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.
Somalia 'air strike kills foreign al-Shabab militants'
A huge air strike in al-Shabab-held southern Somalia has killed at least six people, including some foreigners, eyewitnesses have told the BBC.
The strike destroyed two vehicles in a convoy in an area known as K60 because it is around 60km (35 miles) south of the capital, Mogadishu, they say.
It is not clear who carried out the strike.
Al-Shabab recently announced it was joining al-Qaeda and is said to have some 200 foreign fighters.
The BBC's Mohamed Dhore in the capital says the blast is far bigger than any carried out by Kenyan forces which have recently moved into some of the areas of southern Somalia controlled by al-Shabab.
Eyewitnesses say it was heard 150km away.
The US military, which has a military base in neighbouring Djibouti, has previously carried out drone strikes in Somalia.
It has also launched air strikes against alleged al-Qaeda militants in the country.
Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohammed Ali on Thursday called for air strikes against al-Shabab as long as civilians were not harmed.
He was speaking at a major conference in London to discuss ways of ending two decades of conflict in Somalia.
But at the same event, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that air strikes were not a good idea and there was no reason to believe anyone was considering them.
"That air strike is not from our end," Kenyan army spokesman Col Cyrus Oguna told the AFP news agency.
Al-Shabab has cordoned off the site of the attack and has not yet commented.
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that some of those killed appeared to be of European or Asian origin.
But some local media are reporting that one of the dead was a prominent Kenyan jihadist.
GOVERNOR THANKS PEOPLE OF TCI FOR PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC MEETINGS
His Excellency Governor Ric Todd would like to thank the several hundred people who attended his public meetings across the Turks and Caicos family islands over the past few weeks.
The series of six public meeting concluded at the Gustavus Lightbourne Sports Centre, Providenciales, last night Wed, 22 Feb 2012. Other meetings were held in Grand Turk, Salt Cay, and North, Middle and South Ciacos throughout January and February.
The purpose of the meetings was twofold. Firstly, the Governor believes that the people of the TCI should be given an opportunity to hear directly from him about the work of the Interim Administration. He promised at his inauguration to meet more regularly with the people across all of the Islands. Secondly, given the importance of the Interim Administration’s milestones, that he should update the people in person about the good progress being made.
While the Provo meeting was perhaps the most boisterous of the six sessions, the Governor believes that the meeting was extremely worthwhile, providing him with an opportunity to respond directly to questions about the economy, immigration, the transfer of £10m from the NIB, and, of course, progress against the milestones.
“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,” said Governor Todd.
“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. Amongst the excitement and exuberance of last night I genuinely believe that good progress was made towards achieving this and improving the quality of our ongoing dialogue.”
During last night’s meeting the Governor took the opportunity to reemphasise the importance of achieving a fiscal surplus by March 2013 and how this was an essential first step towards bringing down and eradicating the Islands’ debt which currently stands at $189m. To achieve this he accepts that recent tax rises affect those on lower incomes the most, but points to many reason to be more optimistic about the economy, citing expansion at the airport, Digicel’s newly announced $8.5m investment in the country, record visitor numbers and a sound plan to reduce the running costs of Government.
The Governor recognised the concerns of people at all the meetings over the issues relating to becoming a TCI Belonger. He expressed his confidence that the Consultative Forum led public consultation, which has been extremely well supported, will produce positive proposals acceptable to Islanders over the next few weeks and months which will establish a clear, simple, transparent pathway to achieving citizenship. Other immigration related issues, such as work permits, will be addressed through the creation of the five new ministries in the TCI Government.
He also clarified that all British Officials and advisors present in the Territory are paid for by the UK and not the people of the TCI; that the Police Marine Unit is up and running.
MARCH MADNESS FOR CIVIL SERVANTS
RTC can reveal that the majority of the 400 civil servants who applied for the Civil Service Severance Scheme package should be issued with their cheques next month.
Spokesman for the Governor’s Office, Neil Smith, made the announcement during yesterday’s media briefing in Providenciales.
Smith also stressed that Government would endeavor to hold on to staff members that are deemed talented and useful to the fortification of the sector. He said, too, that Government could refuse applications from those who it deems too expensive to let go, since the administration was operating on a tight budget.
About 700 of the little over 2,500 civil servants had applied for the package.
Allegations were also rife that a number of persons, who opted against accepting the package, were pushed to take it on the basis that their chance of retention in the sector could be tenuous. It is articulated that the move was being spearheaded by department heads.
But Smith reiterated that, while he was unaware of such practice, stressed that the programme was designed as a voluntary scheme and not a compulsory severance scheme, and as such, no one should be forced to accept it
He stated that the majority of those who accepted the offer would receive what he described as “life-change packages” that would allow them to transform their lives for the better, since they would receive two year’s salary. The campaign to chop the civil service came about as Government seeks to cut costs and balance the budget in order to pave the way for fresh elections that would return the country to local rule, after the UK fired both the Government and Opposition while scratching parts of the Constitution.
Jamaica beat Cuba 1-0
The Reggae Boyz got their preparation for their upcoming 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign off to a good start by defeating Cuba 1-nil in the first-match of their two-game friendly internationals at the National Stadium tonight.
Debutant Jorginho James of Kingston College scored the lone goal five minutes from the end.
He scored just three minutes after he was introduced into the game.
It was Jamaica’s first victory in their last five international friendly games.
Jamaica and Cuba will also play a second game, this time at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Friday, beginning at 7:30 in the evening.
The team will then travel to New Zealand where they face that region's powerhouse on February 29.
The Reggae Boyz open their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign on June 8 at home against Guatemala