New VIP Club for Provo travellers
Travelers to and from the Turks and Caicos islands will soon enjoy the hospitality of the newly opened VIP Flyers Club at Providenciales International Airport.
VIP Flyers Club managed by Olympia Destination Management Company (ODMC) is one of a kind in the Caribbean. Intimate and luxurious, the 15-guest lounge is uniquely designed to handle the demands of Turks and Caicos travel.
They will also offer a Fast Track Service which will see trained staff meeting and greeting passengers and assisting them through Security, Immigration and Customs. This Fast Track Service will include private transfers, getting travelers and luggage to their private licensed car service.
In its 11 years of existence, Olympia Destination Management Company (ODMC) has worked to establish itself as a progressive and credible destination management company that caters to the increasing needs of its key stakeholder groups. It prides itself on delivering excellent service, enhanced by innovative strategies and quality leadership.
DIGICEL acquires NETXAR technologies
Businesses across the Caribbean and Central America to benefit from the regions newest ICT powerhouse Digicel, the Bigger, Better Network has taken a controlling stake in Netxar Technologies, the leading systems integrator in the Caribbean region, it was announced today.
Effective immediately, the two companies will work together to achieve even greater business success and market share as the regions newest Information and Communications Technology (ICT) powerhouse.
With corporate and public sector customers looking for the best and most advanced ICT systems and processes whilst also keeping a keen eye on cost control - the Digicel Netxar combination will see customers optimising their ICT infrastructure and saving money.
Netxar has built a fantastic track record and, as well as winning numerous regional and global awards, is also the proud holder of the Gold Certification, Master Unified Communication and Master Managed Service Partner and is a member of Ciscos elite 1% partners out of 64,000+ partners worldwide vital in securing and serving top corporate and public sector customers. It is based in Puerto Rico and has operations in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
Digicel meanwhile has been offering ICT solutions to businesses across the region since 2007. The company's promise of best network, best value and best service has seen Caribbean companies not only benefiting from greater efficiencies through more integrated communications, but also being able to reduce their ICT spend by between 30% and 40% on average.
President and CEO of Netxar, Frank Santiago, comments; For years, corporate and public sector customers have been searching for a business partner who can deliver both world class telecommunication services and ICT solutions. Now, customers will benefit from technology solutions that leverage their IT framework as a competitive advantage while reducing operational costs and increasing productivity.
He continues; The support and involvement of Digicel which, in ten short years, has had such a positive impact on the Caribbean communications space will see us delivering even better solutions to an even broader range of corporate customers.
Kevin White, COO of Digicel Group, comments; Since we started focusing on delivering ICT solutions to Caribbean corporate customers in 2007, we have made big inroads and are proud to serve the Caribbean's biggest business names. In Jamaica for instance, Digicel serves over 70% of the corporate market. He added This will see us increasing our ICT presence across the Caribbean and Central America and offering customers a broader and deeper product portfolio backed by Digicel's award-winning customer service. Our customers are set to benefit from being with the regions newest ICT powerhouse.
New Cayman service set for take off
Air Turks and Caicos (AirTAC) is celebrating after securing the right to fly another new Caribbean route.
The Provo-based airline has been granted a licence to operate to and from the Cayman Islands.
The decision means a boost to the TCI's economy, with a number of new jobs set to be created.
"We are delighted", said AirTAC Chairman, Lyndon Gardiner. We worked really hard on this application and I'm pleased that the Air Transport Licensing Authority of the Cayman Islands and Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority recognised this and approved our application.
It's great news for AirTAC and for the TCI in general. We shall be busy recruiting new flight crews and ground staff and that's good for the community and good for the economy too.
New staff will also be employed in other centres and so it's a win, win situation for the whole of the Caribbean.
AirTAC will operate in and out of the sister British Overseas Territory four times a week as part of a round Caribbean service taking in TCI - Jamaica - Cayman Islands - Cuba - Cayman Islands - Jamaica - TCI.
Gardiner added, The Cayman Islands is another important destination in the expanded Caribbean connection service which AirTAC is focused on developing.
It is our aim to open up the skies between the Northern Caribbean and offer connections to all the countries in this region.
This is the first time the Caymans have been available as a destination from the TCI without having to go to the United States first. That's great news for both commerce, tourism and for those with friends and family in either country.
The granting of permission to operate routes such as these is saving people time, effort and money and that can only be good in these tough economic times.
AirTAC are making significant investment into the new route, including the purchase of a new Embraer EMB 120 aircraft. And the pro-active airline will also be doing all it can to promote the TCI as a holiday destination by partnering with the TCI Tourist Board in promoting the country.
We are very proud to represent the TCI, added Gardiner, and we feel we are ambassadors for the country when going about our business.
That means promoting the TCI as a tourist destination at every opportunity and that's something we will definitely be doing in the Caymans as we seek to offer tourist the opportunity to visit both countries on one vacation!
The new Cayman Islands service will begin as soon as further regulatory approvals from Jamaica and Cuba are received.
LIME'S CEO Drexwell Seymour welcomes a BTC/LIME partnership
LIME'S CEO Drexwell Seymour says he is excited about the telecommunications deal between BTC in the Bahamas and Cable & Wireless and looks forward to the Bahamas being a part of the Caribbean through this deal.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham told the House of Assembly that there is no stopping the BTC deal.
A few hours after the government concluded its agreement to sell 51 per cent of its shares in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company to Cable and Wireless, Mr Ingraham told Parliament the company's employees should try to adjust to this new reality as soon as possible.
He said: "The sale is proceeding. We want to ensure employees benefit from the sale. We want employees to use every opportunity they have to engage with new bosses who are going to be there. It is not possible to stop it."
The transaction, worth $210 million, plus $7 million in stamp tax, is still subject to parliamentary and regulatory approvals which are expected to be concluded by April 4.
Mr Ingraham said: "We should not delay progress in this area any further. The duly elected government of the Bahamas is satisfied this is the best transaction for the Bahamas. The democratically-elected government of the Bahamas is fully satisfied this is the best transaction for the Bahamas. We will not be derailed by any minority group in the society."
Signing the deal on behalf of the government yesterday was the Treasurer, Eugene Cartwright.
Thanking the Advisory and Privatisation Committees for their hard work on bringing this deal to fruition, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said his party is not one of monopolists, and was happy to finally bring to an end this privatisation exercise of BTC which began in 1992.
"We are satisfied that we have found the right partner for the Bahamas; that telecommunications and communications generally will be improved, that cost will be lowered, and that we will be on the cutting edge of technology," Mr Ingraham said.
The Prime Minister noted that they would lay copies of the Memorandum of Understanding with Cable and Wireless on the table of the House of Assembly yesterday and post copies on the worldwide web. The government, he added, will also wait for URCA, the communications regulatory body, to undertake its processes on the MOU which he said should take no longer than 30 days. This action, Mr Ingraham said, will commence before debate on BTC's sale will take place in the House of Assembly.
"After that, the government will move in Parliament, the Privatisation Bill, the Amendment to the Communications Act and the minor amendments to the Utilities Regulation Act. We expect that the transaction will be finalised on April 4th of this year.
"While we have in the documents some earlier dates as possible dates, we have determined that we are going to give maximum opportunity for people to say whatever is laid on their hearts to say, whatever suggestions they have.
"From the government's point of view we are absolutely satisfied we are doing what is best for the Bahamas and for the Bahamian people," Mr Ingraham said.
Cable and Wireless CEO David Shaw thanked the Prime Minister for his trust in the signing of this contract, and noted that Cable and Wireless will work hard to understand the culture and needs of the people of the Bahamas from a telecommunications aspect.
"So alongside running BTC in a way that puts the business at the heart of the community, we also need to put the customer at the heart of BTC, and that will mean change. We have to complete the network upgrade so that you can deliver new services, particularly in this world of data that we are now in. We have to introduce new innovation and new products, whether that is TV, music, or mobile commerce, or faster broadband, we have to deliver what our consumers and businesses want.
"We have to lower prices, whether that is domestic or roaming, and we have to improve service so that customers can access BTC in many more ways than they can today and provide them better services to the business community as well as social telecoms with the government will be an important part of the mix. The world of telecoms is changing and we need to ensure that BTC is at the forefront of that change.
"Now I know that some people may be nervous about a new owner at BTC, and at Cable and Wireless we know that it is our job that in the long run we both want the same thing - a healthy competitive enterprise focused on providing the best service to the Bahamian people and fulfilling careers for our Bahamian colleagues," he said.
Mr Shaw said it was a privilege and an honour to sign off on the deal and he thanked the Prime Minister for giving them this opportunity, vowing they will not let him down.
Egypt protests: US call to Hosni Mubarak's government
The US has called on the Egyptian government to immediately lift the country's emergency laws, which have been in place for 30 years.
Vice-President Joe Biden made the call during a telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Omar Suleiman.
He also said the police should immediately stop arresting and beating journalists and activists.
Tuesday saw one of the biggest anti-government rallies in Cairo since the protests began on 25 January.
It came despite the government's announcement of its plans for a peaceful transfer of power.
President Hosni Mubarak has said he will stay in office until elections in September, when he plans to step down.
Mr Biden told Mr Suleiman that the transition to a more broadly based government should produce "immediate, irreversible" progress.
The US vice-president has been phoning his Egyptian opposite number on an almost daily basis and his latest call is the toughest yet, the BBC's North America editor, Mark Mardell, reports.
Mr Biden said the interior ministry should be restrained immediately and there should be a clear policy of no reprisals.
Separately, President Barack Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said Mr Suleiman's remarks about Egypt not being ready for democracy were "particularly unhelpful".
The focus now seems not to be on President Mubarak and his future but on what the White House calls "concrete reforms", our North America editor says.
So far the administration's repeated suggestions over the last week have been met largely by grudging commitments from the Egyptian authorities and little action, he adds.
As the protests entered their third week, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians poured into Cairo's Tahrir Square for the latest protest. Initial attempts by the army to check the identity cards of those joining the demonstration were quickly abandoned because of the sheer weight of numbers.
The unrest over the last two weeks has seen fierce clashes with police, and pitched battles between protesters and Mubarak supporters.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers say they have confirmed the deaths of 297 people since 28 January, based on a count from seven hospitals in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. No comprehensive death toll has been given by the Egyptian government.
Some economic activity has resumed, but authorities have delayed reopening the stock exchange until Sunday. On Friday it was estimated that the paralysis resulting from the unrest had been costing the economy an average of $310m (£193m) a day.
The number of those on Tahrir Square has been swelling each day and dropping back overnight.
Meanwhile, leaked US diplomatic cables carried on the Wikileaks website have revealed that Mr Suleiman was named as Israel's preferred candidate to succeed President Mubarak after discussions with American officials in 2008.
As Egypt's intelligence chief, he is said to have spoken daily to the Israeli government via a secret "hotline" on issues surrounding the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Middle East peace process at risk
The Middle East peace process could become a "casualty" of the calls for change sweeping across the Arab world, the foreign secretary has warned.
William Hague, who is touring the region, said it could "lose further momentum" if international focus shifts to countries like Tunisia and Egypt.
He urged Israel to avoid "belligerent language" and called for "bold leadership" from the United States.
Protests are continuing in Egypt with the aim of ousting the president.
Last month, Tunisia's President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali stood down after weeks of anti-government demonstrations.
His exit sparked a wave of similar uprisings elsewhere, most prominently in Egypt, where protesters were back on the streets in large numbers on Tuesday demanding the immediate resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.
There have also been anti-government demonstrations in Jordan - where King Abdullah dismissed his government - and in Yemen, where President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced he would not stand for re-election in 2013.
Mr Hague is currently on a three-day tour of north Africa and the Middle East.
In an interview on his way to Jordan, he voiced concerns about the future.
"Amidst the opportunity for countries like Tunisia and Egypt, there is a legitimate fear that the Middle East peace process will lose further momentum and be put to one side, and will be a casualty of uncertainty in the region," he said.
"Part of the fear is that uncertainty and change will complicate the process still further. That means there is a real urgency for the Israelis and the United States."
Mr Hague spoke after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "reinforce the might of the state of Israel" whatever the outcome of the unrest.
Responding directly to those words, the foreign secretary said: "This should not be a time for belligerent language."
He added that without action now, "within a few years, peace may become impossible".
He re-iterated his feelings in a message on the micro-blogging website Twitter, saying: "Time for bold leadership on Middle East Peace Process from the US & equally bold steps by Israelis and Palestinians".
BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins said Mr Hague's blunt language was a reflection of his frustration at Israel's refusal to compromise on settlement building in and around Jerusalem, and the Obama administration's failure to set a clear timetable for negotiations.
While in Tunisia - his first calling point - Mr Hague met senior members of the interim government and offered the UK's assistance to help build democratic institutions.
He also announced the creation of the Arab Partnership Initiative, which will provide £5m of funding to support reform projects across the wider region.
Silvio Berlusconi: Prosecutors to seek trial over 'sex
Prosecutors in Italy say they will formally ask for PM Silvio Berlusconi to be tried for alleged sex with an underage prostitute and abuse of power.
The Milan chief prosecutor said a request for a fast-track trial would be submitted to a court on Wednesday.
Mr Berlusconi is alleged to have paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and then intervened to get her released from custody in a separate case.
The woman, known as Ruby, is now 18 and denies that they had sex.
A Moroccan nightclub dancer whose real name is Karima El Mahroug, she was detained for alleged theft by police but freed after a phone call from the prime minister.
Although frequenting prostitutes is not a crime in Italy, having sex with one under the age of 18 is an offence that commands a prison sentence.
Mr Berlusconi denies the sex allegations, insisting they are politically motivated.
He has previously admitted calling the police after Ms Mahroug's arrest but says he did nothing wrong and acted out of pity.
Milan Chief Prosecutor Edmondo Bruti Liberati told reporters that the inquiry into the two allegations was almost complete.
He said "a final meeting" would be held on Tuesday afternoon to consider whether there should be one fast-track trial for both charges or whether they should be separated.
Mr Berlusconi refused to appear before prosecutors as part of their investigation and last week the Italian parliament rejected their request to search the offices of the prime minister's accountant.
As part of their request, the prosecutors submitted two sets of documents in January including what they said was proof of payments made by the prime minister to prostitutes, including the Moroccan dancer.
Although Ms Mahroug has said she received cash at the end of one of Mr Berlusconi's parties, she maintains it was not in return for sex.
Last month, Italy's Constitutional Court amended a law granting the prime minister and senior members of the government temporary immunity from prosecution.
The judges ruled that individual judges should be allowed to decide whether a prime minister should be tried in office.
Source:CNN
Lindsay Lohan to be charged with necklace theft
Lindsay Lohan will be charged Wednesday with felony grand theft relating to a necklace allegedly taken from a Venice, California, jewelry store last month, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Lohan, 24, will be arraigned on the charge at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Los Angeles Airport Superior Court, Deputy District Attorney John Lynch said.
The charge comes five weeks after the actress was released from court-ordered drug rehabilitation and less than three weeks before a judge said he might free her from supervised probation from a 2007 drunk driving conviction.
The actress "allegedly walked out of the store with the necklace on January 22," a statement from the district attorney's office said. "The owner reported the theft to the Los Angeles Police Department, which investigated the allegation and presented evidence to the D.A.'s office last week."
The "one of a kind necklace," which is valued at $2,500, was handed over to police just before they were to execute a search warrant to look for the jewelry in Lohan's Venice, California, apartment last week, police said.
"We vehemently deny these allegations and, if charges are filed, we will fight them in court, not in the press," Lohan lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley said Saturday.
Lohan is on supervised probation for a drunk driving conviction. The judge overseeing her case told her in October that he would send her to jail for 180 days if she violated her probation rules before her next court appearance, set for February 25.
She left the Betty Ford clinic a month ago after three months in a drug rehabilitation program. The rehab stint persuaded the judge not to send Lohan to jail for failing a drug test.
Trey Songz, Kodak Sued For $18 Million Over Bottoms Up Track
A Washington, D.C. production company has filed an $18 million lawsuit over the rights to the music on the hit song "Bottoms Up" by Trey Songz and Nicki Minaj.
Derrick Price, Doc Mob Records and IHip Hop Music filed the lawsuit against Trey Songz, Atlantic Records, Kodak, manager Gee Robertson, producer Kane Beatz and others.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed February 2nd in the Southern District of New York, Doc Mob hired producer Milton James aka "Tony Scales" to produce the original, copyrighted track for "Bottoms Up" for his company, Doc Mob Records.
Price and Doc Mob further claim the track was originally produced by James in Price's home studio.
At some point, James teamed with producer Kane Beatz who added production to the song, which was eventually used by Trey Songz and Nicki Minaj.
The lawsuit claims that "Bottoms Up" was contained on Trey Songz' hit album Passion, Pain and Pleasure but only listed Kane Beatz as producer of the song.
Doc Mob's Derrick Price alleges that he sent multiple cease-and-desist letters to Atlantic Records and Trey Songz, but they were allegedly ignored by the defendants in the case.
Kodak has been dragged into the $18 million dollar lawsuit, for using the song in an advertising campaign featuring Trey Songz.
Source:hiphop,com
Beyonce to Perform at Glastonbury Festival?
Word has it that Beyonce is set to join Coldplay and U2 as a headliner at U.K. music festival Glastonbury.
Chris Martin’s band were confirmed on Monday (Feb. 7) as one of the big acts to hit the stage at the three-day event in June, while U2 have long been linked to a top slot at this year’s festivities after Bono’s back injury forced the Irish rockers to pull out of the 2010 event.
The full official line-up has yet to be unveiled, but founder Michael Eavis recently revealed, “There’s an American artist that I’ve been wanting to have for years.”
For some reason, UK gossip blogs, including website HolyMoly.com, believe this mystery star is Beyonce.
If the rumors are true, it would be the Bey’s first performance at Glastonbury. She previously attended the festival in 2008, but only to support her husband Jay-Z as he headlined the traditionally-rock event.
A spokesperson for Beyonce has yet to comment on the reports.