MARINE BRANCH OPERATIONAL
Governor Ric Todd during his latest public forum in Provdenciales assured the public that security remains high on his list of priorities and confirmed that despite several reports Police Marine Unit is up and running.
The Governor continues to hear calls from locals who insisted that their way of life before the British takeover was gone and saw no hope for the future as the cost of living and taxes have crippled them financially.
Since that meeting the Governor has thanked all the people for coming out and addressing him on the matters which were of concern to them.
He said “I believe that it is important that during my term as Governor that I try to develop meaningful two way communications with the widest possible variety of stakeholders including politicians, party officials and supporters, community leaders and private individuals from across the TCI,”
“While the various parties involved might not agree with each other’s positions, I am determined that we can and do meet to discuss issues of mutual concern in a respectful and constructive fashion.”
Turks and Caicos TV selects Azuki Media Platform
WIV Cable, the TV station in the Turks and Caicos Islands has selected mobile media provider Azuki Media Platform to enable several residents and visitors to get news, sports and other local programmes on their smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
With a remote installation of the Azuki Media Platform, WIV Cable has gained an edge by deli vering linear live content on multiple devices, anywhere in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The deployment of the Azuki Media Platform allows WIV Cable to launch WIV4 Live and other live channels to take utility of Azuki's managed and optimised OTT video platform, providing WIV Cable viewers the viewing experience on their smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
Azuki's deployment options allow WIV Cable to add video-on-demand and monetisation capacities in the future
Wright hopes for 'amicable' solution
Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Lyndel Wright hopes there will be an amicable solution to the stand-off between Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) at a board meeting arranged for today and tomorrow.
Both parties have been at loggerheads since Monday after the WICB issued a media statement criticising comments made by Simpson Miller regarding the WICB's handling of national and Windies cricketer Chris Gayle.
The board also took issue over Simpson Miller's expressed disappointment of Jamaica not being awarded a game for the upcoming Australian tour of the region.
"I hope that things will be resolved in an amicable way," said Wright, who along with vice-president WICB member, Major Radcliffe Daley, departed the country yesterday for the meeting, which will be held in St Lucia.
"I hope that they will give a response in terms of our press release in which we called for a retraction of their disrespectful statements.
"We cannot sit by and allow the WICB, of which we are shareholders. to embarass the prime minister of Jamaica.
"The prime minister was within her right to comment the way she did," Wright declared.
The WICB, in their press release, expressed disappointment at Simpson Miller's statements regarding Chris Gayle, which were made at the JCA's annual awards dinner last Saturday.
Justice denied
"Justice delayed is justice denied," and "we demand that a resolution be found as quickly as possible", the Jamaican PM had stated during her presentation.
In its release, the regional body said: "The WICB regrets the comments made by Prime Minister of Jamaica the Honourable Portia Simpson Miller.
"The WICB is further dis-appointed that the relevant officials in Jamaica did not, or did not properly, brief the newly elected prime minister.
"Had the Honourable Prime Minister been briefed she would have been informed that Mr Chris Gayle has been written to by the WICB, clearly outlining the full details of what is required of him. The WICB is awaiting a response from Mr Gayle."
It added: "The WICB implores the prime minister to use her good office to urge Mr Gayle to respond favourably in an effort to put this issue in the past."
GLEANER
Delano Williams draws first blood
Turks & Caicos own Munro College's Delano Williams drew first blood in what is expected to be a season long battle with Green Island's Odail Todd that could end up at the IAAF's World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain in July, after winning the boys' Class 1 sprint double at last week's Milo County of Cornwall Athletics Association's (COCAA) Western Champs at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
Williams sped to a pair of personal best times of 10.34 seconds - a meet record - and 20.53 seconds in the 100m and 200m respectively, beating Todd the World Youth Championships 100m gold medalists both times
With Williams who represents the Turks and Caicos Islands and who is seeking British citizenship in time for the London Olympics, not eligible to run at the CARIFTA and National Junior Trials, his only other clash with Todd could be at the ISSA Boys Championships in late March and the World Junior Championships, if both runners make it that far.
The match up between Williams who won both events last year and Todd was one of the highly anticipated events on Saturday, the third day of the Championships and saw spectators standing in anticipation as the athletes got to the starting line.
Neil Harrison, the Munro College head coach said the World Junior Championships is the target for Williams who failed to get past the first round of the both the 100m and 200m races at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada in 2010.
"An athlete with Delano's abilities should have a world title under his belt," Harrison said on Saturday.
PABA continues
The Providenciales Amateur Basketball Association regular season is winding down and the playoff is quickly approaching.
Four games were played last weekend.
On Friday night South Caicos def. the Police 62 - 58. Delano Smith (police) 20 pts, 2 assists, 3 steals and K. Doughty 18 pts, 5 rebounds, 2 assists.
Jonathon Paul of (South Caicos) had15 pts, 7 rebs 8 assists, 2 steals and Kirk Adams scored 18 pts, 7 rebs,6 assists, 3 stls.
In the other game the Predators defeated the Cobras 50- 44. Troy Saunders( predators) 10 pts, 10 rebounds, 3 assts. Roger Martinez 13 pts, 10 assists, 8 steals. Alvin Handfield of the (Cobras) scored10 pts, 6 Rebounds.
On Saturday Night the Predators defeated Customs 45- 42. Ezra Taylor( Customs) scored 11 pts, 12 rebounds, 4 steals. Derek Hanna 10 pts, 5 Assists, 3 steals. Troy Saunders of the ( Predators) scored 15 pts, 9 rebounds,3 steals. Michael Taylor 15 pts, 6 rebounds, 4 assists.
In the second game the Flyers defeated the Steelers 66 - 45. Cameron Henry (Steelers) 22 pts, 8 rebounds, 4 assists. Zachery Rigby( Flyers) 18 pts, 4 assts, 3 stls.
Games will continue this weekend.
Pakistan v England: Umar Gul turns first Twenty20 international
Pakistan fought back to inflict an eight-run defeat on England in the first of three Twenty20 matches.
Chasing 145, Kevin Pietersen (33) and Ravi Bopara (39) put England in a good position in Dubai but Umar Gul took 3-18 to revive Pakistan's hopes.
Needing 18 off Junaid Khan's final over, England's Graeme Swann and Jonny Bairstow finished short on 136-6.
Swann took 3-13 in Pakistan's innings but Shoaib Malik (39) and Misbah-ul-Haq (26) put on 71 in the hosts' 144-6.
Their stand proved crucial as England's batsmen fell just short in a tight run chase under the lights at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
England retained Pietersen at the top of the order where he had been so successful in the one-day series whitewash and brought back Bopara after a back injury, leaving out Alastair Cook.
Pietersen looked to dominate from the start and England, despite a maiden over from Gul, cruised to 40-0 after five overs.
But Pietersen, having flat-batted a powerful six to the previous ball, was out for 33 in the sixth over when Asad Shafiq took a well-judged catch right on the boundary edge off Shahid Afridi's bowling.
Craig Kieswetter was bowled trying to make room for a big hit and Eoin Morgan went for 14 to off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez's quicker ball.
Bairstow was almost out first ball, his reverse sweep just falling short of Saeed Ajmal at short third man, but Bopara looked determined to see England to a fifth consecutive win.
The Essex batsman smashed a straight six off Junaid and kept the scoreboard ticking along before walking across his crease and being bowled behind his legs by a Gul yorker.
Jos Buttler, having also stepped across his stumps in an attempt to flick Gul away, fell to a one-handed catch by Ajmal for three, and next ball Samit Patel was trapped leg before playing across the line of an inswinger as the pace bowler took two wickets in two balls.
Swann and the inexperienced Bairstow struggled to get the ball away, with spinner Ajmal conceding only four runs off the penultimate over to leave England needing 18 off the final over.
But left-arm seamer Junaid kept his discipline and ensured his side broke their losing run.
Earlier, Pakistan opener Awais Zia gave his side a bright start on his debut, hitting two powerful boundaries off Steven Finn's first over and then smashing the paceman for a six into the second tier of the stand in his next over.
Finn got his revenge with a well-disguised slower delivery which Zia lofted into captain Stuart Broad's hands for an easy catch at mid-off.
Swann dropped Hafeez off another slower delivery, this time from Jade Dernbach, but the spinner's second over halted Pakistan's momentum.
Swann got lucky with the dismissal of Shafiq when it looked like he had already broken the wicket with his elbow before claiming a run-out, as four wickets fell for eight runs.
Two balls later, Hafeez swept Swann straight to Bairstow and in the next over, Swann tempted Afridi down the pitch and the batsman flicked the ball straight to Morgan at mid-wicket.
Umar Akmal faced three balls before hoicking Swann horribly and Dernbach raced in to take a superb diving catch and hand the bowler a double-wicket maiden.
Malik and Misbah batted sensibly to get their side back into the match, both smashing a six each as Pakistan built their total.
They put on 71 before Malik was out to the last ball of the innings trying to hit Dernbach over the ropes but their partnership ultimately made the difference.
UK legislator suspended following bar brawl
A British lawmaker arrested on allegations he assaulted another legislator during a dust-up in a House of Commons bar has been suspended from the Labour Party, the party said yesterday.
Labour said Eric Joyce has been booted from the opposition party's parliamentary caucus until police finish investigating the fracas at the Strangers Bar.
Police said they were called just before 11:00 pm Wednesday "to reports of a disturbance at a bar within the House of Commons" and that they arrested a man in his 50s on suspicion of assault. Police said yesterday that the man remains in custody.
Police did not name the suspect, but House of Commons speaker John Bercow told lawmakers that "the honourable member for Falkirk has been detained in police custody".
Media reports said Joyce was heard objecting to the number of Conservative Party members in the room before striking Conservative legislator Stuart Andrew. Andrew has not commented, apart from tweets in response to questions, saying "I'm OK."
Joyce, who represents the Scottish constituency of Falkirk, served in the Army Education Corps before pursuing a career in politics.
In 2010, he stepped down as his party's Northern Ireland spokesman after losing his driver's licence for refusing to provide a breath test after a minor car accident.
The Strangers Bar is one of several watering holes inside the world-famous Parliament buildings. The bar, which offers views of the River Thames, is open to lawmakers and their guests.
Britain's Parliament has long had a reputation as a hard-drinking place, though its bar culture has moderated since it adopted more "family friendly" hours a few years ago, with sittings starting earlier in the morning and ending earlier in the evening.
Afghanistan Braces for More Violent Protests
Afghanistan braced itself Friday for a possible fourth day of violent anti-U.S. protests over the burning of Qurans at a NATO facility. At least 13 people have died in demonstrations since the protests erupted Tuesday.
U.S. President Barack Obama has sent a written apology to Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the desecration of the Islamic holy book at the Bagram airbase. He said “the error was inadvertent” and that officials will take “appropriate steps” to avoid any recurrence and hold those accountable responsible.
The U.S. embassy has urged Americans to avoid any unnecessary movement within the South Asian nation.
On Thursday, NATO officials said an individual wearing an Afghan army uniform shot and killed two coalition soldiers in eastern Nangarhar province during a protests over the Quran burning.
Earlier Thursday, the Taliban issued a statement calling on Afghans to launch attacks on foreign targets in retaliation for the desecration of the Muslim holy book.
But in a joint statement, the Afghan delegations assigned to probe the incident appealed to the Afghan people to “exercise self-restraint and extra vigilance” and avoid resorting to protests that may allow “the enemy to take advantage of the situation.”
Also Thursday, hundreds of protesters attacked a U.S.-run base in eastern Laghman province. In northern Baghlan province, officials said gunfire killed one protester and wounded at least two police officers.
On Wednesday, President Karzai appealed for calm, saying citizens have the right to protest, but should not resort to violence.
U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter had met Wednesday in Kabul with Afghan leaders, including President Karzai, to apologize for the incident.
The commander of the international coalition, U.S. General John Allen, had issued an apology Tuesday, saying the improper disposal of Islamic religious texts was “not intentional in any way.” He ordered an investigation.
British Man Set for Extradition to US in Allegeg Iran Weapons Scheme
A retired British businessman is scheduled for extradition to the United States Friday on charges he plotted to ship weapons parts to Iran.
Authorities say 65-year-old Christopher Tappin is expected to appear before a judge in Texas later Friday.
Tappin has denied arranging the sale of batteries to Iran for surface-to-air missiles in 2006. He claims he was the target of a U.S. sting operation.
Tappin's extradition, which he has fought for two years, was made possible by a controversial U.S.-British agreement, allowing an extradition before the case is heard in a British court.
Tappin loss his latest appeal earlier this month. If he is tried, Tappin faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted.
Tunis conference seeks diplomatic breakthrough
A major conference is being held in Tunisia to seek a breakthrough in the increasingly bitter Syrian unrest.
The US, Europe and Arab countries plan to challenge President Bashar al-Assad to provide humanitarian access within days to the worst-affected areas.
But Russia and China, key allies of Syria which have blocked UN resolutions again Damascus, are not attending the "Friends of Syria" conference.
Activists say more than 90 people died across Syria on Thursday.
Around 70 nations, including the US, UK, France and Turkey are attending the conference, organised by the Arab League.
The conference will agree a declaration on Syria, expected to demand an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian assessment, with the threat of further sanctions if ignored.
The declaration may also boost the standing of the main opposition umbrella group the Syrian National Council, by naming it as a "legitimate" representative of Syrians, but stopping short of giving it full endorsement.
The BBC's Jonathan Marcus in Tunis says the conference has been conceived as a means of getting around the blocking tactics of Russia and China at the United Nations.
Both countries are considered crucial allies of Damascus and have faced Western and Arab criticism for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution that would have backed an Arab League peace plan for Syria.
They have said they want to see an end to the violence but oppose any international action which amounts to forced regime change.
China said it wanted to "play a constructive role" in the crisis but that international efforts should focus on alleviating tensions, promoting peace and stability and "dissolving differences".
On the eve of the conference, the UN and Arab League appointed Kofi Annan as their envoy to Syria.
Mr Annan, a former UN secretary general, has in recent years acted as a diplomatic troubleshooter in several long-running conflicts.
He said he was "honoured" to accept the role and looked forward to working with all relevant parties to "help bring an end to the violence and human rights abuses, and promote a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis".
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she wanted to see progress on three fronts - providing humanitarian relief, increasing pressure on the regime and preparing for a democratic transition of power.
"To that end, we hope to see new pledges of emergency assistance for Syrians caught in Assad's stranglehold, and international co-ordination and diplomatic pressure on Damascus to allow it to get to those who need it most. We also expect additional nations to impose effective sanctions against the regime," she said.
The UK Prime Minister David Cameron said it was vital that the international community came together on the issue of Syria, while French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the conference needed to exert the maximum pressure on the Syrian government and also on Russia.