PABA scores for the weekend of Friday 19th April 2013
in The GTBA Night League Playoffs (Semifinals) th to the finals.e teams are winding down and commanding big plays as inch closer
Game 1 – G.T Stallions defeated the Police 86 – 54
Stallions’ Ira Taylor: 20 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal. M. Lightbourne: 19 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 steals.
Police’s Sandro Jermain: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals & K. Doughty: 11 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist.
In game 2, the Flyers defeated S.C Habour Boys by a mere 2 points; 66 – 64
Flyers’ Steev Brass: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist. A. Cash: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assist, 1 block, 1 steal.
Habour’s Kirk Adams: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 steals. J. Paul: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 steals.
Meanwhile on Saturday 20th April 2013 in Game 1 of the High School League (Semifinals)
Clement Howell High defeated TCIPS by 19 points 56 – 37
CHHS Guy Joseph: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals. P. Sylvain: 20 points, 2 assist, 1 block, 1 steal.
Tcips’ Kenley Walters: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assist, 1 steal. R. Suero: 5 points, 1 steal.
Moving onto Game 2 – Maranatha High defeated the E.G Youth Center by only 3 points, 33 – 30
Maranatha’s Raymeko Smith: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assist, 5 steals. D. Hamilton: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assist, 4 steals.
Youth Center’s B. Hall: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assist, 1 block, 3 steals. H. Gedeon: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block.
And in the Night League (Semifinals)
Game 1 – G.T Stallions def. Police 78 – 58
Stallions’ Kino Williams: 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assist, 5 steals. M. Lightbourne: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assist, 1 block, 3 steals.
Police’s Sandro Jermain: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal. R. Smith: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals.
Game 2 (the closest one yet), Flyers defeated S.C Habour Boys 87 – 86 (just 1 poin0) in Double overtime.
Flyers’ Anthony Cash: 27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assist. E. Seymour: 17 points, 11 rebounds.
Habour’s Jonathan Paul: 25 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assist, 1 steal. Alvardo Parker: 22 points, 21 rebounds, 3 assist, 3 blocks, 1 steal.
2 shot, 1 person grazed at 4/20 pot rally in Denver
Police are searching for the two suspects who fired shots during the 4/20 pot rally in Denver's Civic Center Park on Saturday, injuring three people and causing thousands of festival-goers enjoying the jovial atmosphere to flee in panic.
A man and woman, between 20 and 30 years old, were shot in the leg, Denver police tweeted. Their injuries were considered non life-threatening.
A third victim, a juvenile, was grazed by a bullet and walked into a nearby hospital, police tweeted.
A dog, belonging to one of the victims, also appeared to have been grazed or shot and was seen limping from the scene. Several other people suffered some minor injuries from running or being trampled, according to witnesses who talked to 7NEWS.
Police asked those attending the rally for possible photo or video of the shootings, and had no immediate motive for the shooting.
“Everybody in this world has a camera nowadays, so if anybody has any pictures that might assist us, we’d like those as well," said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson.
AIRTRACKER7 was over the area at the time of the shooting and streamed video of the crowd scattering and one man on the ground, surrounded by police officers. Several police motorcycles were parked nearby and paramedics arrived a few moments later to transport the man to Denver Health.
7NEWS reporter Russell Haythorn said he heard "four to five shots fired" at about 5:02 p.m. and the ambulances arrived while he was live in the 5 p.m. newscast.
Kyle, a witness who was next to the outdoor Greek theater when the shots were fired, said, "lots of people had different ideas of what was happening. Some people were yelling 'Explosion!' some people were yelling, 'Gunshots!' We couldn't really find if it was coming from the stage or from the side because there were just so many people literally just running at people."
Dominica national football coach, player dead
The coach of the Dominica national football team, Kurt Hector, and player Nornan Jno Hope were killed this morning, after the vehicle in which they were travelling plunged down a 100 foot sink hole at Pond Case, south east of here.
The Dominica Football Association (DFA) said a third player, Joslin Prince, is undergoing surgery at the Princess Margaret Hospital.
The players were on their way to the Melville Hall Airport, to join with other members of the national team that was due to travel to St Vincent and the Grenadines to participate in the revived Windward Islands Football championship over the weekend.
The DFA public relations officer, Gerald George, speaking on the state-owned DBS radio, said that the accident occurred during the early hours on Friday and that the national team will no longer participate in the competition.
Update from Helen Garlick of the SIPT
RTC News today received the following from the Special Investigation & Prosecution SIPT’s.
Mrs Garlick explains that the "The Plea and Directions Hearing in this case has been adjourned until September 16th 2013.
According to Mrs. Garlick "I have made it clear that I will not comment on the evidence in this case or on any other issue that is for the court of trial to decide, except that where it is right to do so, I will correct mis statements made in public by other people and will also provide as much information as I can about the proceedings.
She continued: "There are currently 10 defendants awaiting trial before the Supreme Court.
"In May 2012 the defendants were sent for trial on all charges by Justice Ramsey Hale.
"Before a trial date can be fixed there are several preliminary matters that need to be decided by the trial Judge in Plea and Directions Hearings. The prosecution have been ready to conduct a Hearing since July 2012 and all the necessary evidence and written submissions have been served on the accused.
Garlick explained that, "The reason for the continued delay is that the majority of the accused have applied for and been granted legal aid but have rejected the rates fixed by the Registrar and challenged that decision by applying for Judicial Review.
She explained that, SIPT had no involvement in the Legal Aid decision, this was a matter between the accused and the Registrar. However, we have been joined to the Judicial Review proceedings as an interested party. The application for judicial review was rejected after a hearing before on 8th November 2012. The Court of Appeal also rejected an appeal unanimously on 24th January 2013.
"The accused concerned are now applying for leave to appeal to the Privy Council. That application has not yet been made. If they are refused permission to appeal by the Court of Appeal, they have the right to renew their application directly to the Privy Council and it could therefore be some months before this matter is resolved finally.
"The accused have the right to exhaust all legal avenues of appeal but there should be no misunderstanding that however long it may take, the law must take its course and there will be a trial.
Mrs. Garlick then turned her attention to the Former Premier, "As to the position of Michael Misick. His claim for political asylum is being dealt with in accordance with Brazilian law and the SIPT and the AG are not parties to that process. The request for his extradition could not be dealt with until the asylum claim was decided.
The claim had been refused at first instance but he had lodged an appeal to the Minister for Justice. On Monday 15th April the Minister refused his appeal. I am advised that the extradition process can therefore begin. However there should also be no misunderstanding first that, however long it may take, if Michael Misick is returned to the TCI, he will stand trial but in the meantime the trial of his co accused will continue."
That was the full text from SIPT of the pending cases.
Mr. Sonjay Tolani charged in the shooting incident
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force has completed their investigation and careful consideration of all the evidence by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
RTC News confirmed this afternoon that charges have been laid against Mr. Sonjay Tolani in the shooting incident which took place on Sunday March 31, 2013 in the Grace Bay Area.
Mr. Tolani appeared before the Chief Magistrate on Wednesday April 17, 2013 on charges of discharging a firearm with intent to cause fear and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Tolani was brought before the Supreme Court with respect to bail and was released on $15,000 bond with surety and conditions. His matter is scheduled for Sufficiency Hearing before the Chief Justice on June 7, 2013.
Our newsroom understands that the evidence did not support the laying of any criminal charges as it relates to the Honourable Minister of Border Control & labour Donahue Gardiner.
Police tours schools
Members of the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force paid a visit to the HJ Robinson High School as they continued their Public Relations campaign.
Special Constable, Audley Astwood & Constable Kevin Clarke from the Police Force met with teachers, parents, students and also members of the media.
In speaking with Special Constable Astwood, he confirmed to RTC News that this campaign will extend throughout 2013 and will be done annually and as needed.
Constable Clarke stated that some principals have expressed the need for multiple visits and we have already extended that courtesy to a number of schools.
This Police Public Relations campaign was designed to enhance community safety and crime prevention by: preventing or reducing crime and anti-social behavior, improving community safety and security, and reducing the fear of crime.
Both Constables after meeting with HJ. Robinson High School today will be speaking to the teachers and children of Ona Glinton and the Eliza Simons Primary school about police matters including their cadet program and recruitment to join to join the police Force.
Deputy Preimier & Minister of Youth speaks about National Consultation
The Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture the Hon. Akierra Missick today sent RTC News a message on the upcoming national consultation.
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands is guided by the principle that our highest priority is the educational development of our people. It is in this context that we have begun a review of several key areas in our education system.
We want to ensure that we have a system that meets the developmental needs in an evolving, multicultural society such as ours. We want to ensure that all levels of the system are interconnected and are working toward the same goal as our children progress seamlessly through the system from Early Childhood to Primary to Secondary and on to College.
We as a government have stated our commitment to ensuring that our educational system develops into a world-class system that will produce world-class citizens. This is a major priority.
The Ministry of Education has the critical task of overseeing the a system that is responsible for shaping the lives of our citizenry, driven by the philosophy that our education system should provide opportunities for individuals to learn how: to live together, to be, to know, to do, to think, to communicate, and to change.
We are therefore inviting all stakeholders in education and in the community in general to participate in our National Consultation on Education.
You are being encouraged to make your input in several ways:
1. Attend the National Consultation discussions to be held on Grand Turk, South Caicos, North Caicos, and Providenciales during the month of April 2013. (Definite dates will be sent later).
2. Send an email or comment to educonsult@gov.tc . The emailed files should be no more than 5 megabytes and in Microsoft Word or Power Point.
3. Send your comments and suggestions in a letter addressed to:
National Consultation on Education
Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Government Square, Pond Street Grand Turk Turks & Caicos Islands
4. Visit the website (http://tcig.net/educonsult/home) and make your contribution on any or all of the areas by clicking on the Citizen Feedback link.
5. Complete a brief survey form and drop it in the boxes wherever you may find them.
The Ministry of Education thanks you for the time and attention that you will invest in this consultation, and for encouraging all whom you come into contact with to do the same.
Paraguay holds key presidential election
Voters in Paraguay go to the polls on Sunday in a presidential election seen as key to restoring the country's democratic credentials.
Horacio Cartes, of the conservative Colorado Party, and the centre-right Liberal Party's Efrain Alegre are seen as front-runners among 10 candidates.
The country's standing dipped in the region after last year's disputed impeachment of President Fernando Lugo.
The South American blocs Unasur and Mercosur both suspended Paraguay.
They cited a "rupture in the democratic order".
The impeachment followed a land eviction at a farm last June that led to the deaths of 11 farmers and six police officers.
The incident sparked a nationwide outcry and the opposition declared President Lugo responsible.
Mr Lugo, a left-wing former Roman Catholic bishop, was impeached and replaced by Vice-President Federico Franco of the Liberal Party in less than 48 hours.
When a near unanimous vote blamed the president's handling of the crisis for the deaths, neighbouring countries recalled their diplomats citing a "congressional coup".
'Vital problem'
Polls will be open from 07:00 local time (11:00 GMT) until 16:00. Preliminary results are expected five hours after voting ends.
The country will choose a new president and vice-president, 45 senators, 80 members of the lower house and 17 state governors.
The poll will be closely monitored by international organisations.
More than 500 observers from Unasur, the European Union and the Organisation of American States will be present, electoral authorities say.
"The world will see that Paraguay is a country that elects its authorities democratically, solving a vital problem for the people, that is, re-joining the international bodies," Uruguayan MP Daniel Pena, who will be acting as an observer for the Mercosur parliament, told Paraguay's IP news agency.
Just over 3.5 million of the nation's 6.6 million citizens are eligible for the mandatory vote.
The electoral tribunal's president, Alberto Ramirez Zambonini, appealed for participation in Sunday's election.
"For five years, others take decisions for us. This is the chance citizens have to choose [who they are]," Mr Ramirez told journalists.
Mr Cartes' Colorado party governed Paraguay for 35 years, acting as the main allies of the military ruler Gen Alfredo Stroessner from 1954 to 1989.
Mario Ferreiro, a popular TV journalist, and the left leaning doctor Anibal Carrillo Iramain, are other key candidates.
Landlocked Paraguay is one of South America's poorest countries, with an economy highly dependent on agricultural exports. It has long-standing corruption problems.
Its GDP shrank 0.5% last year, although forecasts predict double-digit growth for 2013.
Venezuela election official plays down vote audit
The electoral commission in Venezuela has said an audit of last Sunday's disputed presidential vote will not affect Nicolas Maduro's victory.
Mr Maduro's main challenger, Henrique Capriles, agreed to the electronic audit after withdrawing his demand for a manual recount.
Officially, he lost by a margin of 1.8 percentage points.
The electoral commission's deputy head, Sandra Oblitas, said that the result was "irreversible".
The audit, which was agreed just before Mr Maduro was sworn in as president, is expected to take about a month.
Mr Capriles believes there were voting irregularities.
The new president has vowed to continue the social policies of his leftist predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez.
Ms Oblitas, deputy head of the National Electoral Council (CNE), spoke to reporters at the commission's headquarters in the capital, Caracas.
"We will not let something that aims to verify whether the system worked be turned into a sort of public impeachment that tries to question the results," she said.
"As always, when the CNE announces results to the country, it is because they are irreversible."
Any challenge to the result must be decided by Venezuela's supreme court, she said.
The official count indicates Mr Maduro won 50.8% of votes to Mr Capriles's 49.0%.
Mr Capriles said he believed the crucial votes that had cost him the presidency were among the unaudited 46% of the vote.
Carlos Ocariz, national director of Mr Capriles' team, said the audit would be a "long process... and our people have to stay alert".
"We want to know the truth," he said. "Once we see what happened last Sunday, a new phase can begin."
In his speech on Friday, Mr Maduro promised a "revolution within the revolution" and compared Mr Capriles to the man installed as president of Venezuela during a short-lived 2002 coup against Chavez, Pedro Carmona.
"I'm willing to even talk to the devil, even to the new Carmona, if necessary to stop his hatred against me, against the people, to stop his intolerance," he said.
The former bus driver said: "I'm the first chavista president and the first workman president."
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban leader Raul Castro were among the first heads of state to congratulate Mr Maduro on his win.
The governments of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina, among others, have also voiced their backing for Mr Maduro's victory.
But the US has so far refused to recognise Mr Maduro's win.
The leftist President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, said Washington had no right to question Mr Maduro's victory because George W Bush won the White House by a similarly narrow margin in 2004.
"This is clearly meddling..." he said. "We won't permit that Bolivia or Latin America be treated as the US government's backyard."
Argentines hold mass rallies against government
Tens of thousands of people in Argentina are taking part in protests against the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Huge crowds marched through the capital Buenos Aires chanting slogans, banging pots and pans and waving banners.
The protest was sparked by a government proposal to reform the judiciary but people also showed their discontent over high inflation and crime.
Similar protests have also been held in other cities across Argentina.Many protesters told the BBC they were angry at a proposed government bill that would allow voters to choose the magistrates who appoint and remove judges.
The Argentine opposition has criticised the move saying it would politicise the judiciary.
Opposition activists used social networks to mobilise the march, which was the biggest since November.
There has been no comment so far from the Argentine government.
President Fernandez left the country on Thursday to attend a summit in Peru.
However, correspondents say there will be concern in government quarters that the opposition might take strength from this protest with crucial legislative elections later this year.
"I came to see if the Kirchners will leave... and that peace returns so that we can be a united country once again," said Lorenzo Velazquez, a 51-year-old food worker in Buenos Aires.
He carried a sign saying "2015 Sin Cristina" referring to the year when President Fernandez's current term will end.
Ms Fernandez's late husband, Nestor Kirchner, was Argentina's president from 2003 to 2007. His wife succeeded him and won re-election in 2011.