Tommy Lee hospitalised in Dominica, due to be deported later Monday
Jamaican dancehall artiste, Tommy Lee Sparta, was undergoing medical treatment at a hospital in Marigot, in Dominica, prior to being deported later on Monday, his lawyer, Tehani Behanzin has said.
Behanzin told reporters that the singer, who was denied entry when he arrived on Sunday night to perform in a show in Portsmouth, had been taken to the hospital after feeling unwell.
Police detained the singer and two other members of his group when they arrived on a private jet. Neither the Dominica government nor the immigration department has issued a statement on the matter.
Behanzin, who accompanied the singer to hospital, said that on arrival “everybody was escorted out and they locked down the hospital. The windows were closed, the doors were closed and they had him in there for an hour and a bit.
“We are waiting to see what happens. He has been complaining of pain in his leg, because he has some kind of metal in his leg because of an accident some years ago and he was made to sleep on the cold concrete last night.
‘We tried our best to negotiate some cardboard for him to sleep on but that wasn’t very successful and the cold has affected his legs and now he is …suffering from muscle spasm and blood clotting in the legs”.
Behanzin said that the deportation issue would not be challenged here, but that the matter could go before the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that last year ruled Barbados had been in violation of the rights of a Jamaican woman when it denied her entry into that island in defiance of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, services, labour and skills.
“They are going to deport him, I think this afternoon, we are not going to fight the deportation. We will proceed to the other aspects of our legal challenge to this unlawful act of the police,” he said, adding, “these are treaty rights that he was simply attending to express here and he was stopped and considered to be a national risk.
“That will be determined at the CCJ,” he said, adding that another constitutional motion would be filed at the High Court.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Sparta said he is a CARICOM citizen and questioned the move by the Dominican immigration authorities
Source-CMC
Alec Balwin retires from public life
Actor Alec Baldwin has announced he is retiring from public life blaming the “Gay Department of Justice”.
Baldwin made his announcement via a lengthy article in the New York Magazine titled ‘I Give Up’, following a scandal-plagued 12 months.
According to News.com, Baldwin’s troubles began after fellow actor James Gandolfini’s funeral last June, when a reporter accused his wife, Hilaria, of live-tweeting the funeral. Baldwin responded by calling the reporter a “toxic little queen”.
After that, Baldwin was reportedly involved in a scuffle with a photographer, whom he allegedly called a homophobic slur.
These two incidents led to a string of accusations of homophobia from members of the gay community.
The controversy surrounding Baldwin’s clashes with the media last year also led to the cancellation of his talk show ‘Up Late with Alec Baldwin’. Now, he says he’s done with all of the appearances — interviews, talk shows, red carpets — that are a part of a professional actor’s life.
“It’s goodbye to public life in the way that you try to communicate with an audience playfully like we’re friends, beyond the work you are actually paid for. Letterman. Saturday Night Live. That kind of thing. I want to go make a movie and be very present for that and give it everything I have, and after we’re done, then the rest of the time is mine,” he said.
Smith, Powell set up Windies win
West Indies made use of a solid opening partnership between Dwayne Smith and Kieran Powell to beat Ireland by four wickets in their one-off One Day International at Sabina Park yesterday.
This was West Indies’ second victory on the trot following an 11-run win against the same opponent in a Twenty20 International match on Friday to draw the two-match series.
West Indies started in a hurry with Smith and Powell attacking the Irish bowlers and sharing 100 runs for the first wicket.
Smith, who was drafted in the team to replace an injured Chris Gayle, made good on this opportunity and raced to 55 off 53 balls.
Ireland brought themselves back into the match when Kirk Edwards and Darren Bravo went in quick succession. But Powell stayed around for a well played 57 off 72 balls.
Captain Dwayne Bravo had a quickfire 35 to bring the West Indies closer to their target.
Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy were left unbeaten at the end left to carry the West Indies home.
Earlier, Ireland recovered from 78 for 4 to reach 202 all out, thanks mainly to a 45-run stand between Gary Wilson (62) and Kevin O’Brien (22).
Stuart Thompson also frustrated the West Indies’ bowlers with a stubborn 33.
Jason Holder (3-34), Dwayne Bravo (3-36) and Nikita Miller (2-30) were the pick of the bowlers.
Ireland, with one win from three matches on tour of the Caribbean, will switch attention to the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 Tournament in Bangladesh.
West Indies will engage in England in a three-match ODI series in Antigua followed by three T20s in Barbados.
Source-CMC
Costly, Political, Successful ... Sochi Olympics End
Flushed with pride after its athletes' spectacular showing at the costliest Olympics ever, Russia celebrated last night with a visually stunning finale that handed off a smooth, but politically charged Winter Games to their next host, Pyeongchang in South Korea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, these Olympics' political architect and booster-in-chief, watched and smiled as Sochi gave itself a giant pat on the back for a Winter Games that IOC President Thomas Bach declared an "extraordinary success".
The crowd that partied in Fisht Olympic Stadium, in high spirits after the high-security Games passed safely without feared terrorist attacks, hooted with delight when Bach said Russia delivered on promises of "excellent" venues, "outstanding" accommodation for the 2,856 athletes and "impeccable organisation". The spectators let out an audibly sad moan when Bach declared the 17-day Winter Games closed.
"We leave as friends of the Russian people," Bach said.
The nation's $51 billion investment - topping even Beijing's estimated $40 billion layout for the 2008 Summer Games - transformed a decaying resort town on the Black Sea into a household name. All-new facilities, unthinkable in the Soviet era of drab shoddiness, showcased how far Russia has come in the two decades since it turned its back on communism. But the Olympic show didn't win over critics of Russia's backsliding on democracy and human rights under Putin and its institutionalised intolerance of gays.
unrelentingly upbeat
Despite the bumps along the way, Bach was unrelentingly upbeat about his first Games as IOC president and the nation that hosted it. One of Sochi's big successes was security. Feared attacks by Islamic militants who threatened to target the Games didn't materialise.
"It's amazing what has happened here," Bach said a few hours before the ceremony. He recalled that Sochi was an "old, Stalinist-style sanatorium city" when he visited for the IOC in the 1990s.
During the closing ceremony, performers in smart tails and puffy white wigs performed a ballet of grand pianos, pushing 62 of them around the stadium floor, while soloist Denis Matsuev played thunderous bars from Sergei Rachmaninoff's Concerto No.2.
here was, of course, also ballet, with dancers from the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky, among the world's oldest ballet companies. The faces of Russian authors through the ages were projected on to enormous screens and a pile of books transformed into a swirling tornado of loose pages.
There was pomp and there was kitsch. The Games' polar bear mascot - standing tall as a tree - shed a fake tear as he blew out a cauldron of flames, extinguishing the Olympic torch that burned outside the stadium. Day and night, the flame had become a favourite backdrop for "Sochi selfies", a buzzword born at these Games for the fad of athletes and spectators taking DIY souvenir photos of themselves.
"Now we can see our country is very friendly," said Boris Kozikov of St Petersburg, Russia. "This is very important for other countries around the world to see."
rivals-turned-friends
Athletes said goodbye to rivals-turned-friends from far off places, savouring their achievements or lamenting what might have been - and, for some, looking ahead to 2018. The city where they will compete, Pyeongchang, offered in its segment of the show a teaser of what to expect in four years with video of venues, Korean music and delightful dancers in glowing bird suits.
Winners of Russia's record 13 gold medals marched into the stadium carrying the country's white, blue and red flag. With a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the men's hockey final yesterday, Canada claimed the last gold from the 98 medal events.
Absent were six competitors caught by what was the most extensive anti-doping programme in Winter Olympic history, with the IOC conducting a record 2,631 tests - nearly 200 more than originally planned.
Russia's last gold came Sunday in four-man bobsled. The Games' signature moment for home fans was Adelina Sotnikova, cool as ice at 17, becoming Russia's first gold medallist in women's Olympic figure skating.
Not every headline out of Sochi was about sport. Going in, organisers faced criticism about Russia's strict policies toward gays, though once they started sliding and skiing and skating, most every athlete chose not to use the Olympic spotlight to campaign for the cause. An activist musical group and movement, Pussy Riot, appeared in public and was horsewhipped by Cossack militiamen, drawing international scrutiny.
And during the last days of competition, Sochi competed for attention with violence in Ukraine, Russia's neighbour and considered a vital sphere of influence by the Kremlin.
In an Associated Press interview on Saturday, Bach singled out Ukraine's victory in women's biathlon relay as "really an emotional moment" of the Games, praising Ukrainian athletes for staying to compete despite the scores dead in protests back home.
"Mourning on the one hand, but knowing what really is going on in your country, seeing your capital burning, and feeling this responsibility, and then winning the gold medal," he said, "this really stands out for me."
Source-AP
Balotelli accused of kicking photographer
Police were called to a nightclub by a photographer late on Saturday after he was allegedly assaulted by AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli following an argument, according to reports.
Balotelli was ruled out of his side's away match at Sampdoria yesterday due to injury.
Domestic news agency ANSA said Balotelli travelled to Liguria, on Italy's north-west coast, to watch a football match on Saturday in which his brother Enoch Barwuah was playing.
Balotelli later reportedly refused a photographer's request for a photo when he showed up at a restaurant with his fiancee Fanny Neguesha and some friends.
The party moved on to a nightclub, where the same photographer was waiting.
According to witness testimony, after refusing another request Balotelli and the photographer argued before the latter was kicked by the Italy international.
The photographer called police and later accompanied them into the nightclub to identify the 23-year-old player.
Source-AFP
Euro 2016 qualifying draw: Top teams untroubled in new format
With more teams than ever playing at football's Euro 2016, the chances of a powerhouse not qualifying are even slimmer than before. But the expanded field -- from 16 to 24 -- means there could be a few debutants in France in two years.
Sunday's qualifying draw didn't produce a group of death, and the likes of two-time reigning champions Spain, the consistent Germans and always dangerous Italy shouldn't be sweating it out come the end of qualifying.
Spain landed in a group with Ukraine, Luxembourg, Belarus, Macedonia and Slovakia -- and of the latter quintet, only Ukraine features in the top 50 in the FIFA world rankings.
Instead of simply the group winner and best second-place finisher automatically qualifying, now the top two in the nine groups and best third-place finisher will automatically progress.
The playoffs decide the final four places.
Gibraltar, population 30,000 and about to embark on its first qualifying campaign, drew the mighty Germans along with Ireland, Poland, Scotland and Georgia.
England was paired with, among others, Switzerland -- the nation England boss Roy Hodgson used to guide.
As host, France is guaranteed a berth in the tournament but will be placed in a group where it will essentially play friendlies. In this case, Les Bleus can look forward to facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
"Now we know the 10 games we have to play," France coach Didier Deschamps was quoted as saying by UEFA. "It's pretty good to play a team like Portugal, as they will be prestigious matches."
UEFA president Michel Platini said Germany and England were two of the three member associations who opposed increasing the Euro 2016 field but the Frenchman wasn't fussed. He didn't name the other member association against the move.
"In any democracy, when the vast majority are in favor, you go forward with it even if England or Germany aren't for it," he told reporters this week. "The five or six biggest teams don't have much to worry about, but for the others it will be very competitive.
"So 24 teams will be as good as 16 teams."
In another change, teams contesting two matches in one qualifying round will either play on a Thursday and Sunday, Friday and Monday or Saturday and Tuesday as part of UEFA's "week of football" initiative.
Currently, international matches are mostly played on Fridays and Tuesdays.
"It was a political decision," Platini, a former European footballer of the year, said. "We took it to try and promote the football of national teams.
"Clubs play on almost every day of the week and as a result, international football has been pushed out of the limelight and we would like to see it take that limelight again."
Qualifying starts in September, two months after the World Cup in Brazil concludes.
Full draw:
Group A: Netherlands, Czech Republic Turkey, Latvia, Iceland, Kazakhstan
Group B: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belgium, Israel, Wales, Cyprus, Andorra
Group C: Spain, Ukraine, Slovakia, Belarus, FYR Macedonia, Luxembourg
Group D: Germany, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Georgia, Gibraltar
Group E: England, Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, San Marino, Lithuania
Group F: Greece, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Northern Ireland, Faroe Islands
Group G: Russia, Sweden, Austria, Montenegro, Moldova, Liechtenstein
Group H: Italy, Croatia, Norway, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Malta
Group I: Portugal, Denmark, Serbia, Armenia, Albania, France (host)
Source-CNN
Openly gay player Jason Collins plays in the NBA
Jason Collins became the first openly gay man to play in the NBA on Sunday night, wearing a Brooklyn Nets uniform in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Collins, who lives in Los Angeles, signed a 10-day contract with the Nets on Sunday. He entered the game with 10:28 left in the second quarter, receiving a round of applause from the L.A. crowd at the Staples Center.
Brooklyn won the game 108-102, and Collins played 11 minutes, not scoring any points but pulling down two rebounds and making one steal.
When Collins took the court, he became the first openly gay athlete in any of the major American team sports -- baseball, football, basketball and hockey.
But in a post-game interview, Collins talked like a jock, not a history maker.
"It felt fun," Collins said. "It felt good to get back out there on the court."
"Jason told us that his goal was to earn another contract with an NBA team. Today, I want to commend him on achieving his goal," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "I know everyone in the NBA family is excited for him and proud that our league fosters an inclusive and respectful environment."
Last year, the center, who was a free agent at the time, made the disclosure about his sexuality in an April column that appeared in Sports Illustrated magazine.
"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand," he wrote.
Collins, 35, is a big, end-of-bench bruiser who can harangue opposing centers. Over 12 seasons, he has a career average of 3.6 points per game, and he hasn't averaged more than 2 points a games since his 2006-07 season as a Net when the team called New Jersey home.
Collins received a congratulatory tweet from Michael Sam, the all-American football player from the University of Missouri who recently came out. Sam tweeted, "Congratulations to my friend @jasoncollins34 - excited to see you do work out there #Brooklyn."
Collins said he didn't expect to create such media stir in the coming games.
"There's only so many questions you guys can ask," he said.
Source-CNN
HON. MISSICK COMMENTS ON THE ONGOING CHALLENGES AT THE CLEMENT HOWELL HIGH SCHOOL IN PROVIDENCIALES
“THE SAFETY OF OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ALIKE AT CLEMENT HOWELL HIGH SCHOOL IS PARAMOUNT”- DEPUTY PREMIER, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, YOUTH, SPORTS AND LIBRARY SERVICES HON. AKIERRA MISSICK.
Those were the sentiments expressed by the Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services, Hon. Akierra Missick, speaking earlier today to the ongoing challenges being faced at the Clement Howell High School in Providenciales.
“The concerns that were recently raised by the parents, teachers and students of the institution and presented to officials in the Ministry of Education, are also of major concern to the Ministry and the Government, and the safety of our teachers and students alike, at the Clement Howell High School is paramount. We are taking specific measures to address those concerns in the short term while we continue to work on finding a permanent solution in the near future,” said Hon. Akierra Missick.
The Ministry has since, engaged the relevant agencies and key stakeholders of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, the Department of Education, the Department of Social Welfare, the Office of Public Service Management, Public Works Department, the Deputy Governor’s Office, The Office of the Premier and the teachers and faculty of the school and have come up with key actions that will be taken to ensure the safety of the faculty and students alike at the school.
The Ministry was informed by the Principal of the Clement Howell High, Mr. Gerald Persaud, that the teachers will not be teaching for the next two days and parents are asked to be guided accordingly. These two days, however, will be utilized to enact the action plan devised today to address the immediate concerns raised.
Clement Howell High School is the largest secondary school in the country, with over a thousand students registered today. The Government remains concerned about the over-crowding at the institution, and the resulting social issues that are arising and is committed to resolving these issues for a safer environment and to improve productivity in the school.
PDM visits Clement Howell again after a 'Sit In' by Teachers.
Following new developments at the Clement High School in Providenciales, the PDM issued a release to RTC News after visiting the school compound today.
"Today, February 24th, members of the PDM and the Official Opposition visited the Clement Howell High School during the staged "Sit In" by the teachers. With the newly enacted policy that requires the Opposition to have to obtain the Minister's permission before entering and with no prior arrangements made due to the morning’s development, Hon Sharlene Robinson, Hon Sean Astwood, Hon Clarence Selver and Hon Goldray Ewing stood outside the compound with a few concerned members of the community including the President of the Christian Council.
Hon Goldray Ewing, Representative for Blue Hills said, "I am committed as are my colleagues, to working with the government in the best interest of our children. I will not interfere with the workings of the ministry but will support where I can and offer ideas for solving the problems identified."
Hon Sean Astwood, Deputy Leader of the PDM, said too, "These are all of our children and as the largest School, it represents a major portion of our future. Therefore, we must take steps to protect them and by extension, our future."
Said Hon Cartwright Robinson, "We believe that "enough is enough" and we support the teachers fully.”
The present environment is not conducive to learning and teaching. The practice of seemingly ignoring the problem with the hopes that it goes away must cease. We urge the government to accept the assistance and work along with the Opposition, the community and the police to address this pressing issue. We have given the government more than one year to manage this situation. It is not in our children's or their teachers' best interest to sit by when we can do so much more.
Therefore, we offer the following measures for immediate consideration:
1. Increased security presence;
2. A better reinforced gate at the entrance;
3. A more secured parameter/repairing of breaches in the fencing;
4. A concerted effort to ensure expulsions are coupled with alternative arrangements for rehabilitation;
5. Partnership role of the Commissioner of Police with the Ministry, as was done between the Late Michael Taylor with Angela Andrews, former Principal of CHHS;
6. An ambitious Anti Gang campaign;
7. An aggressive Boot Camp Program;
8. A Mentoring Program;
9.Ultimately, the splitting of the school into more manageable numbers. This can no longer be lip service. It requires –demands- immediate attention. We are worried about the safety of our children, our teachers and the security officers.
We, the PDM, remain committed to working in the best interest of our people."
That was the official PDM stance on the Clement Howell High School.
“THE SUCCESS OF TOURISM IN OUR ISLANDS MUST BE DEFINED BY ITS ABILITY TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITIES”- PREMIER, HON. DR. RUFUS EWING
Premier Ewing, as the Minister of Tourism, attended a Small Island Developing States Conference, in Nassau Bahamas, this week, as he and his Government continue to explore and develop plans for the diversification of the Tourism Product in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The two-day conference, held under the theme: TOURISM AS A KEY FACTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT IN ISLAND STATES at the Melia Resort on Cable Beach in Nassau Bahamas was hosted jointly by the Ministry for Tourism of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Tourism Organization on February 19-20, 2014.
The Official Opening Ceremony was complete with all the pomp and pageantry that The Bahamas is greatly known for and attended by many stakeholders in the Tourism Industry, including other Ministers of Tourism from neighbouring Caribbean Countries. The Rt. Hon. Perry Christies, Prime Minister of The Bahamas, brought the Key Note Address during the opening celebrations and cautioned attendees on the need to preserve the elements of our tourism product for future generations to enjoy.
Panellists were invited to participate in hot button discussions on a whole range of relevant issues for island destinations like The Turks and Caicos Islands, from the competitiveness and sustainability perspectives, to regional integration, air connectivity, travel facilitation and risk management, to identifying specific challenges and vulnerabilities and examples of relevant actions. The Conference focused mainly on the Caribbean scenario but attendees were also given the opportunity to share with the International Community, at the ministerial and expert levels, further knowledge and lessons learnt for tourism in Small Islands Developing States, worldwide.
The World Tourism Organization (Specialized agency of the United Nations) which was represented by the Secretary General, Mr. Taleb Rifai, among other initiatives, will comprise and disseminate a report on the Challenges and Opportunities for Tourism in Small Island Developing States as a follow-up to the RIO+20 Conference, while the Inter-American Bank hopes to consolidate a joint agenda highlighting tourism development priorities in Small Island Developing States and the next steps for the strengthening of positive impacts of tourism on the local economies and communities within the Caribbean.
Premier Ewing was honoured to have been invited to attend the Conference. He commented, “This Conference is very timely, not only for the Caribbean, but especially for the Turks and Caicos Islands, as we strive to rebuild our economy and strengthen our tourism product. We are proud of the performance of our tourism industry as it continues to be the bread basket for the country, and will embark on the diversification into new areas such as eco-tourism and agri-tourism as the way for the future. This conference however, is critical to us now, as it gave us the tools and insight that we need to enable tourism as a stimulus for growth in our communities, because we firmly believe that the true success of our tourism industry should be defined and measured by how well it positively impacts the small businesses in our communities. Yes, we have achieved the one million visitors, but how can we turn that into dollars and cents for the average businessman. That is our challenge, but as a Government, we are committed to doing just that, and so the tools and lessons learnt that were shared over the past two days will go a long way in helping us achieve that very important objective.”
Among the Turks and Caicos delegation attending the Conference, was Dr. Kingsley Been, Chairman of the Tourist Board, and Mr. Brian Been, Senior Product Development Officer also of the Tourist Board.
Other highlights during the stay in Nassau included cultural performances, musical renditions by the Royal Commonwealth of the Bahamas Police Band and the presentation of the “Open Letter” to the Prime Minister Christie, by the United Nations at the Government House, and hosted by the Governor General, Sir Arthur Alexander Foulkes and Lady Joan Eleanor Foulkes, his wife.