue.

But Warren said the fight is now a “dead duck” and suggested Usyk had looked “for a way to get out”.

“They said the fight must take place before 29 April and if it goes later they want different splits,” Warren said.

“The reason they did that was they didn’t think Tyson would be ready for the 29th and suddenly Tyson was ready for it.

“He has been in training camp for two and a half weeks, got trainers in from America and they looked for a way to get out.”

Fury currently holds the WBC heavyweight belt while Ukraine’s

Usyk, who beat Britain’s Anthony Joshua for a second time last year, has the others in the division.

Warren said Fury had agreed to the principle of a rematch but terms around the deal, and whether it would again be for all of the belts, had not been finalised.

He said Usyk’s camp have also been “turned” by potential earnings by fighting in Saudi Arabia later this year by which time Usyk would have to fight other mandatory challengers.

“There is an established rota of who Usyk has to defend against,” Warren said.

“That’s why after the 29th it goes away.”

Both parties have until 1 April to agree a deal after the WBA said it would wait until that date before ordering Usyk to fight mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois.

biggest case of sexual abuse in the governing body’s history.

Following media coverage, several more women have made contact with Emma and BBC Sport understands British Gymnastics has been contacted directly by some of the new alleged victims.

The governing body told the

BBC that Emma’s story was “harrowing reading”. It says it has been liaising with the police to help facilitate communication for any survivors who have been in touch with them, and added: “Above anything else, the safety and wellbeing of gymnasts and everyone involved in the sport remains our absolute priority. We must rebuild trust and make this sport safe for everyone.”

Dorset Police said it is committed to supporting victims and holding those responsible to account. It said: “We would urge anyone who has been the subject of non-recent sexual abuse to please report it to Police. Please contact Dorset Police via 101 and ask to be put in contact with a speciallytrained police officer.”

Emma says several more possible locations of abuse in Dorset have now come to light and she’s helping support those new people who’ve spoken to her, along with Gymnasts 4 Change - a global group of former gymnasts campaigning to end abusive

coaching practices.

In a statement, Gymnasts 4 Change claimed information in the public domain about this case “is only the tip of the iceberg” and said the group is “a safe space for any further survivors who wish to come forward to share their stories and connect with our survivor led network”.

Along with indecent assault, Phelps was also charged with rape and attempted rape in 2008 - but denied it. He also categorically denied any abuse of Emma or any other alleged survivors and told the BBC he had “no comment”.

Phelps - who won gold medals at the 1962 and 1966 Commonwealth Games - served six years of a nineyear jail sentence and now lives in France with his wife.

Emma previously told BBC Sport that the recent exposure of mistreatment in the sport, plus the Whyte Review investigation of “systemic” physical and emotional abuse in gymnastics, made her feel “empowered” to speak out. (BBC)

Tyson Fury is undefeated and holds the WBC heavyweight title

Chisora in December to retain his WBC title, he said agreeing a deal with Usyk and his team for an undisputed fight would be easy - but that has not proven to be the case.

After months of back and forth, Fury publicly declared 12 days ago he would not accept anything less than a 70/30 purse split in his favour.

Usyk surprised everyone by accepting that offer, despite holding three of the four world titles, and subsequently informed governing body the WBA that terms had been

reached.

However, Fury then said he would not sign any deal that included a rematch clause - leading to a conference call on Sunday morning between all parties.

Warren said “six or seven” outstanding issues were ironed out and he had managed to convince Fury to accept a rematch. The WBC champion agreed and the call ended with Team Fury optimistically preparing an official statement to announce the fight.

Warren teased on Twitter on Sunday that news was imminent,

but the two sides again clashed over the proposed terms of a rematch.

According to Warren, Fury was against an immediate rematch in part as he did not want to be tied into two fights against Usyk as he was with Deontay Wilder, which meant he could not fight British rival Anthony Joshua.

The purse splits for a proposed rematch appear, however, to be the key unresolved issue to unlocking Fury v Usyk.

‘Why are we even talking about rematches?’

Former British Olympic diver Brian Phelps during training, at the National Recreation Centre, Crystal Palace in 1966

Twenty athletes selected for CARIFTA Games

The Turks and Caicos Islands will be represented by 20 athletes at this year’s CARIFTA Games, which is scheduled to take place from April 8-10 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas.

The majority of the athletes were chosen after excelling at the 2023 TCISS Inter-High Track and Field Championships, which was won by A. Louise Garland Thomas High School.

Of the lot, 11 will compete in the U20 division and nine in the U17.

Six girls were selected,

CHHS’s dominant sprinter Roniesha Johnson and LGTHS’s Branary Delancy in the U-17 division and Krysann Williams (LGTHS), Anesha Varus (CHHS), Lynn Antoine (Unattached) and Chyna Simmons (BWIC) in the U20 division.

Of the 14 males selected, four are currently in school in Jamaica and one in the US. They include the Walkin brothers Rayvon and Antwon from Kingston College, Alidavidson Higgs from Jamaica College, Rayvon

Black (Denbigh/Jamaica) and Darvioun Rigby Keiser/USA.

All of the athletes based outside of TCI, except Black, will compete in the U20 division.

The other U20 male competitors are CHHS’s Alieandio Durham, Bernard Hyde and Markey Zepherin.

The remaining U17 male athletes are Renaldo Registre (RGHS), Jarmal Missick (HJRHS), Melique Evans (CHHS), Love Joseph (LGTHS), Kaeson Garland (MBHS) and Shamar Garland (HJRHS).

GK Foods start cricket season with win against Beaches

An all-round performance from Prabakaran Paulraj resulted in GK Foods registering a 13run victory against Beaches when action in the TCI Cricket Association T20 Cricket Competition bowled off on Sunday last at the Downtown Ball Park in Providenciales.

GK Foods called correctly and opted to take first strike.

Led by Paulraj, who scored 41 runs (5X4s, 1X6), GK Foods

were able to reach a respectable 168-8 from their allotted overs.

Ganesan Kuthalingham supported with 32 runs (4X4s, 1X6), while Alston Byfield added 20 runs.

Bowling for Beaches, Claude Williams captured 3-22 runs from four overs, while Danar Lewis, Anthony McKnight, and Sidue Hunter took one wicket each.

In reply, Beaches had moments

of glory, but in the end, they fell short at 155-9 from their 20 overs as Paulraj snarled 4-20 from his four overs. S Raju supported with 2-25 from four overs.

Former Jamaican youth player Anthony McKnight stroked seven fours in a top score of 46, while Mario Smith added 26 (4X4s, 1X6) and Sidue Hunter a boundary-laden 26 (5X4s, 1X6) for Beaches.

Roniesha Johnson was unstoppable in the Girls U17 sprints. She won the 100M, the 200M and the 400M at Inter-High

Chyna Simmons won the U20 100M and 200M at Inter-High

Melique Evans won the Boys U17 high jump, 800M and the 400M at Inter High (Sports Commission photos)

Man-of-the-Match Prabakaran Paulraj led the attack for GK Foods with 41 runs and four wickets

Sports National

ISLANDERS, CANADIENS AND PIRATES CROWNED PHL CHAMPIONS

The Grace Bay Car Rental Islanders, the L’Heureux and Co. Canadiens and the Projetech Pirates were crowned champions of the Provo Hockey League (PHL) 2022-2023 season when the curtains came down on the annual event on Saturday at the Graceway Sports Centre.

The three Da Conch Shack Cup winners had convincing victories with the Canadiens leading the charge with a 6-1 win over the Temple Financial Panthers in the Bantam Division.

In that final, it was a twoplayer game with Tyler Malcolm and Rishith Gururaja leading the charge for the winners.

Malcolm scored his three goals within three minutes in the latter part of the first period before Gururaja took over in the second period with an equal amount of goals.

Heath Francis scored the consolation goal at 11:28 in the second period for the Panthers.

In the third-place Bantam Division clash, the Tibors Sharks also registered an emphatic 6-1 win, when they battled the Kvanar Oilers.

Emeric Gula (also an assist) and Adrien Penn scored two goals each, while Ryan King and Oliver Bowden scored the others.

The Oilers’ lone successful strike was made by Owen Barkworth Knight late in the second period.

NOVICE FINAL

The Novice Division final was also a one-sided clash with the GBCR Islanders surging to a 4-1 win against the Design Studio Jets.

The Jets had an early lead after Tyler Wake Forbes converted at 7:02 in the first period, but Nicholas Comert evened the game by the half.

Comert would go on to score again in the second period, while Damian Rutherford and Diana Arnth Jensen also found the back of the net.

In the third-place clash of the youngest age division, the Scooter Bobs Canucks defeated the TMW Lightning 3-0.

Yash Ochani scored two goals, while Shlok Ganglani added the other.

JUNIOR DIVISION

The season ended with the Junior Division clash between the Projetech Pirates and the Waratah Flyers.

Although the Flyers outscored the Pirates in the second period, it was not enough to undo the damage inflicted on them by the Pirates in the first period.

Wyatt Pollon, who led the Pirates to the 6-3 win (5-1 at the half), finished with a hat-trick, while Joswin Jose added a pair and Reggie Monuma the opening goal.

Jacob Been scored twice for the Flyers, while Alice French added the other goal.

The Projetech Pirates won the Junior Division

The L’Heureux and Co. Canadiens won the Bantam Division

The Grace Bay Car Rental Islanders won the Novice Division