T&T minister scolds Bravo
Trinidad and Tobago Sports Minister Anil Roberts has scolded Red Steel captain Dwayne Bravo for public statements he made protesting a decision to change the name of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel for the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which began in Grenada last weekend.
Following their opening victory over Barbados Tridents Zouks, Bravo criticised the decision to drop the words Trinidad and Tobago from the franchise, which will now be known as Red Steel.
In a letter to the Red Steel manager, Colin Borde, which was copied to CPL CEO Damien O'Donohoe and T&T Cricket Board president Azim Bassarath, Roberts called Bravo's outburst "disrespectful and improper".
"As an employee in a privately run tournament, it is improper and completely disrespectful for him to publicly challenge the rules and regulations regarding the use of a country's name and also publicly attempt to belittle the valid concerns and legal responsibilities of an elected representative of that nation's government," the Trinidad and Tobago sports minister wrote.
ISLANDOM DONATES $20,000 TO FOUR LOCAL NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Four Turks and Caicos non-profit organizations received big cash donations from local cellphone carrier Islandcom Wireless. Money for the donation was raised at the Islandcom’s annual Battle of the Bands concert held this past June 21st. Each year Islandcom chooses different non profit organization as recipients of the proceeds collected at their event. “This year we focused on children in sports. Throughout the year, we receive tons of sponsorship requests from different sports organizations. Each one has an agenda to go beyond the norm for the kids they coach. We selected organizations that endeared us the most for their organization, commitment to youth, and the sport of choice,” said Islandcom’s Marketing Specialist- Chandra Craigg.
Each organization received $5,000.00 from Islandcom for expenditures towards the benefit of their youth leagues. The organizations chosen were the Provo Amateur Basketball Association (PABA) headed by Sydwell Glasgow and Keith Cox. Second organization was the Trailblazers Academy, which teaches sports such as soccer, indoor hockey, and rugby and is headed by Ian Hurdle. Third organization was Provo Children’s Home headed by Tanis Wake-Forbes. And fourth organization was the TCI Softball Federation headed by Goddfrey Been. Each group assisted in the running of the Battle of the Bands event this past June. Funds raised at the event contributed towards the money donated to the charities.
The Trailblazers Academy is a newly put together sports organization. Their goal is through physical activity and sports; teach young adults the ethics of partnership and hard work. They focus on sports such as rugby, tennis, indoor hockey, and soccer. Their current goal is to raise money to build a sporting facility for youth. With the money received from the donation Trailblazers Academy plans to revive training camps for some of their sports they have put on hold due to funding constraints.
The Provo Children’s Home has been the home to many orphans and disenfranchised youth of the Turks and Caicos. The organization is largely funded by public fundraising done yearly. There are currently nine children of various ages that reside at the home and need complete care. Money from the donation will go towards providing food, clothing, and supplies for the children in the home.
The Turks and Caicos Softball Federation oversees all softball related activities in the Turks and Caicos. There are numerous adult and youth leagues around the islands. Some of the more noted leagues within the Federation are the Churches League and the General Softball League. Over the past year, the Federation has made numerous efforts to provide equipment for their youth softball league. With the donation, they plan to purchase softball kits that will be provided to schools around the nation.
The Provo Amateur Basketball Association is a popular after hour sport with the young adult crowd in Providenciales. The Association is working hard to grow the youth arm of their association through numerous efforts. They have created a Saturday camp to teach young children the art of basketball. They also host several camps for their high school league. Most recently the Association accompanied members of their high school league to the reputable Duke University Coach K Camp in North Carolina. Funds from the donation will go towards further development of their youth girls basketball league. “We are very greatful to Islandcom for the donation to the PABA,” says Keith Cox. “They are doing a really great thing to help our youth programs. Its with the help of Corporate sponsors like Islandcom that we can keep our programs going.”
Digicel acquires Telstar Cable
Digicel said it has reached an agreement with Telstar Cable Limited to acquire its cable and fibre network in Jamaica.
Telstar provides cable television, broadband and telephony services.
On completion, which is subject to approval by the Broadcasting Commission, Digicel will invest significantly in the network to increase coverage and further expand the products, services and content available to cable customers in Jamaica, the telecommunications provider said in a release.
Digicel said the acquisition will be its fourth Caribbean cable acquisition in the last few months and will increase its cable footprint to six markets.
The company said that in April this year it acquired WIV Cable TV in the Turks and Caicos Islands and its sister company, TCT, which offers broadband services.
In February, it acquired SAT Telecommunications which provides a range of TV, telephony and broadband internet services to residential and business customers in Dominica.
Digicel acquired Caribbean Cable Communications Holding Ltd., a cable TV and internet service provider in Anguilla, Nevis and Montserrat in November 2013.
The company said it has also been investing heavily in greenfield fibre build-outs, having broken ground on next-generation fibre networks in Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad.
It said the investment in fibre reflects the company’s ongoing focus on business solutions, which has shown an almost 40 per cent year-on-year growth in revenues. Those fibre build-outs are nearing completion and pre-selling of the services has already started, the release said.
In order to drive the delivery of multimedia content, as well as improve offerings for mobile data services and business solutions, Digicel has also secured significant off-island sub-sea fibre bandwidth.
In December 2013, Digicel entered into a share and asset purchase agreement with Global Caribbean Fibre to acquire certain submarine fibre assets in the Eastern Caribbean region.
That deal will provide Digicel with a wholly-owned submarine fibre optic cable network of approximately 2,100 kimometres, providing capacity from Trinidad to Guadeloupe. The proposed transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the coming weeks, the company said.
Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves said: “We are investing heavily in cable TV, content and fibre across our markets to ensure that Digicel is positioned at the forefront of a data intensive world where our customers are able to enjoy multimedia experiences on multiple devices and avail of advanced solutions for their businesses. We look forward to expanding our footprint further in this space in the coming year through a combination of acquisitions and greenfield builds.”
Source-Business Gleaner.
TCI’S U20 BOYS SOCCER TEAM TRAVEL TO HAITI TODAY FOR THE BOYS UNDER20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
The Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) Under20 Soccer Team travelled to Haiti today, Wednesday, July 16th 2014. There, the team will compete in the Boys U20 World Cup Qualifiers consisting of three games against Haiti, Saint Lucia and Suriname. The first match up will be against Haiti will be held this coming Friday, July 18th at 7PM. This game, along with the others, will be held at the Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The Cup is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association - FIFA. Until 2005, the FIFA U-20 World Cup was known as the FIFA World Youth Championship. The Championship is held every two years since the first tournament was held in Tunisia in 1977.
Lead by Craig Harrington, Technical Director and Head Coach Dane Ritchie, the U20 Boys squad, consists of 16 players. The players are as follows: James Lee Louis, Mackenson Cadet, Adner Davilmar, Jepthe Francious, Jose Elcius, Fred Dorvil, Ras Diamond, Wilkins Sylvain, Gilbert Tellus, Jeff Beljour, Idlin Belony, Wilnardo Cenaria, Patrick Slattery, Steve Santana, Windy Joseph and Myron Pierrea. Travelling along with the team are Olivia Graveley, Team Manager, Alexander Bryan, Assistant Team Manager and Fritz Elvariste, Equipment Management.
The dates and times of the games are as follows:
Friday, 18th July
TCI vs Haiti at 7PM
Sunday, 20th July
TCI vs Suriname at 5PM
Tuesday, 22nd July
TCI vs Saint Lucia at 5PM
Syria's Assad Sworn In for New 7-Year Term
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been sworn in for a new seven-year term following an election; the opposition and its Western allies have dismissed the election as a sham.
He took the oath of office today Wednesday during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Damascus attended by members of the country's parliament.
Last month Assad won a landslide election held only in government-controlled areas.
Speaking at the ceremony, the president warned that Western and Arab nations that supported what he called "terrorists" would pay a high price. He congratulated the Syrian people for their "victory," telling the crowd that others "wanted it to be a revolution, but you were the real revolutionaries."
The Syrian government routinely refers to rebels opposed to Assad as terrorists.
Western and Arab nations have given money and equipment to help opposition fighters during Syria's nearly three and a half year civil war, but recently Assad's troops have advanced on several fronts against poor-equipped rebels distracted by infighting.
The government says Assad won 89 percent of the June vote with 10 million people casting ballots.
An estimated 170,000 people have been killed and 2.9 million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011. The fighting has forced another 6.5 million people from their homes within Syria.
Aruba Prime Minister on Hunger Strike
Aruba Prime Minister Mike Eman is currently on a hunger strike, protesting alleged interference from the Dutch government in Aruba’s affairs.
Tuesday was the fourth day of Eman’s hunger strike, following a decision by the Dutch government to have Aruba Governor Fredis Rufen-jol carry out an independent investigation of Aruba’s budget and the tenability of the island’s finances.
The Dutch government has maintained that it is concerned about the “sustainability of public finances in Aruba,” including a national debt it says has “doubled in a few years.”
“The budget is a country affair, but the Governor can hold a national ordinance if it goes against Kingdom interests,” Dutch Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk told Parliament yesterday.
Plasterk alleged that Eman had made arrangements with the Dutch government about conducting the independent investigation on July 3rd, but last week expressed that his government did not desire to fulfill the arrangements.
Alleged interference from the Dutch government has long been a sensitive issue for the countries of the Dutch Caribbean.
Citigroup pays $7bn in settlement
Banking giant Citigroup will pay $7bn (£4bn) to US authorities to settle an investigation into risky sub-prime mortgages.
Citigroup will pay $4bn (£bn) to the Department of Justice and $2.5bn for “consumer relief”.
Consumer relief includes investment in affordable homes and mortgage relief.
Following the decision, the bank reported a stronger than predicted quarterly profit, and saw its share price rise by 3.62% to $48.70 (£28.50).
Government investigations
Second-quarter earnings fell by 96% to $181m, but that was after a $3.8bn (£2.2bn) charge related to the settlement.
The settlement stems from the sale of securities made up of sub-prime mortgages, which were at the centre of the 2008 financial crisis.
Citigroup is the second major bank to pay a settlement since President Obama launched an investigation into housing loans.
JPMorgan Chase paid $13bn last year to settle government investigations.
The Citigroup fines are said to have surprised stock analysts and people inside the bank, who had hoped to settle for less.
According to the US Attorney General, Eric Holder, “under the terms of this settlement, the bank has admitted to its misdeeds in great detail”.
He said the settlement “does not absolve Citigroup or its employees from facing any possible criminal charges in the future”.
Citigroup’s chief executive, Michael L Corbat, said that the decision was the right one for shareholders.
“We believe that this settlement is in the best interests of our shareholders, and allows us to move forward and to focus on the future, not the past,” he said.
Investors welcomed the decision, as the company’s share price rose in New York trading.
Source-BBC News
Tough love for Tessanne
Count On My Love, the major label album from Tessanne Chin, debuted on the Billboard charts last week but with paltry sales.
The set, released July 1 by Republic Records (a division of Universal Music) as part of Chin’s prize package for winning season five of NBC's The Voice, sold 6,623 copies in its first week.
Approximately 4,986 copies of Count on My Love were sold digitally which was enough for it to enter Billboard’s Top Digital Album chart at number 20. The difference of 1,637 copies were CDs sold at Walmart stores in the United States.
Its first single, Tumbling Down, failed to chart. The second single, Everything Reminds Me of You, co-produced by Grammy-winning Supa Dups, Mitchum Chin and Willy Chin, was released in May. It has also not made the Billboard charts.
Count On My Love has songs produced by high-profile names such Jerry ‘Wonda’ Duplessis, Norwegian songwriting/production team Stargate, Shama ‘Sak Pase’ Joseph, Mark ‘Exit’ Goodchild and Shauna ‘Sting International’ Pizzonia.
Among the writers who contributed songs are Grammy winner Diane Warren, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Johnny Black and Chuck Harmony.
Count on my Love was released almost seven months after Chin won The Voice, earning her national acclaim in Jamaica. Her husky vocals endeared her to judges on the show, especially Adam Levine, Chin's coach.
Count On My Love's low returns are a stark contrast to previous winners of The Voice. In fact, Chin’s set is the lowest in terms of first-week sales.
Season one winner Javier Colon’s self-titled debut for Universal Republic which was released in 2011, began with 9,974 copies. To date the album has sold just under 50,000 copies.
Season three winner Cassadee Pope who is signed to Republic Nashville, got 43,000 copies of her Frame by Frame album last year. Up to April this year, that album has sold 170,000 copies.
Danielle Bradbery, the Season four winner is signed to Big Machine Records. Her self-titled debut opened with 41,000 copies in November last year. To date the album has sold 136,000 copies.
Season two winner Jermaine Paul and Season six winner Josh Kaufman are yet to release albums.
Chin is on The Voice Summer Tour which began June 21. It wraps up August 2.
Observer Writer-Kevin Jackson
Source-Jamaica Observer
Actor Tracey Morgan suing Walmart
US actor Tracy Morgan is suing Walmart for negligence, after being badly injured last month when one of the retail giant's trucks rear-ended his stretch limousine, CNN reported Saturday.
The crash on a New Jersey highway killed Morgan's friend and fellow comic James McNair and injured other passengers in the vehicle.
"The defendants' negligence was a substantial contributing factor in causing plaintiffs' injuries," CNN said, quoting from the complaint filed in court on Thursday.
Morgan, 45, was critically injured in the crash, suffering broken ribs, a broken nose and a broken leg.
The accident occurred when the Emmy-nominated former star of "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live" alumnus was heading home from a stand-up performance in the East Coast state of Delaware.
CNN and other US news media quoted a Walmart statement calling the accident "a terrible tragedy."
"We are deeply sorry that one of our trucks was involved. As we've said, we're cooperating fully in the ongoing investigation. We know it will take some time to resolve all of the remaining issues as a result of the accident, but we're committed to doing the right thing for all involved," the statement read.
Source-AP