Thomas Watkins Jr Sentenced to 5years Imprisonment
In the Supreme Court today, 27 year old Thomas Watkins Jr who was on trial for Wounding with intent, attempted wounding with intent and Possession of firearm with intent to cause fear to another was found guilty for one of the offences based on the evidence.
On Friday 1st January 2016 around 6:13am, police officers responded to a report of shots being fired in Dennis Yard area of Five Cays Providenciales. The complainant told officers that he was sitting in the yard with (5) five other persons when Thomas approached them and asked a question.
When one of the guys held up his head, Thomas pulled out a gun and started shooting. The victim ran into two other masked man who also began shooting at him. He managed to get away but received a gunshot wound to the head.
He was taken to the hospital where he was treated and release. No on else was injured.
PDM PARTY CONVENTION
The 41st National Convention of the People’s Democratic Movement was held on Providenciales June 24-25, 2016, under the theme VICTORY IS A MUST! This year’s event kicked off in Blue Hills at local restaurant Kalooki’s to present the 5 at large candidates that will be contesting the upcoming general election.
Joining Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, Hon. Derek Taylor and Hon. Josephine Connolly, the incumbent at large members, are Mrs. Karen Malcolm and Mr. Robert Been Jr. The mood was festive, celebratory and victorious.
Saturday, June 25th, 2016, was the party’s business session, where delegates learned in more detail of the work of the party around the islands and received the reports from party officers.
Election of Officers of the party took place during the business session of the convention, which saw the opening for nominations of all officers. Party leader, Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson and Deputy Leader Hon. Sean Astwood and National Chairman Douglas Parnell returned unopposed.
The following persons were additionally elected to office: -
Mr. Karl Bain 1st Vice Chair
Mrs. Patricia Saunders 2nd Vice Chair
Mr. Princie Harris Party Whip
Mr. Joseph Connolly Assistant Treasurer
Ms. Gladyss Kennedy Assistant Secretary General
Bro. Charles Garland Party Chaplain
Mr. Llewellyn Handfield, Trustee
Mr. Charles Garland Trustee
Hon. Derek Taylor Trustee
This means newcomers Sabrina Green & Louis Astwood did not make it on the ticket for the upcoming elections.
PDA Leader Oswald Skippings comments on the UK’s exit from the EU
Leader of the PDA. Oswald Skippings is 2nd leader of a political party to have commented on the UK’s exit from the EU and is sounding off on on the grave effects that this will have on the TCI.
In his release to RTC, Mr. Skipping says and I quote:
The recent advent of BREXIT afforded the British people to make a bold move to determine their own destiny as they decided by majority, and to the dismay of their Prime Minister, to exit the European Union.
While the British populace is uniting and embracing the timely opportunity to take authority and control their destiny as it relates to issues such as their money, their immigration, their security, their jobs and their social services, the British Government and its local administrators in collusion with locally elected officials, seem hell bent on opening up our doors for mass immigration to the extent of widening the franchise, leaving our borders unprotected facilitating the escalation of mass and dangerous crime, taking away from us the control of our money, and giving our jobs to foreign work permit holders thereby impoverishing and disempowering our people.
This British European Union shift has changed the financial dynamics of the entire world however temporary and slowed down commerce and brought the British pound down to its lowest in history, not to mention the escalation of the volatility of the financial market. Consequently, the threat of a United Kingdom breakup has become even more real and does nothing to calm the fears of the global community including the Turks and Caicos and its remaining Overseas Territories.
Moreover, during the next few years while Britain negotiates what their actual relationship with the EU will be, the possibility of an even greater economic fallout is possible. One possibility is that our free-flow immigration relationship with the EU will automatically change along with the likely British passport changes and the future of EU grant funds to the Turks and Caicos will also be uncertain.
Closer to home, the economic stability of the United States is heavily dependent on its ability to negotiate mutually beneficial arrangements with allies and other friendly jurisdictions and because of the global political, economic and industrial intricacy, that ability may now decrease, not to mention that when the US sneezes, the Turks and Caicos catches influenza.
However, regardless of past mistakes and misdeeds, we cannot as a Turks and Caicos people continue any longer to be apathetic and complacent and remain immersed and lamenting in our dreadful past, we must awake and arise and take our country back. This is a wake up call for our clueless Turks and Caicos leaders to end this political mediocrity and step up both their political and economic governance to avoid a relapse into recession and economic disruption.
Because of a Draconian Colonial constitution and an impotent political directorate, we are being left drifting, merely going along with the flow and now more than ever, we need gifted, bold and visionary political leadership with proactive, creative and innovative ideas. Leaders who are able to plan and put in place strong economic, social and political strategies and progressive policies that would demonstrate that we are prepared for self-determination when the Turks and Caicos people so decide.
Therefore for this upcoming election, the Turks and Caicos electorate has to become more politically conscious and much more election savvy in order to end our subservient and powerless status and secure a comfortable, safe and prosperous niche in this global community, a universally coveted position that only the Progressive Democratic Alliance is equipped and committed to accomplish in these difficult and trying times for our Beautiful By Nature Turks and Caicos Islands and its disempowered people.
God bless our Turks and Caicos! End Quote.
Many of you may recall that the Premier the Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing responded on the exit on Expression of Friday Morning last.
Chile storm into Copa final, set up rematch with Argentina
Chile stormed into the Copa America final here Wednesday, beating Colombia 2-0 in a weather-disrupted semi-final that took more than four hours to complete.
The defending champions advanced to a repeat of last year's final against Argentina on Sunday after a whirlwind start left Colombia chasing the game.
Chile, who had destroyed Mexico 7-0 in the quarter-finals on Saturday, picked up where they left off, scoring twice in the opening 11 minutes to take a grip on the contest.
Bayer Lever-kusen midfielder Charles Aran-guiz opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Jose Pedro Fuen-zalida made it 2-0 after 11 minutes.
German cinema attacker takes hostages before being killed by police
A masked gunman stormed a German cinema Thursday afternoon, taking hostages before he was killed by police, officials said.
The rifle-wielding man entered the cinema in Viernheim, near Frankfurt in western Germany, shortly before 3 p.m. local time, Hesse Interior Minister Peter Beuth said.
Police received reports of four shots fired.
German public TV initially said 25 peoplewere injured, but it wasn't clear if they were shot or hurt in other ways.
The U.S. Embassy in Germany said officials are looking into the possibility that tear gas might have caused some of the injuries, spokeswoman Jackie McKennan said.
OAS chief urges support for vote on removing Venezuela's president
The leader of the Organization of American States urged member countries Thursday to support efforts in Venezuela to hold a referendum on removing President Nicolas Maduro from office.
At a special meeting of its Permanent Council on the political and economic crisis in oil-rich but beleaguered Venezuela, OAS secretary general Luis Almagro said the country is in the midst of a "grave disruption of constitutional order."
But the four-hour meeting ended with no decision on measures against Venezuela.
Venezuela's oil-dependent economy, saddled with the world's highest inflation rate, is in a dramatic free fall because of the drop in crude prices, and Maduro's government has jailed opposition leaders.
BOLT AVAILABLE FOR CW GAMES
After saying a week ago that he would bypass the Commonwealth Games, the world's fastest man Usain Bolt could make his first appearance at the championships after making himself available to be selected to the Jamaican team despite missing this weekend's JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships.
Bolt, who has won gold medals at every major meet but missed the last two Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2006 and India four years ago, said, in a release yesterday, he would only be available for the sprint relays, if selected by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association's (JAAA's) selection committee.
Bolt and Racers Track Club training partner Yohan Blake had not submitted entries at last week's deadline and their handlers said then they would not be available for the championships that are held every four years.
Bolt has not competed so far this season and has withdrawn from two meets, and in his release published on the Commonwealth Games website yesterday, said: "I am not ready to compete at the Jamaican Championships this weekend, but I have informed the JAAA that I am available for selection for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and have submitted the relevant documents."
If he is picked he will join fellow World Championships triple gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who will also miss this weekend's JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships, after submitting a medical certificate, though she will only run in the relays.
In his release Bolt said while he would not be ready to compete this weekend and does not want to take someone else's place, he would be willing to run in the relays if needed.
Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova have signed partnership agreements with the European Union, in a move strongly opposed by Russia.
The pact - which would bind the three countries more closely to the West both economically and politically - is at the heart of the crisis in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said making Ukraine choose between Russia and the EU would split it in two.
A ceasefire with pro-Russian rebels in east Ukraine is due to end on Friday.
Mr Putin called for a long-term ceasefire to allow talks between the government and separatists.
Meanwhile the United Nations refugee agency said there had been a sharp rise in the numbers of displaced people in eastern Ukraine in the past week, with 16,400 people fleeing the area.
Summit set to snub UK over Juncker
EU leaders meeting in Brussels are expected to confirm former Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European Commission.
The move comes despite strong opposition from Britain.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said "the odds are stacked against me" over Mr Juncker, but stressed that he would stick to his principles.
He believes Mr Juncker is too much in favour of closer political union and might block EU reform.
He also objects to the way Mr Juncker, a 59-year-old veteran of Brussels deal-making, was put forward. He was lead candidate of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), which won last month's European elections.
The UK Conservatives - who pulled out of the EPP - suspect that the Commission is being politicised in a power grab by the European Parliament. But Mr Juncker's supporters value his record of consensus-building and commitment to EU integration.
Under new EU treaty rules the leaders have to take account of the European election result when nominating a Commission chief. The parliament will vote on the nominee next month.
Mr Cameron is seeking an unprecedented summit vote on the appointment, which is usually made by consensus.
But his bid to block Mr Juncker suffered a major setback this week when his allies changed tack.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel had given Mr Cameron hope after agreeing to a vote on the issue if there was no consensus.
But both the Netherlands and Sweden - normally close to UK positions in Europe - have since said they will back Mr Juncker.
Opposition boycotts Parliament IN ANTIGUA
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has warned that his administration is prepared for early by-elections as opposition legislators made good on their threat to boycott the first sitting of the new Parliament following the June 12 general election.
"I want to send a very clear message that we will ensure using our parliamentary majority that if members on the other side seek to undermine the work of this House and absent themselves for three consecutive sittings, then trust me you will have one or several by elections," he said to loud applause.
Former chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) Sir Gerald Watt was sworn in as Speaker of the new Parliament here on Wednesday after Opposition legislators kept their promise and boycotted the event.
The three Opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) legislators, including former Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, had indicated they would not attend the sitting, the first since the general election which the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party won by a 14-3 margin.
The Opposition legislators alleged that not enough notice had been given to them for the sitting.