T&T Gov’t says it will not enter into agreement with IMF
The Trinidad and Tobago government says it will not enter into any structural adjustment programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but defended its decision to have advisors from the IMF and the World Bank assist it deal with reviving the economy of the oil-rich twin island republic.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert, speaking in Parliament on Monday, said “we are not in any standby arrangement and under this PNM (People’s National Movement) administration, under the leadership of Dr Keith Christopher Rowley, there will be no standby arrangement with the IMF”.
Opposition legislators have criticised the eight-month-old government of seeking to hoodwink the population and enter into an agreement with the Washington-based financial institution as the country deals with a significant decline in revenue as a result of the drop in oil prices on the world market.
Antigua PM says no plans to move LIAT
Prime Minister Gaston Browne says no decision has been taken regarding the re-location of the Antigua-based cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT, to Barbados.
He said the Barbados Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy, may have been “misinformed or he spoke out of turn” if he is the source of a report that a decision had been taken on the matter.
“I know that Minister Sealy suggested that a decision has been taken to move LIAT’s headquarters, but that is not so. Perhaps he is either misinformed or he spoke out of turn, but the reality is there has been absolutely no discussions about moving LIAT’s headquarters,” Browne is quoted in the Wednesday edition of the Antigua Observer newspaper.
LIAT's main shareholders are the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines and there have been speculation in the past that a shift in the airline’s headquarters would make much more sense financially for the airline that is grappling with its finances.
More resources to help fight Zika virus
Caribbean countries being affected by the mosquito born virus Zika may soon be in line for assistance after the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group Wednesday agreed to allocate resources to help fight the virus.
Zika is linked to microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with underdeveloped heads and brains.
ACP Secretary General, Dr Patrick Gomes, told a news conference at the end of the two-day ACP Council of Ministers meeting that “on the Zika virus, an allocation is going to be made so that we can contribute to how that can be addressed because it is affecting the tourist industry, it is affecting also the conditions of health”.
He, however, said that a determination has not been made regarding how much will be allocated to fighting the virus.
“A fixed amount has not been decided as yet but that is being programmed and it will have to take into account other allocations that are being made,” Gomes said.
Speaking to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on the sidelines of the meeting, Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson-Smith said the fight against Zika is important to the Caribbean region not just because of its impact on the tourism industry, but also the health problems that might not be obvious immediate.
The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) said the region continues to wrestle with Zika and that there has been an increase in locally-confirmed cases of Zika in countries and territories around the Caribbean.
CARPHA executive director, Dr James Hospedales, in a video update on the virus in the Caribbean region late last month, said the problem with Zika, which was originally described as a “mild disease’ now appears to be causing an increase in two rare health situations.
He said the virus appears to be the main agent for spreading the issue of babies being born with small heads and the neurological problem called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).
He said regarding the spread of the virus there were factors not in the region’s favour.
“We have the very susceptible population that has not met this virus before, we have widespread aedes ageypti mosquitoes, we have a lot of travel in and out of the region. There is another factor, in many of our countries in the next two months the rainy season will begin and that will increase the possibility of breeding of the mosquito,” he added.
Last month, the head of the United Nations health agency issued a new warning on the virus, saying that “the more we know the worse things look.”
Three men jointly charged with Conspiracy to Rob
Earlier on (Wednesday 27th April 2016), Investigators of the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force jointly charged and Cautioned three males, Reginald ages 30, Almon 31, and Fritz-32 years old with Conspiracy to Rob in relation to a report that was made on Sunday 10th April 2016.
That Sunday, officers responded to the Sunny Foods Supermarket located on South Dock Road Providenciales, where during the robbery a male was shot multiple times on his back by three masked men. The men then got away with an undisclosed amount of money.
The trio was later arrested on suspicion for the offence.
They were taken to the Magistrate’s court where they were not allowed to enter a plea.
They are remanded into custody until Friday 3rd June 2016 for a sufficiency Hearing.
Tiger Woods Feeling "Pretty Good" After Playing First Holes of 2016
Tiger Woods is showing some positive signs of recovery.
On Monday, the 14-time major champion hit the ceremonial tee shot at Bluejack National Golf Club in Montgomery, Texas, and played five holes with British Open champion Mark O'Meara. Woods said they were the first holes he had played since the Wyndham Championship last August, when he finished for a tie in 10th.
In an interview afterward, Woods said he felt "pretty good."
"I'm definitely a little tired but I feel pretty good," Woods said Monday, according to ESPN. "I haven't been out here playing like this. I hadn't played any holes until today. I know people have said I've played holes back at Medalist, but I haven't. This is actually the first time I've played holes since Wyndham. It's been awhile.
"I'm just progressing. You saw how I was going at it today, nice and smooth. That's harder than I have been going at it the last month. Just gradually progressing. We're just trying to progress and I'm doing that."
According to ESPN, the United States Golf Association confirmed that Woods was registered for the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in June, but his agent Mark Steinberg said the move was "simply procedural."
Johnny Manziel Indicted on Assault, Family Violence Charges
Former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel was indicted Tuesday in Texas following allegations that he assaulted an ex-girlfriend.
A grand jury charged Manziel, 23, with assault causing bodily injury and family violence, according to court documents.
Manziel’s lead counsel, Jim Darnell, said in a statement after the indictment was announced: “We certainly respect the decision of the grand jury but of course they only hear part of the case: What the D.A. chooses to share with them. We don’t know what that was. Johnny will certainly plead 'not guilty' and we believe the evidence will support that plea. Out of respect for Ms. Crowley, we will not try the case in the press. We do, however, believe that Johnny will be acquitted at the conclusion of the case."
Manziel’s ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, claims her eardrum burst when the former Browns quarterback hit her during an argument that began at a Dallas hotel in January. After the alleged assault, Crowley “met with domestic violence specialists at the Dallas Police Department,” she said in a statement at the time.
Clippers' Blake Griffin Out for Playoffs, Chris Paul Out "Indefinitely"
Last week on Sportswatch, as Amin & Donavan along with Captain Ryan matched up some of the teams, it was said with the Lakers being a non factor, perhaps the Clippers will be a better fit! But, could it be the end of the Los Angeles Clippers' season?
On Tuesday, the team announced that Blake Griffin would be out for the rest of the season with a left quadriceps injury and Chris Paul would be out after undergoing surgery for a right hand fracture.
Both sustained injuries during Game 4 in the team's first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
According to a statement, Griffin would be ready for the start of next season's training camp, but Paul would be out "indefinitely."
"It's tough," Griffin said Monday night after the game, according to ESPN. "It's not easy dealing with injuries, especially this time of year."
The series is now tied 2-2 and Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Detroit may soon have MLS team
Detroit may soon have a Major League Soccer team after two owners from basketball's NBA announced a joint bid to launch a franchise in the city.
Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and Cleveland Cavaliers' Dan Gilbert are hoping to build a new stadium for the team in the downtown of the city.
In a statement, the pair said their proposal had won support from the MLS.
The league is aiming to increase its size from 20 to 24 teams by 2020 and then ultimately to 28.
"Detroit is rising and we know firsthand the power of sports to lift a community and drive a civic renaissance," read the Gores and Gilbert statement.
"We are very excited about the prospect of bringing Major League Soccer to Detroit and building an ownership group that represents a cross-section of investors."
Gilbert added: "Bringing a team downtown will also further energise Detroit's urban core, which is critical to the entire city's overall health and vibrancy."
Bolt will run the 100 metres at the Golden Spike
Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt will run the 100 metres at the Golden Spike meet in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava on May 20, the event's organisers said Tuesday.
This will be Bolt's second race in the run-up to the Rio Olympics in August, where he will defend his 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles from 2012.
In his first race this year, he is due to run the 100m at the Cayman Invitational Meet on May 14.
Bolt has not raced since the Beijing World Championships last August, where he won the 100m and 200m races in addition to helping Jamaica dominate the 4x100m relay.
Belgium extradites Paris attacker
Belgium has extradited Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam to face trial in France.
He was wounded and arrested in a dramatic raid in Brussels on 18 March after four months on the run.
The 26-year-old French national was born in Brussels and lived there before the Paris attacks.
Some 130 people were killed and dozens wounded in co-ordinated attacks carried out by so-called Islamic State in Paris on 13 November.
The federal prosecutor said Salah Abdeslam had been "surrendered to the French authorities this morning (in execution of the European Arrest Warrant issued by France on 19 March 2016)".
It is not immediately clear where he has been taken, although it is known that he was transferred recently from prison in Bruges to the high-security jail at Beveren, near Antwerp.
Salah Abdeslam was indicted by Belgian authorities last week over a shoot-out in the Forest area of Brussels in which four police were wounded, three days before he was arrested.