Caribbean Times 75th issue - Wednesday 23rd March 2016

Informative, reliable, enriching! 

Wednesday 23rd March 2016 A n t i g u a a n d B a r b u d a 

Vol.6 No.75 $2.00 

BRUSSELS BOMBINGS 

KILL AT LEAST 34 

Islamic extremists struck 

Tuesday in the heart of Europe, 

killing at least 34 people 

and wounding scores of 

others in back-to-back bombings 

of the Brussels airport 

and subway that again laid 

bare the continent’s vulnerability 

to suicide squads. 

Bloodied and dazed travellers 

staggered from the airport 

after two explosions – at 

least one blamed on a suicide 

attacker and another reportedly 

on a suitcase bomb – tore 

through crowds checking in 

for morning flights. About 40 

minutes later, another blast 

struck subway commuters 

in central Brussels near the 

Maelbeek station, which sits 

amid the European Commission 

headquarters. 

Authorities released a 

photo taken from closed-circuit 

TV footage of three men 

pushing luggage carts, saying 

two of them apparently 

were the suicide bombers 

cont’d on pg 2

2 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 

Wednesday 23rd March 2016 

cont’d from pg 1 

and that the third – dressed in 

a light-coloured coat, black 

hat and glasses – was at large. 

They urged the public to contact 

them if they recognized 

him. The two men believed 

to be the suicide attackers apparently 

were wearing dark 

gloves on their left hands. 

In police raids across 

Brussels, authorities later 

found a nail-filled bomb, 

chemical products and an 

Islamic State of Iraq and the 

Levant flag in a house in the 

Schaerbeek neighbourhood, 

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the state prosecutors’ office 

said in a statement. 

In its claim of responsibility, 

ISIL said its members 

detonated suicide vests both 

at the airport and in the subway, 

where many passengers 

fled to safety down dark tunnels 

filled with hazy smoke 

from the explosion in a train 

pulling away from the platform. 

European security officials 

have been bracing for 

a major attack for weeks and 

warned that IS was actively 

preparing to strike. The arrest 

Friday of Salah Abdeslam, 

a key suspect in the Nov. 13 

attacks in Paris, heightened 

those fears, as investigators 

said many more people 

were involved than originally 

thought and that some are 

still on the loose. 

“In this time of tragedy, 

this black moment for our 

country, I appeal to everyone 

to remain calm but also 

to show solidarity,” said Belgian 

Prime Minister Charles 

Michel, who announced 

three days of mourning in 

his country’s deadliest terror 

strike. 

“Last year it was Paris. 

Today it is Brussels. It’s the 

same attacks,” said French 

President Francois Hollande. 

Belgium raised its terror 

alert to the highest level, shut 

the airport through Wednesday 

and ordered a city-wide 

lockdown, deploying about 

500 soldiers onto Brussels’ 

largely empty streets to bolster 

police checkpoints. 

France and Belgium both reinforced 

border security. 

Medical officials treating 

the wounded said some victims 

lost limbs, while others 

suffered burns or deep gashes 

from shattered glass or suspected 

nails packed in with 

explosives. Among the most 

seriously wounded were several 

children. 

The bombings came barely 

four months after suicide 

attackers based in Brussels’ 

Molenbeek district slaughtered 

130 people at Paris 

nightspots, and intelligence 

agencies had warned for 

months a follow-up strike 

was inevitable. Those fears 

increased following Abdeslam’s 

arrest in Molenbeek, 

along with police admissions 

that others suspected of links 

to the Paris attacks were at 

large. 

A high-level Belgian judicial 

official said a connection 

by Abdeslam to Tuesday’s 

attacks is “a lead to pursue.” 

The official spoke on condition 

of anonymity because 

the investigation was ongoing. 

Officials at the airport 

in the Brussels suburb of 

Zaventem said police had 

discovered a Kalashnikov 

assault rifle and an explosives-packed 

vest abandoned 

at the facility, offering one 

potential lead for forensic 

evidence. Bomb disposal experts 

safely dismantled that 

explosive device. 

Shockwaves from the attacks 

crossed the Atlantic, 

where city and airport officials 

at several U.S. cities 

increased security force deployments 

and raised security 

levels. 

A U.S. administration official 

said American intelligence 

officers were working 

with European counterparts 

to try to identify the apparently 

skilled bomb-maker or 

makers involved in the Brussels 

attacks and to identify 

any links to bombs used in 

Paris. 

The official, who wasn’t 

authorized to speak publicly 

on the investigations and 

demanded anonymity, told 

cont’d on pg 3 

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Wednesday 23rd March 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 3 


The Associated Press that at 

least one of the bombs at the 

airport was suspected to have 

been packed into a suitcase 

left in the departures hall. 

Three intelligence officials 

in Iraq told the AP that 

they had warned European 

colleagues last month of IS 

plans to attack airports and 

trains, although Belgium 

wasn’t specified as a likely 

target. The officials, who 

monitor activities in the IS 

stronghold of Raqqa, said 

Brussels may have become a 

target because of the arrest of 

Abdeslam. 

One of the officials – all 

of whom spoke on condition 

of anonymity because 

they were not authorized to 

talk about their knowledge 

of IS operations – said Iraqi 

intelligence officials believe 

that three other IS activists 

remain at large in Brussels 

and are plotting other suicide-bomb 

attacks. 

European leaders already 

struggling to cope with a 

wave of migration from the 

war-torn Middle East said 

they must rely on better anti-terrorist 

intelligence work 

to identify an enemy that 

wears no uniform and seeks 

the softest of targets. They 

emphasized that Europe must 

remain tolerant to Muslims as 

they seek to identify the ISIL 

needles in that ever-growing 

haystack. (National Post).



Accused thief heads 

to May Assizes 

Deborah A Parker 

A young man from Buckleys 

Village had his matter of house 

breaking and larceny committed 

to the May Assizes when he appeared 

before Magistrate Ngaio 

Emanuel. 

Sometime last year, Denzil 

Peters is said to have broken into 

a dwelling house and stole electronic 

items to include a laptop 

and a television set. 

Peters has indicated that he 

intends to follow a particular 

course of action, that is to admit 

guilt to the offence. This is likely 

to have his matter fast-tracked. 

Peters, without legal representation, 

is currently on remand at 

Her Majesty’s Prison. 

Alecia Mc Pherson 

A Bathlodge man was 

convicted on a charge of 

larceny when he appeared 

yesterday at the St. John’s 

Magistrates Court. 


Arden Orville Ferris aged 32 of Freemans 

Village appeared at the St. John’s 

Magistrates Court yesterday on a charge of 

unlawful possession of cannabis. 

On Saturday 19 th March at about 11:30 

p.m., police officers and members of the Antigua 

and Barbuda Defence Force on duty 

in the Freemans Village area, became suspicious 

when the defendant was seen carrying 

a bag pack. 

A search was carried out on Ferris and a 

Drug possession charge for Jude 


Vere Jude, one of the individuals 

that were jointly 

charged for allegedly putting 

roaches in the food bought 

from the Home Town Chinese 

Restaurant located in 

Jennings, appeared at the St. 

John’s Magistrates Court on 

a separate charge. 

Jude had to answer the 

charge of unlawful possession 

of 1.3 grams of cannabis. 

On March 19, police officers 

were on mobile patrol 

in the Bolans area when they 

became suspicious of Jude’s 

actions as he was seen standing 

on the roadside. 

Resulting from a search 

on his person, were two 

small zip locked bags containing 

what appeared to be 

an illicit substance. 

“Officer a little herb me 

just buy down the road” was 

his response when cautioned 

The defendant was 

caught on surveillance camera 

committing a felonious 

act when on Tuesday March 

15 th at about 8:00 p.m. he 

went into the B and J Supermarket 

located in Bathlodge, 

and picked up one bottle 

of Magnum Tonic and one 

bottle of Daguiar’s Coffee 

Cream. 

He proceeded to place 

Freemans Village man ordered to 

pay fine for unlawful drug possession 

number of small transparent sealed plastic 

bags containing cannabis were found in the 

bag pack. 

He was taken into custody. There were 10 

bags weighing 19.6 grams and had an estimated 

street value of EC $190. 

Ferris was arrested and charged for the 

unlawful possession of the control drug. He 

pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted 

and ordered to pay a fine of $600 

forthwith. In default of payment, Ferris will 

serve six months in prison. 

about the drug. Jude was arrested 

and taken to Bolans 

Police Station. This matter 

was also adjourned to be 

heard in court when his other 

matter is also heard in May. 

Case of man accused of damaging 

officer’s gold chain adjourned 

Deborah A Parker 

A St. Paul’s man in in trouble following an incident 

with a police officer. Reports are that both the accused 

and the lawman were among persons who had gone on a 

cruise several months ago. Reportedly, the two got into an 

altercation, and during a physical struggle, a costly gold 

chain which the officer wore on his neck was damaged 

and thrown to the ground. The accused was subsequently 

charged with malicious damage. The accused man appeared 

before Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel. The matter was 

however adjourned until May 3. 

Bathlodge man pays fine for stealing 

both in his pants waist. 

He was confronted by the 

supervisor when he attempted 

to walk out without paying. 

The virtual complainant 

called the Police and made a 

report. 

The defendant was held 

until Police arrived where a 

search was conducted on his 

person and the two alcoholic 

beverages were found secured 

in his pants waist. 

He pleaded guilty to the 

charge and was convicted 

and ordered to pay a fine of 

$500 forthwith; in default of 

payment, he will serve three 

months at HMP. 

The defendant is known 

to the court for offences of a 

similar nature.


Three charged for allegedly 

putting roaches in Chinese food 


Vere Jude, aged 24 of 

Grays Farm, Niki Nicome 

aged 33 of Bolans, and Roshorna 

Crump aged 21 also 

of Bolans all appeared at 

the District B court yesterday 

jointly charged for public 

mischief, false pretence, 

and larceny. 

It was alleged that the 

three accused disseminated 

rumours about the food they 

purchased from the Home 

Town Chinese Restaurant 

calculating to cause wide 

spread alarm. 

Reports are that the three 

Executive chefs from some of Antigua’s 

leading 5 and 4 star resorts as 

well other culinary institutions have 

come together to assist the Gilbert Agricultural 

and Rural Development Center 

(GARD Center) in the planning and 

execution of its 2 nd annual Farm-to-Table 

luncheon, slated for Saturday 16 th , 

April, 2016. 

On board to assist the non-profit institution 

are: Executive chefs Sylvain 

Hervochon of Jumby Bay Resort, Andrew 

Baxter of Galley Bay Resort, and 

Colleen Simpson of the Schools Meals 

Programme and owner of Ola’s Catering 

Service. 

The chefs, along with others expected 

to come onboard, are lending their 

expert knowledge and experience to 

creating an innovative and delicious 

three course menu consisting of an appetiser, 

entrée and dessert. 

Working closely with participating 

accused visited the Home 

Town Chinese Restaurant 

located in Jennings Village 

at about 6:45pm on March 

19 th and purchased two orders 

of fried rice. 

They sat down to eat and 

later claimed to have discovered 

a number of roaches 

in the food. 

They then showed the 

food to the agents of Home 

Town Chinese restaurant. 

Reportedly, the accused 

further demanded 

EC $1,600 to rest the matter 

which, the virtual complainant 

handed them immediately. 

They all complained 

about feeling sick and so 

called for the Emergency 

Medical Services (EMS). 

The EMS arrived shortly 

afterwards, and examined 

the defendants who then 

refused further medical assistance 

and left the establishment. 

However, apparently, it 

was all an act put on by the 

three accused as discovered 

by the restaurant’s surveillance 

footage. 

This footage revealed 

the defendants throwing 

farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture, 

a variety of fresh, in-season produce 

will be paired with a selection of 

meats, poultry and fish to create the 

menu. Together with their capable 

teams, they are also assisting with onsite 

logistics to ensure proper delivery 

and presentation of the food. 

Executive Director of GARD Center 

in commenting about the executive 

chefs’ involvement says: “I am very 

happy for the critical contribution that 

the executive chefs are making to this 

year’s Farm-to-Table luncheon. 

“With their input, I know that we 

have raised the bar, and I am confident 

that we will deliver an event that will 

be hugely successful. 

“Our patrons can expect to enjoy a 

wonderful afternoon of food and entertainment 

and can be assured that their 

palettes will be satisfied given the varied 

selection of delicious dishes that 

roaches in the food. 

They were all later arrested 

on suspicion of committing 

the unlawful act 

after Zhong Lin, the proprietor 

of the restaurant went 

to the Bolans Police Station 

and made a report which the 

police investigated. 

No pleas were taken and 

no evidence was given in 

this case. 

The matter has been adjourned 

for trial in May. 

The proprietor was given an 

order by Health Inspector 

personnel to close down the 

restaurant. 

Top chefs lend a helping hand 

the chefs have in store.” 

The Farm-to-Table luncheon takes 

place on Saturday 16 th April, at the Gilbert 

Agro Heritage Center at Mercers 

Creek, where lunch will be served from 

1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Along with the luncheon, a number 

of activities will take place including a 

food sampling booth by the Fisheries 

Department, sampling booths of locally 

made sweets and condiments by local 

entrepreneurs, live pan music, and a 

Chinese auction. 

The event is a major fundraiser 

for the Gilbert Agricultural and Rural 

Development Center in its on-going 

efforts to provide training to marginalised 

and at-risk youth. Many of such 

youths are school drop-outs looking for 

a second chance at becoming functional 

and contributing members of society. 

The public is therefore asked to lend its 

full support to this worthy endeavour.



Government continues to receive kudos 

for country’s economic turnaround 

Joanna Paris 

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour 

Party-led administration continues to 

receive positive reviews for its ability 

to stabilise the nation’s economy and to 

lessen the amount of criminal activities 

occuring in the country, in less than 24 

months of assuming the government. 

According to Prime Minister, the Hon. 

Gaston Browne, various international 

entities have commended and continue 

to commend the government for its accomplishments 

to date. 

Browne suggested that the country 

is now “a beacon of good governance”. 

“The fact that issues of migrant smuggling 

have been brought under control, 

issues of crime and violence and drug 

trafficking have been lessened, the level 

of cooperation that we have extended. 

Even the issue with Ayoushe, we 

took the position that we would make 

Joanna Paris 

Prime Minister and Minister 

of Finance and Corporate 

Governance, the Hon. 

Gaston Browne, on Tuesday, 

tabled the International 

Banking Bill 2016 before the 

House of Representatives. 

In his explanatory memorandum, 

the nation’s leader 

indicated that the provisions 

in the legislation were similar 

to those which were 

passed last year in the Eastern 

Caribbean Central Bank 

(ECCB) Banking Act 2015. 

Browne explained that 

what the government is now 

seeking to do is to harmonize 

the country’s offshore 

him a persona non grata and get him 

out of the country. 

In addition, individuals that we 

have good intelligence on and who 

have been involved in narco-trafficking 

we have also made persona no grata, 

we get them out of the country. Why 

do you think that the country is so cool 

right now? asked the Prime Minister 

rhetorically. 

Prime Minister Browne was also 

high of praise for the law enforcement 

officers whom he described as being “at 

the top of their game.” He further applauded 

them highlighting that: “They 

have been heavily commended by top 

officials in various countries both in 

and out the region and, it is all part of a 

process to clean up the country and the 

country’s image.” 

The nation’s leader is adamant 

that various legislative changes will 

banking legislation with a 

domestic one. 

Prime Minister Browne 

further mentioned that Antigua 

and Barbuda has been 

considered a “tax haven” 

for many years, which have 

caused the country to be 

“blacklisted” by many international 

bodies and states, 

therefore continuously damaging 

the reputation of the 

country. 

He added that this outstanding 

issue has also affected 

corresponding banking 

relationships. “What 

this bill is seeking to do is to 

also strengthen the regulatory 

framework. Now we all 

know what happened with 

the Stanford debacle and we 

are still suffering from that 

situation up to today. 

“It is still fresh in the 

minds of many individuals 

and we have to take some 

blame bearing in mind that 

the regulatory framework in 

the country at the time was 

not strong enough and we 

are now going the extra mile 

to strengthen regulations in 

this bill … to make sure that 

some of the mistakes in the 

past, do not happen again,” 

the Finance and Corporate 

Governance Minister explained. 

Browne pointed out that 

Prime Minister, the Hon. Gaston Browne. 

be made from time to time so that the 

country can adopt international standards. 

“Unfortunately we are not powerful 

enough to set the standards; we 

are not even powerful enough to resist 

them. So if we can’t set them and we 

can’t resist them, then we have to adopt 

them”, Prime Minister Browne said 

logically. 

Debate begins on International Banking Bill 2016 

the International Banking 

Act will be consistent with 

the domestic Act so that they 

can be no claims of inconsistency 

where the payment 

of taxes by offshore banks is 

concerned. 

“Another provision of 

this act, Mr. Speaker, is to 

ensure that going forward, 

that these offshore banks 

pay some level of taxation. 

“So you will see that 

within the bill, Mr. Speaker, 

that the first $10 million dollars 

in profits attracts about 

2.5% taxation, because we 

are determined that the offshore 

financial sector must 

cont’d on pg 7


Parliament adjourns to give 

parliamentarians more time to review bills 

Joanna Paris 

Parliament adjourned 

earlier than scheduled on 

Tuesday just after the Leader 

of the Opposition, the Hon. 

Baldwin Spencer, rose to 

make his contribution to the 

debate on the International 

Banking Act 2016. 

Prior to Spencer taking 

his place on the floor, the 

mover of the Bill, Prime 

Minister and Minister of Finance 

and Corporate Governance, 

the Hon. Gaston 

Browne outlined the explanatory 

notes with reference to 

the Bill. 

However, when it was 

Spencer’s turn, the Leader 

of the Opposition cited 

that members of the House 

did not have enough time 


make a contribution to the development 

of the country,” emphasised the country’s 

leader. 

He further stated that the country has 

to pay to regulate the industry and also 

pay officials at the Financial Regulatory 

Services Commission (FSRC), who he 

commended for the work done in the 

preparation of the act. 

“We believe that by the end of this year 

after we would have passed the International 

Banking Act, Mr. Speaker, that we should 

collect perhaps in the region of $12-$15 

million dollars and as we eliminate Personal 

Income Tax (PIT), we have to make sure 

that we find other revenue streams to plug 

that gap and this is one such initiative. 

“It gets even more exciting, because 

where as they were precluded from loaning 

to review the legislation, 

which he indicated was also 

lengthy. 

“I do feel that Members 

of Parliament should be given 

enough time to review the 

legislation and to contribute 

more adequately to the debate. 

I therefore do not see 

the need for us to rush this 

bill”, explained Spencer. 

Spencer expressed that 

his party agreed with the Bill 

in principal and added that 

the regulations were necessary 

to improve the offshore 

banking sector. 

He also mentioned that 

there was a part of the Bill 

which speaks to special taxation 

provisions; this was 

highlighted in the physical 

bill but was not explained in 

funds and funding projects on the island, 

this act now gives offshore banks the opportunity 

to participate in funding projects 

on the island, in a regulatory environment”. 

Prime Minister Browne noted that the 

FSRC consulted widely with their partners 

who understand that if the jurisdiction remains 

as a tax haven as it is perceived, it 

will also mean “bad business for them”, 

since they too will experience problems 

in getting corresponding banking relations 

and without these relationships ‘then clearly 

you won’t have a bank”. 

He explained too, that through consultations 

to banks have agreed to the provisions, 

since they will evidently increase 

their businesses. He added that this all 

forms of the government’s plans and goals 

to become fully compliant with international 

standards. 

the explanatory memorandum. 

The Leader of the Opposition 

also stated that the Bill 

seeks to address several fundamental 

issues in the banking 

sector, which should be 

adequately revised and researched. 

“There ought not to be a 

mega rush on a Bill like this. 

We should get the opportunity 

to examine it properly”, 

Spencer reiterated. 

Members of the government 

side including Prime 

Minister Browne, Sir Robin 

Yearwood, the Hon. Steadroy 

‘Cutie’ Benjamin, the 

Hon. E.P. ‘Chet’ Greene, the 

Hon. Molwyn Joseph, and 

the Hon. Asot Michael, at 

various times during the opposition’s 

stance, visibly expressed 

their dissatisfaction 

with Spencer’s explanation 

of calling for more time. 

Prime Minister Browne 

mentioned that in his view 

the opposition has had “more 

than enough time to review 

the Bill, given the early adjournment 

of Parliament last 

Tuesday”. 

Nonetheless, Speaker of 

the House, Sir Gerald Watt, 

fairly accessed the situation 

by agreeing that the Bill “is 

indeed a large one”, and that 

a number of persons on the 

government side were absent 

from the House. Sir 

Gerald expressed the view 

that such an important Bill 

should have the input of all 

members of the House. 

The Speaker of the 

House, however, left the final 

decision in the hands of 

Prime Minister Browne and 

his colleagues on the government 

side. 

After discussions, they 

collectively agreed to give 

more time for persons to review 

the International Banking 

Bill 2016. 

The meeting of the 

House of Representatives 

was subsequently adjourned 

until the morning of Tuesday, 

29 th March, at 9:30. 

The Opposition Leader 

will speak first on that 

day, continuing from where 

he stopped during Tuesday’s 

sitting.



Tourism Cadet Corps engages in fun walk and hike activity 

It was a fun and educational 

trip for the 2016 Tourism 

Cadet Corp students 

who engaged in their first 

out-door activity since the 

start of the 2016 installation. 

The group of approximately 

60 students engaged 

in a fun walk and hike activity 

last Saturday. 

The trek took them along 

the main highways of the 

western end of the island, 

and along the main roads 

of Perry Bay, and Hatton, 

then diverting to the off-road 

which leads to Deep Bay. 

Following the excursion, 

the students - inclusive of 

Cadet Corp trainers and 

volunteers - proceeded to 

hike the historical Fort Barrington. 

There, they were enlightened 

on the facts of the tourist 

attraction. 

Although the event was 

not a competition, cadets 

With the Easter holidays just days 

away, the Police have issued a number 

of precautionary measures to help 

make the season an incident free one. 

First to begin with, the police are 

appealing to the general public to be 

very mindful of their surroundings, 

and pay close attention to what goes on 

around them. 

Pay close attention to suspicious 

people and vehicles, and be ready to 

report any suspicious activities to the 

police. 

Members of the public are advised 

against carrying around large amounts 

of cash on their person, as well as do 

not display large amounts of cash in the 

public. Beware of “Pickpockets” and 

Jahren Philip from the Antigua 

Grammar School and 

Tinma Phillip from the Pares 

Secondary made it a fight to 

the finish and were the first 

to reach to the Deep Bay 

Bridge. 

Mr. Elroy Daley, Manager 

of the Lifeguard and 

Beach Safety Division within 

the Ministry of Tourism 

took the opportunity to share 

the best practices of beach 

use with the cadets. 

The fun walk and hike 

forms part of many planned 

events to aid in familiarising 

the cadets about the country’s 

tourism product in a fun 

and interactive way. 

Police issues caution ahead of Easter holidays 

“Bag-snatchers”. 

Try and avoid walking alone in remote 

areas, especially late at nights. 

Persons are asked to be extremely 

cautious when utilising ATM Machines 

at nights during the holidays. The police 

are also warning not to readily 

accept assistance from strangers, especially 

if you have encountered difficulties 

while using the ATM’s. 

The police are also reminding members 

of the public that usually around 

this time of the year; criminal elements 

will try to pass off counterfeit currencies 

in exchange for goods and services. 

The general public is therefore 

advised to be extremely cautious when 

carrying out monetary transactions, especially 

at nights or in poorly lit areas. 

If you have to leave home, ensure 

that your windows and doors are properly 

locked and secured. 

Always ensure that you properly 

lock and secure your vehicles. Do not 

leave valuable items in plain view, 

which will attract thieves to break into 

your vehicles. 

Do not park your vehicles in remote 

areas during the day, as well as avoid 

parking in poorly lit areas at night. 

Meanwhile, the police have adopted 

a zero tolerance approach towards 

members of the public who have the 

tendency of engaging in criminal activities, 

fights and overconsumption of 

cont’d on pg 9


Committee chairman confident of success in referendum 

The chairman of the National Coordinating 

Committee spearheading 

the public education campaign on the 

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Dr. 

Clarence Henry, Tuesday expressed 

optimism that Antigua and Barbudans 

would support efforts to delink country 

from the London-based Privy Council. 

Addressing the 40th Annual District 

Conference of the Pentecostal 

Assemblies of the West Indies – Antigua 

and Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis and 

St. Maarten, Henry said Antigua and 

Barbuda cannot be railroaded by the 

shackled mindset of those harbingers 

of maintaining the relics of colonialism 

and imperialism. 

Henry said that the campaign is providing 

citizens with arguments from 

both sides so as to help them make a 

determination of “facts from fiction” 

and to make an informed choice in the 

referendum that will follow the campaign. 

“We have been approached by the 

Privy Council and the CCJ with materials 

to assist in this process,” he told the 

religious group, adding “our campaign 

is one of transparent/determined education 

of our people, since on referendum 

day, there is a requirement of twothirds 

majority of votes cast in order to 

effect change. 

“This is a huge challenge, but I am 

confident it can and will be achieved,” 

he said. 


alcohol that results in disorderly conduct 

and drunkenness in public places. 

Anyone found to be engaged in 

fights or carrying abroad any offensive 

weapon, which includes firearms, 

knives, cutlasses, scissors, etcetera, 

will be arrested charged. These persons 

will not be considered for bail, 

and will be held in custody until the 

Henry said he was urging the religious 

groups “to take a more active role 

in fighting for the heart and soul of this 

nation, where truth, transparency and 

real development are promoted, and 

the church takes a more active role in 

the spiritual wellness/wellbeing of our 

nation”. 

In his presentation, henry sought to 

allay the fears of the religious community 

of some concerns raised by sections 

of the population regarding the 

independence, funding and capability 

of the CCJ, which was established in 

2001 to replace the Privy Council as 

the region’s final court. 

The Trinidad-based court also functions 

as an international tribunal interpreting 

the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas 

that governs the 15-member 

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 

grouping. 

Antigua and Barbuda wants to join 

Barbados, Guyana, Belize and Dominica 

as the Caribbean countries that have 

so far joined both the original and appellate 

jurisdictions of the CCJ. 

Regarding the referendum, henry 

said that at least two of three legislative 

amendments will go before parliament 

for adoption, indicating that at present 

the referendum provisions in the Constitution 

are not sufficient to undertake 

the referendum. 

“As a consequence, the necessary 

amendments must be undertaken. Dr. 

next possible court date. 

Likewise, the police are appealing 

to the motoring public to exercise caution 

when utilizing the roads over the 

holidays. Anyone found driving in a 

careless, reckless or dangerous manner 

or under the influence of alcohol 

will be arrested and charged. The full 

cooperation of the general public is 

therefore anticipated in this regard. 

Ambassador Dr. Clarence Henry 

(Francis) Alexis has indicated that the 

drafts will be ready and submitted to 

the Attorney General by midday tomorrow. 

The draft will seek to make the 

Constitutional Amendment Bill an Act, 

as well as modify the Representation of 

the People Act and the Referendum Act 

to suit the purposes of the referendum.” 

Henry said that the referendum is 

similar to general elections, with the the 

ballot paper used having to be simple, 

user-friendly to the voter and should reflect 

the voting culture of the country. 

“There will be no nomination of 

candidates or references to candidates 

in the referendum. In this case, there is 

no candidate’s name, there is a question. 

The ballot paper has to ask the 

voter whether or not they approve the 

Bill.” 

Henry told the religious group that 

while Barbados, Guyana, Belize and 

Dominica have adopted the Court in 

its appellate jurisdiction, “the time has 

come for Antigua and Barbuda to embrace 

the CCJ as the final Appellate authority. 

“The destiny of our nation and the 

Caribbean is in our hands. Let’s understanding 

this; let us not play with it,” he 

added. (CMC).



Richard Branson discusses solutions for 

Sargassum Seaweed with OECS Ministers 

Montserrat is participating 

in a meeting with entrepreneur 

and philanthropist 

Sir Richard Branson this 

week on Moskito Island. 

Hon. Minister of Trade and 

Environment Claude Hogan 

and Chief Fisheries Officer 

Alywn Ponteen joined colleagues 

from the British Virgin 

Islands, Anguilla, Dominica, 

Antigua & Barbuda 

along with leading scientists 

and experts from around the 

world to discuss the ongoing 

issue of Sargassum Seaweed 

which is affecting the Caribbean 

and the very important 

tourism industry. It is a high 

stakes event involving the 

UK’s FCO with expectations 

of immediate solutions to 

stem the problem to include 

making a business from Sargassum. 

Branson is working with 

the OECS to develop a regional 

strategy to be implemented 

locally by member 

states. The OECS is acting as 

the technical moderator for 

the conference along with 

On March 9 2016 the German Government 

and the Caribbean Community 

have agreed to extend their joint 

programme, “Renewable Energy and 

Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance 

(REETA)”. The REETA Programme 

aims at strengthening, at the regional 

and national level, sustainable development 

within the Caribbean Community 

through the increased use of renewable 

energy technologies and increased energy 

efficiency in the building sector. 

Under this new phase of the German-Caribbean 

cooperation, the German 

Government is providing 3 Million 

Euros to support the institutional and 

technical requirements for improving 

the financing environment for sustainable 

energy projects within the Region. 

The latest contribution brings to 8,02 

Million Euros, the total support by the 

German Government under the REETA 

BVI technicians and Branson’s 

own team of environmentalists. 

“Sargussum seaweed 

is a threat to tourism, 

the livelihood of fishers and 

the marine environment,” 

Hogan noted. 

“Finding a strategy which 

we can action locally is the 

dominant theme of the conference.” 

The environment ministers 

of Montserrat, the BVI, 

Anguilla and Antigua have 

been asked to champion the 

project to work with Branson 

and his Virgin Unite charity 

to find solutions to the problem. 

Minister Hogan said 

they have identified some 

of the main issues but no 

single solution has yet been 

formulated. “One of the bullets 

is public education and 

information on Sargassum,” 

he said. There’s also the use 

of Sargassum as an animal 

feed. 

Branson has also shared 

that energy must be given 

to conserving seafood 

and managing the catches 

of lobster in particular. According 

to Minister Hogan, 

the investor is willing to pay 

for his methods to be implemented 

and he has already 

agreed a marine project for 

Montserrat. 

The billionaire who 

owns Moskito Island, along 

with nearby Necker Island 

in the British Virgin Islands 

has more than 400 companies 

under his Virgin Brand. 

Many of these companies, 

including Virgin and Virgin 

Holidays are in the travel industry. 

Moskito Island is part 

of the Virgin Limited Edition 

franchise, which features 

three villas and can house 

up to 22 guests for exclusive 

use according to the website. 

German government and CARICOM in joint REETA program 

Programme. 

REETA builds on the foundation 

of the CREDP Project, which has been 

implemented by GIZ between 2003 until 

2016, and is based in Guyana at the 

CARICOM Secretariat. The programme 

focusses on five priority areas including 

policy, private sector development and 

participation, regional model projects, 

financing of energy infrastructure and 

capacity development.


C&W Business to offer Cisco Collaboration 

as a service over its MPLS networks 

C&W Business, a division 

of Cable & Wireless 

Communications Plc 

(CWC), announced on 

Monday that it will offer 

Cisco® Unified Communications 

as a Service over its 

multiprotocol label switching 

(MPLS) network to its 

customers across the Caribbean 

and Latin American 

region. 

The C&W Business 

portfolio will also include 

the Cisco Hosted Collaboration 

Solution (HCS) for 

the Contact Center. C&W 

Business will become the 

first supplier in the Caribbean 

and Latin America to 

offer a contact center in the 

cloud, which represents a 

more agile, efficient, flexible 

and scalable contact 

center solution. 

Cisco HCS is a next-generation 

unified communications 

and collaboration 

platform for partners who 

want to offer unique Cisco 

collaboration technologies 

using hosted and managed 

models. 

By consuming collaboration 

services from the 

cloud, organizations have 

the flexibility to choose the 

collaboration applications 

specific to their requirements. 

Cisco HCS will be hosted 

at the C&W Business 

data centers and will be delivered 

to customers over 

C&W Communications’ 

world-class, SIP-enabled 

fiber IP (terrestrial and 

submarine) fault-tolerant 

networks, covering over 

48,000 kilometers of fiber 

across the Caribbean and 

Latin American region, allowing 

C&W Business to 

deliver highly secure and 

reliable data, voice and video 

services efficiently to its 

customers. 

C&W Business will offer 

customers: 

Cisco’s Unified Communications 

and Collaboration 

solutions, which 

include voice and video 

communications, mobility, 

messaging, presence, and 

contact center. These services 

also enable web and 

videoconferencing. 

Access to cloud-based 

resources in a fast and easy 

way so customers can mobilize 

faster than with traditional 

models. 

Predictable per-user 

monthly costs without having 

to incur upfront capital 

expenditure investments. 

Ability to easily scale 

service levels up or down to 

address seasonal needs. 

Deployment of different 

license types to individuals 

across work groups or departments 

as required. 

Elimination of the costs 

and problems of equipment 

maintenance and software 

upgrades. 

In addition, existing Cisco 

collaboration customers 

can migrate their “on 

premises” solution into this 

cloud and maintain their investment 

in licensing. 

C&W Business is a Cisco 

Gold Certified Partner 

with specializations in Advanced 

Collaboration Architecture, 

Advanced Data 

Center Architecture and 

Cisco Managed Service 

Provider, among others. 

Supporting Quotes 

Daniel Peiretti, SVP 

Product Development, 

C&W Business: 

“In today’s changing 

world, multiple organizations 

are demanding new 

and more efficient ways to 

collaborate, improve user 

productivity and enhance 

customer experiences. By 

partnering with Cisco, we 

are further empowering our 

customers by delivering 

and managing a cloud services 

solution to meet their 

needs. We are pleased to 

have Cisco’s endorsement 

and excited to be implementing 

the first Cisco HCS 

for Contact Center in the 

Caribbean and Latin America 

and bring CCaaS and 

UCaaS across the region.” 

Gustavo Sorgente, Central 

America, Caribbean and 

Northern countries of South 

America – CANSAC- Cisco 

“Cisco HCS delivers the 

advantages of Cisco’s collaboration 

solutions, with 

the financial, operational, 

and strategic benefits associated 

with cloud services. 

Now, C&W Business will 

be able to offer collaboration 

tools to their customers 

in the region in a subscriber-based 

service that is cost 

effective and in a highly secure 

environment.” 

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Reach us now with that breaking news!



AN EYE ON AGRICULTURE 

Agriculture needs a change in attitude and direction 

It is often said that if you 

fail to plan you plan fail and 

perhaps one of the most difficult 

problem confronting 

agricultural administrators 

in Antigua and Barbuda is 

effective management and 

implementation of developmental 

programs. 

From a historical perspective, 

the production of 

food was a peasant-oriented 

activity with very little 

institutional and financial 

support. Up to the 1960’s a 

thriving export market operated 

by plantation owners 

dominated agriculture 

production with a small domestic 

sector ill equipped 

to satisfy the local market 

demands for food. Unfortunately, 

things have changed 

but not for better. 

Fast forward to today and 

this thriving agricultural export 

sub-sector has turned 

into a high food importation 

market while local production 

is unable to provide regular 

supplies of high quality 

produce in sufficiently large 

volumes and at competitive 

prices. The efforts to improve 

the performance of 

the agriculture sector have 

only shown modest progress 

while the full potential for 

the successful production 

and marketing of agricultural 

products have yet to be 

realized. 

The high and steadily 

growing rate of food imports 

from extra-regional sources 

and increasing competition 

on the international markets 

for safe food at affordable 

prices have cause the 

government of Antigua and 

Barbuda to adopt a policy of 

Food and Nutrition Security. 

It is therefore imperative 

that agricultural technicians 

formulate policy guidelines 

that will form the basis for 

planning, developing and 

executing specific action 

programs and projects in the 

agricultural sector. 

It is the Ministry of Agriculture 

failed import substitution 

initiatives of the past, 

characterized by trade barriers 

coupled with production 

and marketing inefficiency, 

which have led to this new 

policy prescription of food 

and nutrition security. However, 

the poor performance 

of agriculture reflects the 

simple fact that Antiguan 

and Barbudan farmers have 

not received the institutional 

support from the ministry 

through its programs and 

projects. Agriculture is still 

unable to compete effectively 

for labour and budgetary 

allocations against the 

strong demand from tourism 

and the service sector. 

Project preparation is 

clearly one of aspects of 

By Ainsworth Grant 

agricultural development 

or planning. If agriculture 

is to assume a significant 

role in the national economy, 

it must do so through 

greater efficiency in the use 

of its available financial resources. 

Identifying national 

agricultural development 

objectives, selecting priority 

areas for investment and 

mobilizing resources are 

essential elements of any 

policy framework. However, 

achieving this is still an 

important challenge for our 

agricultural administrators. 

There is an urgent need 

for the Ministry of Agriculture 

to improve its institutional 

capacity to collect, record 

and analyse production 

and marketing data, which 

is critical for the planning 

process going forward. For 

most agricultural development 

activities, careful 

project preparation base on 

production and marketing 

information is essential to 

ensure efficient use of available 

resources. Unless projects 

are carefully prepared in 

substantial detail, inefficient 

or even wasteful expenditure 

is almost sure to result. 

Training of agricultural 

technicians in the area of 

management should form 

part of the ministry’s agriculture 

developmental strategy. 

Their capacity to prepare, 

analyse and manage 

projects must be enhanced. 

Technicians in important 

planning positions, continually 

underestimate the time 

and effort needed to prepare 

suitable and sustainable 

projects. However, management 

training for technicians 

will help in the change in attitude 

towards the ministry’s 

developmental goals. The 

change in direction can only 

be achieved if policy-makers 

recognize the need to change 

the image of agriculture. 

Editor’s Note: The 

opinions expressed in this 

Op-ed are those of the author 

and do not necessarily 

reflect the views of Caribbean 

Times.


Look at the way you treat me 

By Jacqueline Wetherill 

Look at the way you treat me, search your heart and you will see. 

I felt pain and died for you, yet still you do what you want to do. 

Would you sacrifice your life for a child, tell me would it be a lie? 

I have given you grace, love and faith, I had to endure, they spat in my face. 

Look at the way you treat me. 

The wicked things they did to me, my blood was shed on Calvary. 

“Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” as my mother stood by, wondering why they were 

doing this to her child. 

Kunta Kinte in Roots didn’t have more blows than I did, 

as they shouted again, “Crucify Him!” 

The pains, the tears that I have gone through, 

I did it, my children, to let you know I love you. 


Think about my love, think about my goodness, 

think about my grace that brought you through. 

If it had not been for me, the LORD, 

on your side tell me where would you have been, tell me. 

When trouble overwhelms your soul, who can you turn to but Me? I am the I 

am, I am a miracle- working God. 

Honor me, honor my word, honor my commandments, 

just give the honor and respect. 


Some people behave as though God doesn’t exist. 

Only when they’re in trouble, there is a God. 

God is real and He always prevails.



Yesterday was World Water Day 

“World Water Day is an international 

observance and an opportunity to learn 

more about water related issues, be inspired 

to tell others and take action to 

make a difference. Today, almost half of 

the world’s workers - 1.5 billion people - 

work in water related sectors and nearly 

all jobs depend on water and those that 

ensure its safe delivery. Yet, the millions 

of people who work in water 

are often not recognized or protected by 

basic labour rights. The theme in 2016 

— water and jobs — is focusing on how 

enough quantity and quality of water 

can change workers’ lives and livelihoods 

- and even transform societies 

and economies.” UN Water 

Fortunately in Antigua & Barbuda 

jobs within the water profession are well 

protected by standard labour laws. The 

APUA Water Business Unit employs 

over 150 water professionals. This Business 

Unit houses a vast variety of fields 

from plumbing to engineering. In celebration 

of World Water Day we would 

like to highlight a few critical areas. 

The APUA Water Lab 

The Water Lab houses five employees 

who are the guardians of water quality. 

The Water Lab is responsible for water 

quality testing at distribution points and 

all Reverse Osmosis plants, wells and 

surface water sources. The lab technicians 

are also responsible for testing water 

distributed at all ports of entry. The 

water is tested for chemical parameters 

and microbiological presence. Any areas 

of concern are flagged for immediate 

attention/ correction and subsequently 

retested for quality assurance. 

The APUA Water Lab is currently working 

towards achieving International Lab 

Accreditation. 

The Hydrology Department 

Hydrology is the study of water; 

its movement, distribution and quality. 

Hydrologists are responsible for the effective 

planning and sustainable use of 

water. Our Hydrologists at APUA are the 

backbone of water intelligence in Antigua. 

This power team of four are responsible 

for: 

Locating and selecting aquifers 

Well Drilling 

Sustainability assessment of aquifers 

Mapping 

Collecting & Monitoring of Well areas 

Rainfall analysis 

Water course assessments 

Water Operations 

Water Operators are the heartbeat 

of the APUA Water Business Unit. Our 

Water Treatment Operators are unseen 

but greatly appreciated for their vigilance 

and hard work. They are located at our 

surface water treatment plants and are responsible 

for: 

- Operating the equipment, motors, 

and pumps used in the treatment, 

purification, and disinfection of water. 

- Monitoring raw water quality. 

- Calculating water treatment chemical 

dosages. 

- Performing a variety of maintenance 

and repair work on plant facilities and 

equipment 

The APUA Water Business Unit also 

has Transmission and Distribution Operators 

who have the great responsibility of 

making sure that water gets to where it 

needs to go. They have to know where 

every pipe and valve are located, as well 

as have a great understanding of our intricate 

water system. Among a great host 

of responsibilities this group has the tremendous 

task of transmission and distribution 

line repair, replacement and ensuring 

the proper operation of all parts of the 

APUA Water system. 

In celebration of World Water Day 

we commend the APUA Water Business 

Unit employees for being the guardians 

of clean, potable water in Antigua & Barbuda. 

We recognize and salute the importance 

of their role in delivering one of 

life’s necessities.

Wednesday 23rd March 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 15


Wednesday 23rd March 2016


cont’d on pg 18



cont’d from pg 17


Obama’s remarks in Havana (Part 1) 

President Castro, the people of Cuba, 

thank you so much for the warm welcome 

that I have received, that my family 

have received, and that our delegation 

has received. It is an extraordinary honor 

to be here today. 

Before I begin, please indulge me. I 

want to comment on the terrorist attacks 

that have taken place in Brussels. The 

thoughts and the prayers of the American 

people are with the people of Belgium. 

We stand in solidarity with them in condemning 

these outrageous attacks against 

innocent people. We will do whatever is 

necessary to support our friend and ally, 

Belgium, in bringing to justice those who 

are responsible. And this is yet another 

reminder that the world must unite, we 

must be together, regardless of nationality, 

or race, or faith, in fighting against 

the scourge of terrorism. We can -- and 

will -- defeat those who threaten the safety 

and security of people all around the 

world. 

To the government and the people of 

Cuba, I want to thank you for the kindness 

that you’ve shown to me and Michelle, 

Malia, Sasha, my mother-in-law, 

Marian. “Cultivo una rosa blanca.” In his 

most famous poem, Jose Marti made this 

offering of friendship and peace to both 

his friend and his enemy. Today, as the 

President of the United States of America, 

I offer the Cuban people el saludo de 

paz. 

Havana is only 90 miles from Florida, 

but to get here we had to travel a great 

distance -- over barriers of history and 

ideology; barriers of pain and separation. 

The blue waters beneath Air Force 

One once carried American battleships to 

this island -- to liberate, but also to exert 

control over Cuba. Those waters also 

carried generations of Cuban revolutionaries 

to the United States, where they 

built support for their cause. And that 

short distance has been crossed by hundreds 

of thousands of Cuban exiles -- on 

planes and makeshift rafts -- who came 

to America in pursuit of freedom and 

opportunity, sometimes leaving behind 

everything they owned and every person 

that they loved. 

Like so many people in both of our 

countries, my lifetime has spanned a time 

of isolation between us. The Cuban Revolution 

took place the same year that my 

father came to the United States from 

Kenya. The Bay of Pigs took place the 

year that I was born. The next year, the 

entire world held its breath, watching our 

two countries, as humanity came as close 

as we ever have to the horror of nuclear 

war. As the decades rolled by, our governments 

settled into a seemingly endless 

confrontation, fighting battles through 

proxies. In a world that remade itself time 

and again, one constant was the conflict 

between the United States and Cuba. 

I have come here to bury the last remnant 

of the Cold War in the Americas. 

I have come here to extend the hand of 

friendship to the Cuban people. I want 

to be clear: The differences between our 

governments over these many years are 

real and they are important. I’m sure 

President Castro would say the same 

thing -- I know, because I’ve heard him 

address those differences at length. But 

before I discuss those issues, we also 

need to recognize how much we share. 

Because in many ways, the United States 

and Cuba are like two brothers who’ve 

been estranged for many years, even as 

we share the same blood. 

We both live in a new world, colonized 

by Europeans. Cuba, like the 

United States, was built in part by slaves 

brought here from Africa. Like the United 

States, the Cuban people can trace their 

heritage to both slaves and slave-owners. 

We’ve welcomed both immigrants who 

came a great distance to start new lives in 

the Americas. 

Over the years, our cultures have 

blended together. Dr. Carlos Finlay’s 

work in Cuba paved the way for generations 

of doctors, including Walter Reed, 

who drew on Dr. Finlay’s work to help 

combat Yellow Fever. Just as Marti wrote 

some of his most famous words in New 

York, Ernest Hemingway made a home 

in Cuba, and found inspiration in the waters 

of these shores. We share a national 

past-time -- La Pelota -- and later today 

our players will compete on the same Havana 

field that Jackie Robinson played on 

before he made his Major League debut. 

And it’s said that our greatest boxer, Muhammad 

Ali, once paid tribute to a Cuban 

that he could never fight -- saying that he 

would only be able to reach a draw with 

the great Cuban, Teofilo Stevenson. 

So even as our governments became 

adversaries, our people continued to 

share these common passions, particularly 

as so many Cubans came to America. 

In Miami or Havana, you can find places 

to dance the Cha-Cha-Cha or the Salsa, 

and eat ropa vieja. People in both of our 

countries have sung along with Celia 

Cruz or Gloria Estefan, and now listen to 

reggaeton or Pitbull. Millions of our people 

share a common religion -- a faith that 

I paid tribute to at the Shrine of our Lady 

of Charity in Miami, a peace that Cubans 

find in La Cachita. 

For all of our differences, the Cuban 

and American people share common values 

in their own lives. A sense of patriotism 

and a sense of pride -- a lot of pride. 

cont’d on pg 20



CDB funds training for food service professionals in Dominica 

BRIDGETOWN – As the Government 

of Dominica focuses on enhancing 

its hospitality sector and improving opportunities 

for tourism investment, it is 

driving initiatives to provide best-practice 

training for local food service businesses. 

From March 21 to 23, 2016, 30 

Environmental Health Officers and representatives 

from Dominica’s Micro, 

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises 

(MSMEs) will participate in the ServSafe 

Food Safety and Training Workshop, 

conducted and funded by the Caribbean 

Development Bank (CDB). 

“CDB supports the Government of 

Dominica as it focuses on the importance 

of food safety and the role it plays in 

economic development. We are pleased 

to be collaborating with the Ministry of 

Health to deliver this workshop, specially 

designed for local food service 

professionals through the internationally 

and regionally recognised ServSafe 

Food Safety Programme,” said Edward 

Greene, Division Chief, Technical Cooperation 

Division, CDB. 

The ServSafe Programme is an accredited, 

United States-based educational 

course that provides comprehensive 

training for food service professionals. 

It is accepted throughout the Caribbean 

region and recognised as a fundamental 

certification for food handlers. 

During the three-day workshop, participants 

will explore food safety principles 

and techniques such as cleaning and 

sanitation; Hazard Analysis and Critical 

Control Points; methods of thawing, 

cooking, cooling and reheating food; 

safe food preparation; and time and temperature 

control. At the end of the workshop, 

participants will take the ServSafe 

Food Protection Manager Examination. 

Successful participants will receive the 

ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certificate, 

which is valid for a period of 

five years. Participants will also develop 

action plans to upgrade the food safety 

practices at their establishments, with 

the help of certified ServSafe Instructors. 

The Ministry of Health in Dominica will 

help participants implement these plans. 

The Caribbean Technological Consultancy 

Services Network (CTCS), 

managed in the Bank’s Technical Cooperation 

Division, will oversee the delivery 

of the workshop. 

“CTCS was specifically designed 

to help CDB fulfil its commitment to 

enhancing the capacity of MSMEs 

throughout the Caribbean Region. This 

workshop is one way in which we continue 

to turn that commitment into action, 

to boost the livelihoods of our Region’s 

entrepreneurs,”said Mr. Greene. 

Workshop facilitators are Julie-Ann 

Laudat of JAL Training and Consultancy 

Services, a company based in Antigua 

and Barbuda and Lionel Michael, 

Chief Health Inspector of the Ministry 

of Health in Antigua and Barbuda. Both 

Laudat and Michael are trained and certified 

ServSafe Instructors and Proctors. 

The ServSafe Food Safety and Training 

Workshop in Dominica follows successful 

pilots run by CTCS in Antigua and 

Barbuda, Montserrat and Guyana over 

the past two years. The workshop, a technical 

assistance intervention, aligns with 

CDB’s strategic objective to promote 

broad-based economic growth by providing 

support to private sector development, 

which aims to enhance the viability 

of MSMEs. 


A profound love of family. 

A passion for our children, a 

commitment to their education. 

And that’s why I believe 

our grandchildren will look 

back on this period of isolation 

as an aberration, as just 

one chapter in a longer story 

of family and of friendship. 

But we cannot, and should 

not, ignore the very real differences 

that we have -- about 

how we organize our governments, 

our economies, and our 

societies. Cuba has a one-party 

system; the United States 

is a multi-party democracy. 

Cuba has a socialist economic 

model; the United States is an 

open market. Cuba has emphasized 

the role and rights of 

the state; the United States is 

founded upon the rights of the 

individual. 

Despite these differences, 

on December 17th 2014, 

President Castro and I announced 

that the United States 

and Cuba would begin a process 

to normalize relations 

between our countries. Since 

then, we have established diplomatic 

relations and opened 

embassies. We’ve begun initiatives 

to cooperate on health 

and agriculture, education 

and law enforcement. We’ve 

reached agreements to restore 

direct flights and mail service. 

We’ve expanded commercial 

ties, and increased the capacity 

of Americans to travel 

and do business in Cuba. And 

these changes have been welcomed, 

even though there are 

still opponents to these policies. 

But still, many people on 

both sides of this debate have 

asked: Why now? Why now? 

There is one simple answer: 

What the United States 

was doing was not working. 

We have to have the courage 

to acknowledge that truth. A 

policy of isolation designed 

for the Cold War made little 

sense in the 21st century. The 

embargo was only hurting the 

Cuban people instead of helping 

them. And I’ve always believed 

in what Martin Luther 

King, Jr. called “the fierce 

urgency of now” -- we should 

not fear change, we should 

embrace it. 

That leads me to a bigger 

and more important reason 

for these changes: Creo en el 

pueblo Cubano. I believe in 

the Cuban people. This is not 

just a policy of normalizing 

relations with the Cuban government. 

The United States of 

America is normalizing relations 

with the Cuban people.


Suriname eases visa regime to boost tourism 

PARAMARIBO - In an effort to 

boost its new emphasis on the tourism 

sector, the government of Suriname has 

recently abolished the requirement for 

a visa to enter the country from an additional 

13 countries, including China, 

India, Indonesia and Turkey, four of the 

world’s most populous nations. The nine 

other countries are from Latin America. 

The list does not include any African 

or Arab countries. However, to visit Suriname, 

citizens of these countries must 

purchase a tourist card, which costs US 

$35 at the Johan Pengel International 

Airport. The tourist card isn’t available at 

the official border crossing posts between 

Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana, 

which is an inconvenience for some travellers. 

Moreover, the immigration and 

customs processing to enter Suriname 

PORT AU PRINCE - Haitian 

lawmakers Sunday night 

rejected economist Fritz Jean 

as the country’s new prime 

minister, sending the provisional 

Government in the 

French-speaking Caribbean 

Community country into a 

state of uncertainty. 

Jean, named by Interim 

President Jocelerme Privert, 

needed at least 60 of the 119 

members of the Lower House 

to support his nomination. But 

HAVANA – Global money transfer company 

Western Union has announced plans to 

extend its money transfer services to Cuba. 

The move will allow persons worldwide to 

send remittances into Cuba within minutes. 

It comes a week after the US government 

relaxed some trade policies that will allow financial 

institutions to do more business with 

Cuba and will also allow some categories 

from Guyana at the South Drain Ferry 

Terminal is a long and arduous ordeal 

that can take up to three hours. 

The Parliament of Suriname is expected 

to soon pass legislation to govern the 

tourism industry. Suriname, once isolated 

from the non-Dutch speaking world, has 

in the past decade propelled itself closer 

to the English-speaking Caribbean, Latin 

America and Asia. Concluding bilateral 

air agreements with key countries has 

when the vote was taken on 

Sunday evening he received 

38 votes with 36 against, with 

one legislator abstaining. 

“Mr Prime Minister, 38 

deputies voted in favour to 

your general policy statement, 

as the majority required 

in terms of section 158 of the 

1987 amended Constitution is 

at least 60 votes, which constitutes 

the absolute majority, 

required your general policy 

statement is rejected.” 

The vote leaves President 

Privert without a person to 

run the Government’s day-today 

affairs and he also failed 

to get support for the new 

Provisional Electoral Council 

(CEP) that is needed to organise 

the twice-postponed presidential 

runoff vote now tentatively 

scheduled for April 24. 

President Michel Martelly 

left office on February 7 

without any successor being 

elected, and last week Sandra 

of Cuban nationals to earn money in the US 

without defecting. 

In a statement, Western union said it expects 

to activate money transfer services in 

Cuba by end of the second quarter of 2016. 

The company says once services are activated 

in Cuba, receivers will be able to pick-up 

their funds from more than 490 agent locations 

across each of Cuba’s 16 provinces. 

been very slow for Suriname, and the 

country’s national airline, Surinam Airways 

(SLM), is a loss making enterprise. 

The government is now looking to 

privatize SLM. The modernisation and 

expansion of the Johan Pengel International 

Airport is still incomplete. Suriname, 

which the New York Times referred 

to as “South America’s hidden treasure”, 

is slowing working to develop and improve 

its eco- and cultural tourism product. 

More recently, Suriname has been 

promoting its tourism product in Holland, 

Belgium and now Germany. However, 

there is little or no promotion in North 

America, and the Caribbean. Airlift is a 

major problem facing Suriname’s unique 

and excellent tourism product. (Caribbean 

News Now). 

Haitian legislators reject nominee for PM 

Western Union to extend services to Cuba 

Honore, the top UN envoy for 

Haiti, told the United Nations 

Security Council that Haiti 

was at a “critical juncture” 

in consolidating its democracy 

and the next few weeks 

would be decisive. 

Jean had been nominated 

and then sworn in at a ceremony 

at the National Palace 

in the hopes that his experience 

and reputation as an 

economist and former governor 

of Haiti’s central bank 

would overcome objections 

from opposition lawmakers. 

In his inaugural speech on 

Sunday, he told lawmakers 

that the new Government “is 

committed to providing to all 

institutions involved in the 

electoral process the necessary 

means for achieving the 

objectives. (Jamaica Observer).



Deadly explosions rock Brussels airport and subway 

Rob Ford dies after 

fight with cancer 

TORONTO — Rob Ford, the 

pugnacious, populist former mayor 

of Toronto whose career crashed in a 

drug-driven, obscenity-laced debacle, 

died Tuesday after fighting cancer, 

his family says. He was 46. Ford rode 

into office on a backlash against urban 

elites. He cast an image sharply 

at odds with Canada’s reputation for 

sedate, unpretentious politics. 

His tenure as mayor of the country’s 

largest city was marred by revelations 

about his drinking problems and 

illegal drug use. He was repeatedly 

videotaped and photographed while 

intoxicated in public. His statements 

and actions became nightly fodder for 

TV comedians and an embarrassment 

to many of the suburbanites he championed. 

Nevertheless, he was later 

elected by a landslide to a city council 

seat. (Politico). 

BRUSSELS - Bombs tore through 

the main airport for the Belgian capital 

and a subway station in central Brussels 

on Tuesday, a day after authorities said a 

suspect in the Nov. 13, 2015 Paris terror 

attacks possibly the bomb-maker was 

likely loose in the city. 

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria 

(ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attacks, 

saying its extremists opened fire 

in the airport and “several of them” detonated 

suicide belts. The posting in the 

group’s Amaq news agency said another 

suicide attacker detonated in the metro. 

It claimed the attack was in response 

to Belgium’s support of the international 

coalition arrayed against it. At least 36 

people were killed in what Belgian federal 

prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said 

were “terrorist attacks” in the city, which 

has been on high alert since the Paris carnage 

last year. 

At least one suicide bomber was behind 

the two explosions at the airport. A 

U.S. official told CBS News that at least 

16 people were killed and dozens injured 

in the blasts in the departure hall at Brussels 

Airport. Belgian media reported that 

gunshots were heard, and shouting in Arabic, 

before the explosions. 

Two sources confirmed to CBS News 

KIEV - A Ukrainian pilot 

has been found guilty in 

Russia of charges relating 

to the deaths of two Russian 

journalists. Nadiya 

Savchenko was sentenced 

to 22 years in jail after being 

convicted of directing 

artillery fire which killed 

them in eastern Ukraine in 

June 2014. 

She burst into a folk 

style protest song in the 

courtroom as she was finally 

pronounced guilty after 

the judge’s two day reading 

of the verdict. 

She denied all the 

charges and her case has 

become internationally 

notorious. Ukraine would 

never recognise the “so 

called” verdict, President 

Petro Poroshenko said, 

describing the trial as “infamous”. 

In a statement he 

added that he was ready to 

exchange Savchenko for 

two Russian soldiers detained 

in Ukraine for “their 

participation in the armed 

aggression” against the 

country. 

Savchenko has become 

a national hero elected 

as a Ukrainian MP while 

in detention and scuffles 

were reported in the courtroom 

after members of a 

that a Kalashnikov assault rifle was found 

in the terminal, and there were reports 

that an unexploded explosive device was 

also found in the airport. About an hour 

after the explosions at the airport, there 

was a blast at the Maelbeek Metro station 

in central Brussels, very near the U.S. 

Embassy and European Union headquarters. 

The Metro system was shut down. 

All flights in and out of Brussels Airport 

were cancelled, and all public transport 

in the Belgian capital was also shutdown. 

Eurostar trains in and out of Brussels 

from the rest of Europe were also cancelled 

Tuesday. Belgian Interior Minister 

Jan Jambon raised the nation’s terror 

alert to its maximum level in the wake of 

explosions at the airport, indicating authorities 

believed a terrorist attack to be 

imminent. (CBS News). 

Ukrainian pilot given 22-year sentence 

Ukrainian delegation unfurled 

a national flag. 

Her lawyer, Nikolai 

Polozov, told journalists 

that she would “not appeal 

against this illegal verdict”, 

in which Savchenko was 

also found guilty of illegally 

crossing the border into 

Russia and the attempted 

murder of civilians. “She 

is an iron person, she has 

an iron will,” Mr Polozov 

said, according to AFP 

news agency. (BBC).


Tuesday’s Sudoku Solution 

S U D O K U 

CROSSWORD 

Across 

1. It may be found in runes 

6. Inbox clogger 

10. Fitness facilities 

14. Political sphere 

15. Sheltered bay 

16. Saintly sign 

17. Typesetting units 

18. Space 

19. Words that pass bills 

20. Start of some advice to 

chew over 

23. Fed. agency renamed in 

2003 

24. Works on a wall? 

25. End to Taiwan? 

26. Heel 

29. FAA ally 

31. Tie tightly 

33. ‘’Groovy!’’ 

35. Second-largest land animal, 

briefly 

37. Retreat from the heat 

38. Part 2 of the advice 

42. Concern of 23-Across 

43. Rattle the rafters 

44. Purpose of many vacations 

45. Late-night TV name 

46. Totally absorbed 

50. Plastic piping 

51. ‘’I approve the motion!’’ 

53. Pharmaceutical pioneer Lilly 

55. Word with spoon or cup 

56. End of the advice 

60. Summit 

62. Foxx of TV and film 

63. Like some wits or cheeses 

64. Wall Street signal 

65. Tennis champ Nastase 

66. Cut into bits 

67. Holiday happening 

68. Took in visually 

69. Discontinued 

Down 

1. Mealtime face-saver 

2. Prepare, as incoming students 

3. Judge’s break 

4. Jiffy 

5. Student’s safety net 

6. Close examination 

7. Deficient 

8. Professed 

9. Office missives 

10. Marine fish prized for its 

roe 

11. Gets without charge? 

12. Heady brew 

13. Help wanted notice? 

21. Path of Discovery? 

22. ‘’The Bathers’’ painter 

27. Has one’s nose to the grindstone 

28. Spanish couple? 

30. Distinct variety of a species 

32. Slipknot formation 

34. Not merely ready 

36. English king who won at 

Agincourt 

38. Certain Eastern European 

39. Gossipy newsman on early 

radio 

40. Like some advice 

41. Greenbacks 

42. Leading Dada painter 

45. Recently 

47. Imminent 

48. Longtime tenor, Jan 

49. Pounded down firmly 

52. Uncanny 

54. Knocker’s reply, perhaps 

57. Vehicle’s connecting rod 

58. Patsy created by Jim Davis 

59. Flimsy 

60. Pecs neighbors 

61. Common legume



HOROSCOPE 

ARIES (March 21-April 

19). Your charisma comes 

from attentiveness. Because 

you’ve such a powerful life 

force now, it energizes whatever 

it settles on. And the 

people you focus on feel like 

the most important ones in 

the world. 

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). 

You may be working or living 

alongside someone, but 

are you really connecting 

with this person who is so 

vital to the outcome of your 

week, if not your life? Turn 

off the distractions and really 

focus in. 

Today’s weather forecast 

Antigua and Barbuda 

Showers in the morning, then partly 

cloudy in the afternoon. 

High - 82ºF/28ºC 

Low - 75ºF/ 24ºC 

Wind: East 19 mph 

Sunrise 6.09 am; Sunset 6.19 pm 

Tuesday’s Crossword Solution 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). 

When you say the right thing 

to the right person, your project 

will take off like wildfire. 

That’s why you need to start 

talking in a very positive way 

about all you want and all 

you are doing. 

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). 

It’s had rocky moments, but 

rest assured, the relationship 

sector of your life will ultimately 

bring fulfillment. 

Your heart will be healed by 

one who understands your 

needs and answers them with 

complementary needs. 

CANCER (June 22-July 22). 

Your temper is a teakettle in 

a library. You want to be effective 

enough to make some 

nice drinks, but you don’t 

want to be too noisy about it. 

To avoid sounding off, let off 

a little steam at a time. 

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The 

same belief that once made 

you feel secure now makes 

you feel trapped. Maybe this 

wasn’t always a stifling influence, 

but it is now, so throw 

off your mental chains. 

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). 

Physical labor is favored and 

you have the high energy necessary 

to do more than you 

could have last week. You’ll 

apply your strength to improving 

your surroundings or 

earning some kind of bonus. 

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). 

You will finally get a reward 

that was a long time in coming, 

and this is probably a result 

of what you’ve tolerated 

for years. Precious and beautiful 

pearls are made from irritating 

grains of sand. 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22- 

Dec. 21). If you look behind, 

you’ll fall behind. So look 

ahead, lean into the future and 

know that you are uniquely 

equipped to make the most of 

what’s coming up. This is just 

the beginning. 

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22- 

Jan. 19). You’ll be inclined 

to follow your muses, not 

the chants of your audience. 

However, today it just so happens 

that the thing you want 

to do makes your crowd happy 

too, so you both win! 

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 

18). It may be necessary to 

rearrange your schedule or 

cut back your workload in 

order to make the time for a 

loved one who really needs 

you right now. Do what it 

takes to make relationships 

strong. 

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 

20). As you follow your spiritual 

curiosity, new people and 

places welcome and enrich 

you. Soon you’ll be reconciling 

the religion of your youth 

with your present awareness 

of life.


ABFA announces Caribbean Cup squad 

By Carlena Knight 

The Antigua and Barbuda 

Football Association 

(ABFA) has announced its 

20-member squad that will 

contest in Group 1 of the 

Caribbean Cup qualifiers 

against Aruba. The match 

plays today at the Sir Vivian 

Richards Stadium at 

7:30 in the evening. The selected 

squad is: 

Goalkeepers: Molvin 

James of Parham FC, Brentton 

Muhammad of Greenbay 

Hoppers and Daverick 

Lockhart of Fort Road FC. 

Defenders: Karanja 

Mack and Akeem Thomas 

of Parham FC, Chavaughn 

Phillip of Villa Lions, Aaron 

Tumwa of Bromley, 

Blaize Punter of Nuneaton, 

Zaine Francis-Angol of 

Kidderminster and Quinton 

Griffith of Charleston Battery. 

Midfielders: Calaum 

Martin of Leyton Orient, 

Eugine Kirwan and Tamarley 

Thomas of Greenbay 

Hoppers, AJ George of Oxford 

United, Duran Martin 

of Banbury United, Josh 

Parker of Red Star Belgrade 

and Rhys Brown of 

Aldershot Town. 

Forwards: Peter Byers 

Wanted 

of Sap FC, Javorn Stevens 

of Greenbay Hoppers and 

Nathaniel Jarvis of Hungerford 

Town. 

The Technjcal Director 

is Rolston Williams, 

Assistant Coach Roderick 

Williams, Goalkeeper 

Coach Irvin Lewis, Manager 

Fernando Abraham, 

Equipment Manager Jarviel 

Simon, and Assistant 

Equipment Manager Danny 

Benjamin. 

A highly qualified registered nurse to live with me for 

my personal, loving care in my private home in Bellevue 

Heights. She must be single, dis-engaged, no previous 

marriages, no kids. Aged 40 - 52. All applicants should 

be Antiguans, Dominicans or Guyanese only. Call #461- 

4027 between 10am - 11:30 am or 3pm - 6pm.



Half Moon Bay to sponsor Antigua Sailing Week 

Antigua Sailing Week is delighted 

to announce Half Moon Bay as an official 

resort sponsor for the 2016 event. 

Replay Resorts, the development company 

which owns the property recently 

acquired 132 acres of land on 8,000 feet 

of oceanfront at Half Moon Bay, including 

the site of the former Half Moon Bay 

Hotel. 

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be 

working in Antigua. Wherever we create 

destinations we strive to be a strong 

part of the community through involvement 

and support of local charities and 

events and we feel supporting Antigua 

Sailing Week is a great first step for the 

community to begin to get to know us,” 

said Michael Coyle, CEO of Replay Resorts. 

“Antigua Sailing Week is an event 

The Caribbean Football 

Union (CFU) yesterday unveiled 

the official logo and 

announced the kickoff of 

the Scotiabank CFU Men’s 

Caribbean Cup 2016. The 

first round of the Scotiabank 

CFU Men’s Caribbean 

that evokes passion and excitement from 

the people of Antigua and from all who 

attend. 

It really puts Antigua on the world 

stage and will be a must attend event for 

our future hotel guests and homeowners 

at Half Moon Bay. We couldn’t be more 

excited to be a sponsor of Antigua Sailing 

Week this year.” 

In executing its sponsorship Half 

Moon Bay will be getting involved on 

and off the water. The Half Moon Bay 

Spectator Boats will set sail on Sunday 

24th April from Falmouth Harbour Marina 

and head out to chase the races and get 

up close to the action. 

After snorkelling and lunch the boats 

will head back to shore so spectators can 

attend the English Harbour Rum Festival 

Cup 2016 started yesterday, 

Tuesday, March 22, with the 

participation of teams across 

the Caribbean. Cuba was at 

home to Bermuda, Grenada 

hosting St. Maarten, and Anguilla 

travelled to Guyana. 

For the first round of the 

regional championship, the 

national teams are sorted 

into seven groups. Each team 

will host one match and play 

another on the road. Rounds 

2 and 3 will begin in June 

and October, respectively, 

of this year. The final round 

taking place that afternoon and evening 

at Antigua Yacht Club where sailors and 

spectators alike will dance the night away 

dockside. Tickets for the Half Moon Bay 

Spectator Boats can be purchased. 

As a major supporter of the event, 

Half Moon Bay will also be sponsoring 

the Sailing Week Antigua Team (SWAT) 

and the Green Team. 

As an essential part of delivering 

the event off the water the Green Team, 

in partnership with non-governmental 

organisations Environmental Awareness 

Group and Sailors for the Sea, makes 

sure the environmental aspects of the 

event run smoothly and it will continue 

to build on last year’s green initiatives to 

ensure a continued reduction of the regatta’s 

environmental impact. 

CFU announces kickoff of Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup 2016 

is scheduled to be played in 

May 2017, with a host to be 

named by the CFU in coming 

months. 

Scotiabank, title sponsor 

of the Scotiabank CONCA- 

CAF Champions League and 

other CONCACAF championships, 

will once again 

support sport throughout the 

Caribbean region through 

the title sponsorship for this 

year’s editions of the men’s 

Caribbean championship. 

The Scotiabank CFU 

Men’s Caribbean Cup 2016 

will qualify Caribbean teams 

directly to the 2017 CON- 

CACAF Gold Cup. Jamaica 

is the defending Caribbean 

Cup champion after overcoming 

Trinidad and Tobago 

4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 

scoreless draw in the 2014 

CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup 

Final.


Villa Primary claims Zone 4 


Villa Primary claimed top 

honors in the 2016 Zone 4 

track and field day. The Westside 

school created history by 

amassing 331 points to claim 

the championship, thereby, 

dethroning the 2015 winners 

Mary E Piggots. The latter 

had 179 points with Cedar 

Grove getting 132 points. 

The prize giving ceremony 

which was held at Villa 

Primary on Monday, hosted 

By Vanroy Burnes 

The Concern Parents, Teachers, Sports 

Association (CPTSA) will be hosting its 

24 th annual Easter Monday 4+1 road relay 

and fitness walk on Monday 28 th March. 

The event is expected to get on the way 

from the starting points at Camp Blizzard 

in Coolidge at 6.30 am and end at the Christ 

the King High School. 

The CPTSA is inviting all groups, clubs, 

T N Kirnon, Cedar Grove, 

Mary E Piggots, Piggotts, 

Victory Center, St. Nicholas, 

School for the Deaf, Gospel 

Light, Weslyann Junior 

Academy, St. Andrews, and 

for the first time ever Holy 

Potters dominant, Wings fall to Ottos 


Potters Steelers continue their dominance 

in the third division of the Antigua 

Barbuda Basketball Association with 11-1 

record. Steelers on Monday night blew out 

Jr Pitbulls, 103-57 at JSC Sports Complex. 

Alfred Lee led the way in scoring for the 

victors with 25 points and 4 steals. He was 

assisted by Tyrell Joseph with 19 points and 

13 rebounds, Michael Daniel with 17 points 

and Jordan Thomas with 11 steals. Danny 

Perez of Jr Pitbulls had 8 points while Juda 

Ferris grabbed 10 rebounds. 

CPTSA Wings continue to struggle in 

division three now falling to Ottos Officials, 

58-41. 

For Wings, Joshua McCurchin scored 

11 points and 15 rebounds. He was assisted 

by Tyreke Lewis we also had 11 points and 

11 rebounds while Dalonte Phillip had 10 

points and 14 rebounds. Officials’ Everton 

Carroll had 12 points and Anthony Edwards 

grabbed 13 rebounds and 4 steals. In the 

lone division two match, Flyers 2 defeated 

F and G Trading Cuties Ovals Ojays 2, 88- 

51. 


Antigua Grammar School 

(AGS) defeated St. Joseph 

Academy, 42-29 on Monday 

at the YMCA Sports Complex. 

The defending champions 

in the Junior Boys division 

continue to dominate 

the category led by the 2015 

Jr. Sportsman nominee, Anthony 

Greer with 15 points. 

He was assisted by Amani 

Brown with 14 points and 

Tyreke Lewis with 10. 

Academy’s Noel 

Knowles had 9 points while, 

Teran Zachariah had 8 points 

in a losing effort. 

Ottos Comprehensive 

trounced St. Anthony’s Secondary, 

47-16 in the second 

Junior Boys match. Lincoln 

Weeks was an unstoppable 

force with 33 points for the 

victors. 

Jevonte Valerie of St. Anthony’s 

scored 11 in a losing 

effort. In the lone Senior 

Boys match, Ottos Comprehensive 

did away with St. 

Joseph Academy, 42-32. 

The dynamic duo of 

Trinity of Barbuda. 

Andolia Webber and 

Kaleel Stevens of Villa Primary 

were named the top 

overall male and female athletes. 

The students from Victory 

Center and School for 

the Deaf were also awarded 

for their participation. Along 

with the giving out of trophies 

and medals, Mr and 

Mrs Figgins were honoured 

by the Villa Primary School 

for their continuous support 

to the institution. 

Zone 4 Education Officer, 

Oneil Michael welcomed the 

visiting schools and commended 

them on their performances. 

He then went on to 

commend the organizers of 

the event for their hard work 

and great execution. 

AGS defeats St. Joseph Academy, Otto’s trounces St. Anthony’s 

Lincoln Weekes and Javon 

Simon had a combined 36 

points for Comprehensive. 

Michael Barton had 11 

points for St. Joseph Academy. 

CPTSA hosts 24 th annual Easter 

Monday relay and fitness walk 

organisations, and banks to take part in the 

event. The categories include: U-13, U-20, 

U-30 and over 30 years. There is a registration 

fee of $20 for adults and $10 for 

children under 10 years. All participants 

are asked to assemble at the Christ the King 

High School before 6.00 a.m. for transportation 

to the relay points. The ‘Walk’ will 

start at the Christ the King High School and 

prizes will be awarded to winners.



MOHALI - It seems 

Pakistan are not short of 

Achilles heels lately. New 

Zealand aimed an arrow at a 

rather famous one - their batting 

while chasing big totals 

- and came away the victors 

to become the first team to 

qualify for the 2016 World 

T20 semi-finals. 

Pakistan, who knew their 

hopes of staying alive in the 

World T20 depended heavily 

on a favourable outcome 

tonight, looked a chase of 

181 in the eye and blinked. 

Sharjeel Khan’s enterprising 

cameo had set them up. 

He himself had struck ten 

boundaries before the Powerplay 

was done and Pakistan’s 

fifty was raised in 24 

balls - their fastest in T20Is. 

However, once New Zealand 

doused Sharjeel’s fire, 

Pakistan’s went out as well. 

The batsmen down the order 

could not back up the early 

flurry and will face critique 

for being poor chasers. 

There were no boundaries 

- not one - in the last 

five overs, which led to the 

18th failed chase of a 150- 

plus target for Pakistan. It 

left their hopes of qualifying 

for the semi-finals extremely 

bleak. New Zealand had 

done their homework again 

- underneath a cover of grass 

lay a belter of a pitch and 

Martin Guptill began taking 

advantage of it as soon as he 

strode out to bat. 

The seventh ball he 

faced, from the seven-foot 

New Zealand into World T20 semi-finals 

tall Mohammad Irfan, was 

lofted toweringly high into 

the air and became the first 

of six of the night. 

That shot, and his entire 

innings - 80 off 48 balls - 

was simple in design and an 

exhibition of a batsman well 

aware of his strengths. Guptill 

is a tall man. His reach 

is longer than most players 

and he is not short of power 

either. 

So the moment he decides 

to hit straight, he has 

the upper hand. He secured 

32 of his runs in the arc between 

long-off and long-on, 

including two of his 10 fours 

and all three of his sixes. 

Guptill had a clear strategy 

against spin too. The sweep 

shot, and on a pitch that 

wasn’t turning excessively, 

it helped him dominate even 

when he misread the delivery 

off the bowler’s hand. 

Guptill played two of 

those against Afridi soon 

after reaching his fifth T20I 

fifty over his last 10 innings. 

Sharjeel came out and 

played an innings equal of 

Guptill’s, at least in impact. 

His strength appears to be 

in the midwicket region 

and New Zealand’s bowlers 

fed him a delicious diet of 

length and short balls. They 

attempted to pull the pace 

off, bowled over and around 

the wicket and changed their 

fields but very few thought 

of changing the line and 

probing him in the corridor 

around the off stump. 

Mitchell McClengaghan 

was smacked for three fours 

and a six in the fourth over 

and was taken off. The new 

bowler Adam Milne dismissed 

Sharjeel with wider, 

fuller delivery that was met 

with a slog and ended up as 

a top-edge to point. 

That wicket gave New 

Zealand some breathing 

room. It allowed their spinners 

to get into the game 

without fear of being hit out. 

Mitchell Santner, who 

bowled the first over and 

was smashed for 15 runs, 

finished his full quota with 

two wickets and gave away 

only 14 further runs. His 

partner Ish Sodhi, who was 

back in Punjab, the state of 

his birth, conceded only one 

boundary in his four overs 

and took the crucial wicket 

of Afridi as well. 

The back-end squeeze 

was fruitful for both teams. 

At one point New Zealand 

looked set for over 200. Mohammad 

Sami was the key 

man for Pakistan, his 19th 

over went only for four runs 

and he finished his spell with 

two wickets and an economy 

rate of 5.75. 

But Ross Taylor withstood 

that spell and led a 

scrappy lower-order effort 

to muster 53 runs in the last 

five overs and that Pakistan 

could not find a contribution 

like that became their undoing. 

Umar Akmal played a 

woeful innings at No. 4 - 24 

off 26 balls, with no fours or 

sixes. 

Ahmed Shehzad was similarly 

subdued - he scratched 

around for 30 off 32 balls. 

Afridi attempted to make 

up for it, but he was caught 

on the long-off boundary by 

Corey Anderson, who timed 

his leap to perfection. 

New Zealand’s strangle 

at one end had defused a big 

threat at the other, and they 

kept squeezing until Pakistan 

had nothing left. (ES- 

PNcricinfo)

Caribbean Times 75th issue - Wednesday 23rd March 2016

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