 Welcome to the NTN Nightly. I'm Nisha Charles. This edition stops stories. The Department of Health and Wellness remains on high alert against the flu. St. Lucia guarantees public participation and justice in environmental matters. Ensuring the security of all within the shores of St. Lucia has received a shot in the arm. All that plus the latest in youth development, sports and the NTN Nouvelle-Arcuer. The Department of Health and Wellness is on high alert as St. Lucia's continued to present at medical facilities with respiratory infection symptoms. Recently, officials expressed concern over deaths in males suspected of being flu-related. More from Anise Antoine. The flu season in St. Lucia typically runs from October to March, which usually picks in the month of December. From December 2018, the ministry noted that there were increased cases of the influenza virus, which have continued to climb. Even more alarming for the ministry is the unusual deaths of two male individuals. The ministry is closely monitoring the situation. Between week 7 and 8 of 2019, we noted that the cases have gone even above our usual threshold, both in under five years and over five years old. And the flu seemed to be more intense when we reviewed the cases that we noted at our healthcare facilities. Our cases seem to be a little more intense, a little bit unusual as to what we usually see on a regular basis. So we have been putting out the alert to let people know what we're seeing to try to cope. And we have also been investigating two cases which are influenza-related in males, two unusual deaths that are related to the flu, which is quite unusual for us in St. Lucia and more so at this time of the year. The Ministry of Health and Wellness monitors the flu season through its epidemiology unit, which has noted a stark increase in the number of cases recorded in the month of March 2019. We have an epidemiology unit, which is important for surveillance of health conditions. And we monitor through our healthcare facilities the different pathologies that come in. And we monitor closely so that if we note any unusual patterns or any increases, it allows us to try to manage to curb those increases. So that department puts out weekly surveillance reports and we do meet regularly to discuss and to see what trends we are noting. Because sometimes we may see an increase in one part of the island and not another part, so as to reduce the impact of that disease on the island. So we have been monitoring the flu from last year. We have been monitoring it closely. The medical officer of health says the flu vaccine is 80% to 90% effective preventing persons from getting the flu and is available at the healthcare facilities free of charge. The new vaccine is done every year and it is prepared based on the circulating strains of the flu in that year. So usually because the flu virus, the influenza virus tends to mutate quite quickly and every year we tend to have a different strain of the flu circulating. The influenza virus is between 80 and 90% effective in terms of preventing persons from getting the flu. So it would be the first line of defence in terms of preventing it. Persons most at risk of getting the flu are those with chronic diseases, the elderly and young children. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. In seeking to guarantee the right of present and future generations to a healthy environment and to sustainable development, the ECASO agreement, the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters, is the first regional environmental treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is the only treaty to have emerged out of the principle 10 declaration of the Rio Plus 20 meeting in 2012. Communications and Advocacy Officer of the St. Lucia National Trust, Coretta Crookes-Charles, says St. Lucia's signing on to the agreement was a major achievement for the country. In the Caribbean, thankfully, we don't have that many issues per se with environmental defenders or human rights defenders being attacked. But in Latin America, it's a serious issue where hundreds, even thousands of them are killed annually because of their decision to stand for the environment or stand for land rights and indigenous people. So this is really remarkable for our colleagues in Latin America. But for the Caribbean, we have issues as it pertains to getting information in a timely manner. Many times or too often, we see things happening and then the public, they are consulted thereafter when it's too late. And this really is raising the standards to ensure that you get a high level of input and participation. So far St. Lucia and Tiguan Barbuda Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Guyana have signed on to the agreement. Approximately 11 countries are needed so that the agreement can enter into force. Each country has to implement the agreement on its own level. And the good thing about it is the regional agreement so they would have to have meetings like you have, for example, the climate change agreement where you meet every year to see how you're progressing, if you're meeting the targets, etc. So these are some of the things that will have to be in place to see how countries are complying. And if not, what can be done because the technical secretary for this is the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, UN ECLAC, and they'll be providing capacity-building opportunities and support to guide countries through the implementation because you would appreciate that some countries are further ahead than others in Jamaica. For example, they have an access to information unit. Mind you, Jamaica has not yet signed on. They have not yet signed on, but it doesn't mean that they won't. The agreement is open for ratification until September 2020. Efforts at ensuring the security of all within the shores of St. Lucia have received the shots in the arm with parliament passing the Castries constituency council bill. The Minister for Home Affairs, Justice, and National Security, Senator Hon. Hum. Francis, says the bill allows for the creation of a Castries city police. And one of the reasons for giving the city police the powers of arrest and the amenities enjoyed by ordinary police officers is to allow them the latitude or the ability to involve themselves when they see crimes or offenses being committed outside the constituency's boundaries. So, for example, a city police officer in the grocery area on a Friday night, seeing an infraction being committed does not have to wait for a police officer to take action. The mere fact that he has the powers of arrest, he can initiate an arrest there and hand over that person to the police officer. So that enables or assists the police officers in policing the country a little better. Minister Francis also stated that the city police focuses on the city of Castries and their duties in Norway affect the powers and privileges of regular police officers. In fact, the minister indicated that city police provide greater assistance to regular police officers as it is impossible for them to be present everywhere. It has been proven over the last couple of years that the city police have been in existence that there has been a reduction in visitor's harassment and crime against our visitors. So the police officers in the city are doing a good job. They are trained by our regular police officers. They receive almost all the very same training that police officers have received. But the time is a little different because we deal with a lot more when it comes to police officers. Senator Francis expressed his full support for the bill at the last sitting of the Senate on the 28th of March 2019. Activities celebrating April as Youth Month are rolling out through collaborative efforts by government and the National Youth Council the details in this report. The month of April is being celebrated nationwide as Youth Month. The Department of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the National Youth Council have organized a number of events to commemorate the occasion. The celebration included a speech festival from April 1st to 4th where students were trained in areas such as parliamentary debating and public speaking. The official opening of Youth Month will be held on Friday April 5th with a youth expose hosted by the Department of Youth and Sports in collaboration with volunteer St. Lucia. Mary Wilfred is the director of youth in the Department of Youth and Sports. The expose begins with a march from Serenity Park on to Constitution Park where we would have various uniform groups, the cadets, Red Cross, Scouts, Guides, Perfinders and Master Guides, other groups and organizations where they would now be met at the Constitution Park. Wilfred explained that the youth expose will allow young entrepreneurs to showcase their different talents and skills. There will be given the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do in small business and we have a number of young people across the island who would be coming in to showcase some of their businesses and we really want the public to come in and see what young people can produce and what they do in order to earn a living and how they are contributing to economic development in this small space as well. Other activities will include a youth camp, a youth service week and youth awards. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. And this is the end of your nightly. Ryan O'Brien is standing by with more youth development and sports. We have to contribute a small amount of gas in the space so that TPI can try to do everything it can to ensure that we lower the amount of gas in the service so that the earth is warmer. And it is necessary to lower the amount of gas in the service to mitigate it. For me, it has changed. It has changed the name of the entire world of the earth because of the oil, carbon, and sugar that causes the earth to be warmer. That is what we have to do all the time to adapt. We have to do everything we can to prepare and respond to these negative consequences because of climate change. We all know that it makes a difference. For example, we can't sit down and protect ourselves all the time. It's a life that is natural. We have to do everything we can to stop the damage of cyclones and goblins. We have to build a channel for people who need it. And we have to do everything we can to survive climate change. We have to find information about our national government adaptation plan and we have to do everything we can to protect ourselves and all our cyclones. Welcome back. We join Ryan O'Brien for the latest happenings in youth development and sports. Welcome once again to your update from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on the NTN Nightly News. I'm Ryan O'Brien. We ball off with cricket and the time has come for the staging of the Mass United Insurance Schools Cricket Final at the Grozile Plain Field Friday. St Mary's College and Miku Secondary are the two schools that have made it to the finals of the competition in 2019. Dave Albert is the coach of the Miku team. First of all, Miku Secondary, we elated that we are in a final of this competition after many, many years. But you've not heard Miku Secondary at a secondary school cricket final. We're more known for football. The school is very excited about this final and the players are very excited too. I'd like to congratulate the players. I mean, at the start of the competition, we never thought that we'd have gotten this deep into the competition. I've been realistic there. But we continued working hard. I know SMC has a very good team, very well-rounded team, and we have made it our duty to take on the challenge with SMC. Akim Ogiz, the inspirational captain of St Mary's College, will be missing for the encounter after being named on the senior national cricket team playing in the Winner Islands tournament. Ogiz spoke about the importance of the Mass United Insurance competition in the development of young St. Lucian cricketers. It was a wonderful initiative by Mass United Insurance because they've been hosting the tournament for a very long time. And I think it has played it well done and a very good job in developing the youngsters in the cricket team field. And I think I hope they continue it and develop our young cricketers. Friday's final starts at 9.30am. Let's take a look at the teams. St Mary's College from a Mary Vena, Ryan Goodman, Zidane Arthur, Jihann Bouda, Anselm Gittins, Shaquan Prudent, Jindal Cyril, Jovel Dupre, Tim Jio Ogiz, Marin René, Dominic MacLennan, Tariq Wells, Jason Collimo, Miku Sekendri, from Key on Gaston, Dishesh Henry, Marklin Estefan, Nindy Tervel, Sean Villeneuve, Cody Lesmore, Brent Edward, Shanik Stanley, Christiane-Louis, Joshua Thomas, Gerlon Justin and Lupin Joseph. Champion High Jumper Laverne Spencer has been urged to continue excelling in athletics and maintain her high standards. The words of encouragement have come from a Parliamentary representative, the Honourable Ezekiel Joseph. So I want to encourage Loven. I'm sure that, like we have heard, there are many more days and years ahead, and we're expecting to see that she continues to perform and to bring home the goals that she has been doing. So Loven, on behalf of the Government of St Lucia, I wish you all the best and I'm sure you'll appreciate that we're working to encourage you and to encourage sports persons in St Lucia. The Parliamentary representative made their comments during a gala dinner recently in recognition of 20 years' outstanding service for St Lucia by Spencer in the sport of track and field. Youth Month gets an official launch on Friday with Youth Exposé at Constitution Park starting at 10am. The event, which replaces Youth Overhaul and Youth Festival, is an exposition of youth talent in St Lucia. Youth Exposé, like other activities for the month, is being staged by the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports in collaboration with the National Youth Council, the NYC. The first actual activity for the celebration of the month was a four-day speech festival which ended at the Financial Centre on Thursday. Staying with Youth, the Youth Empowerment Project is focused on mitigating risk factors that trigger criminal and antisocial behaviour at the individual, family, community and societal levels. The objectives of the project will be achieved through a number of components. Joanne Husbands is a project coordinator. The first one is that of the Integrated Court Diversion Programme, which consists of two subcomponents, the Youth Recidivism Reduction Programme and the Outer Schools of Suspension Programme, pardon me. The Youth Recidivism Reduction Programme will be implemented through the Department of Probation. It's one way the youth may be recommended by the courts, which do not receive non-custodial sentencing or they are not sentenced, so they provide them to that alternate program where they can be rehabilitated and to prevent them from reoffending. So services will be provided to the youth in that program and also the parents to ultimately develop a program to mitigate that negative behaviour which got them in trouble with the law in the first place. The Youth Empowerment Project will also feature a logo competition to run throughout the month of April. And that's where we wrap up our segment today. I'm Ryan O'Brien. Thanks, Ryan. And stay with the NTIA Nightly. Up next, Primus Hutchinson is here with the NTIA Nouvelle Arquio. To control a new disease, it is necessary and very important to keep all equipment, particularly machine sprayers, in good condition. Always clean the machine after the service and keep it in good condition, even if it is not recommended to the youth. Since the service that is required to control a new disease, it is absolutely important to protect all equipment in every situation. Operating these machine sprayers to protect the equipment that is well protected, serves overall goggles, boots, and gloves to prevent them from touching the skin and breathing. For more information on how to control a new disease, please contact Jardin to call the Department to manage a new disease at the number 454-594 and email it to bpmuatcandw.lc For mission Salaf, we have come to the end of the International Cooperation with the Development of the Republic of China. Welcome back. We join Primus Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Arquio. Thank you very much. We have come to the end of the International Cooperation with the Development of the Republic of China. We have come to the end of the International Cooperation with the Development of the Republic of China. We had a forum with the government at the NTIA Nouvelle Arquio, the Prime Minister Hutchinson. Thank you the International Cooperation C'est leci. C'est le honneur Joseph, ça fait édiction en sécurité figue et les cultivataires et bifamme figue qui a vendu par semaine, c'est une qui a corsé les gouvernements pile, mais il faut que là qui a conseillé Winfresh pour venir plus mê, qui ça. Because I'm the best chef here, and we serve that the people who came here for my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, here put up Winfresh coupon, and then NFTO coupon, we've been here in agreement because it's not that you can't encourage farmers to plant figs, even if you don't work, but you can't make a share, you have to order. If you can't encourage them to do production figues, and then they come here to do production figues, that's what the government has to do, they don't have to do it, and then we serve Winfresh and then NFTO, because what does it do to ensure that we start production at the right level, at the right level, that at least we can do it, that's what the farmers have to do. On behalf of Joseph, I have to explain to you that they don't have to accept, at least, for their cultivation figues, because the quality of their figs is only 20% so they have to come here to do it as quickly as possible. Minister Dacocchi, I would like to thank the government to fix this issue 20% in the future, for example, Trinidad and La Grinade, that's the most important thing, it's the place you are. For this reason, I would like to ask you, do you trust them to prove it because Winfresh has established an agreement with the French government? So we don't have to do it? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Because we don't have to do it at the right level, and we don't have to do it at the right level? Not by the way, it's the quality fig. Where? Quality, quality, that's what we are talking about, that's what we are doing. Even if you come to Trinidad, quality figs are good. Well, I mean, what is the extension of this? What are the things that, even if we are talking about farmers, we don't have to do it at the right level? In fact, the Forestry Department is here, I have indicated this paper, for a long time, for example, to provide importance to protect the Forestry Department. Yesterday, its head of the Forestry Department, Mr Alfred Prosme, who made a statement on the Forestry Department this month, a national day observation for the water. Prospects that have been caused by us, for the occasion of this, you will notice that it has been a long time for the country to find advice, to evaluate the Forestry Department for their country. If the head of the Forestry Department, I have visited several schools, chain discussions in different communities and other media countries as well. To change, we are going to ask the Forestry Department to take a look at the forestry in the United States. The Parrot population is less than 100. Simply because the forestry has been devalued by the Parrots. The schools are now going to give us a few more educational resources to help the farmers. The forestry department in Parrot is in Jakarta. Actually, we are almost 300 in the forest. So we also have laws that have to be implemented here. So we have the Soil and Water Conservation Act, which has to be implemented by the government. But we don't have laws that have to be implemented by the government. So even if we have laws for the forest, if they are not implemented, we have to enter the forest as a river. Even if we have laws for the forest, even if we have laws for the land in the Sea, it is not necessary that the government invests in the forest, in the forest, even if they are not implemented, they are not possible. So we have the case of forest conservation. We have to do something about it. We are going to change the world of coffee. It's going to be a behavioral change. The sense of it is that we don't have to do anything about it. We don't have to do anything about it. We are going to change. I'm going to say, hey, hey, we have to do the past that we have been working on before. The commission, the world's commission, is going to change the way we are. We must continue to educate everyone, education is not that important, but we want that young generation, young people like you, even if they don't do it, even if they don't do it, we have to do it. We have to do something about it. We don't want our generation to do it. So we must continue to educate people in their departments, to educate as much as possible to create a change. A coordinator for a project that is sustainable to reinforce the importance of the tourist industry among the young people of the school is a common player, Mr. Wendell George. He declared that the students at the school are the ones who will be affected later. Mr. George was among the Greeks who found an invitation to address the school by saying that it is an observation for the young people of the school. We know that it is important to build a new relationship with the school. We also want to protect our big brother, his brother-in-law, and to address those who want to build trust, who want to build chicken, who want to work hard, who want to speak publicly, Mr. George, you have the opportunity to help these young people to build their capacity but Mr. George said that the majority of the young people in the country are women but not enough for the young people of the school. We also want to help them to find good advice to help them to solve their problems and to encourage them. So, it is important to build a new program like this. Mr. George, we want to help these young people who are in need to make a difference in the direction that these young people want to go. We also want to complement these young people who are in need and who are in need and who are in need. We also want to help these young people to participate in the community initiatives. Mr. George, we want to help them to build a better world so that they can live here. So, we want to help these young people to stay and to provide them with a new home so that they can live and help these young people to build a new home. We want to help these young people. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. And here is a look at what is happening to us weather wise. over the next few days. Low-level clouds drifting along this windflow will bring a few widely scattered showers over the region during the next 24 hours. The tide for Castries Harbour was high at 3.38pm and will be low again at 9.22pm. The tide for V4 Bay was high at 4.45pm and will be low again at 10.49pm. The sea is moderate to locally rough with waves 5 to 7 feet or 1.5 to 2.1 meters. Small craft operators and sea bathers are advised to exercise caution due to above normal seas. The sun will rise Friday at 5.57am.