 Welcome to the NTN Nightly, I'm Nisha Charles. This edition stops stories. Two projects designed to improve living conditions in Lambrie and Morsi to get on the way. On the heels of the successful staging of the Pitos Cup, government presses on with further investment plans for the South. The EU provides a multi-million dollar facility for resilience in the Caribbean. All that plus the latest in youth development, sports and the NTN Nouvelle Arcade. The Government of St Lucia and the St Lucia Social Development Fund have embarked on two projects under the 9th cycle of the Basic Needs Trust Fund, designed to improve living conditions in the beneficiary communities. The projects are being funded through the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of St Lucia. The La Papel Embarkment Protection Sub-Project in Lambrie will include the construction of a 46-meter-long box covert with associated drainage works. It will also see the construction of an internal reinforced concrete catch basin. Minister for Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment on Belenad Montute signed on behalf of the Government. One project that has been established in Lambrie, that's the craft centre, but there were some unsealery works that had to be done to facilitate drainage and sub-upgrade. And that is being done right now as you heard earlier. It is in excess of $300,000 and so we are hoping that early in the new year that second phase, so to speak, of the project will commence. And I think the contract period is about six months. And so by June or before, we expect that the project will be completed and I know that will bring great relief to the vendors and the users of that facility. The Morsi Cardinal East Settlement Road Rehabilitation Project includes the permanent and temporary works in connection with the construction of a 4.3-meter-wide reinforced concrete pavement access road to include drainage works and the construction of 172-millimeter-thick reinforced concrete pavement. And for those who are familiar with that area, some work has been done by the previous parliamentary representative in the inside part of Cardinal, but there was this connecting piece from the Morsi Health Centre to Cardinal that is in a deployable condition and most of it is going to be addressed by this project. This project is going to again start early January and the contract period is about six months and the cost of that project is in excess of $600,000. I think that will be much welcome, the project for the people of Cardinal will provide great relief to them. And I'm sure it will open up that area for further development. The contract agreements were signed on Tuesday, December 17th, 2019. Following the highly successful staging of the inaugural Royal St. Lucia Turf Club-Petos Cup on December 13th, the Government of St Lucia is pressing on with further investment plans for the south of the island, the details from Genelle Norvell. To achieve our full potential, we have to develop the south. So said Prime Minister of St Lucia, the Honourable Alan Chastney, as he reaffirmed the government's commitment to the development of the south. Honourable Chastney explained that the south has the potential to become the premier destination in the Caribbean. The Prime Minister also highlighted a number of projects in the pipeline. And so when you think of the likes of Kingston or Montego Bay or Punta Cana or Porter Spain or Bridgetown, that view for it has all the potential to be bigger and better than all of those places. I think that the horse race today hopefully gets solutions to start understanding what our potential is. That we are able to pull off something of this caliber here in view for it. And then with the new international airport, the deal that we've done, we're going to do with Royal Caribbean and Carnival in terms of having a home port facility here, the new Royal Class St. Jude's Hospital that we're going to be creating, we're breaking ground on Sandy Beach, we're breaking ground on AM Resorts, and then also we're going to be breaking ground in January on a new hotel here, but more importantly, the establishment of Lausanne University to open up a campus for the Caribbean and Latin America here in Solution. And I think that this is just the beginning of showing that view for it is a third red. Minister for Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, Culture and Creative Industries Honourable Dominic Fede, weighing in on the discussion indicated that once the country continues on a trajectory of growth and development, the benefits will be reflected in the economy. He explained that significant efforts have been put into the tourism industry with a view of putting St. Lucia prominently on the map. It has to be strategic marketing, it has to be spending your money in the right areas. Our budget is small in comparison to some of the bigger islands. If you take the Bahamas, if you take Jamaica, we simply do not have a marketing budget that can match that dollar for dollar. But what we have certainly done is we have placed an important demand on ourselves to ensure that we are optimizing strategy, that we are lean and we are mean, we are innovative, and we're going out there and we're telling people that St. Lucia is the most iconic and aspirational destination for them to visit. So we are very focused on ensuring that we do that and I think that that is yielding significant dividends for us. The Pearl of the Caribbean, the Home Port, the Hironora International Airport Redevelopment Project and a number of hotel properties are some of the projects airmarked for the south of the island. For the Government Information Service, I am Genelle Norville. St. Lucia's lobbying efforts for heightened global action on climate change was ramped up at the UN Climate Change Conference COP25. COP25 has been dubbed ambitious as it seeks to increase efforts at achieving all the goals in all of the articles of the Paris Agreement which seeks to chart a new course in the global climate effort. With the release of three special reports by the intergovernmental panel on climate change, the IPCC, small island developing states are quickening their pace to remain economically sustainable and inhabitable. Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development Honourable Dr. Gil Rigorbert in addressing the conference says that limiting temperatures to 1.5 degrees is still feasible if more ambitious action is taken well before 2013. My government is serious about climate action. In May 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers approved our NDC Partnership Plan becoming the first country to have a plan validated at such a high level. We are also proud to be specifically mentioned and referred to in a decision at COP24 in Poland, having been among the 11 countries of the world at that time to have submitted our Cabinet approved NAP to NAP Central. So we are doing our part despite our limitations and the negligibility of our emissions. But we needed to be supported in our efforts, supported in the implementation of our NDCs, NAPs and associated sector plans. Minister Rigorbert reiterated the need for all stakeholders to join in the effort to stem climate change and to build resilience. The countries with the wherewithal to support particularly vulnerable developing countries like LDCs and SIDS with special needs, we need to stop play acting in the negotiations area. We need to stop the word smithing. We need to stop the delayed tactics and stop doing lip service and giving bare minimum at the end, creating structures and setting up mechanisms that really do not produce what we who are on the frontline of climate change expect. Surely we can all do better. We can do more to match our words with action for the sake of the children of this world. The UN Climate Change Conference COP25 took place in Madrid, Spain from the 2nd to 13th December 2019. And this is the NTN Nightly. Ryan of Ryan is up next. Small household electrical appliances when faulty can give rise to big problems. If you have just purchased a small appliance from a store and you are concerned about the safety of the item, an appliance has been at home for sometimes subjected to wear and tear from regular usage. Have it tested by the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards. It is better to be safe than sorry. For more information, contact the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards at 456-0546 or email SLBS at candw.lc or visit the website at www.slbs.org.lc St. Lucia Bureau of Standards. Making quality and standards our way of life. Welcome back. We join Ryan O'Brien for the latest happenings in youth development and sports. I'm Ryan O'Brien, welcoming you to another update from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on the NTN Nightly news. The art of pole vaulting among students on the island got a much needed boost following the staging of a pole vault summit here recently. Anicia Antoine has more details in this report. The St. Lucia Athletics Association has collaborated with the Monropole Athletics Academy and the Patricia D. James Secondary School to host the first St. Lucia pole vault summit. The meet allowed athletes across the island to interact and compete while honing their skills and encouraged the advancement of pole vaulting at all levels through education. Andy Bale is the program director at the Monropole Athletics Academy. Use this as a stepping stone for your own future. Know that after today we're going to keep moving forward as a nation in this sport. We're going to keep going higher and higher and reaching out to the rest of the world to show them what we can do down here as a team both on the track and behind the scenes. So besides the people up here behind me right now who have been sort of our stars for the week I absolutely must continue to express the gratitude, the commitment of our local P.E. teachers at the schools across the island. Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education Fiona Meyer encouraged the students to take advantage of the opportunities being presented to them. You must recognize opportunity. Going to Bermuda. Going to El Salvador. Going to Games in Jamaica. All of these life experiences are going to impact you if you make that effort and if you are consistent and if you progress at what you're doing. It's there for you. So I'm looking forward to watching my television screen and seeing that some of you are representing St. Lucia. So as much as you represent your schools you are going to do even bigger and better things. Commonwealth Games are there. Who knows? Olympics. Possibly. The Pole Vault Summit took place from Wednesday, December 9 and culminated with a National Day Street Vault on Friday, December 13, 2019. From the Government Information Service I am Anisia Antoine reporting. As the year draws to a close the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports is reminding all National Sporting Associations that preparations are continuing for the staging of the annual National Sports Awards on February 15, 2020. And as such must have their respective nominations returned to the Ministry on or before the stipulated deadline of December 27, 2019. The Ministry has already met with a number of Associations who have responded to an invitation to attend an initial meeting ahead of the awards. As usual, a number of prestigious awards will be up for grabs from a shortlist of nominees presented to the Ministry. And that's how we end your update for today. The ultimate for the year. I'm Ryan O'Brien. Thanks Ryan. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, SEDEMA and the European Union has launched a multi-million dollar facility to help reduce the region's vulnerability to disaster ricks. Here's to sunken English Francis of Caricom Newstime. The 11th EDF Natural Disaster Facility in Carey Forum program was launched on the 3rd of December at the 11th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management in St. Martin. Decision makers and disaster management professionals gathered to have discussions on improving capacities and building partnerships to fight against climate change and to strengthen disaster management strategies. The Natural Disaster Facility will be implemented by SEDEMA and the Dominican Republic. The EU's ambassador to Guyana, His Excellency Fernando Ponscanto says the EU remains committed to reducing the region's vulnerability to climate variability and change. He noted the importance of the Dominican Republic's participation for increased cooperation and sharing lessons. One of the eight universally recognized rights of the consumer is the right to satisfaction of basic needs. This means that every consumer has the right to basic goods and services that guarantee survival. This right includes adequate food, clothing, health care, education, water, and sanitation. Welcome back. We joined Primus Hutchinson for the NTN Nouvelle Acreole. Mr. Madame, Department of Universities with the formation of a government policy, G-I-S, a sub-P.T.N.N.N.Nouvelle Acreole, visit our Primus Hutchinson. Ministers of the Agricultural Union Ezekiel Joseph call for the most collaboration in the export of figs to sell and increase the number of figs in England. In addition, Gorgwek, an industry fig among you, Windfresh, NFTU, a development project for the industry figs, CELC, B-P-I-P. I am the head of the Ministry of Agriculture. To discuss and examine these problems that have continued to affect the industry figs in CELC, I am looking for a solution to increase the number of figs for the next four months to come. I am the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Executive for Windfresh, Bernard Conebott, declared that the future for all who are involved in the industry figs is to speak frankly about the situation of figs in CELC. Conebott said that it is necessary to reduce the number of figs to experience the benefits that you deserve for the industry and all that you consider. Possibly, to reduce the number of figs to see the future for the industry figs in CELC, I am looking for a solution to increase the number of figs for the industry figs in CELC to help the industry figs in CELC to be able to have the best quality for the industry figs in CELC. Conebott said with his friend, Conebott,Cloud, who is the head of the Department of Agriculture, video trois bélié qui te fait Genius qui capote qu'auaie cette fois plus fort qu'industrie nous. Connibus conseil qui m'agoue tout ça. Industrie Figue-la, ni en chose pour sauver si tout qui conseille met des têtes ensemble aplané qui met à façon pour du développement et opération industrielle. Et je m'ai fait qu'il n'y a pas de consulte-là critiquement pour tout d'accord pour travailler ensemble à plan pour sauver industrie Figue-la. the they are they are they are to take this information concerning the FIG exportation if you want the government to support you. Honourable Joseph declared that if this is the case, the government will take the match for which the FIG industry will be able to acquire such a majority. Residents have come to follow this path to receive an increase in the health services of OASCO. This is why OASCO is doing social development agencies, SSDF, SIEA and OASCO, to make more OASCO available for common salary. Representative of OASCO, SIEA and OASCO, the first December to establish administrative OASCO, the OASCO project will be financed by BNTF, a project that has been done to fill the OASCO for common salary. Executive Director of SSDF, Alison Mathre, said that if you want OASCO to be able to make more OASCO, Honourable Joseph declared that if this is the case, the government will take the match for common salary because if OASCO is able to make more OASCO, it will also be able to make more OASCO available for common salary. Executive Director of SSDF, Social Equality, Honourable Leonard Motut, said that if the government is able to make more OASCO, according to Minister Motut, the situation will be the same as before, if the government is able to make more OASCO, it will also be able to make more OASCO available for common salary. So, the life of the OASCO, which you can consider, the facility for OASCO to be able to make more OASCO, will cost you less than $1,000. Your company business will be able to sell agricultural products that will continue to succeed. MANGAL, Trading Incorporated, Nile MANGAL, I found many of these businesses that have advanced to sell agricultural products. Since then, the company has been established with the SSDF since 2017 and has continued to sell agricultural products in England and in the UK, very often. The last company that you have been working with, it was the Guangkatite Regime Banan, which was the last company that supported the satisfaction of making the old business to continue to buy HODMANGAL Trading Incorporated. MANGAL declared that it would also be able to buy HODMITACIO, which is also called HODMITACIO. MANGAL is also equipped with HODMITACIO, not only to make more, but also to diversify products such as the Guangdi Man, which is also called HODMITACIO. The executive director of HODMITACIO, I applaud the four companies that have been able to succeed to find the place. That's the other country. With this, we will have a new business. We will have the time to look at it. We will have the opportunity to continue our business. With this, we will have a lot of new business. We will have a new business. MANGAL promised. And here's a look at what's happening to us, weather-wise. Generally, fair and breezy, becoming cloudy at times, with a few scattered showers. The Atlantic Hypertia system will continue to generate brisk, stele winds and rough seas across our region during the next few days. Low-level clouds drifting with the wind flow will cause a few showers to develop over the eastern Caribbean islands during the next 24 hours. Tides for Castries Harbor, low at 2.26 p.m., high at 8.49 p.m. Tides for Viewford Bay, low at 3.53 p.m., high at 9.56 p.m. Seas, locally rough with waves and novelies to north-easterly swells 7 to 10 feet or 2.1 to 3 meters. Small craft operators and sea bathers are advised to exercise extreme caution due to brisk winds and rough seas. The sun will rise Thursday at 6.21 a.m. And that brings us to the end of the NTN Nightly. Join us next time at 7 p.m. with a repeat at 7 a.m. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I'm Nisha Charles.