GUYANA OPENS TITLE DEFENCE AGAINST JAMAICA IN THE DIGICEL 4-DAY REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
Digicel, in partnership with the WICB, has announced that plans are in high gear for the start of the Digicel 4-Day Regional Cricket tournament on 11th November 2016, in which the Guyana Jaguars, led by Shimron Hetmyer, will defend their title. And for the first time in the Caribbean, the tournament will feature the pink ball - known for its versatility in day/night matches and fitting for the opener under the lights at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.
The first round of the tournament includes three games which will be bowl off in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis from 11th November to 14th November. After which, the tournament will continue through the other islands including Barbados, Jamaica, Digicel markets in the Leeward Islands (Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla and Montserrat) and Digicel markets in the Windward Islands (Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & Grenadines).
President of the WICB, Dave Cameron, said; “The PCL is about to go in its third season and we have seen evidence of performances from the previous seasons that we are proud of. The recent “A” Team tour of Sri Lanka is evidence that the league has tremendous value. We expect a fierce competition. The calendar is fairly full for this year (up to September 2017) and we are sure players will position themselves to be selected for our top teams for upcoming international tours.”
As the tournament makes its way across the region, Digicel is also pulling out all the stops to heighten fan engagement – ranging from ticket giveaways to bring fans closer to the games to live broadcasts of the matches on SportsMax and daily updates on its social media pages.
Digicel Group Director of Marketing, Peter Lloyd, said; “Coming off a successful CPL staging, this is another way of keeping cricket buzzing in the Caribbean and a great platform for young cricketers to show off their talent. We’re very excited about another opportunity to engage our customers and cricket fans with great content throughout the tournament.”
The Police tackles Crime in the TCI
As elections draw near, politicians are busy talking about various issues including the ugly face of crime raising its head in the TCI.
The first of may updates from the detectives of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, have revealed that they have launched an investigation into a report of a Robbery that took place early Sunday 6th November 2016 on Bay Road Blue Hills, Providenciales.
RTC News understands that at around 4:59AM, Police responded to the scene where the victim was met and told officers that he was approached by three (3) masked men who were dressed in dark clothing with shirts over their faces and demanded him to hand over money. While handing over his wallet which contained an undisclosed amount of cash and some documents, He was shot twice by one of them who had a revolver. He received wounds to his left arm and left leg. The culprits then made good their escaped in the bushes.
The victim was taken to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre via Emergency Services.
In an update to our newsroom, detectives are continuing their inquiries into the murder of Gary Mead which occurred on Friday 30th September 2016 at Slots-O-Fun located on the Airport Road, Providenciales. Aggressive measures resulted with two more persons aged 24 and 30 years old, being arrested, and two firearms have been recovered.
Officers of the RTCIPF are still continuing to work hard to prevent and detect crime, arrest and bring offenders to justice our news desk was told by Press Officer, Kevin Clarke.
Finally, On Thursday 3rd November 2016, Officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands conducted a number of Stop and Searches exercises and executed a number of Search Warrants throughout the island of Providenciales.
During these searches, police discovered 50 grams of suspected cannabis in a yard in Kew Town. No one was arrested but we are told that further investigations are ongoing.
The Police continues there plea that if you have any information relating to this crime or any other crime, the police are urging you to call Crime Stoppers on 1-800-8477 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: www.crimestoppers.tc, Chalk Sound Police Station 3385901. The information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter page.
Busy Autumn Programme of International Activities for Invest Turks and Caicos
The months of October and November see Invest Turks and Caicos (Invest TCI) continuing to promote these islands to an international audience while also undertaking overseas developmental training to enhance staff skills and develop best practice in the delivery of its work as an investment promotion agency.
In October, Invest TCI was represented at the 21st annual World Investment Conference (WIC) by CEO John Rutherford. The flagship event of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) which took place in Istanbul October 13-14 brought together Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) from all around the world, as well as multilateral organisations, private sector representatives, prominent economists and researchers. The conference focus was on Foreign Direct Investment as a driver to achieve national sustainable development goals; the influence of technology in IPA service excellence; and analysing factors that determine private sector investments into markets.
Following the WIC, Invest TCI had representation at the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) which took place in Hong Kong, China from October 19-21st. This hospitality industry conference brought together the top hotels and resorts in Asia as well as major investors and developers and Mr. Rutherford was able to meet with a number of representatives of these bodies to promote TCI as the number one luxury destination in the Caribbean.
"These events were extremely useful to promote both Turks and Caicos and the Agency itself', Mr. Rutherford said. 'The World Investment Conference provided an excellent opportunity to learn the latest in best practice in attracting overseas investment, and to compare notes with heads of other investment agencies. The conference's theme of encouraging sustainable development through inward investment is very important for the work of Invest Turks and Caicos and the TCI Government as we try to ensure that the country fully benefits from investment in our islands.'
'I was based in Asia for ten years and the HICAP event in Hong Kong allowed me to resurrect a number of useful corporate contacts and raise the profile of Turks and Caicos with some luxury hotel brands such as Shangri La, Marco Polo, Oberoi and Langham Group. While we currently do not have any Asian hotel brands in TCI there is growing interest in the region and I was not the only Caribbean investment agency presence at the conference.'
Invest TCI's promotional and developmental activities will continue in November as members of the team will be promoting the country at The Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 10/11 November; and attending the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) Interactive workshop and training session in Jamaica November 8-9. The islands will have representation at an FCO-sponsored conference on Economic Diversification and Resilience on Small Islands in the British Virgin Islands from 7-9 November; the deputy head of Invest Turks & Caicos is looking forward to engaging in dialogue with representatives from other small islands on the issues as it relates to mapping out a pathway for policy making, investment and sustainable growth given the current economic conditions.
CTO CHAIRMAN TO ADDRESS UNWTO-ORGANISED SUMMIT IN LONDON
Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the minister of tourism for the Islands of the Bahamas, Obie Wilchcombe, is among global tourism leaders to address a major summit on tourism and security during World Travel Market (WTM) here this week.
The summit, hosted by the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable tourism, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the WTM, will focus on the major safety and security challenges facing the tourism sector and how to address them; fostering dialogue between tourism and security to strengthen effective coordination, information sharing, and communication in crisis preparedness, management and recovery; advancing the integration of tourism and security and developing a resilient tourism sector through adequate mechanisms, resources and technical skills; how destinations and source markets can work closer together through their public and private sector to promote safe and seamless travel; and maximizing the use of technology to enhance national and economic security.
The CTO chairman will be joined on the panel by the ministers of tourism from Egypt, Malta, Tunisia and Turkey, the president and chief executive officer of the World Travel and Tourism Council David Scowsill, and other global senior travel and tourism and security executives.
The event on 9 November at the WTM Global Stage will be moderated by Becky Anderson, managing editor and anchor at CNN International.
The summit is one of several high-level events and meetings planned for the CTO chairman during his stay in London for World Travel Market - described by the organizers as the leading global event for the travel industry. The CTO's Chairman will also meet with the secretary general of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Baroness Patricia Scotland.
PUBLIC FORECAST NOVEMBER 7TH 2016
GENERAL SITUATION: A SECONDARY COLD FRONT JUST NORTH OF THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARDS THROUGH THE ISLANDS BEFORE MERGING WITH A WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT IN THE VICINITY OF THE CENTRAL AND THE TCI TODAY.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS AND BEACHGOERS ARE STILL BEING URGED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION DUE TO ROUGH SURF AND THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT BEACHES MAINLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
FOR ALL AREAS:
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, WARM AND WINDY WITH THE CHANCE OF A FEW PASSING SHOWERS TODAY. MOSTLY FAIR AND BREEZY TONIGHT WITH POSSIBLE STRAY SHOWERS.
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT...BOATERS SHOULD ALSO BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS.
WINDS: NORTHEASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 82F 28C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 74F 23C
SUNRISE: 6:21 AM
SUNSET: 5:25 PM
MOONRISE: 12:34 PM
MOONSET: 12:04 AM TUE.
LOW TIDE: 6:29 AM HIGH TIDE: 12:48 PM
LOW TIDE: 7:22 PM HIGH TIDE: 1:25 AM TUE.
EXTENDED FORECAST: WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE TO BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE SECONDARY COLD FRONT.
Turks and Caicos airline boosts regional connectivity
With its new enhanced winter timetable, interCaribbean Airways substantially boosts regional connectivity and convenience via its fast-growing hub at Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).
"Both the passenger's connecting experience at Providenciales, and the flight connecting schedules are now much improved," explained CEO, Trevor Sadler.
Connecting passengers will in the very near future, bypass immigration, proceeding directly through international security screening and into the departures lounge. This "via Provo" connection for transit passengers will be completely hassle-free following global best practices and avoiding major hubs.
"We can now focus on the needs of travelers in the region," said interCaribbean Chairman Lyndon Gardiner, adding that good air service is crucial and integral to business location decisions.
The Turks and Caicos Airports Authority CEO, John Smith, said, "We are pleased to partner with Immigration and interCaribbean in facilitating in-transit passengers at Providenciales."
Effective November 14, interCaribbean will operate these services to/from the Providenciales hub:
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 4x weekly
Santiago, Dominican Republic, 4x weekly
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 4x weekly
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, 3x weekly
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 4x weekly
Cap Haitian, Haiti, daily
Santiago, Cuba, 3x weekly
Havana, Cuba 2x weekly
Kingston, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, daily
Nassau, Bahamas, 6x weekly
Tortola, BVI, 4x weekly via San Juan onward to Antigua
Connections link the above cities via a typical 45-minute hassle-free transit in Providenciales.
The TCI isn't the first small territory to energetically position itself as a connecting hub, look at Antigua, Panama, Iceland, Dubai, Singapore and other such "mice that roared," noted Gardiner.
Inter-island travel difficulty has been documented and lamented by countless economists, executives, development experts, politicians, NGOs and others. Caribbean islands near each other have been mutually accessible only through extraordinarily circuitous and expensive airline routings via distant hubs.
"We are changing this, with huge passenger savings in time, comfort and trip expense," said Gardiner.
interCaribbean, founded 25 years ago, is based in the TCI. The company operates EMB 120, Twin Otter, BE99 aircraft connecting the TCI, Antigua, Tortola, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Bahamas and Cuba; and domestic flights in Jamaica between Kingston and Montego Bay. The TCI as a UK territory applies rigorous airline regulatory standards.
Source-Carib News
Paris fights for businesses fleeing Brexit London
Paris is on a charm offensive, trying to win over businesses fleeing London's Brexit chaos.
The city launched a new initiative on Thursday, setting up a one stop shop for companies that want to relocate from London following the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union.
It is designed to help foreign businesses with the bureaucracy, provide information and advice, and promote the region.
Many global businesses use London as a gateway to Europe's vast markets.
Under EU rules, they are allowed to operate across the block as long as they are based in one of the member countries.
If the U.K. leaves Europe's free trade area, businesses with headquarters in London, including many banks, could lose that right.
The Paris Region Developmental Agency is hoping it could provide a new home to some of them.
"I want France to appear as the natural choice for all those enterprises which are looking for a gateway into Europe," said Manuel Valls, the French Prime Minister.
La Defense, the Parisian finance district, launched its own campaign last month with a slogan "Tired of the fog? Try the Frogs!' It is hoping to convince banks to shift some of their operations there following Brexit.
One obvious choice could be the banks' clearing services. Much of the global trade in euros currently takes place in London, despite the U.K. opting out of the currency used by 19 members of the EU.
The city handles transactions worth trillions of euros -- currencies, shares, bonds and other financial contracts. These might have to move elsewhere within Europe after Brexit.
"I have been saying it for months, the Brexit is a deeply regrettable decision but it is an historical one which is transforming the face of Europe and in front of which we cannot be idle nor naive," said Valerie Pecresse, president of the regional council of Ile de France, the Paris region.
Paris will face stiff competition from other European cities that are also hoping to steal business from London. Frankfurt, where the European Central Bank is based, is hoping to attract the banks. Dublin, home to the European headquarters of Google (GOOGL, Tech30) and Facebook (FB, Tech30), eyes London's tech sector.
Source-CNNMoney
Drones may soon protect your homes.
A new startup wants to turn drones into guardian angels for our homes.
Sunflower Labs, with headquarters in Silicon Valley and Zurich, Switzerland announced a new security system on Thursday that detects possible threats and investigates them with a drone.
The drone streams video to your smartphone, so you can see and decide if your home is at risk or not.
Sunflower Labs, which is now accepting participant applications, will start beta tests in mid-2017. The startup sees itself as a complement to traditional alarms.
Here's how it works: The Sunflower Home Awareness System relies on the drone and a handful of in-ground smart lights to watch over your house. It detects motion, vibration and sound. By analyzing this data, the system can distinguish between a human, a car and animals. To do so, it uses artificial intelligence to identify the disturbance and determine if it's potentially dangerous. For example, trusted visitors such as mail delivery persons will be recognized by how they approach the home and how long they stand at the front door.
When a person approaches and lingers outside the back door, Sunflower Labs will send a push notification to your smartphone and ask if you'd like to investigate.
If you say yes, the drone will lift off from its perch — on a balcony, deck or patio — and fly autonomously to where the suspicious person is located. The drone — 30 feet up — hovers near the visitor until you tell it to return to its nest. The app includes an option for a home owner to notify local police.
False alarms are a common problem for home alarm systems. CEO Alex Pachikov expects sending the drone to investigate before calling the police will solve this issue. The system also has the benefit of keeping an eye on all of your property. Most alarm systems are set up to guard only the entries and exits to a home.
The propellers automatically shut off if they hit anything and are designed to be quiet due to its broad size.
"Our goal is to make it a hum, as opposed to [producing] an obnoxious buzz," Pachikov said.
The drone currently weighs almost two pounds, but the company wants to get it down to half a pound before it ships. It also features two cameras and only collects footage of a home owner's property to protect neighbors' privacy.
According to the author the drone is sure to raise safety, privacy, nuisance and regulatory concerns. New rules, which allow operators who have passed an aeronautical exam to fly drones under 55 pounds no higher than 400 feet, went into effect for commercial drones in August and autonomous flight isn't legal for commercial drones.
Source-CNN Money
F1: Williams snap up Canadian billionaire's son Lance Stroll
Move over Max Verstappen, there's a new kid on the grid -- and his Dad's a billionaire.
Lance Stroll -- who turned 18 at the end of October -- will drive alongside Valtteri Bottas for the Williams Formula One team in 2017, it was announced Thursday.
Just like Red Bull racer Verstappen, the Canadian teenager comes into F1 on a wave of hype and expectation.
Stroll has racing pedigree, impressively winning the 2016 Formula 3 European Championship with 14 race wins and 14 pole positions.
He was just 12 when he joined Ferrari's young driver academy before moving to a wider role in the Williams development program.
Off track he also has another magic ingredient for wannabe racers -- the support of his father Lawrence Stroll, who made his money in fashion retail and according to Forbes is worth $2.4 billion.
Stroll Sr. also collects vintage Ferraris and sparked his son's love of racing when he bought him a kart for his fifth birthday.
"I've enjoyed success in karting, F4, Toyota Racing Series and most recently F3 -- winning every category I've competed in -- so I believe I have earned a shot in F1," said Stroll Jr.
"To be racing in Formula One in 2017 is incredible, I can't thank Williams enough for showing faith in my ability. Racing in F1 was something I dreamed about as a young kid."
Stroll is now eligible to join the F1 grid after reaching his 18th birthday and doing enough on track to qualify for a mandatory super license.
The sport's governing body, the FIA, introduced a minimum age for F1 racers after Verstappen debuted at just 17 -- before he was old enough to drive a road car in his native Netherlands.
Source-CNN
Brathwaite stars as Windies end Test win drought
Skipper Jason Holder believes West Indies cricket could be set for a return to the glory days after upsetting Pakistan by five wickets in the third and final Test in Sharjah on Thursday.
West Indies achieved a 153-run target on the fifth and final morning to clinch their first win in 14 Tests, a remarkable comeback after Pakistan won the first two Tests.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who carried his bat in the first innings with 142 not out, was again unbeaten on 60 while Shane Dowrich, who also finished with 60 not out, hit the winning boundary.
The victory is also the first for Holder -- whose 5-30 on Wednesday set up the win — in 12 Tests as captain.
The West Indies' last win came against England at Barbados in May last year.
Holder is confident that the struggling West Indies —indomitable in the 1980s with 27 consecutive Tests without a defeat — can return to the top.
"I have no doubt we will get back on the track to take West Indies cricket back to the top," said Holder, appointed captain in October last year.
West Indies cricket has been rocked by players' contract problems, sacking of World Twenty20 winning captain Darren Sammy and head coach Phil Simmons just days before the series against Pakistan.
They were routed 3-0 in the preceding Twenty20 and one-day series and lost the first two Tests -- by 56 runs in Dubai and 133 runs in Abu Dhabi.
But Holder believes his players showed character in adversity.
"I can only hope this is a very good win for guys," said Holder. "For us it is just a matter of consistency. We have no reason to be complacent with just one Test victory."
Holder urged fans back home to continue supporting the West Indies.
"Stay with us and keep supporting us. We have shown people that we can do it and we have what it takes and not a roll over team and been competitive," said Holder, who showered praise on Brathwaite.
"I think Brathwaite was outstanding," said Holder of the opener who finished the series with 328 runs.
"Kraigg is one of those people who has come up playing cricket his entire life and he has dominated in most of the matches."
Brathwaite, declared man-of-the-match, said he was happy to contribute to the win.
"Feels very good," said Brathwaite. "It is something that I always wanted to do even from the period I started to play and then coming to play for West Indies. It wasn't easy against Pakistan."
For Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq it was disappointing to end his 49th Test as captain – the most by a Pakistani, beating the previous Pakistan record of 48 by Imran Khan.
"It was disappointing that we didn't win," said Misbah. "We probably didn't respect the opposition which is why we were troubled in early matches and now in this third Test we made a lot of mistakes.
"Overall we didn't play up to our standard and it was bad performance. West Indies played with disciplined and we went on making mistakes and lost it."
Misbah said he hoped his team could lift its performance for the next two series in New Zealand and Australia where they play five Tests.
"I think we will improve going into next two series, we know how tough these series will be. We also know we are capable and when we play at our full potential we can win anything anywhere in the world."
Pakistan start the New Zealand series with the first Test in Christchurch from November 17.
Source-AFP