Press Statement on Constitutional Talks from TCI Governor
His Excellency Gordon Wetherell has released a statement tothe press on the Constitutional talks that was held in London, England.
The Governor statement reads:
As I have made clear in statements since my return from the Constitutional talks in London last month, I believe that the outcome was one in which all participants can take satisfaction; and which provides a good platform for moving forward.
I was therefore disturbed by some of the comments in the PDM statement issued earlier this week. There is absolutely no cause to mischaracterise the contribution of the Chair of the Consultative Forum and member of the Advisory Council in London by suggesting that they were somehow motivated by animosity or hatred towards the TCI people. Different persons are entitled to different views as to how the interests of Turks and Caicos Islanders are best met. But there can be no doubt that the real motivation of the Chair of the Consultative Forum and the member of the Advisory Council in London, as throughout their tenures of office, has been what they see as the best interests of the TCI and its people.
I should also point out that the results of the talks in London are not a departure from the first milestone of the Written Ministerial Statement of 9 December 2010. Rather, as a result of the talks, this important milestone is on the verge of implementation; and it is to implementation of the remaining milestones (on a number of which good progress has been made) that we should now look to fulfil the hope expressed in the same Statement for elections in 2012.
Gordon Wetherell Gordon Wetherell Governor
Shore Club gets green light
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government has finally given approval to The Shore Club Development in Long Bay, Providenciales, after placing in on hold for close to three years, pending investigations.
A statement from the Interim Government on Friday said that a Development Agreement has been finalised with the Hartling Group, the developers of the Shore Club on Long Bay Beach.
According to the press release: "A substantial due diligence exercise took place before the entering into of the Development Agreement by the Civil Recovery team on behalf of TCIG. The Developers co-operated fully with TCIG in its review. As a result of that exercise, certain civil claims which TCIG felt it had, but which the Developer disputed, have now been resolved by a settlement agreement.
It is TCIG's policy not to approve any development unless it is satisfied that no improper conduct is associated with the development and its Shareholders/Directors and all outstanding civil issues are resolved to TCIG's satisfaction; or that its rights are fully protected in the event of such misconduct coming to light in the future: all new development agreements contain robust anti-bribery provisions."
The government statement added that as a result of the review, it was possible to reach a civil settlement of all issues between TCIG and the Developers, which has enabled the Development Agreement to proceed.
"The terms of the civil settlement are confidential but they include a significant financial contribution to TCIG and warranties regarding past actions and conduct. This civil settlement reflects the fact that there is no legal reason why TCIG and the Shore Club should not advance the development," the statement continued.
It was noted, however, that the claims brought by TCIG against pilot Richardson Arthur and former Director of Planning Clyde Robinson, and any future claims against other individuals arising out of the sale of land to the development company, will not affect the Shore Club development which can now proceed.
The Shore Club, a breathtaking new Caribbean condominium development by The Hartling Group, is nestled in a private setting along 820 feet of prime oceanfront on the picturesque Long Bay Beach of Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands.
Architecturally designed in the traditional Barbadian-style, this project features 85 units within a village-like cluster of low-density buildings, all perfectly designed to offer unsurpassed views, tranquility, and the ultimate in privacy.
The amenities include a guest reception, spa, retail boutique, ballroom, main restaurant, and interior and oceanfront pool and bar areas. With only a handful of access points, and set back from the arched shoreline of Long Bay Beach, The Shore Club ensures a quiet and private environment.
The Shore Club is just two miles from everything Provo has to offer, including fine dining and shopping establishments, a premier golf course and two marinas.
Now that the Shore Club has been given the green light, it should breathe some life into the Turks and Caicos Islands' construction industry which took a nose-dive over the past three years.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS GO BACK TO SCHOOL
A GROUP of TCI youngsters have been playing doctors and nurses in the classroom. But it wasn’t toy stethoscopes and bandages being used by pupils at the Richmond Hill Preparatory School.
Students got to experiment with the real things, thanks to two visiting trainee doctors from England.
Alice Brice and Ben Pierce are studying at the world famous, Cambridge University, where they are into their sixth and final year. As part of the course they have to do an elective and so they chose to do theirs at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Provo.
InterHealth Canada, which operates the TCI hospitals, often sends staff out into the community to talk about health and medical issues.
Alice and Ben visited Richmond Hill as part of this programme and they were delighted with the reception they received.
Alice, 22, said: “It was a humbling experience for us and fascinating to see the huge cultural differences that exist between Europe and the Caribbean. “The children were great fun to work with and extremely enthusiastic. Many said they were interested in medicine as a career and I’m sure many will be working at the TCI hospitals in the future.”
Meanwhile, Ben, 23, said being in the TCI was a ‘rewarding experience’.
“It’s been a great learning exercise for us and one that will certainly stand us in good stead for the future,” he added.
Date Changed for TCI Gospel Best Finale
Organizers of the first TCI Gospel Best competition announced that the date of the final show will be changed to July 3rd, from the original date of June 26th 2011. The venue remains the same at the Tropicana Dinner and Supper Club at 7pm.
The TCI Gospel Best competition started in January with 20 contestants from around the Turks and Caicos vying for the grand prize of a recording contract, $1000 cash prize and a trophy. Shows were held on the last Sunday of each month with a talented panel of judges assessing the contestants and each night eliminations were made.
The finalists Robyn Hinds, Carl Lewis, Tyler Landy and Lounise Louis are each expected to present astonishing vocal range and flamboyant stage presence to snatch the victory.
Organizers expressed that the finale will be the most extravagant and exciting show of them all. The anticipation has been building up and they expect standout performances by the finalists. The change of date was done to ensure that more families can have the opportunity to attend and enjoy the show. Tickets can be bought from committee members.
The TCI Gospel Best competition is designed to display real local talent, the best voices and unique performances before a live audience the last Sunday of each month. Singers are required to sing gospel songs and are evaluated by a panel of judges who decide who will be eliminated each week.
Box office: 'Transformers' posts year's best opening weekend
Records, records everywhere. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" collected $97.4 million this weekend (from Friday to Sunday), according to studio estimates. That's a significant result in three ways:
1. It's the largest opening weekend of the year, passing the $90.2 million debut of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."
2. It's the biggest Independence Day weekend, opening beating $88.2 million from "Spider-Man 2."
3. It's the third-best July opening weekend, behind "The Dark Knight" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
Michael Bay's $195 million alien-robot threequel is projected to finish the four-day holiday weekend with $116 million, bringing its six-day cumulative total to $181 million.
But despite those enormous numbers, "Dark of the Moon" will likely never catch its predecessor "Revenge of the Fallen," at least domestically. By comparison, that 2009 sequel had earned a massive $214.9 million after six days. According to Paramount, 62% of "Moon's" audience was male and 55% younger than 25. Showings in 3-D continued to account for 60% of its gross, and IMAX screens single-handedly brought in an estimated $13.8 million over the four-day weekend.
Two other movies notched meaningful records.
On Saturday, "Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" crossed $1 billion worldwide, becoming just the eighth film ever to do so. Despite being the weakest "Pirates" film domestically ($233.7 million through today), "On Stranger Tides" has pillaged an extraordinary $774 million overseas.
The only other movies to have earned more on foreign shores are "Avatar" and "Titanic."
And Universal's "Bridesmaids" is expected to pass "Sex and the City" today to become the highest-grossing R-rated female comedy ever. With $152.9 million through Sunday, "Bridesmaids" is also producer Judd Apatow's most successful movie.
As for the rest of the box office, "Cars 2" plunged a steep 62% for $25.1 million over the three-day weekend -- the largest second-weekend drop in Pixar history.
"Bad Teacher" earned $14.1 million for a 55% decline.
In fourth, the new Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts comedy "Larry Crowne" didn't make much of an impression with $13 million. According to Universal, 64% of the film's audience was female, and a whopping 81% was at least 35 years old.
And in fifth, the Selena Gomez comedy "Monte Carlo" debuted to $7.6 million.
Beyonce conquers UK album chart
US star Beyonce has claimed pole position in the UK album chart with her new record 4.
The singer, who displaced Lady Gaga from number one, saw previous albums return to the chart in the wake of her performance at Glastonbury last Sunday.
I Am Sasha Fierce, Dangerously In Love and No 1s by Destiny's Child all marched back into the Top 50.
Beyonce's single Best Thing I Never Had entered at three, although Jason Derulo held onto the top spot.
Coldplay, who took to Glastonbury's main stage on Saturday night, saw their 2002 single In My Place creep back into the top 40.
And most recent single Every Tear Drop Is A Waterfall, which clambered back to number 10 from last week's 42.
Their previous album releases also surged into the top 50 on the back of their festival performance, according to the Official Charts Company.
Other acts who benefitted from the "Glastonbury effect" in the week following the festival were Plan B, Noah and the Whale and Mumford and Sons.
U2, who played there for the first time in their career, saw their singles collection U218 rise up the ranks to number 61.
Beyonce has scored the second UK chart-topping album of her career with 4. Her solo debut, Dangerously In Love, hit the pinnacle in 2003.
She also had a 2001 number one album with Destiny's Child and performed a number of their hit singles during her Glastonbury set.
Buju moved to different jail
Convicted Reggae artiste Buju Banton has been transferred from the Pinellas County Jail to the Citrus County Jail in Tampa, Florida.
The artiste will be processed by correctional staff at that penal facility before he knows where he will spend his 10 year sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine. His attorney David Oscar Markus told the Observer that the prison board had not yet decided which prison Banton will be housed.
He was sentenced in the Sam Gibbons US Court by Judge James Moody two Thursdays ago.
Banton, whose is registered as Mark Anthony Myrie, will not have any of his assets seized by the United States government after testimony by a drug enforcement agent that despite investigating him for over a year, there was no evidence that he profited from any illicit drug transaction.
He was arrested in December 2009 at his home in South Florida hours after his two co-defendants, Ian Thomas and James Mack were arrested after they attempted to buy large amounts of cocaine from federal agents in a police controlled warehouse.
Both men have pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 51 months.
Banton meanwhile has signalled his intention to earn a Masters degree in political science and economics during his incarceration.
Despite being sentenced to 10 years, the Grammy winning artiste could be set free in six years as his 18 month remand while awaiting the outcome of his trial and good behaviour while in prison could see him spending just six years.
Janet Jackson revives brother's memories with virtual duet
Janet Jackson is opening up for the first time about a duet with her brother that she's reviving two years after his death.
Jackson took to the stage in London on Thursday and performed their 1995 song Scream as video of Michael Jackson played and his voice filled Royal Albert Hall.
The reworked duet follows in the footsteps of jazz pianist and singer Nat King Cole and his daughter, Natalie Cole. In 1991 she turned her father's famous 1961 recording "Unforgettable" into a father-daughter duet.
Janet Jackson said she did the original duet at the request of her brother years ago.
"I was on the Rhythm Nation tour and Mike actually asked me to do a song with him and I told him no. I didn't want to do it. I felt I hadn't come into my own and I hadn't fully made a name for myself ... and I didn't want to ride anyone's coattails," she said. "And I remember being in the Janet Tour a few good years later and he asked me again if I would do a song with him. And I felt, at that point, I'd carved my own little niche in this world of music and I felt okay, I can do this now and that's how it came about."
Jackson said that performing the song alongside her brother again isn't difficult.
"It feels great -- just listening to and hearing his voice," she said, adding that on stage she finds herself, "remembering the experience of recording it."
Jackson declined to comment to the press on the two-year mark of her brother's death, instead taking to social media this week with a simple message on Twitter on the June 25 anniversary: "I miss you, I love you."
Jackson wraps up the European leg of her tour this week then heads to North America, Australia and Africa.
Shaunie O’Neal Blasts Negative Portrayals of Black Women on Reality TV
According to EUR who was on the scene at the Essence Festival in New Orleans, ran into Shaunie O’Neal, Evelyn Lozada and Tami Romman backstage in the pressroom at the Superdome. They’re at the Essence Festival promoting their show “Basketball Wives.”
In the meantime, Shaunie O’Neal has written a very interesting letter to CNN protesting, of all things, negative portrayals on black women on reality TV. We know you can’t wait to read it, so here goes:
I’ll be honest, I love reality TV.
Actually it’s one of my guilty pleasure past times. Even before “Basketball Wives” I had my favorites, and I watched them faithfully. There is something appealing about seeing people deal with real life drama as you’re watching. Now, as executive producer of “Basketball Wives,” I know that’s not exactly how it happens, but it’s still fun to watch.
What isn’t so fun to watch, however, is this new generation of reality TV. It seems to be more about the drama and less about the storyline. That concerns me, especially now that I’m producing a reality show.
I have gotten both good and bad responses from viewers about “Basketball Wives,” and I certainly understand the opinion that the shows portrayal of black women is beginning to look somewhat negative.
As you see on the show, I’m not a big supporter of the bickering, drink throwing and fighting, but when you put a group of strong, independent and vocal women who are going through or just came out of a bad relationship together, there’s bound to be a little drama.
Let’s face it, we all know women like the ones on “Basketball Wives” and countless other reality shows: Women who are vocal if you cross them.
The problem for me is when black women are portrayed as only being that way and labeled different than their non-black counterparts for the same type of behavior. That’s when it becomes negative and damaging to our image.
I’m not saying we have to create shows that only paint a pretty picture about who we are, but there should be a balance and most of all some integrity to the shows we create.
I do believe some of the shows featuring African-American women have positive story lines and are not meant to tear black women down. Shows like [BET's] “Tiny & Toya” and “Monica: Still Standing,” [TVOne's] “LisaRaye: The Real McCoy,” [VH1's] “What Chili Wants” and [WE tv's] “The Braxtons.”
They all have the same core storyline — single, exes of high profile men, trying to raise their children and get their lives back on track. I believe that is positive and when handled properly can be very uplifting and empowering for women going through the same issues, no matter their race.
That’s why I wanted to do “Basketball Wives.” I wanted to show what life is really like when you are with a professional athlete — and that sometimes all that glitters isn’t gold.
When I signed on to executive produce the show I had big plans and a long list of ideas. But boy did all that change as we started filming and I learned what all goes into executive producing a show. It’s a lot of work, and there are a lot of politics involved, but at the end of the day I do believe that the overall message is being told.
Look at Tami Roman (ex-wife of former NBA player Kenny Anderson and a member of the “Basketball Wives” cast). She was such an appealing addition to the cast because of her rags to riches to rags story of being married to a pro basketball player and after their divorce almost being homeless.
That’s the heart of “Basketball Wives,” and I believe that if you look closely and beyond the arguing and the fighting, you’ll see a group of women trying to get their lives back on track and figure out who they really are.
My role as executive producer of the show does not negate my concern for how black women are portrayed on reality TV, but I do believe that there are some shows attempting to strike a balance and have a positive message despite the drama. I’m personally working with Shed Media and VH1 to make sure that “Basketball Wives” stands among them.
Gilbert Arenas Wants to Shut Down ‘Basketball Wives: LA’
Gilbert Arenas is in a rage right now after it finally hit him that his ex-wife, Laura Govan will be on television possibly talking about him.
So he’s demanding “Basketball Wives: LA” be stopped and that his ex’s involvement has the potential to exploit him and damage his image.
However, there are no plans to even mention his name in the show. But he says just the title of the show and Govan’s presence is an obvious sign of malice.
This whole claim and demand to cease production is just the opposite of what he was saying not too long ago via Twitter:
“for everybody talkin about my BM on that tv show..i dont care what she does..if she gets a job I [pay] less money to her(SMART THINKER HERE).”
“1 they cant lie about u on tv u can sue the show 2 if they hav a job it lowers ur pay..so let them work,” he reasoned.
This isn’t the first time behind the scenes drama has ensued over the show.
In May, Chris Bosh filed suit to keep his ex, Allison Mathis off the original series. But she filed a countersuit, claiming he lied to producers about her eligibility to keep her off the show.
And others have protested as well, including Matt Barnes.