New LIAT flights between Barbados and Guyana
LIAT has added four new services per week between Dominica and Saint Maarten and three additional services between Barbados and Ogle in Guyana.
The LI 331 flight is scheduled to depart Dominica at 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in St Maarten at 12:05 p.m. The return service is scheduled to depart St Maarten at 3:05 p.m., arriving in Dominica at 4:05 p.m.
The three additional services between Barbados and Ogle will bring LIAT’s total number of flights to Guyana to ten per week.
LIAT 391 is scheduled to depart Barbados at 8:50 a.m., arriving at Ogle at 10:50 a.m. The return flight, LI 390 departs Ogle at 11:20 a.m, arriving back into Barbados at 1:20 p.m. The flights operate on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
Source-Nations News
West Indies Captain appeals for better helmets
West Indies test Captain Denesh Ramdin has appealed to makers of cricket helmets to improve their product, following the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who was hit by a bouncer from Sean Abbott.
Ramdin made the call as the West Indies left the Caribbean Sunday for South Africa to play that country in a three-Test series.
“The helmets that we have needs to be improved because when you get a lash on it, you really feel the pain,” Ramdin said.
“It is basically just a piece of fibreglass and this is not adequate protection.”
Last year the International Cricket Council appointed a committee to look at an international bench mark for standards on helmets and is likely to fast track the process in light of Hughes death.
The West Indies open their tour with a warm-up match against a South African Invitational XI at Benoni on December 10 to be followed by the first Test, at Centurion starting December 17.
The second test starts on Boxing Day, December 26 while the final test is due to start January 2 at Capetown.
Three T20s and five One Day Internationals (ODIs) will follow before the team returns to the Caribbean for a short break, ahead of the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia in February.
“This team is very tough but we have good players on our team and we are going to give them a run. We just need to keep focus and do the right things consistently and we will get the results we want,” Ramdin said.
“The senior players including myself have to lead from the front and the younger players have to take their lead.”
West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced on Monday that in-form Windward Islands opener Devon Smith will replace veteran opener Chris Gayle who has been forced out of the series due to injury.
Source-CMC
Australian cricketer gets emotional send-off
Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke broke down in tears as he paid tribute to friend and team-mate Phillip Hughes at the batsman's funeral.
Hughes, 25, died last week after being hit by a ball during a match in Sydney.
His death stunned Australia and the funeral was broadcast live to millions of people on national television and on big screens in major cities.
Around 5,000 people attended the service in Hughes's home town of Macksville, New South Wales.
The service was also shown at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Hughes suffered the injury during a state match on Tuesday, 25 November. He died two days later.
During the 80-minute service, Clarke said: "Phillip's spirit, which is now part of our game forever, will act as a custodian of the sport we all love.
"We must listen to it. We must cherish it. We must learn from it. We must dig in and get through to tea. And we must play on.
"So rest in peace my little brother. I will see you out in the middle."
Around 1,000 people attended the funeral at Macksville High School, which Hughes attended, as thousands more watched on screens in the baking heat outside.
Joining the parents of Hughes, Greg and Virginia, and his siblings, Jason and Megan, were Clarke and Sean Abbott, the bowler whose delivery caused the fatal injury to Hughes.
Former Australia internationals Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh and Justin Langer were also among the mourners.
South Stream gas line cancelled by Russia's President
Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement that he is cancelling the planned $50bn (£32bn; €40bn) South Stream gas pipeline has caused a mixture of surprise, relief and dismay in countries dependent on Russian gas across central and eastern Europe.
Russia's critics have long argued that, parallel to nuclear expansion, gas pipelines constitute "the long fingers of the Kremlin", opening the way for political as well as economic influence. So this decision is a dramatic change of direction.
"It may be a bluff," said Martin Vladimirov, an energy specialist at the Centre for the Study of Democracy in Sofia, "to pressurise the Bulgarian, Serbian, Hungarian and Austrian governments to unite behind accelerating the project, and make a better case for it to the European Commission".
However, he favours a second explanation, that South Stream is "simply too big a burden" amid the difficult financial situation facing Russia's state-owned giant Gazprom.
Europe has a falling demand for gas, and does not need the potential 63bn cubic metres (cu m) a year that South Stream would provide. The North Stream pipeline is only filled to a fraction of its similar capacity, and runs at a loss.
Instead, Mr Vladimirov believes, Gazprom is looking to new markets, turning its gas strategy eastwards. "It would need $100bn in the next four to five years to develop the Eastern Siberian fields and construct a pipeline to China," he says.
Scrapping South Stream comes as a setback to the governments in Hungary and Serbia, among the strongest backers of the project, alongside the Austrian company OMV and the Italian ENI.
Source-BBC
Hong Kong Protest Leaders Surrender to Police
The founders of Hong Kong's Occupy Central movement have turned themselves in to police for their role in organizing pro-democracy protests authorities have deemed illegal.
Benny Tai, Chan Kin-man, and Chu Yiu-ming entered the Central Police Station on Wednesday. They were turned away about an hour later after police refused to arrest or charge them.
In a news conference outside the station, Tai said the trio was presented with a special form and told to check off the crimes to which they were confessing. A line of Occupy supporters also lined up to fill out the form.
It is unclear whether police will arrest or charge any of the activists with a crime. Authorities have not commented on the surrender, which is seen as an attempt to rejuvenate a movement that has begun to lose public support.
The Occupy founders on Tuesday called for demonstrators to retreat, citing fears of further violence following clashes with police on Sunday. So far, the protesters have rejected those calls.
Source-VOA News
Kerry Cites Effectiveness of Airstrikes Against IS
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State group have made it "much harder" for the militants to assemble, travel and carry out attacks.
Kerry spoke Wednesday in Brussels, opening a meeting with foreign ministers from 60 coalition partners to discuss efforts to combat the militant group that took over large areas of northern and western Iraq and eastern Syria earlier this year.
"One outcome of this meeting will be a statement that encompasses our message: that we are united and moving ahead on all fronts and that we will engage in this campaign for as long as it takes to prevail," said Kerry.
He said the militants must worry about what will come down on them from the sky, and that the U.S.-led airstrikes will continue as necessary while training and assistance for Iraq's security forces expand.
So far, the coalition has carried out more than 1,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria since the campaign began in August.
New Zealand crush Pakistan
New Zealand completed an innings and 80-run win over Pakistan in the third and final Test in Sharjah yesterday, to level the three-match series 1-1.
Seamer Trent Boult took 4-38 and Mark Craig 3-109 which overshadowed Asad Shafiq's career-best 137 as Pakistan were dismissed for 259 in their second innings in the fading light at Sharjah stadium.
The win was more praiseworthy in a week when New Zealand were left grieving after Australian batsman Phillip Hughes's tragic death on Thursday, the day when both teams abandoned second day's play.
New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum admitted it was tough to play.
"It was definitely, really tough circumstances to play the Test," said McCullum. "Our thoughts were elsewhere. Proud of the guys for sticking together."
Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq conceded the tragic news affected his team.
"After starting very well during the first day, whatever happened in the second day that was really difficult to concentrate. I was struggling to concentrate, it was really difficult to bat on and carry on."
Boult ended Shafiq's fighting 183-minute knock of 18 fours and six sixes -- his fifth Test century -- with a short delivery.
Craig wrapped up the innings by dismissing Rahat Ali for six to end with match figures of 10-203.
He took 7-94 in the first innings.
Boult struck three times in the space of 18 balls to leave Pakistan struggling at 24-3 before Craig and Sodhi (2-82) chipped in.
Pakistan won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by 248 runs while the second ended in a draw in Dubai.
Pakistan's batting failure was miserable on a pitch where New Zealand plundered 690.
Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed (37) tried to take the attack to the New Zealand bowlers with a 73-run stand for the sixth wicket before Sodhi removed Ahmed and Yasir Shah (10) in the same over before tea.
Shafiq hit Craig for a six and a four to reach his hundred off 123 balls to delay the defeat after Pakistan lost Mohammad Hafeez (24) and Misbah (12) in the post lunch session.
Hafeez gave a return catch to Craig while Misbah was adjudged caught behind off the glove on the same bowler and even a referral couldn't save the Pakistan skipper.
Earlier, Boult had shaken Pakistan at the start of the innings, dismissing Shan Masood (four) in his second over, bowled Azhar Ali (six) in his fourth and trapped Younis Khan for a first ball duck in his fifth in a destructive spell.
Boult's devastating spell came after New Zealand extended their first innings to 690 in the morning -- their highest-ever total in Test cricket.
That gave New Zealand a huge 339-run lead over Pakistan's first innings total of 351 and they pressed home their advantage quickly with Boult's strikes.
Masood drove uppishly to be caught in the slips while Ali misjudged a sharp incoming delivery which hit the off stump as he tried to leave the ball.
Boult again used the angle well from round the wicket to trap the in-form Younis leg-before. A review could not save the batsman.
New Zealand had added a further 53 earlier in the morning after resuming on 637-8, with Craig (65) becoming the sixth batsman to reach a half-century -- a record number of 50-plus scores in one innings by Kiwis.
New Zealand's innings included a world record 22 sixes, beating the 17 struck by Australia against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003.
In all, a world record of 35 sixes were hit in the match, beating the 27 shared by Pakistan and India in Faisalabad in 2006.
Pakistan's much-vaunted bowling attack suffered badly, with paceman Rahat Ali taking 4-99 and leg-spinner Yasir Shah conceding 193 runs for his four wickets.
New Zealand's previous highest Test total of 680-8 came against India in Wellington in February this year.
Both teams now play two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai on December 4 and 5 which will be followed by five one-day matches.
Violent protests in Haiti decline, cross-border market resumes Monday
Commerce resumed at the cross border market on Monday, after violent protests staged by Haitians near Dominican territory halted trade on Friday.
Since the early hours hundreds of Haitians have been crossing the border headed to the market to obtain the numerous products, especially agro.
The protests against Port-au-Prince have reportedly eased in Haitian territory, though a source quoted by listin.com.do said the road to the border crossing has been blocked, halting pedestrians and vehicles.
Friday’s tension resulted from a standoff in the heels of the arrest of Dominican truck driver Carlos de León, injured in a collision when he lost control of his vehicle, which fatally struck a minor at the town of Ouanaminthe.
He was handed over to authorities at Dajabon yesterday on an agreement with Haiti officials. De Leon agreed to return Wednesday for questioning by authorities in the city of Fort-Liberté, Haiti northeast.
Jesuit priest blames both governments
Jesuit priest Regino Martinez said both the Haiti and Dominican governments are to blame for the recurring turmoil at the border, citing a lack of will to enact clear rules and control to over the market on Mondays and Fridays, which he affirms benefits more than 15,000 mostly poor people.
Vivica Fox to host World Travel Awards Grand Final 2014 in Anguilla
Award-winning actress Vivica Fox - star of ‘Independence Day’, ‘Batman & Robin’, and ‘Why do Fools Fall in Love’ - has been revealed as the host of the upcoming World Travel Awards Grand Final 2014.
She will take her place among an exciting array of performers at CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa on Sunday, December 7th.
After touring the globe in search of the world’s best hospitality organisations over the past year, World Travel Awards will host the crème de la crème of the industry in Anguilla for the first time.
Joining those honoured with awards will be hundreds of dignitaries, luminaries and international media, as well as government and industry leaders who continue to set the standard of excellence in travel.
World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke said: “It will be an honour for the World Travel Awards to visit Anguilla for the first time and I can think of no better place for us to celebrate the best of global tourism than CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa.
“Our 2014 Grand Tour has been an extensive search of the very best of the tourism industry around the world. This is the final stage of our annual programme and I look forward to welcoming our regional winners to Anguilla as they compete for the global titles. Best of luck to you all.”
This year has been one of the most successful to date for World Travel Awards, with the annual Grand Tour beginning with the Middle East Gala Ceremony, which took place at the JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai in May.
This was followed by the Europe Gala Ceremony at Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso, in Athens, Greece, before the organisation was welcome to Quito, capital of Ecuador, for the South & Central America Gala Ceremony in August.
Most recently World Travel Awards visited The Oberoi, New Delhi, in India, for the Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony, completing the regional events for the year.
“This is a very exciting milestone for Anguilla,” said Haydn Hughes, Anguilla Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for Tourism and Sports.
“Tourism is a vital part of our economy, and we have been working closely with the local and international businesses community to implement a number of groundbreaking initiatives over the last two years to generate tourism growth.”
The luxurious CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa has been chosen to showcase the distinguished Gala Ceremony.
General Manager Stephane Zaharia said the resort is working around the clock to prepare for the prestigious event.
Zaharia explained: “Recognition by the World Travel Awards is rightly seen as the highest accolade in the tourism sector. We look forward to extending our rich tradition of hospitality to the attending global travel specialists and invite each of them to experience our renowned culinary, wine and golf offerings in this unparalleled setting.”
The multi-award winning CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa harbours an exceptional setting for the World Travel Awards Gala Ceremony.
Situated in the crescent curve of Rendezvous Bay, CuisinArt offers luxurious suites and villas, an exceptional range of fine dining experiences, the highly revered Venus Spa, and a thrilling challenge for golf aficionados at the resort’s stunning 18-hole Greg Norman Signature Design Championship Course.
The World Travel Awards Gala Ceremonies are widely regarded as the most celebrated event in the travel industry, a venue for government and industry leaders to connect with international print and broadcast media.
Winning a World Travel Award has a proven track record of significantly raising a company’s profile, and escalating profitability and recognition.
A full list of nominees for the Grand Final Gala Ceremony can be viewd at worldtravelawards.com
World AIDS Day 2014 Speech
World AIDS Day 2014
As we observe World AIDS Day December 1st with the rest of the world, it is a time to remember love ones and friends that have passed on. It is also a time to pause and reflect not only on persons presently living with HIV but, on ourselves as individuals. Have our lives impacted someone living with HIV in a positive way? What are we doing if anything and how can we do it better. Achieving an AIDS-free Turks and Caicos as resources for HIV shrink, requires strategic action at both the local and national levels. We must find the resources to sustain prevention programmes, increase access to services for key populations, while we scale up and expand treatment and care programmes and also meet the needs of our ageing population of people living with HIV.
This year’s theme “take a stand, I stand, we stand for Zero new infections, Zero Deaths, Zero discrimination did you stand?” encourages everyone to stand, it is important that we do. We must ask ourselves what is my organization doing concerning HIV, what is my role. What is my church doing? How do I get involved? What is my civic group doing am I doing my part, anyone in business thinks about profit, for me in the business of HIV/STI prevention, my profit is an AIDS free TCI.
Priorities for the TCI for the next year and beyond is a people-centred approach that promotes the welfare and well-being of people ensuring that we meet the 90% of persons in country tested for HIV and know their status, 90% of persons who test positive are linked to care and 90% of persons on treatment viral loads are undetectable. We are also focusing on eliminating Mother To Child Transmission of HIV and Syphilis, a men’s health strategy, the prison population, sex workers. We hope to develop targeted interventions for the key populations mentioned. So, let us take a stand.
Mrs. Aldora Robinson R/N, Msc, MBA,
National AIDS Program Coordinator