Verification of Belonger Status and Voter Registration for overseas students
The Ministry of Border Control and Labor and the Elections Office have release information as it relates to the verification of Belonger Status and Voter Registration for students' studying overseas. According to the release, students who reside overseas and wish to verify their Belonger Status must: * Complete and sign the application and * Provide 2 photos with the required supporting documents to demonstrate their enrollment in an educational institution overseas, including proof of attendance at the institution,
which could be a letter confirming enrollment and attendance. Once this is done, the application can either be sent via mail to the Ministry of Border Control and Labour, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands.OR The applicant should provide a cover letter indicating that they have authorized a parent or guardian to present their application on their behalf. In this instance, the parent or guardian completing and submitting the application, will be required to take an oath confirming that they are authorized to make the application and
that the information given, is true and correct. Students who wish to register as a Voter must
* Sign the application form * Send it to the Supervisor of Elections, with proof of qualification to register as an elector. For further information regarding Verification of Belonger Status and Voter Registration, please contact: The Ministry of Border Control and Labour Telephone number 946-2801 ext: 81514 or 40711 The Email address is:- belongerstatus@gov.tc
Beyonce and Pitbull Lend Their Voices To New 20th Century Fox Animated Movie “Epic”
Twentieth Century Fox Animation has announced the voice cast for Epic, the studio’s upcoming 3D animated adventure-comedy featuring Beyonce and Pitbull.
In addition to Beyonce and Pitbull, lending their voice’s to the film, the cast of Epic also includes Aeromsith frontman and American Idol judge Steven Tyler, comedians Jason Sudeikis and Aziz Asari, and such actors as Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Johnny Knoxville and Amanda Seyfried.
Epic, which the studio hopes to have out by the end of 2013, follows the story of a “teenage girl as she is transported into another universe, which she then has to save in order to save the real world.”
According to Deadline, Beyonce will voice the character of Queen Tara while Pitbull will play Bufo. Aside from the characters names,no other details on their roles have been revealed.
Epic will be directed by Chris Wedge, who directed the Academy Award-nominated film Ice Age, which was the first installment in the studios massive Ice Age franchise which has now spanned four films.
The role will be Pitbull’s first official foray into acting despite creating the title song for last week’s release of Men In Black 3. Beyonce on the other hand is no stranger to the film world; her last film project was 2009′s Obsessed. She has been long-rumored to star in Clint Eastwood’s remaining of the 1976 film A Star Is Born.
Rocsi Diaz and Terrence J Officially Say Goodbye to ‘106 & Park’
After seven years as hosts of “106 & Park,” Rocsi Diaz and Terrence Jenkins have officially announced their departure.
For a few weeks now, only rumors prepared fans for a possible change with the program. But now it’s totally official.
Terrence told the audience in a very emotional moment that the dynamic duo has decided to part ways from the show and pursue other career paths.
“We have decided together that we will soon be leaving ’106 and Park’ as your hosts. This by no stretch of the imagination was an easy decision. But it’s the right one. It’s come after a lot of prayer, a lot of thought, and a lot of consideration,” Terrence said.
We had no idea–we can’t even express how amazing these seven years have been and how life changing they’ve been. We appreciate you guys so much,” said Rocsi.
A final show date has yet to be announced, but like any great host, they’ll have a huge going away ‘party’ on the show.
Michael Jackson’s Estate to Re-Release ‘Bad’ the Anniversary Edition
Michael Jackson’s “Bad” is making a blast from the past 25 years after it’s original release, along with some never-before-seen concert footage.
The “Bad 25” deluxe package will commemorate the King of Pop and will include original music, demos, and songs that didn’t quite make it to the general public.
The new songs were recorded in Jackson’s studio while he was making the album, and the package also offers a DVD of Jackson’s performance for Britain’s Prince Charles, Lady Diana and 72,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium in 1988, say reports.
The footage was discovered among Jackson’s personal collection and could be the only known copy of the performance.
The collection is another way to keep the singer’s legacy alive.
Craig Marks, editor of Popdust.com, said the anniversary edition of the famous record is a true testament to Jackson’s all-around talent.
“It continues to focus fans’ attention on his music … hopefully it brings to the fore what an incredible live performer he was and his songbook, given that ‘Bad’ was at the time considered to be very successful but was in the shadows of ‘Thriller,’” Marks told Reuters.
Madonna world MDNA tour kicks off in Israel
Madonna has kicked off her MDNA world tour in Tel Aviv, Israel, wishing peace in the Middle East.
The two-hour concert at Ramat Gan Stadium saw the pop star perform tracks from her latest album, as well as some of her other hit songs.
Midway through the show, she told the 30,000-strong crowd: "If there is peace in the Middle East, there can be peace in the whole world."
The tour will run until December and take in more than 65 cities worldwide.
"I chose to start my world tour in Israel for a very specific and important reason," the singer said.
"As you know, the Middle East and all the conflicts that have been occurring here for thousands of years - they have to stop.
"If we can all rise above our egos and our titles and the names of our countries and our religions, and treat everyone around us with respect, then we are on the road to peace," she added.
However, a number of the singer's dance routines featured guns and violence.
Her performance of Like A Virgin featured Madonna seemingly lowered into a volcano as a virgin sacrifice, while for Gang Bang - she wrestled with armed intruders before shooting them.
The routine for Revolver also saw the star wielding a Kalashnikov rifle, while one of her dancers brandished an Uzi.
The 53-year-old also took a sly dig at Lady Gaga, performing a mash-up of 1989 hit Express Yourself with Gaga's track Born This Way - which many critics and fans have claimed is strikingly similar.
Madonna, dressed as a marching band conductor, sang the lyrics, "She's not me", into her re-worked version.
Following Tel Aviv, the MDNA tour will move on to Abu Dhabi before dates in Europe, North and South America.
The singer's last tour grossed more than $400m (£261.5m).
Bahamas to strengthen ties with Turks and Caicos
Newly-elected Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie pledged to strengthen ties between The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) during a recent meeting in Nassau with Doug Parnell, deputy leader of the TCI’s Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). The Bahamas prime minister was relaxing after a grueling and hard fought election campaign as he welcomed Parnell to his home on Cable Beach.
They spoke about the need for closer ties and association between The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Christie recognized that there are more than 40,000 Turks and Caicos Islanders living in The Bahamas.
Parnell congratulated the prime minister on his Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) 29-9 victory at the polls on May 7 over the Free National Movement (FNM), then led by former prime minister, Hubert Ingraham. Parnell complimented Christie over his messaging of generational leadership change within the PLP.
Christie sympathized with the Turks and Caicos people over the suspension of elected government and hoped for an early return of self rule. Parnell encouraged Christie to continue to follow developments in the TCI, as Britain is expected to set elections for the end of this year.
The PLP leader and the PDM deputy leader also discussed Christie’s pledge to overhaul the existing air sector policy to create a safer and more efficient air transport system.
According to the Speech from the Throne in The Bahamas Parliament, this will include the creation of a modern civil aviation regulatory regime, the creation of a fully independent body to investigate air accidents, enhanced communications technology and upgraded radar equipment. Additionally, steps will be taken by the Christie-led PLP administration to address the management of The Bahamas Flight Information Region, which will permit access to over-flight fees on the upper airspace of The Bahamas.
Parnell also indicated that the return of upgraded air services to Mayaguana would increase trade between the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands and called on The Bahamas PM to help facilitate these trading links in the southern Bahamas/Turks and Caicos Islands archipelago by returning customs and immigration to that island by making it a port of entry.
Currently, aircraft and vessels destined for Mayaguana must enter The Bahamas by travelling south to Inagua, presenting a cost barrier to trade. Mayaguana is less than 20 miles from Providenciales.
The PDM deputy leader thanked Christie for paying attention to the ongoing situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands, as a former PM (2002-2007) and as leader of the opposition (2007-2012). Parnell invited The Bahamas prime minister to pay an early visit to the TCI.
Kevin Durant's big 4th, Serge Ibaka's perfect night lift Thunder in Game 4
When Lil Wayne turned down Kevin Durant's invitation to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, he missed quite a show by the three-time scoring champion.
Durant scored 18 of his 36 points in a scintillating final 7 minutes, Serge Ibaka added a career-high 26 points and the Thunder evened the series at two games apiece by beating the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 Saturday night.
After seeing his team's 15-point lead dwindle to four, Durant took over midway through the fourth quarter by scoring all 16 of the Thunder's points during a span of just over 5 minutes to keep the Spurs at bay.
"I didn't tell myself that I need to go score because what we were doing was working," Durant said.
"We were passing the ball and guys were making shots. ... I just wanted to stick with what we were doing, but it started to open up for me and I could see some lanes that gave me some opportunities to make some shots."
With All-Star teammate Russell Westbrook limited to seven points, Durant did almost all of the damage late to send the series back to San Antonio all square for Game 5 on Monday night.
Durant, who finished behind only LeBron James in MVP voting, hit three straight jumpers, the last one coming after he bumped into Tony Parker in the lane to draw a foul and set up a three-point play. Then he attacked the rim for his next three baskets, getting to the line again when he was fouled on a layup off of James Harden's alley-oop.
Durant hit another jumper after coming off a Westbrook screen for the last basket in his personal run -- and the Spurs were still within striking distance. Rookie Kawhi Leonard bracketed a pair of 3-pointers around that Durant jumper, and the Spurs were only down 102-96 with 1:24 left.
The Spurs succeeded in getting the ball out of Durant's hands on the next possession, only for him to provide the assist on Harden's 3-pointer from the left wing that bumped the lead to nine.
"When a player that talented gets hot, it's really hard to contain," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "We tried different things and they didn't work.
"He scored a bunch in a short period of time. When we tried to blitz or really help, he kicked it and they made big shots."
Durant hit two free throws in the final minute to help close it out.
"We tried to do a couple of different things but his play was better than anything we did defensively, that's for sure," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He finished it off in fine fashion."
Before the game, Durant said he still hoped to convince Lil Wayne to come see a game in Oklahoma City after the rapper created a stir before Game 3 by tweeting he was denied access and followed it up by saying he felt "unwanted" at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
With another big closing effort, Durant provided another reason to catch the Thunder in the playoffs.
"I just want to be calm and composed and poised in those situations and make the right basketball play," Durant said. "I just try to calm down and go with my instincts."
Oklahoma City is trying to become the 15th team in NBA history to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a seven-game series, and the eighth to do it since 2004. The Thunder avoided an even trickier task by winning.
Only eight teams have ever overcome a 3-1 hole, and only two had done it while needing two wins on the road -- the 1995 Rockets and 1968 Celtics.
"We've just got to go down there with the mindset that we're going to play hard every possession, play together like we've played in these last two games and we'll see what happens," Durant said.
"We've just got to keep believing, man, and we'll be fine."
Tim Duncan had 21 points for San Antonio, which had won 20 in a row before losing Game 3. Leonard added 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Spurs wiped away most of a 15-point deficit with a run that coincided with Popovich turning to DeJuan Blair, who's had some notoriously big games against the Thunder but had occupied a spot on the bench for most of the playoffs after starting 62 of the 66 regular-season games.
Blair sprung free for a layup early in an 18-5 comeback, and Ginobili's 3-pointer from the top of the key trimmed Oklahoma City's lead to 73-71 with 1:16 to go in the third quarter.
The Spurs were within four after Duncan's left-handed runner with 6:55 left in the game. That's when Thunder coach Scott Brooks called a timeout, and Durant came out of it firing away. He made seven of his last eight shots and also finished with eight assists and six rebounds.
"It was hard because were on a run, we were feeling good about ourselves and we just couldn't make a stop," Ginobili said.
Ibaka made all 11 of his shots -- and all four of his free throws -- to lead a strong performance from Oklahoma City's frontcourt while Durant's usual running mates, Westbrook and Harden, both struggled.
Ibaka, starting center Kendrick Perkins and reserve Nick Collison combined to go 22 for 25 from the field for 49 points. Westbrook missed eight of his 10 shots and Harden was limited to eight points.
The Thunder shot 56 percent and outrebounded San Antonio 41-31.
Oklahoma City pulled ahead to stay with a 12-3 run early in the second quarter with Durant and Westbrook both taking a break. Westbrook nailed a 3-pointer from the left side soon after returning to provide the Thunder's first double-digit lead at 43-33 with 4:44 to go before halftime.
ESPN
Gayle, Windies stars to grace Ultimate Bash 2
JAMAICAN left-handed batsman Christopher Gayle is among a slew of local and regional stars set to grace the second staging of the Cricket Clubs Activity Committee (CCAC) Ultimate Cricket Bash festival at the Melbourne Oval, starting at 10:00 am today.
Gayle, fresh from topping the run-scoring charts playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the just-ended Indian Premier League, and all-action all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, as well as the Barbadian pair of Dale Richards and Sulieman Benn, are all booked to appear.
Others set to compete are the Jamaicans Andre Russell, David Bernard, Andrew Richardson, Carlton Baugh and successful four-day captain Tamar Lambert.
In a statement issued by CCAC chairman Wavell Hinds, the big-hitting Gayle shared that he is looking forward to supporting the clubs and parishes by competing in the fundraising event.
"I'm looking forward to it because it's always good to give back to club cricket in the country. I will always support this kind of venture that I'm a beneficiary and a product of," Gayle stated.
Meanwhile, Hinds told the Jamaica Observer that he is expecting a fun-filled day of cricket, netball and other activities at the event, which was last held two years ago.
"We have great expectations of how things will turn out. It won't be just about cricket as thanks to the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) we have also arranged for two FastNet netball matches. It is a family-oriented affair so expect bounce-about and other games for children," said the former West Indies batsman.
He explained that Dwayne Bravo's late inclusion is a pleasant surprise.
"Bravo wanted to play initially, but his club in Trinidad is in the final stages of their Twenty20 Festival. However, because of inclement weather there, and some matches being rained out, he chose to come to Jamaica, and we have accepted him with open arms.
According to the former left-handed opener, the aim of the CCAC is to strengthen the unity within the clubs and parishes, rejuvenate the local cricket circuit and create an atmosphere to encourage players to feel a sense of responsibility and attachment to their respective clubs.
The Ultimate Cricket Bash 2 event, which is put on in association with the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) and endorsed by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), will help in raising funds for the CCAC to improve infrastructure, such as club maintenance and the acquiring and repairing of various machines and equipment.
Hinds added that Gayle, Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan have made "financial contribution of significant amounts and the CCAC is more than grateful for their kind gesture."
In the feature encounter of the all-day spectacle, a CCAC All Stars XI will clash with a Jamaica Invitational XI.
For the curtain-raiser, a Masters and Celebrities XI is set to oppose a Media XI.
As a result of the Cricket Bash, no matches in the JCA-run Senior or Junior Cup competitions will be played.
Ashmeade clocks PB for second behind Gatlin
JAMAICA'S young upstart sprinter Nickel Ashmeade, clocked a personal best 9.93 seconds to gain second place behind American Justin Gatlin, in the Samsung Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon today.
Gatlin produced a powerful late burst to win the race in 9.90.
Ashmeade's fellow Jamaican Nesta Carter was sixth in a season's best of 10.05.
Bolt: 'I can break 100m world record'
Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt has told CNN he can set a new 100 meter world record at the London 2012 Olympic Games -- and could run as fast as 9.4 seconds.
Bolt took the 100m gold medal at Beijing 2008 in a world-record time of 9.69s, before bettering that mark one year later with a stunning 9.58 at the World Championships in Berlin.
The 25-year-old, who is also the record-holding world and Olympic champion over 200m, is confident he can become the first man to smash the 9.4 barrier in the British capital in August.
"After my trials leading up to the Olympics, then it depends on where my fitness is," he said. "If everything goes well, I can determine, how fast I think I can go.
"Everybody has been talking about this 9.4 all season. If it's possible, I'll be the one to run 9.4 seconds."
Bolt was talking to CNN Olympic contributor Linford Christie, a 100m gold medalist at the Barcelona Games in 1992, after recording 9.76 in Rome on Thursday -- the fastest time this year.
Bolt named IAAF male athlete of the year after world championships double
The Kingston native's electric performances and exuberant personality have made him a global celebrity, with his "lightning bolt" pose now recognized all over the world.
"I think it was God sent," said Bolt when asked about the iconic stance. "But it was slightly originated from an archery pose.
"I just copied it and made it my own and it worked. It's catchy and I'm like the Michael Jordan of track and field really!"
Bolt's charisma on the starting blocks sets him apart from previous generations of sprinters, who would take a far more serious approach to race preparations.
He revealed how an encounter with U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin, who served a four-year doping ban between 2006 and 2010, influenced his approach to racing.
"For me it never happened until Justin Gatlin," he said. "I ran once with him in Zagreb, he did something which was really funny to me.
"We were walking back and forward and he actually spat across my lane. And when he did it, I knew he was trying to intimidate me and I found it really funny.
"Today it doesn't really bother me. I just go there, enjoy myself and relax. It's just one of those things where over the years the game has changed."Bolt suffered a setback at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, when a false start in the 100m final allowed his compatriot Yohan Blake to claim the gold medal.
In London, Bolt will once again face competition from Blake as well as longtime rival Tyson Gay of the United States -- the 100m world champion in 2007.