24 Hour Crime Recap – Providenciales
During the past forty-eight (48) hours, Police in Providenciales responded to three reports of a serious nature.
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One Burglary— Stammers Run Blue Hills
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Two Theft—Old Airport Road & North West Point
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A male was arrested on suspicion of Assault on Police, Resisting Arrest & Malicious Damage to Property in connection with an incident on 17th February 2012.He was later released on Police Bail with a surety to return to the Five Cays Police Station on 22nd February 2012 to be further dealt with.
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A male was arrested on suspicion of Perverting the Course of Justice, he was later released on Police Bail with a surety to return to the Five Cays Police Station on 23rd February 2012 to be further dealt with.
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A female was arrested on suspicion of Theft in connection with a report made on 18th February 2012, she was later released on Police Bail with a surety to return to the Five Cays Police Station on 29th February 2012 to be further dealt with.
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A male was charged for Burglary in connection with a report made on 1st February 2012.
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Two males were charged for Burglary in connection with a report made on 14th February 2012, they were later released on Police Bail with sureties to appear in the Providenciales Magistrate’s Court # 2 on 22nd February 2012.
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A male was charged for Obstruction & Escaping Lawful Custody in connection with an incident on 18th February 2012, he was later released on Police Bail with a surety to appear in the Providenciales Magistrate’s Court # 2 on 21st February 2012.
Grand Turk
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Burglary—Palm Grove
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Earlvin Basden (22yrs) was charged for Resisting Arrest, Assault on Police Officer, Disturbing The Peace, Using Offensive Weapon So As To Cause Fear, Indecent Language & Disorderly Conduct On Liquor License Premises. He appeared in the Grand Turk Magistrate’s Court on Monday 20th February 2012 and was remanded in custody at Her Majesty Prison Grand Turk until 19th March 2012 when he is schedule to re- appear in the Grand Turk Magistrate’s Court to be further dealt with.
South Caicos
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Burglary—The Salina
Chinese VP Concludes US Visit Friday in Los Angeles
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is in Los Angeles for the final leg of his U.S. trip, with events aimed at underscoring the two nations' economic and cultural ties.
Xi arrived Thursday and headed straight to the Port of Los Angeles, a key transport hub for China-U.S. trade. Accompanied by California Governor Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Xi toured the terminal for the China Shipping company, which is undergoing a major expansion.
Villaraigosa and Brown highlighted the environmental advances in the port upgrade, including a “port-side electric plug-in system” that powers ships with electricity instead of diesel while docked.
Xi, who is expected to become China's president next year, told the crowd he was impressed. He said the port and its expansion are a “solid foundation” for future economic cooperation between the two countries.
On Friday, Xi will speak at the China-U.S. Economic Trade Forum and participate in other events focused on trade and investment. He will be joined again by Vice President Joe Biden, who has been his formal host during his time in the United States. Xi will conclude his visit with a professional basketball game played by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite an overall warm welcome, U.S. leaders have not turned away from sensitive issues. Biden and U.S. President Barack Obama raised human rights concerns with Xi during meetings at the White House Tuesday.
On Wednesday, during Xi's visit to Congress, House Speaker John Boehner presented Xi with a letter concerning Gao Zhisheng, a prominent human rights lawyer in China who went missing nearly two years ago. Senator John McCain says he brought up a wave of self-immolations by Tibetan monks protesting Chinese rule, as well as China's veto of a United Nations resolution on Syria.
“As I just mentioned to the vice president, there has been enormous and dynamic economic progress, but we still have Tibetan monks burning themselves to death, we have Nobel Prize winners in house arrest and the continued propping up of North Korea, a brutal regime.”
During a major policy speech in Washington Wednesday, Xi demanded that the United States respect Chinese claims to sovereignty over Tibet and Taiwan. He also called for more balanced economic ties between the two countries and closer cooperation on international problems, including tensions over North Korea and Iran.
Tibetan protesters have turned out at several events during Xi's four-day tour, including a stop in Iowa.
Xi visited an Iowa farming community Wednesday, 27 years after he first visited the area as a mid-level official.
He spent an hour sipping tea with residents in the town of Muscatine, and many said he remembered faces and recited events from his previous visit in 1985.
Later Wednesday, during a formal dinner in the Iowa state capital, Des Moines, Xi stressed his interest in person-to-person contacts.
“I'm visiting the United States to help implement the important consensus that has been reached between President Hu Jintao and President Obama, and I'm here to build the China-U.S. cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. And I want to engage with a broad cross-section of American society to help deepen the friendship between Chinese and American people.”
In another move likely to be popular among American farmers, officials traveling with Xi announced plans to purchase $4.3 billion worth of U.S. soybeans.
CHRIS BROWN IS ALIVE
The Turks and Caicos Islands has again fallen prey to internet and social broadcast affirmations that a popular recording artist has died on its shores.
Grammy winning artist Chris Brown was reportedly killed in the TCI. Brown fresh off a Grammy win Sunday night, was the talk of the world today when a report surfaced that he died while on island on a Jet Ski accident.
Chris Brown is not dead. RTC can confidently report and in fact is not even in the island territory as police and immigration sources have confirmed no reports.
The same fake death report has been used against multiple celebrities in recent months such as Eddie Murphy and Jo Cole. The false report, moreover, comes days after a fake Keanu Reeves report surfaced online.
The Global Associated has published a fake report today which claimed the singer has died leaving thousands of distraught fans irate that Brown is the latest celebrity to be falsely killed off in a jet-ski report in the tropic islands.
The fake death report read: “Preliminary reports from Turks and Caicos Police officials indicate that the musician struck a concrete boat slip in a marina on Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands…. Specific details are not yet available.” There are no specific details because the report is a complete fabrication.
HIGH TEA AND FASHION SHOW WITH TCI RED CROSS
The Turks & Caicos Islands Red Cross will be hosting its Annual High Tea and Fashion Show on Grand Turk next month. This ‘island chic’ affair takes place at “The Atrium” of Osprey Beach Hotel on Duke Street, Saturday, March 10th, 2012.
Commencing at 4pm in the afternoon, guests will enjoy an assortment of speciality teas, coffees, delicious scones, cookies, cakes, other baked goods and treats. While there, they will be entertained by melodic sounds, revel in our featured event – a live fashion show with outfits from an on island boutique and Red Cross thrift shop and, enjoy a few prizes and surprises we have prepared for the event.
Tickets for the fundraising initiative cost $20.00, with funds going towards projects and programmes that the TCI Red Cross will implement in country. To this end, we trust that the public supports this event, as we strive to provide humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable people in our communities.
For tickets and more information, kindly contact Ann Williams, Fundraising Coordinator on 242-3000, Red Cross Office at 946-2761 or email us at tciredcross@tciway.tc
TOUGHER REQUIREMENTS FOR LEGAL FIREARM HOPEFULS
Assistant Superintendent of Police Darron Williams says that it won’t be business as usual as it relates to the re-issuing and new firearm licences.
Williams in a recent interview said: “We have enhanced the process because we see the need for it. We just don’t want to give people firearm licenses without ensuring that they are aware of the safety aspects of it and what the law says about drawing your firearm on someone, or the use of force with firearms. So, we have put a new process together, on the approval of the Commissioner of Police. That is currently on the table,”
In the meantime, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police is reminding licensed firearm holders that their license should have been renewed by the 31st December 2011. According to the police, holders who failed to immediately take the necessary steps to update their license, since technically they are carrying an illegal weapon and “can be in serious trouble with the law”.
There are approximately 208 licensed firearm holders in the TCI and about 30 applications in the processing stages.
Additionally, Superintendent Williams said that the applicant must demonstrate your knowledge of safety handling for firearms with a firearm’s instructor of the police department, because the issue of firearm licenses is a serious matter, that carries criminal liability, hence those with responsibility for issuing them must be certain and convinced that the individuals applying are persons that can be considered fit.
He further pointed out that even after all the requirements for application are met, there is no guarantee that a license would be granted. He said, too, that if the holder of a firearm’s license failed to adhere to any of the stipulations, the license will be in jeopardy of be revoked and the firearm seized.
PADGETT DUE TO RETURN TO TCI
Richard Padgett, a property developer and best known for his involvement in the Third Turtle project in Providenciales, is due back in court in April.
Padgett was one of the first individuals to be charged by the SIPT and his attorneys confirm that Mr. Padgett who is alleged through his company Oceanpoint Developments, paid more than $1m to former deputy Prime Minister Floyd Hall and his Progressive National Party during attempted construction of the Third Turtle Club in the Providenciales.
Sara Teasdale, of Pannone, will be defending Mr. Padgett.
It is understood Mr. Padgett and eight other people, including Mr. Hall and three other ex-ministers, will appear before court again to face various charges including money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the TCI Government.
The charges against Mr. Padgett relate to alleged payments uncovered by a Commission of Inquiry in 2009, led by Sir Robin Auld, the UK’s former Lord Chief Justice of Appeal, and concern the Third Turtle Club and Spa.
Mr. Padgett had previously stated that he was putting the scheme up for sale, saying he had “no more energy” to continue after spending more than $20m on the project.
FC Porto 1 Man City 2
Substitute Sergio Aguero hit a dramatic late Europa League winner as Manchester City came from behind to beat holders Porto in the first leg of the last 32.
City trailed to Silvestre Varela's close-range effort following a powerful run and cross by Hulk.
But the visitors impressed and deservedly equalised when Alvaro Pereira deflected Yaya Toure's cross into his own net off his shoulder.
They sealed victory when Aguero tapped home following Toure's cross.
On a memorable night for Roberto Mancini's side at the Estadio do Dragao, the Premier League leaders did not look like a team of players who felt sorry for themselves as they returned to the continental stage for the first time since being denied a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League by Napoli and Bayern Munich.
Porto keeper Helton was much busier than Joe Hart before half-time with the Brazilian producing two excellent saves in the space of a minute to deny Micah Richards and Samir Nasri.
Winning the Premier League remains City's main priority but Mancini said on the eve of the tie that he is keen for City to make a strong impression in the Europa League.
His players certainly did that in Portugal.
The City manager backed up his words by naming a strong side which included a recall for Mario Balotelli following a four-match domestic suspension.
In addition, younger Toure brother Yaya was also in the side for the first time since 3 January after the Ivory Coast international returned as a losing finalist from the African Cup of Nations.
But Porto are anything but European lightweights and, after weathering an early City storm, the 2004 Champions League winners edged in front in the 27th minute when the dangerous Hulk delivered a low cross for Varela to poke home from close range after poor marking in the City defence.
City responded immediately with Nasri producing the pass of the match to leave Balotelli clean through with only the keeper to beat.
However, he was denied by another glorious save by Helton - the 33-year-old diving full-stretch to keep out his rasping effort which was heading for the net.
Porto gave the visitors a lesson in passing but Hart, despite conceding, was rarely tested by the hosts.
Mancini's side continued to ask questions of the home defence after the interval with the impressive Richards rattling the outside of Helton's post after drilling a low powerful effort following a powerful 50th-minute run.
Five minutes later City were level.
Toure tried to pick out Balotelli with a long ball forward but his pass hit Pereira on the shoulder and the ball flew past Helton into the net.
There was a touch of fortune about the goal but few inside the ground could say that City did not deserve the equaliser.
The game was niggly throughout with Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir forced to produce a flurry of yellow cards as tempers threatened to boil over.
But just as the match looked to be heading for a draw, Aguero scored a dramatic 84th-minute winner, six minutes after coming on, when he turned Toure's low cross over the line to spark scenes of jubilation among City's travelling support.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said: "I think that we played a good game, we played very well. In the first half we had three or four goalscoring chances. We were really unlucky.
"In the second half we played very well. We played as we know. We had seven, eight chances to score and we didn't give any chances to Porto, which is important because Porto is a top team.
"I think we won the game very well. We had more chances to score than them."
UK and France sign nuclear energy agreement
The UK is to sign a deal with France to strengthen co-operation in the development of civil nuclear energy.
The government says it reiterates the UK's commitment to nuclear energy "as part of a diversified energy mix".
The coalition says the agreement will create a number of commercial deals in the nuclear energy field, worth more than £500m and creating 1,500 UK jobs.
Defence will also be on the agenda as PM David Cameron and President Nicolas Sarkozy hold a summit in Paris.
An announcement about joint development of a future unmanned aircraft is also expected.
'Joint framework'
"This joint declaration will signal our shared commitment to the future of civil nuclear power, setting out a shared long term vision of safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy, that supports growth and helps to deliver our emission reductions targets," a statement from Downing Street said.
The two governments will work together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) "to strengthen international capability to react to nuclear emergencies and establish a joint framework for cooperation and exchanging good practice on civil nuclear security".
The move comes 11 months after the tsunami in Japan which wrecked the nearby the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, leaking radioactive material into the air and sea.
UK and French public and private sector bodies in the civil nuclear power industry will also work more closely in a number of areas.
These include education and training; research and development, and security.
"As two great civil nuclear nations, we will combine our expertise to strengthen industrial partnership, improve nuclear safety and create jobs at home," said Mr Cameron.
Eight sites
Last June, ministers announced plans for the next generation of UK nuclear plants.
The government confirmed a list of eight sites it deems suitable for new power stations by 2025, all of which are adjacent to existing nuclear sites.
The sites are: Bradwell, Essex; Hartlepool; Heysham, Lancashire; Hinkley Point, Somerset; Oldbury, Gloucestershire; Sellafield, Cumbria; Sizewell, Suffolk; and Wylfa, Anglesey.
And earlier this month the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the first nuclear reactors to be built in the country since 1978.
Asian shares up on recovery hopes amid positive US data
Asian markets have risen on hopes of a recovery in the US after the world's biggest economy reported better-than-expected jobs data.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1.9%, South Korea's Kopsi gained 1.5% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index added 1%.
On Thursday, data showed new claims for unemployment benefits in the US fell to their lowest level since March 2008.
As a result, US shares closed at their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis.
The Dow Jones index of leading companies closed up 1% at its highest level since May 2008, while the tech-based Nasdaq index climbed 1.5% to its highest level since December 2000.
Allaying fears
Some of the biggest economies in Asia such as China, Japan and South Korea rely heavily on exports to boost their growth and the US is one of the key markets for their goods.
However, the high rate of unemployment in the US has not only hurt growth in its economy, but also hurt demand for Asian goods.
A recovery in the jobs market is seen by most economists as key to an overall US economic recovery.
Analysts said that, given its impact on consumer confidence, US jobs data was also closely monitored by Asian firms.
"It is among the top two or three factors that exporters in the region look at," Arjuna Mahendran of HSBC Private Bank told the BBC.
"When we started the year, economists were unanimous in their opinion that it will be a weak job recovery, but the statistics have belied that so far."
Mr Mahendran added that a sustained recovery would help the region's exporters to grow.
Market sentiment was also lifted by hopes that a bailout deal between Greece and eurozone leaders may be finalised early next week.
An approval of that deal would see Greece get a130bn-euro (£110bn; $170bn) bailout package that would help it avoid a potential default.
Like the US, the eurozone is one of the biggest markets for Asian goods, and stability and growth in the region is important for Asian exporters.
There have been fears that a Greek default would dent confidence in the region and hurt its growth further.
Analysts said that despite the recent differences between leaders from Greece and other eurozone countries, a deal was likely to be reached soon.
"It's a long, hard struggle, but the general view is that, eventually, there will be some solution because a Greek default is not in the interests of the eurozone members such as Germany," said Philippe Gijsels of BNP Paribas Fortis Global Markets.
Some analysts said that fears of a global impact of a Greek default were subsiding.
"People are increasingly of the opinion that, although Europe will continue to have flare-ups, it's not likely to become a calamity for the world economy," said Jim Paulsen of Wells Capital Management.
General Motors unveils record profits for 2011
US carmaker General Motors made record profits in 2011 but unveiled huge losses in its European operations.
The firm made a profit of $7.6bn (£4.85bn) over the year, up 62% from 2010.
However, it lost $700m in Europe, which includes its UK Vauxhall plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton, and made a $100m loss in South America.
The firm, which faced bankruptcy two years ago, saw sales rise 7.6% last year to more than 9 million vehicles.
Much of its growth came from North America, where profits more than tripled to $7.19bn in 2011.
GM has announced it will give up to $7,000 each in bonuses to 47,500 eligible workers across the world - compared with $4,300 a year ago.
In 2008, the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and received a $50bn bailout from President Barack Obama's administration, with the US government now owning 32% of the firm.
In the UK, the firm has about 4,500 staff, making the Vauxhall Astra van, estate and hatchback models.
General Motors' chief financial officer, Dan Ammann, said: "Behind the scenes, we are working hard to eliminate complexity and cost throughout the organisation to increase margins in all of our regions and return Europe and South America to profitability."
However, he did not disclose whether this would mean job cuts.
Some analysts were disappointed that GM failed to give a detailed forecast for 2012.
"A lack of guidance leaves GM shares shrouded in the thick fog of macro-uncertainty," said Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley.