Windies all-rounder blasts all-rounder boss
World Twenty20 winner Dwayne Bravo blasted the West Indies cricket President David Cameron as “immature”, “arrogant” and “small-minded” yesterday as the crisis engulfing the Caribbean team deepened.
The thrilling T20 win over England in Kolkata on Sunday has been overshadowed by the reopening of old wounds between the players and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over contracts and salaries.
Bravo backed Darren Sammy’s emotional outburst after the final when the captain blasted the board as “disrespectful” for failing to even supply proper shirts for the tournament and for the protracted salary row which rumbled on to the very start of the competition.
Sammy also claimed that no senior figures from the WICB had congratulated the team on their triumph.
All-rounder Bravo said Sammy was right to criticise the board but saved his venom for Cameron.
“The president is immature and small-minded,” 32-year-old Bravo told Trinidad TV station, CNC. “He is just an arrogant guy.”
Bravo backed Sammy’s accusations over the poor preparation which saw the team manager having to go in search of playing shirts which would have players’ names and numbers printed on the back.
“We have always had problems with our contracts but the board doesn’t negotiate with the players. They deal with (players union) WIPA.
“But only one of the 15 players in India are with WIPA. We are not happy with what we are getting. The players are hurt and we need to put a stop to it.”
Bravo was the captain of the West Indies team when they cut short a tour of India in 2014 over a contractual dispute.
YOHAN BLAKE IS BACK!
During yesterday’s Sports Watch show, sports anchor Donavan Fulford asked the question where is the Beast, Yohan Blake?
Well, the 2011 World Championships 100m winner Blake believes he has overcome his fear of getting hurt again after opening his season with a 21.33-second clocking in the 200m at UWI Invitational last Saturday.
“To be honest, we are human and it did (the fear of injury affected me). But thank God I have people who have been working with me and I got over that. My mind is set on the goal at hand, which is the Olympics. So I am happy,” he told the Jamaican press.
Blake, joint second-fastest man of all time in the 100m and the 200m with 9.69 seconds and 19.26 seconds, is trying to come back from major hamstring injuries suffered in 2013 and 2014.
“Me and coach Mills have been doing some really good work on the track trying to get back the form in place which is going really well. So I am just working on that,” he noted.
Blake, 26, who became the youngest World champion at 21 years old, finished second behind his Racers Track Club teammate Warren Weir with 21.23 seconds at the UWI Invitational.
China was Largest Market for Panama Papers Law Firm
Still on the Panama Papers but this time in China!
A massive data leak from a Panamanian firm has revealed that from relatives of the founding father of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, to current leader Xi Jinping, offshore holdings are common place among the families of China's ruling elite.
Among the more than 11 million documents are details about the offshore holdings of relatives of at least seven current and former Politburo Standing Committee members, a powerful political body in China, and the grandson-in-law of the founding father of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong.
On Wednesday, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists said that Chinese leaders’ relatives who have offshore holdings include: the brother-in-law of President Xi Jinping; the son-in-law of Standing Committee member Zhang Gaoli; a brother of former Chinese Vice President and the daughter of former Premier Li Peng.
The ICIJ also said its analysis of leaked records indicates that by the end of 2015, Mossack Fonseca – the law firm at the center of the document dump – was collecting fees for more than 16,300 offshore companies from China and Hong Kong, accounting for 29 percent of its business worldwide.
Hong Kong is the company’s busiest office in Asia and the world.
Putin denies Panama Papers' claims of corruption in inner circle
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday denied any "element of corruption" after the Panama Papers claimed his cellist friend Sergei Roldugin ran a $2-billion offshore empire, adding that his own name is not in the documents.
Putin also claimed that United States officials were behind the journalistic investigation, citing a tweet from WikiLeaks.
He boasted that the investigation had tried and failed to find any compromising information on his own financial dealings.
"They combed through these offshore accounts. Your humble servant is not there. What is there to talk about?" Putin said, referring to himself, speaking at a televised forum for regional media held in Saint Petersburg.
Those working on the Panama Papers instead took "some friend of the Russian president" and suggested his activities have "an element of corruption," Putin said.
"What element of corruption? There is none at all," he insisted.
"WikiLeaks has shown us now the fact that officials and official organs of the United States stand behind this," Putin added.
WikiLeaks wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that "US govt funded #PanamaPapers attack story on Putin via USAID."
Putin warmly defended his friend Roldugin as a "brilliant musician" and philanthropist.
Two cases of Zika virus confirmed in St Lucia
Health officials here have confirmed two cases of the Zika virus.
Results from the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)yesterday Wednesday said one male, 25 and a female, 28, both from Castries, tested positive for the mosquito borne virus.
St Lucia had until now, managed to remain Zika virus free.
Last month, CARPHA reported that at least 15 countries in the region reported cases of the virus.
CARPHA executive director, Dr James Hospe-dales, in a video update on the Zika virus in the Caribbean, then said the problem with Zika, which was originally described as a “mild disease’ now appears to be causing an increase in two rare health situations.
He said the virus appears to be the main agent for spreading the issue of babies being born with small heads and the neurological problem called Guillain-Barré syndrome or (GBS).
New report says the number of Caribbean nationals with diabetes has tripled
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report says the number of Caribbean nationals living with diabetes has tripled since 1980, adding that one in 12 inhabitants live with diabetes in the Americas.
On Wednesday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said diabetes is currently the fourth-leading cause of death in the hemisphere, following heart attacks, strokes and dementia.
The health organisation says if current trends continue, experts estimate that nearly 110 million people in the region will have diabetes by 2040.
The first Global Report on Diabetes from WHO is being launched this week in Geneva and Mexico City as part of the 2016 World Health Day campaign, which is dedicated to diabetes.
The WHO report highlights the urgency of stepping up efforts to prevent and control diabetes, particularly through public policies that support healthy lifestyles and by ensuring that health systems are able to promptly diagnose, treat and care for people with diabetes.
“The best way to prevent diabetes is for people to follow a healthy diet, avoiding ultra-processed foods and sugary beverages that are high in calories and low in nutrients, and to engage in regular physical activity to help maintain a healthy body weight,” said PAHO’s Dominican-born director Dr Carissa F Etienne.
Preventing diabetes, however, “is not just an individual responsibility,” Etienne noted.
TCI Treasury relocated to former TCI Bank building
A representative from the Ministry of Finance confirmed to RTC News that the Turks & Caicos Treasury in Providenciales has already been relocated.
Accountant General, Arnold Ainsley told us via telephone that after several years at the Town Centre Mall, the downtown location of the Treasury has been relocated to there new location at the former, TCI Bank , at Butterfield Square, Downtown.
The move was completed over the weekend, which started on Friday, April 15th and on Sunday, April 17th trucks were seen moving furniture’s, computers and files to the new location.
The staff in the Treasury has been working diligently to ensure a smooth transition to the new space and we anticipate no material interruption of service for customers of the downtown office added Ainsley.
Despite the move, the office remained opened until 3:00 p.m. on Friday April 15th. The department will be opened for business on April 18 at 10:30am at the new location across the road.
The Accountant General says the Treasury will return to regular opening hours at 8:30am beginning on Tuesday, April 19th.
Ainsley added that all phone numbers and email contacts will remain the same.
GIVING FOR OTHERS GRAND TURK STYLE
The Red Cross Branch of Grand Turk repeated on Saturday, April 9th, its well renowned Afternoon Tea at the Waterloo Residence.
The annual event is one of the popular events on the calendar with over 140 local attendees contributing much needed money to the Red Cross Branch.
The enticement was a spread of afternoon tea, cakes, sandwiches and scones, followed by a fashion show with models from H J Robinson High School, singing and dancing performances and the a silent auction.
Speaking at the start of the tea Jill Beckingham, the Governor’s wife, said “I am delighted to welcome so many of you again to afternoon tea here. Congratulations to the organizers, many of whom have labored all day to produce this great spread.
“They have shown that the spirit of volunteering is alive in Grand Turk, and I know that the Red Cross will benefit from the afternoon’s entertainment. There are still many in our community who lean on organizations like the Red Cross, especially at times of difficulty, and it’s great that the Grand Turk Branch remains so active,” added the Governors wife.
RTC will sit down with the Director this week to talk about the Red Cross and its plans for the remainder of the year.
TRANSITION TO ELECTRONIC TRANSFER OF PASSPORT APPLICATIONS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM
The Ministry of Border Control and Employment informed RTC News that as of Thursday April 14, 2016, passport applications for the Turks and Caicos Islands passports, has been transferred to the United Kingdom through electronic means.
The implications of this is that persons who qualify and submit applications in accordance with published guidance will experience shorter processing times and by extension a swifter return of their printed Turks and Caicos Islands passport according to the Minister, the Hon.Donhue Gardiner.
The decision to transfer the printing of passports followed recommendations made by UK Parliamentary Committees and the National Audit Office in 2007, that production of British passports be repatriated to Her Majesty's passport Office (then the Identity and Passport Service) in the UK.
A Working Group, consisting of senior officials from each of the UK Overseas Territories was set up back in 2011 to identify potential issues and to ensure that the revised processes were workable and sustainable.
The transferring of passport applications from the Turks and Caicos Islands commenced in July 2015 and the Ministry in a release to RTC says and I quote: “we are pleased that less than a year later, a time related element of the process has been introduced which will result in faster turn-around times. In addition to this, British Overseas Territory Citizens of Turks and Caicos Islands are now bearing new style passports containing more sophisticated security features which meets international quality and security standards.” End quote.
Our newsroom was informed that the final phase of this project is on course and passports can now be returned to the Turks & Caicos within 10 days of processing.
Commissioner gives Country an update on Crime
Returning to comments made by the Premier on the matter of crime, taken from the Commissioners report, the Commissioner of Police released the crime data for the year 2015/2016 on Friday with crime seeing a reduction of 1% across the country, or 18 crimes being committed.
The Commissioner added that “Our detection rate has increased from 24% last year to 25% this year. However serious crimes continued to rise with gun enabled crime being a particular concern. The number of crimes reported per day remains stable at Nine, across the country.
This year we saw eight murders, of these two; have suspects that will appear in court. Of the other six, our enquiries continue and we are following some very positive leads in a number of them. I cannot give more detail on that due to the sensitivity of the enquiries and the need to keep information confidential. I can say that the short-term deployment of UK-based Investigators has already proved beneficial in a number of cases and specific investigative techniques. We will build on this in the coming year (s).
Firearms offence has risen by nine reported incidents; robberies are up by Nineteen recorded incidents and burglaries are also up by Sixty-Five recorded incidents. While all crimes have an impact on the victims these more serious offences can prove traumatic and that is why we have sought to invest our resources to tackle these more serious matters.
It does, however, take time and investment to change the profile of an organization. We have invested heavily in training across a range of disciplines including;
Crime Scene Management, Intelligence gathering and handling, Criminal Investigation, Marine Officer Training, Child Safeguarding and a significant focus on Armed Policing.
This Training is continuing, and we have Senior Investigating Officer Training scheduled to commence next week with participants from other OT’s. Marine Branch training for all officers in that Unit commences Monday, and again colleagues join them from across the Caribbean.
The Commissioner says that he has already introduced a new incident command structure to ensure that senior officers are trained and ‘on call’ to enable us to respond efficiently and effectively to serious incidents. We have substantially increased our numbers of highly trained tactical Officers under the new Command of ‘Specialist Operations’. This command brings together Tactical Officers, Firearms Training, Marine and Air Assets and will expand further to ensure that all specialist officers work collaboratively across the country.
In addition, a large number of officers have been trained in Police use of and the management of firearms related incidents. All of this training is continuing and will build the professionalism of my officers and staff.
There are a significant number of technical assets that will improve our ability to detect and prevent crime on the near horizon and following the training these will be introduced across the Force. We will see improvements in how we manage our information and resources and our feedback to the public and those we serve.
I will continue to invest all my energy in making this Force the best it can be. The arrival of the new Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Marc Callaghan along with the two Assistant Commissioner will shape our future direction in collaboration with officers, staff, communities and all the partner organizations we work with.