RTC Director – Page 863 – Radio Turks & Caicos

by-Election for this Friday

Polling stations open at 7.00 am on Friday for the Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill by-election electoral district 7, Providenciales. They will close at 7.00 pm.

Dudley Lewis, the Supervisor of Elections, said today he wanted to remind every employer with employees on the Richmond Hill and Cheshire electors register they must allow the voters a reasonable period for voting. They could not make any deductions from the pay or other remunerations of any voter - or impose or exact any penalty for the worker being absent during the period.

Mr Lewis said any employer who directly or indirectly interfered with the granting of voting time would be guilty of an offense and liable to a fine of $1,000 or to imprisonment for 6 months or both. Mr Lewis said he also wanted to remind candidates and political supporters during the remaining days before the by-election to stick strictly to the rules of campaigning and expenditure that were permissible under the Elections and Political Activities Ordinances.

by RTC Director

Virus cause Cruise Center to Close

The stomach virus that has made many people ill over the past fortnight in Grand Turk has still not been specifically identified according to the Premier, the Honourable. Dr. Rufus Ewing this afternoon. But, he says that laboratory tests are still continuing to try to identify the exact type of virus it is. It is still not known whether the virus originated from the water supply at Margarita Ville at the Grand Turk Cruise Center or it whether it arrived onboard one of the cruise ships that came to Grand Turk earlier this month. Dr. Ewing said that of this moment there is only one person on Grand Turk suffering seriously from the diarrhea and sickness bug. Earlier this afternoon he spoke to the RTC Newsroom.

by RTC Director

Madonna celebrates Anderson Cooper at Glaad Awards

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Madonna presented talk show host Anderson Cooper with a trophy at the Glaad Media awards in New York.

The annual event celebrates the gay, lesbian and transgender community.

Other winners on the night included director Brett Ratner and TV shows Smash and The Amazing Race.

Madonna gave an impassioned speech to the audience about discrimination and tolerance, while dressed as a boy scout.

"When I think about young kids in America who are being bullied and tortured, who are taking their own lives because they feel alone and judged, outcast and misunderstood, I want to sit down and cry rivers of tears," she said.

"I have teenagers of my own now, and the idea of them, or any young person experiencing that kind of pain is unfathomable to me, It's an atrocity to me. I don't accept it."

Journalist and author Cooper was given the Vito Russo Award, named after a Glaad (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) founder, which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality.

Accepting his award, Cooper said "being gay is certainly one of the greatest blessings" and that it had "opened my head and heart in ways that I never could have predicted"

by RTC Director

Tone Loc Collapses on Stage in Iowa

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Rapper and actor Tone Loc collapsed on stage late Saturday night, March 16, during a St. Patrick's Day concert featuring Loc and other hip-hop artists at the Bridge Bash in Des Moines, Iowa. Three Des Moines Register employees said that Loc, whose real name is Anthony T. Smith, fell onto the stage after completing a song.

Several emergency personnel rushed into action, kneeling over Loc's body to treat him. Fans were asked to leave while the 47-year-old rapper received the treatment. Despite the health scare, the father of two sons refused to be taken to hospital.

Loc's rep did not give any comment regarding the incident.

Loc, who is best known for his 1980s hits "Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing", has had a history of collapsing on stage. In 2009, Loc was rushed to a Florida hospital after collapsing during a concert. The rapper injured his elbow when hitting the ground. Two years later, he was hospitalized for exhaustion after collapsing on stage during a concert in Atlanta.

Tone Loc made his debut in the music industry in the late 1980s. In 1990, he received two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rap Solo Performance. Besides rapping, he also acts, starring in more than a dozen movies, including "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Heat".

by RTC Director

Gwyneth Paltrow 'Nearly Died' Due to Miscarriage

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Gwyneth Paltrow told Daily Mail in a candid interview on Sunday, March 17, that she experienced miscarriage in her third pregnancy which nearly cost her life. Paltrow and husband Chris Martin, who already have an 8-year-old daughter, Apple, and a 6-year-old son, Moses, revealed that their children wanted another sibling. "My children ask me to have a baby all the time. And you never know, I could squeeze one more in. I am missing my third. I'm thinking about it," she said.

Paltrow added, "But I had a really bad experience when I was pregnant with my third. It didn't work out and I nearly died. So I am like, 'Are we good here or should we go back and try again?' " She said that looking at Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z's adorable daughter made her want to give it another try. "Their baby Blue Ivy is totally delish. She's made me very broody," the actress confessed.

Paltrow also expressed her hope to have another child back then in August 2012. "I would love to, but I don't know if I can go back to diapers and things like that. I'm so past that, I think I may have missed the window. I think maybe when Moses was three I would have done it, but now he's six and such a guy I feel like I'm out of the baby phase. If it happens, it happens," Paltrow said.

In the same Daily Mail interview, Paltrow praised her husband highly. "Regardless of what happens in our marriage, I chose the best father," she gushed. She went on saying, "[Chris] is so good to the children and to know that you had kids with such a good man is a real weight off you. We are committed co-parents, we make all the decisions together and lean on each other for support."

by RTC Director

It is Jazz season in the Caribbean

Around this time of year, annually, with the advent of Easter, jazz buffs whet their lips for what has come to be known as “the jazz season.”

The season actually began on March 1 when the Jazz Alliance of T&T (JATT) presented world acclaimed trumpeter Brownman Ali in concert at the Live Art Bistro, on Albion Street, Port-of-Spain. Schooled in New York, and based in Toronto, Canada, Ali was born in Trinidad, and he was accompanied by bassist BJ Sanders and drummer Sean Thomas.

The jazz feast continues tomorrow with the eagerly awaited Jazz Artists on the Greens 2013, staged by Production One Ltd, on The Greens, at Farm Road, St Joseph. This promises to be a terrific concert and it is being headlined by Alexis Baro Latin Jazz Sextet, Andy Narell, Jesse Ryan 6tet, and the avant garde Xavier Strings.

Come April 13, the Rotary Clubs of Maraval and Port-of-Spain Central will stage the second edition of their annual Jazz Under the Trees, at 5.30 pm, at O’Farrell’s Waterville Estate, La Sagesse Road, Santa Cruz. Both Rotary Clubs which have been in existence for over ten years and they continue to strive and assist the less fortunate in our community by holding several fund-raising initiatives.

This signature project which was held for the first time in 2012 was well attended by many patrons. The funds raised will be used to support charitable projects of the Rotary Club of Maraval, in particular for the Learning Centre located in Woodbrook.

This school was established since 1999 and provides a very comprehensive tuition programme engaging the children in their academic requirements, life skills, music and sport activities. The school has been successful in providing a learning environment for street children, youths who have fallen prey to the ills of society and those less privileged in our community. The school is also directed by a Board of very skilled professionals in the field of education.

Proceeds will also fund charitable projects of the Rotary Club of Central Port-of-Spain and include The All In One School Project, Model United Nations (MUN), The Adopt A Child Project and The Salvation Army Project.

Some of the acts billed to perform on the night include elan parle, Overdrive, Johann Chuckaree, and Ruth Osman & Jacoustik.

For further information contact Joan Auguste (684-9036), email address “joanauguste@yahoo.com; or, Rabindra Outar (618 7900), email address “rho4tax@gmail.com

Hosted by the Division of Tourism and Transportation of the Tobago House of Assembly, the 2013 Tobago Jazz Experience is scheduled for April 20-28, at several venues, including Speyside, Signal Hill, Scarborough, Castara and the Pigeon Point Heritage Park. This year’s event will feature Grammy Award winners India Arie, Dionne Warwick and Melanie Fiona, along with a host of local and regional talent.

In the wake of the Tobago Jazz Experience comes the popular St Lucia Jazz festival.

Now dubbed the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, the 13-day event opens on April 30 with the organisers hoping to attract thousands to the historic Pigeon Island National Landmark, where the bulk of the festival events will unfold.

The cast of this year’s festival includes world acclaimed artistes like locals Robbie Greenidge and David Rudder, R. Kelly, The O’Jays, Akon, The Jacksons, Brian Culbertson, Folk Coalition, Tito Puente Jr, Tony Allen with the FELA dancers, Ginuwine, and ACE.

by RTC Director

Dubois pens Guinness theme

Trinidadian recording artiste Kerwin Du Bois has put music to the new Guinness Made of More campaign, which will be used as a radio ad throughout the Caribbean.

Dubois, who set the tone for a great 2012 Arthur Guinness Day concert in Kingston, Jamaica, brings the campaign and its message to life with a perfectly balanced soca/dancehall fusion. In the song, Dubois rhythmically highlights that the Guinness drinker is someone who makes bold moves and takes control of their life.

Guinness Made of More speaks to the strength, boldness and courage that lie within all of us, which is something that personally resonates with Dubois.

“As a performer and producer I get to use my natural talent to entertain thousands of people but there has always been something more that got me to where I am today; something at the core of my being that pushes me and keeps me focused,” said Dubois.

“This is what Guinness Made of More represents—digging deep within and showing you are made of so much more than what meets the eye.”

Guinness launched its Made of More campaign in 2012 and will incorporate existing global activations such as Arthur Guinness Day, St Patrick’s Day and the Guinness Street Football Challenge. With more than 250 years of brewing legacy behind it, Guinness is a beer made of more—more flavour, more distinctiveness, more quality, more style—and it reflects the consumers’ demands for a more fulfilled life.

“Guinness believes when you have the confidence to live bold, to make a difference, to step up when the opportunity presents itself, that’s when you get more out of life,” said Gareth Geddes, Guinness brand manager for the Caribbean.

Local football players across the Caribbean, over the next few months, will show how much they are made of as they battle in the Guinness Street Football Challenge. Dozens of teams from eight countries will vie for their local title before meeting in St Vincent & the Grenadines between June 19-22 for the Caribbean Championships.

by RTC Director

Jazz band leader Terry Lightfoot dies

Jazz band leader Terry Lightfoot has died at the age of 77, after a battle with prostate cancer.

Lightfoot, who was born in Potters Bar but settled in Olney, Buckinghamshire, had been touring for most of the time from the 1950s up until 2012.

He had played alongside greats such as Louis Armstrong and Lonnie Donegan.

His death comes less than two weeks after that of trumpeter Kenny Ball, who started his career playing in the Terry Lightfoot's Jazzmen band.

Lightfoot taught himself to play the clarinet so he could join his school's jazz band in Enfield.

During the 1960s, Lightfoot made frequent television appearances on the Morecambe and Wise Show and his was the resident band on Des O'Connor's first TV series.

He formed Terry Lightfoot's Jazzmen in 1955 after finishing National Service with the RAF. The band released their first album in 1957, with a line-up that included drummer Ginger Baker, who went on to be a member of rock band Cream.

The band's first major concert appearance was at London's Royal Festival Hall in 1956. The same year he met Louis Armstrong for the first time and was presented to him as the youngest professional band leader in the UK.

Kenny Ball was on trumpet with the Lightfoot band until he left to form his own band in 1958.After dropping out of music in the mid-60s, Lightfoot quickly returned to play with the Kenny Ball Band, touring the US, New Zealand and Fiji.

In 1968 he reformed his own band, featuring the late Ian Hunter-Randall on trumpet, an association which lasted almost 25 years.

Taking another sabbatical from touring, Lightfoot became pub landlord of the Three Horseshoes in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, in 1978, where he promoted jazz and presented musicians including Humphrey Lyttelton, Chris Barber, and George Melly.

After five years at the pub, he left to return to music full-time and developed the Rockin' in Rhythm show, which charted the history of jazz and played at theatres throughout Europe.

He celebrated 30 years as a bandleader in 1987 with the release of the album As Time Goes By.

Lightfoot took part in a nationwide tour as a member of the Kenny Baker/Don Lusher All Stars, which also included the bands of Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball.

He later fronted the Acker Bilk Paramount Jazz Band while Acker was recovering from throat cancer.

He continued to perform with his own band, which became something of a family affair when his daughter Melinda joined as singer, later being accompanied by Terry Lightfoot's grandsons, guitarist "Joe Miles" Needham and drummer "Ollie James" Needham.

by RTC Director

China new home prices rise in February

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New home prices rose in 66 of China's 70 major cities in February, underlining the challenge its new leaders face in controlling the sector.

Keeping property prices in check has been a key agenda for Beijing, not least due to fears of asset bubbles.

Earlier this month, China unveiled fresh measures, including higher down payment requirements, to try and curb speculation in the sector.

However, there are fears that excessive tightening may hurt economic growth.

"The government is in a really difficult situation. It needs to keep the housing prices in check to keep them affordable for the average Chinese," said Shaun Rein managing director at China Market Research Group.

"But at the same time Beijing can't afford a sharp decline in the real estate and construction sectors which have been key drivers of its growth."

New home prices in Beijing in February rose 5.9%, from a year earlier, while they advanced 8.1% in Guangzhou and 3.4% in Shanghai.

Cooling measures

China has been trying to battle rising property prices for the best part of the past two-and-a-half years. Fears of formation of asset bubbles prompted the government to introduce various measures aimed at curbing speculation in the sector in 2010.

While those measures did help to bring down prices, they were followed by a slowdown in China's economic growth.

In an attempt to sustain its economic growth, China eased some of its monetary policies last year. This included two interest rate cuts and lowering the amount of of money that banks need to keep in reserve in a bid to boost lending.

However, the moves also saw property prices in China starting to rise again. As a result, China announced a fresh set of measures on 1 March this year to try to keep prices in check.

The new measures include higher mortgage rates for second-time buyers in cities where prices are rising too fast.

The government also said it will impose a 20% capital gain tax on profit made from home sales.

Analysts said the measures were likely to result in a slowdown in price growth in the coming months

by RTC Director

Asian markets fall amid fears over Cyprus bailout deal

Asian markets have dipped after Cyprus bailout plans triggered fears of an escalation of the eurozone debt crisis.

The EU and IMF want all bank customers to pay a levy in return for a bailout worth 10bn euros ($13bn; £8.6bn).

The plan is yet to be finalised, but the news of the deal caused a rush to the cash machines in Cyprus as people tried to withdraw money.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 2.5%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 2.2% and Australia's ASX 200 was down 2%.

Analysts said that investors were sceptical about how the developments in Cyprus may affect other bigger eurozone economies which may also need bailout funds in the future.

The big fear being that, if approved, the plan may set a precedence for those countries.

"There will certainly be confusion in Cyprus and investors looking just at headlines may fret about its case becoming a model," said Yuji Saito, director of foreign exchange at Credit Agricole in Tokyo.

'Risk aversion'

The developments in Cyprus also had an impact on the currency markets.

The euro fell nearly 3% against the the Japanese yen. It was trading as low as 121.58 yen to the euro in Asian trade on Monday, down from 124.93 yen on Friday in New York.

The single currency also dipped to a three-month low against the US dollar. It was trading at $1.2895, down from late Friday's level of around $1.30.

Meanwhile, the Japanese currency, considered by many as a safe haven asset in times of uncertainty, also gained against the US dollar.

It rose as high as 93.45 yen against the US dollar on Monday, from 96.11 yen on Friday.

Analysts said the fresh concerns over eurozone debt crisis, triggered by the developments in Cyprus, had resulted in investors looking to ditch relatively riskier assets.

"The week has started with a clear rise in risk aversion, following the surprise weekend decision in Brussels to slug all depositors in Cypriot banks with a levy in order to approve euro 10bn bailout funds," said Sean Callow, a senior currency strategist at Westpac.

At the same time, analysts said, the rise in the yen's value - which makes Japanese exports more expensive and also hurts profits of exporters - was also hurting investor morale in Tokyo.

"The yen is back to 95 to the dollar. This is bad news for the Japanese market," said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex Inc.

No Contagion

This is the first time the 17-nation eurozone has sanctioned dipping into people's savings to finance a bailout.

Under the levy, bank customers with less than 100,000 euros would have to pay 6.75%, those with more than 100,000 euros would pay 9.9%.

However, depositors in Cypriot banks outside the country, including in Greece, are unaffected by the levy.

--BBC

by RTC Director