Provo Airport imposes tough measures on motorists
Tough measures are now in effect for motorists at the Providenciales International Airport.
In an effort to meet and maintain international airport landside security standards, the TCIAA has adopted a no nonsense approach to unauthorized parking. As of October 29th, 2014 TCIAA will recommence their strict policy of towing vehicles that participate in curbside parking, obstruct roadways and vehicles that park illegally whilst on airport property.
Providenciales international Airport is indeed private property and may cause to be towed, any vehicles, abandoned, parked in an unlawful or unsafe manner. TCIAA retains the right to decide whether towing or criminal prosecution may be levied on serious infringements. This policy will assist in alleviating traffic congestion and enhance public safety for all that pass through Providenciales International Airport.
The front of the terminal shall be used for the purpose of pick up and drop off zone only. Use of parking lots will be encouraged to all patrons to avoid vehicle towing and associated fees.
Vehicle towing will be carried out by Premier Towing Services owned and managed by Mr Sean Selver as laid out in the Road Traffic Ordinance and as authorized by the Commissioner. Owners of towed vehicles will be subject to pay a fee of $175 in addition to daily storage fees.
Unauthorised parking and obstruction may also be ticketed at a rate of $250 as specified in the Road Traffic Ordinance.
TCIAA advises that the general public be guided according.
Sierra Leone angry at Australia visa ban
Sierra Leone has condemned Australia's decision to suspend entry visas for people from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa as "counterproductive" and "discriminatory".
The move has also been criticised by Amnesty International.
And UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said travel restrictions will severely curtail efforts to beat Ebola.
Nearly 5,000 people have died from the virus, the vast majority of them in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
In other developments:
- Eighty-two people who had contact with a toddler who died in Mali are now being monitored
- A Dallas nurse now free of Ebola is due to be discharged from hospital
- New US federal guidelines say medics returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa should be actively monitored but not placed in quarantine - but some states say they will continue with their quarantine polices
- Separately, the US Army has imposed a 21-day monitoring period for all soldiers returning from the region
'Protect Australians'
The Australian government announced on Monday that it was cancelling non-permanent or temporary visas held by people from the affected countries who were not yet travelling, and that new visa applications would not be processed.
Permanent visa holders yet to arrive in Australia must undergo a 21-day quarantine process before departure.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison told parliament: "The government's systems and processes are working to protect Australians."
But Sierra Leone's Information Minister Alpha Kanu described the move as "too draconian", insisting that measures put in place at Sierra Leone's Freetown airport had successfully prevented anyone flying out of the country with Ebola.
"It is discriminatory in that... it is not [going] after Ebola but rather it is... [going] against the 24 million citizens of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Certainly, it is not the right way to go," he told Reuters news agency. "This measure by the Australian government is absolutely counterproductive."
Ugandan government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said: "Western countries are creating mass panic which is unhelpful in containing a contagious disease like Ebola.
"If they create mass panic... this fear will eventually spread beyond ordinary people to health workers or people who transport the sick and then what will happen? Entire populations will be wiped out."
Amnesty International said Australia was taking a "narrow approach".
A spokesman for the human rights group said the ban made no sense from a health perspective but ensured that vulnerable people were trapped in a crisis area.
'Fear factor'
Meanwhile, the president of the World Bank has appealed for thousands of medical workers to volunteer and help contain the growing Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Jim Yong Kim said at least 5,000 medics and support staff were needed to beat the disease.
Source-BBC
South Africa tops ICC one-day rankings in Cricket
South Africa have moved to the top of the world one-day rankings for the first time in five years after their 2-0 series win in New Zealand.
The new International Cricket Council rankings see South Africa climb above Australia into top spot, a position the Proteas have not filled since 2009.
India, World Cup winners in 2011, are in third, with Sri Lanka fourth and England fifth.
India defend their title in Australia and New Zealand in February and March.
South Africa, coached by Russell Domingo, moved to the summit despite the final game of their three-match series in New Zealand being washed out.
They also comfortably beat Australia in the final of a triangular series in Zimbabwe in September.
South Africa captain AB de Villiers retained top spot in the ICC one-day batting rankings, with team-mate Hashim Amla moving into second.
Sierra Leone angry at Australia visa ban
Sierra Leone has condemned Australia's decision to suspend entry visas for people from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa as "counterproductive" and "discriminatory".
The move has also been criticised by Amnesty International.
And UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said travel restrictions will severely curtail efforts to beat Ebola.
Nearly 5,000 people have died from the virus, the vast majority of them in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
In other developments:
- Eighty-two people who had contact with a toddler who died in Mali are now being monitored
- A Dallas nurse now free of Ebola is due to be discharged from hospital
- New US federal guidelines say medics returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa should be actively monitored but not placed in quarantine - but some states say they will continue with their quarantine polices
- Separately, the US Army has imposed a 21-day monitoring period for all soldiers returning from the region
'Protect Australians'
The Australian government announced on Monday that it was cancelling non-permanent or temporary visas held by people from the affected countries who were not yet travelling, and that new visa applications would not be processed.
Permanent visa holders yet to arrive in Australia must undergo a 21-day quarantine process before departure.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison told parliament: "The government's systems and processes are working to protect Australians."
But Sierra Leone's Information Minister Alpha Kanu described the move as "too draconian", insisting that measures put in place at Sierra Leone's Freetown airport had successfully prevented anyone flying out of the country with Ebola.
"It is discriminatory in that... it is not [going] after Ebola but rather it is... [going] against the 24 million citizens of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Certainly, it is not the right way to go," he told Reuters news agency. "This measure by the Australian government is absolutely counterproductive."
Ugandan government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said: "Western countries are creating mass panic which is unhelpful in containing a contagious disease like Ebola.
"If they create mass panic... this fear will eventually spread beyond ordinary people to health workers or people who transport the sick and then what will happen? Entire populations will be wiped out."
Amnesty International said Australia was taking a "narrow approach".
A spokesman for the human rights group said the ban made no sense from a health perspective but ensured that vulnerable people were trapped in a crisis area.
'Fear factor'
Meanwhile, the president of the World Bank has appealed for thousands of medical workers to volunteer and help contain the growing Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Jim Yong Kim said at least 5,000 medics and support staff were needed to beat the disease.
Source-BBC
Crowds Gather for Funeral of Canadian Soldier
Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of industrial Hamilton, Ontario, on Tuesday to watch the military funeral procession of the soldier shot dead in last week's attack on the nation's seat of government.
Corporal Nathan Cirillo, 24, was one of two soldiers killed in a pair of attacks last week that police said were carried out independently by radical recent converts to Islam. The assaults took place as Canada's military was stepping up its involvement in air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq.
Dressed in ceremonial kilts, white boots and garters, members of Cirillo's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders unit marched slowly alongside his casket, which was draped with a Canadian flag, his belt, bayonet and badge. Cirillo's five-year-old son followed the procession on foot, waving a Canadian flag.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and hundreds of mourners are expected to pack into the 138-year-old gothic Christ's Church Anglican Cathedral in Hamilton, Cirillo's home town west of Toronto, for the funeral, which will be held under heavy security.
“It's very sad, it really hit close to home to have this happen to someone from Hamilton,” said Kim Sass, a 49-year-old medical assistant, who had stopped to write a message on a Canadian flag hung in tribute on the side of a building near the cathedral.
The killings have shaken Canadians and prompted a debate on how the nation's open culture, and particularly the low-key security in its capital city of Ottawa, may need to change. Security services have warned that citizens who adopt extremist views and take up arms against the state pose a “serious” threat.
Source-Reuters
US Boosts Aid for Syrian Refugee Hosts
The United States said it will provide $10 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help communities in the region hosting the more than 3 million refugees from Syria.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration Anne C. Richard made the announcement Tuesday in Berlin at an international conference hosted by Germany on the "Syrian Refugee Situation – Supporting Stability in the Region."
This new assistance will help improve schools, buy textbooks and supplies, build health clinics, support staff from local communities, and improve and extend water and sewer infrastructure.
Foreign ministers and representatives from 40 nations are meeting in Berlin to focus on helping Syria's neighbors cope with the huge group of refugees who have been pushed from their country by years of war.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh warned of what he called "host-country fatigue" in trying keeping pace with the needs of so many extra people.
The United Nations has registered more than three million Syrian refugees. Turkey and Lebanon are each hosting more than one million people, while Jordan, Iraq and Egypt have taken in hundreds of thousands more.
Source-VOA
Haiti coach blasts Boyz' 'kick and rush' style
Jamaica's football has been compared to the ineffective English style of play by Frenchman Marc Cheze, who guided Haiti to Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-17 Championship honours with a 2-0 win over the young Reggae Boyz in the final on Sunday.
Cheze, who was appointed in January this year, and led Haiti unbeaten throughout the tournament, said Jamaica is a good team but he doesn't like their "kick and rush" style.
"Jamaican team plays English football. They kick and rush. It's not my football. I like when the play starts with the goalkeeper, defender or midfield and build the game. It’s not kick and rush," said the Frenchman, who chose his words carefully.
"I think the Jamaica team is a good team and I think they had one day and we had two days' rest. Maybe that's the difference between the two teams," Cheze told the Jamaica Observer, as his team celebrated wildly on the field.
"We were the best team for this tournament. We scored 12 goals and lost only one goal and that's good for us. It is very important to win today because we want to be first in the pool and a chance to be in the World Cup," he added.
But Jamaica's coach Andrew Edwards rebuffed Cheze's criticism, and defended his tactics and the style of play implemented by the young Reggae Boyz.
"The coach is entitled to his opinion and I can understand why he would have that opinion. It has a lot to do with the technical part of the game and what we want to do and the understanding from the boys," Edwards explained.
"But I am very, very confident that if we had enough time with these boys, I can get them to understand exactly what we want them to do and they would look much different. I won't say it's an English style football," Edwards reiterated.
Two penalties by Haitian captain Jacques Mettelus in the 20th and 75th minutes were enough to crown the hosts Caribbean Under-17 champions in front of a packed and boisterous Sylvio Cator Stadium.
But Edwards, though disappointed, was pleased his team achieved one of its objectives in qualifying for the FIFA CONCACAF round set for Honduras in February.
Source-Jamaica Observer
Cuba builds first church in 55 years
Cuba has allowed construction of the country's first new Catholic church in 55 years, the church said Monday. Experts said it's a sign of improving relations between the Vatican and Cuba's communist government.
The church, funded by donations from Catholics in Tampa, Florida, will be built in Sandino, a citrus and coffee-growing town in the far-western province of Pinar del Rio.
The church publication "Christian Life" said it will have space for 200 people.
"The construction of a church is a clear demonstration of a new phase, of an improvement, in relations between the church and the state," said Enrique Lopez Oliva, a professor the history of religions at the University of Havana.
The Catholic Church had tense relations with what was long an officially atheist government for many years after the 1959 revolution, but they began to improve ahead of Pope John Paul II's visit in 1998.
The government revived observance of a Christmas holiday and began allowing masses or homilies to be broadcast on official media. It also dropped a ban on church membership for Communist Party members that had been adopted in the years after the 1959 revolution.
Source-AP
Gov’t seeking pardon for J’can jailed in Qatar
Information Minister Senator Sandrea Falconer last week responded to questions raised about what the Government is doing to assist Paul Stephens, a Jamaican in jail in Qatar. Following is her statement which was released to the press:
“I have asked for and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) has updated me on this matter. The Embassy of Jamaica in Kuwait has been taking steps with regard to the welfare of Mr Paul Stephens. He has been visited by the Ambassador and there have been several calls made to him from the Embassy. MFAT has been in touch with his next of kin in Jamaica and MOST IMPORTANTLY we have transmitted to the Government of Qatar a formal request for a pardon.
“The Ministry will continue to do its best to see to his welfare and secure his release, as we try to do for the many hundreds of Jamaicans who are incarcerated in numerous countries around the world.
“As the matter is being handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, it would not only be inappropriate but would send the wrong message if another ministry interferes with the diplomatic work which is the purview of MFAT. The Ministry does not provide details of any of the cases it is involved with publicly, other than to the next of kin.
“I know Mr Stephens and his family are anxious, but matters such as these do take time. In the meantime, let us hope that the Government's request for pardon will be granted and soon.”
Jamaica Observer sources said the Government’s request for pardon for Stephens, who was jailed for an alleged sexual incident, could be successful, as prisoners are expected to be released during Ramadon as is the practice during the holy month.
TCI’s National Youth Ambassador Donte Francis congratulates TCI students
TCI’s National Youth Ambassador Donte Francis congratulates TCI students for making it on the CXC Top 10 Regional Merit List
2 Turks and Caicos Islanders are among the 411 students on the CXC Top 10 Regional Merit List in 35 subjects – a list in recognition of students ranking 1 – 10 in each subject.
Natalia Williams, daughter of Rhoda and Rupert Williams and past student of HJRHS ranked 10th in Food and Nutrition; while former MBHS student, Krischan Cox, son of District Commissioner of South Caicos, Yvette Cox and MBHS Vice Principal, Rodney Cox, ranked 7th in Building Technology (Woods).
Donte Francis, National Youth Ambassador for the TCI has sent congratulatory remarks to Kirschan Cox and Natalia Williams for their hard work and dedication, which resulted in them both being named to the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Merit List.
“Achieving these results is something to be proud of, as one has to finish in the top ten of a subject area while competing with over 12,000 regional students. Therefore we must applaud them for their excellence. They both have done tremendously well on their achievements,” said Francis.
“It is evident that our country is full of academic potential. The country has registered at least one student on the merit list since the year 2010, meaning that for four (4) consecutive years we have demonstrated tremendous excellence. We Turks and Caicos Islanders should be proud that we possess these abilities. We must never be scared or hindered to compete with the rest of the Caribbean, because we have our very own unique ways of contributing to our society’s intellectual capacity. I see a country of success, and these students are evident to that,” Francis added.
“As Turks and Caicos Islanders we must continue to encourage our students in their achievements. It is us who has the ability to succeed and it is us who achieve these results. Remember that God has us Turks and Caicos - never forget that. Once again I would like to congratulate Kirschan and Natalia and I hope that many more from the TCI will be added to the Merit List in the years to come, added TCI’s National Youth Ambassador Donte Francis.
We here at RTC offer our heartiest congratulations to these two students, their teachers and their parents.