Minions fend off Terminator challenge at UK box office
The latest Terminator movie posed no threat to the Minions, who remain top dog at the UK and Ireland box office.
The Minions film made £6.23m in its second weekend in cinemas, comfortably besting the £3.79m Terminator: Genisys made in its first four days on release.
There was better news for Amy, Asif Kapadia's film about Amy Winehouse.
The £519,000 it took between Friday and Sunday, according to its distributor, saw it record the biggest ever opening weekend for a British documentary.
Minions, a spin-off starring the diminutive yellow henchmen from the Despicable Me films, has now made almost £21m at UK and Ireland cinemas.
That benchmark is unlikely to be reached by Terminator: Genisys, despite the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger to his signature film franchise.
The time travel-based action film was quickly followed into cinemas by another sequel, Magic Mike XXL, that also failed to challenge an existing box office champ.
Channing Tatum's follow-up to his 2012 male stripper comedy could only manage fourth place in this week's chart, one place behind Jurassic World.
Amy, in contrast, left its UK distributor jubilant after enjoying the best opening for a non-concert film documentary since Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.
"We are delighted that audiences have chosen to celebrate the life of the truly talented musical icon," said Hamish Moseley of Altitude Film Distribution.
The continued appeal of so-called 'event cinema' is evidenced further down this week's chart by the presence of the Royal Opera House's Guillaume Tell.
Sunday's live relay of the production, whose opening night had audience members booing over at a controversial rape scene, occupies eighth place, having generated takings of £114,673.
Ernst Dolce charged for Carrying Firearm
After a thorough investigation by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, (RTCIPF) the charge of Carrying Firearm has been laid against 26-year-old Ernst Dolce relating to an incident, which took place on Monday, 29th June 2015 in the Lower Bight area.
Ernst Dolce was taken before the Chief Magistrate Clifton Warner in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Wednesday 01st July 2015) on that Carrying Firearm charge.
Dolce was not required to enter a plea until the day of his Sufficiency Hearing in the Supreme Court. The Chief Magistrate has scheduled the date for that Sufficiency Hearing for Friday 07th August 2015 in Grand Turk.
Police make an arrest in Burglary – Chalk Sound
Police detectives have arrested a 50 year old male of Airport Road on suspicion of Burglary, which occurred on Friday 26th June 2015 in Chalk Sound, Providenciales
Two Dynex flat screen televisions were reported stolen during that Burglary and police are seeking the public's assistance in recovering those televisions.
Police are also warning the public about the dangers of buying goods from persons off the street.
Anyone found in possession of any of the Dynex flat screen televisions will be arrested for handling Stolen Goods and could face a maximum of 14 years in prison.
Meanwhile, the 50 year old man arrested for suspicion of Burglary remains in police custody where he is expected to be charged for Burglary later this week.
Anyone who may have information pertaining to this Burglary is asked to call police on 941-8083 or Crime Stoppers in Miami on 1-800-8477.
Police shun idea of hiding information; promised new methods in dealing with media
Not enough information coming from police on various criminal acts perpetrated including rapes, home invasions, robbery sprees and violent attacks. The Police Commissioner, James Smith responded to Magnetic Media concerns about this absence of information.
Police Commissioner James Smith: “That is not the way I am used to operating, and I don’t think it is the way the Turks and Caicos Islands Police are used to operating because we have to protect the scene of a crime, we have to protect the confidentiality of evidence that we gathering, we have to protect the identity of witnesses and victims until we are at a point that is either appropriate or safe to that (information) out. I think we come at this from a slightly different angle and that is not to say there is not more that could be done and Audley (Astwood, Press Liaison) and I are discussing methodologies of being more proactive with you guys. We are not scared to engage the media, we are not frightened to tell you things but we are cautious that we don’t undermine our professional investigations and the right of people not to be thrust into the media if they don’t need to be.”
I clarified that the question was not aimed at getting closer to crime scenes, but getting closer to crimes solved and how the no stream of information could be hurting police and public relationships.
Deandrea Hamilton, Magnetic Media: “It seems insensitive to the residents of an area or people who could be potential victims they just feel a lack of concern by police…
Police Commissioner James Smith: “I hear all of that and let’s try to get better at that and I think Audley (Astwood, Press Liaison) is the man to lead on that course…”
CID Superintendent Wayne Jones: “I don’t want you to think we are trying to hide things from you as media because we would like to use you as much as possible to put things out there for us but one thing we have to be mindful of is that we have to be very careful of what we give to you also because you have to bear in mind that other than the listening public who are listening to your broadcast on a daily basis, we have the criminals who are listening to find out what you are saying or what we as police officers are giving in information and know about a particular crime. That is why we have to be very careful on some of the things we give to you…”
In recent days police have been more forthcoming with press releases including information on the arson attack at the Five Cays Police Station, where a man was held for questioning; the graduation of Superintendent Kendall Grant from the FBI College and a gun arrest in The Bight on Monday night.
'No new plan' before summit as Greece debt crisis looms
Eurozone finance ministers say Greece has submitted no new proposals to secure a deal with its international creditors at a meeting in Brussels.
They had urged Greece to submit fresh plans after its people rejected a draft bailout in a referendum.
Greece said it had proposed a few changes and hoped to secure "a mutually beneficial agreement on the basis of the mandate of the referendum".
But Germany said there was "still no basis" for talks on a new bailout.
The finance ministers were meeting ahead of a summit of eurozone leaders in Brussels.
The Greek side gave a presentation at the finance ministers' meeting on Tuesday. However, there was no new written plan.
The Greek government said: "Today's Eurogroup was not supposed to take decisions but rather prepare for the summit.
"The Greek side has presented its proposals since last Tuesday and these proposals remain on the table - with a few ameliorations. The proposals will be discussed today and tomorrow."
Mr Dijsselbloem said Greece would be sending a new letter requesting support from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the fund set up in 2012 to fund eurozone members in financial difficulties.
He said the Eurogroup would discuss this on Wednesday but that creditors would have to look at Greece's finances and debt sustainability to see "if we can formally start the negotiations".
The lack of a new written plan was criticised by some in the eurozone.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said as she arrived for the leaders' summit: "We still do not have the basis for negotiations... it is not a question of weeks anymore, but a question of a few days."
Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos told a Spanish reporter: "There was no proposal. We only talked about general things. And we don't have time to waste."
Malta's PM Joseph Muscat tweeted that this "doesn't help this evening's eurozone leaders' meeting".
Reflecting the level of difficulty at the meeting, another eurozone official said: "If they really plan to present something formal tomorrow, they may not find anyone to read it."
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is set to address the European Parliament on Wednesday, a Greek government source said.
A picture of Angela Merkel wearing an old Prussian military helmet dominates the front cover of Bild. "Today," the headline reads "we need the Iron Chancellor!" referring to Otto von Bismarck, who first held the post.
For weeks the tabloid has been leading the charge against Greece. Like many here, it has had enough. "No more billions for Greece," it urged on Tuesday.
The chancellor is under huge domestic pressure not to cave in to Greek demands for debt relief. Her deputy, Sigmar Gabriel, has said that to do so would destroy the eurozone.
And on Tuesday the CSU (her party's Bavarian ally) went further: general secretary Andreas Scheuer wants Berlin to reject further negotiations, let alone a third bailout package. The Bavarian finance minister, Markus Soeder, has said he simply wants Greece out of the eurozone.
And these are the MPs who will have to vote before negotiations over any proposed new deal can even start. Mrs Merkel says she wants to keep the eurozone together; she's got a battle on her hands at home first.
Source-BBC
Ministry of Finance host workshops in Grand Turk & Providenciales
The Ministry of Finance, Investment and Trade held a public workshop on Thursday, 2nd July, 2015 at the HJ Robinson High School at 5:00 pm and on Providenciales Friday, 3rd July, 2015 at the at 5:00 pm.
These workshops introduced the Caribbean Overseas Territories Small Medium Enterprises (COSME) Project to the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) and gave participants a walkthrough of the application process for Direct Assistance Grants (DAGs) which include the Guidelines, Application forms and other Annexes, while answering questions of participants/applicants.
“This partnership with COSME will allow us to invite business persons operating in the Micro, Small and Medium size Enterprise (MSME) Sector and potential business persons in TCI to attend any one of the two public workshops” said Ministry of Finance representative, Arthur Been.
The forty-one (41) month COSME Programme has three specific objectives namely:
1. Strengthening the capacity of the Governments of the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories, (OCTs) to service the business sector;
2. Improving the capacity of Business Service Organizations (BSOs) to engage in public-private policy and administrative reform dialogue with Governments and provide services to their constituency of SMEs;
3. Promoting stronger collaboration, trade and investment relations among the EU, CARIFORUM and the Caribbean OCTs.
The COSME Programme is the final programme under the 10th EDF Regional Programme for the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) was launched on April 1, 2014 in the island of Tortola (BVI).
The overall objective is to contribute to the sustainable and climate-resilient economic diversification and prosperity of Caribbean OCTs. This will be accomplished by improving the competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the participating territories.
Upon completion of the program, it is expected that there will be improvement of policies and the legislative and administrative framework for SMEs to establish and conduct business in the Caribbean OCTs, improved capacity of business support organizations to deliver the necessary services to their members and engage in dialogue with Government as well as improved competitiveness of SMEs participating in the programme and improved collaboration, trade and investment relations among the EU, CARIFORUM and the Caribbean OCTs.
The programme will disperse €15M to projects benefitting the participating Caribbean Territories. The funds were made available by the European Union (EU).
More information about the COSME Programme can be found at: http://www.cosmeprogramme.org
TURKS AND CAICOS MAINTAINS SOVEREIGN BBB+ RATING
Global ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has maintained its BBB+ rating with a stable outlook for the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) it announced Tuesday, 30th June 2015.
This strong grading follows TCI’s first sovereign rating in 2014 which provided global recognition of its financial reforms and fiscal success.
A team from S&P visited the islands in May and met with a range of politicians, officials and business leaders as part of the annual review process.
“This is further expert recognition of our tremendous progress in making the TCI one of the fastest recovering economies in the Caribbean,” said Minister of Finance, Hon Washington Misick.
“S&P has recognized our ongoing success in consolidating public financial management reform and improving our fiscal resilience. BBB+ means that we are more highly rated than many countries in the Caribbean,” Hon Misick said.
S&P again made clear that TCI’s close relationship with the UK, as an Overseas Territory, was a key factor in its rating calculation.
One of the benefits of maintaining a BBB+ rating is in strengthening the TCI’s negotiating position as it holds discussions with financial institutions ahead of refinancing its UK-guaranteed $170m bond, when it matures in February 2016.
The TCI plans to issue invitations to tender for its refinancing requirement in September 2015. It is TCI’s intention to use $110m already held in a sinking fund, plus an additional contribution from the first half of financial year 2015-16 to repay most of the bond, with the balance being covered by new bank debt.
The BBB+ rating is a strong factor in attracting foreign direct investment to TCI and building confidence amongst its existing business community. The TCI economy grew by an estimated 4.6% in 2014 and is forecast to grow an average of 2-3% per annum over the next three years.
The TCI government generated a US$77.3m operating surplus and a 16% increase in recurrent revenue to $246.5m for the financial year ending March 2015.
The surplus further consolidates the Islands’ position as one of the strongest economies in the Caribbean region. In March 2015 the TCI government’s net debt to GDP ratio was approximately 24%, while its revenue to GDP is 30%.
EDUCATION MINSTER AND TEAM ATTEND COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE
Representatives of the Turks & Caicos Islands Government attended the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (“19CCEM”) in Nassau, Bahamas on 22nd – 26th June 2015. The conference had its official Opening Ceremony on Tuesday 23rd June.
Over 800 delegates from across the Commonwealth’s six regions attended the week-long series of meetings. The Turks and Caicos delegation was led by the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services, Hon. Akierra Missick, Permanent Secretary, Cherylann Jones, Director of Education, Edgar Howell, Sherlaine Been, Teacher and Head of the English Department at the H J Robinson High School and Youth Ambassadors Donte Francis and Kershelle Bain.
The theme is 'Quality Education for Equitable Development: Performance, Paths and Productivity' – 3P’s. The Conference took place at a time when current Millennium Development Goals will come to an end and be replaced by a post-2015 Development Framework for Education that focus on equitable access to quality education and the provision of lifelong learning for all.
The CCEM is the largest Commonwealth ministerial meeting and includes four parallel forums, covering youth, civil society, teachers and stakeholders. It was officially opened by the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, The Right Honorable Perry G. Christie. In his welcome, he called for a greater emphasis to be placed on education stating; “Not merely at the policy level but to ensure that policies become real, and are enacted.”
“The 19CCEM promises a unique opportunity for ministers to discuss issues affecting member countries from both regional and global perspectives. I am looking forward to be part of discussions on policy, practice and strategic actions that are required to respond to the Post-2015 Development Goals” stated Hon. Missick. “Additionally my team has so far enjoyed exploring trends and innovative good practices in Commonwealth education and looking at developing those good practices best suited to Turks and Caicos.
“Members of the Delegation attended sessions on the Financing of Education: Public Schools vs Private School for Profit that reinforced the notion that governments have an obligation to develop and strengthen their public schools systems.
“Further, that governments must regulate private schools to ensure that all schools meet national standards, ensure universal access, and equal opportunities for all children. Education is a public good whether it is offered publicly or privately.
“Based on the National Plan, we are on the right track but will work on more collaboration and strengthen areas such as, teacher quality and efficiency, the development of school leaders, implementing policies to improve learning environments such as ICT integration, and financing tertiary education opportunities.”
Discussions covered a range of educational issues focusing on quality standards, teaching and learning, teacher development and performance, skills and paths that meet both the dynamic needs of learners especially the youth, global qualification standards, ICT integration in education and training, opportunities for economic growth and investment, and the overall quality of education across the Commonwealth.
TCIG Host Damage & Needs Assessment Training July 6 - 8 2015
The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME), Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) & the Department of Planning will host a three day “Damage and Needs Assessment” training at the Sands Hotel, Grace Bay, Providenciales beginning at 9am on July 6-8 2015.
Devastation caused by natural disasters in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in past years, including the most recent Tropical Storm Cristobal during August 2014, has highlighted the critical need for the Turks and Caicos Islands to be better able to rapidly and accurately assess the damage caused by a disaster as well as identify the needs for immediate assistance in relief and reconstruction.
The objectives of damage and needs assessments are to determine:
Nature and extent of a disaster
Damage and secondary threats
Needs of the population
Resource availability and local response capacity
Options for relief assistance, longer-term recovery and development
Needs for international assistance
The training is expected to draw over 25 persons from various agencies, both government and non-governmental such as Planning, Lands and Survey, Red Cross, Health, Statistical Unit, Finance, Housing division, etc. The training will be conducted by CDEMA facilitators: Ms. Joanne Persad (Programme Manager Preparedness and Response*) and General Earl Arthurs (Caribbean Disaster Management Specialist*).
As part of the government’s coordinated effort to enhance emergency planning and strengthen the nation’s overall level of preparedness, the DDME will continue to employ every effort to enhance the capacity of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Officers seize illicit drug during search warrant
On Thursday 02 July 2015, Press Officer of the Royal Turks & Caicos Police Force informed RTC News that a 33 year old Marlo Glinton of Bay Road was charged for the offence of Possession of a Controlled Drug.
About 5:58am (Thursday 2 July 2015), officers attached to multiple units executed a search warrant at a home on Bay Road in Blue Hills.
During a search of the home, police located and seized 2.7 grams of Cannabis.
The charge of Possession of a Controlled Drug was laid on Marlo Glinton after officers concluded their investigations into the Cannabis found at his home.
33 year old Glinton was taken before Chief Magistrate Clifton Warner in the Magistrate’s Court, after 11AM yesterday. He entered a Guilty plea and was fined five hundred dollars and given two weeks in which to pay the fine to the court in full.
The Chief Magistrate made an order for the Cannabis to be destroyed