 Welcome to the NTN Nightly. I'm Nisha Charles. This edition stops stories. The countdown is on for the Ireland's 40th Independence Anniversary. The Government of St Lucia is moving aggressively to enhance agro-processing. The Holy See to St Lucia presented letters of credentials to the Governor-General of St Lucia. All that was the latest in youth development sports and the NTN Wampoong in Quayong. The Independence 40 Committee is moving into high gear as St Lucia inches closer to its 40th Independence Anniversary. Although the celebrations will span one year, the events leading up to Independence Day are short to please. One of the most anticipated events is the best of St Lucia concert. On the eve of Independence, the 21st of February, castries will be abuzz with major cultural displays and exhibitions. Two event sites within the city are being prepared to host these showcases, one being Constitution Park and the other being Jeremy Street between Block DS and the castries market. So in essence, the format for the event is one stage within the William Peter Boulevard and another along Jeremy Street right between the castries market and what we know as the CDC buildings. The production will capture what is truly St Lucia in terms of culture which has been handed down through the generations. We will see a cultural heritage and history portrayed, something that we really cherish and a number of art forms will be on display including dance, music and of course theatrical performances. Another anticipated event is a feature stage presentation marking the 40th anniversary of St Lucia's independence. The presentation is dubbed the St Lucia story and takes place on Thursday, February 21st at the South Plainfield. It is the story of a young man called Lucien for obvious reasons who takes a journey through his past, through his imagination. It's a mystical journey going back through history of St Lucia, his people, himself, his life and he visits all the major highlights that have made us who we are today including the birth of the island, our Amerindian history, our African ancestry and as well as major milestones in St Lucia's recent past and present. So it is a fictitious journey which allows us to explore all of the facets of our national identity. The annual independence walk on February 21st spans 88 miles across the country. The event is being hosted by the Northern Long Distance Walking Group and is being dubbed the Round the Island Challenge 2019. You don't have to do the complete walk. It's not a race, it's a challenge. So we're excited that this is the 40th anniversary of independence. We are introducing a relay option. So if you don't want to walk by yourself, you could walk as a team. So there are four legs to this relay option. You could walk from cul-de-sac at the start of the Massey Park Park from 5 p.m. So you could walk from cul-de-sac to Souffre. Then another member of your team will walk from Souffre to Vufort. Then another member of your team walks from Vufort to Denri and then the last leg is from Denri to the William Peter Boulevard. So it's something that you could do on your own or as a team. It's a great way to see our beautiful island. It's a great way to challenge yourself. The flag raising ceremony will take place at midnight, ushering in Independence Day, Friday 22nd February. The military parade will be held later that morning. They will also be for the first time an Independence Day parade. St. Lucia's 40th Independence Anniversary Celebrations is being observed under the theme, All In, Our Journey, Our Future. There continues to be significant strides in the export of agricultural products from St. Lucia. Recently, mangle trading, spearheaded by young entrepreneur Neil O'Mangel, successfully shipped a consignment of bananas, plantains and cucumbers to a buyer in the United Kingdom. The buyer has expressed interest in another shipment from mangle trading, requesting a wider variety of produce from the young exporter. According to export St. Lucia's CEO Sunita Daniel, this initial export speaks volumes in terms of diversifying agricultural exports from St. Lucia. The CEO says export St. Lucia remains committed to the introduction of St. Lucia products and services to existing and new markets. Main time the government of St. Lucia is moving aggressively to get more people involved in adding value to their products through agro-processing. With the help of the Ministry of Agriculture, individuals as well as groups can take advantage of the opportunity to develop their products. One of the areas of interest is the production of coffee. This was an opportunity where an investor is looking at developing the coffee and cocoa industry, but focusing primarily on coffee, where they have invested lots of money in developing the flavor that is St. Lucia's single source. So all the coffee that they want to produce and sell and put on the market has to come from St. Lucia. Yes, they presently have a café at Point Seraphine and I invite everybody to go down and taste that coffee because the visitors come off the cruise ship and head straight to that café because some of them say what they get on the boat is crap. That's not my words, that's their words. Nobletree Coffee and Cocoa Inc. has been working with extension officers at the Ministry of Agriculture to help revitalize the coffee industry. Like I told you our focus has been in Region 4, so they can call the extension office or they can contact me at 7163481 and to tell me whether or not they want plans, whether or not they want to sell coffee to us, so all of that is possible. For that matter we also want to do a rehabilitation program because a lot of persons have abandoned their coffee trees. And you shouldn't know why? Yes, they cannot sell it. So therefore a lot of them are very tall. But what we have noticed is that since we started harvesting the harvest period has extended because you know if you harvest then it will continue flowering but if you have the drain up on the tree. Another agro processing plant will be commissioned in Angers on Sunday and this is the NTN Nightly coming up the latest happenings in youth and sports with Ryan O'Brien. The world's climate is changing and that affects all of us. Storms are becoming increasingly intense, periods of intense drought and heavy rain, stress farm animals and destroy our crops. Higher average ocean temperatures kill our coral reefs and change the migratory patterns of fish. St. Lucia contributes only 0.0015% of global greenhouse gas emissions but is doing its part along with countries around the world to reduce the emissions that are warming our world and changing our climate. These efforts are called mitigation. But decades of emissions have already changed the climate and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere today will increase average global temperatures even more. We need to adapt that is do everything we can to prepare for and respond to the actual and expected negative effects of climate change and everyone has a role to play. We need to protect our crops, build homes that withstand storms and keep our drains and waterways free of garbage to help us recover or bounce back from climatic events. Learn more about the government of St. Lucia's national adaptation plan and the steps you can take to protect yourself and your fellow St. Lucia's. Welcome back. We join Ryan O'Brien for the latest happenings in youth development and sports. Welcome once again to our update from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports. I'm Ryan O'Brien. With the first engagement of young sports leaders just a matter of days away, program development officer of the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, Niren Talium, has stated that the training in this program gives the youth of St. Lucia a greater sense of the worth of volunteerism. What it does is that it creates that pool of young persons that we could call on at any time to assist us when we have different events and even organizations actually calling us to send those young persons to actually assist because they have seen the kind of skills that we have actually impacted upon those young persons and they see as good skills that they could use those young persons to help them volunteer. Mr Talium also noted that the training of these young leaders presents an opportunity for them to gain employment. A lot of young persons are unemployed and when they're going to look for jobs, they always ask them about their background or what they have done and this actually volunteerism aspect assists them in actually as a platform, as experience for them when they're looking for jobs. The upcoming training session for young sports leaders runs from February 25 to the 28th at the VG Multipurpose Sports Complex. Three more matches were completed as the 2019 Mass United Insurance 50 overs under 19 schools cricket tournament continued on Tuesday, February 19th. At the Balata Plain Field, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College defeated Barbano Secondary by 80 runs. Sir Arthur Lewis batting first in a game reduced to 30 overs a side. Uterine made 160 all out in 27.3 overs. With Kyla Donis 30, Tyrell Chico 20, Simeon Gerson 19, Hervel Prospe 17, Charles Cipal 13 and Matteo Boloin 12 being the leading scorers. Bowling for Barbano Secondary, Jayden Flora had 2 for 5, Caleb Thomas 2 for 19, Tariq Edward 2 for 31 and Shaqeem Breen 2 for 35. In a play, Barbano Secondary was dismissed for 80 in 23 overs with Bolton Sears making 37. Bowling for Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Simeon Gerson bat 4 wickets for 4 runs and Sheldon Busby 3 for 19. At the Gosele Plain Fields and Mary's College led by Asenji from West Indies on a 15 player Akim Ogis easily defeated Cicero Secondary by 164 runs. The Mary's College batting first in a game reduced to 35 overs a side made an impressive 243 for 3 in their allotted overs. Akim Ogis batting with Atmos Ease in the first century of this year's tournament. The elegantly founded batsman made 104 not out with 12 forwards and 3 sixes. Other valuable contributions came from Sidon Arthur 41, Jayden Bouda 33 and Jovel Dupre 26. Bowling for Cicero Secondary, Eddie Sidney picked up 2 for 39. In reply, Cicero Secondary was dismissed for 79 in 22.2 overs with Ismael Clement and Rashad Eugene making 11 each and Eddie Sidney 10. The wicket takers for St Mary's College were Amari Venner with 4 for 17, Cherkouin Prudent 2 for 6. At the P.I. Plain Fields, two fair comprehensive secondary completed a comfortable 8 wicket victory over Viofort Comprehensive. Viofort Comprehensive taken first knock. Dismissed for 96 in 22 overs with Krystle and Fannes making 16 and Cherven Bertil 12. The leading wicket takers for Souffre Comprehensive were Richie William with 3 for 12 and Nick Jabati's 3 for 20. Chasing 97 for victory, Souffre Comprehensive led by Anil Foshe 41 and Akim Ogis 17 easily got to their target, finishing on 97 for 2 in 15.2 overs. Minister responsible for youth development and sports, the Honourable Edmund Estefan has reiterated government's intention to empower the youth of the nation through sports. The minister made a disclosure while delivering his address at the National Sports Awards Saturday night. As we celebrate our 40 years of political independence, I give you the assurance that we are progressing positively with sports development. This government is making massive investment in sports development for the further improvement of our youth of this country. Before we go, the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports is assisting with the coordination of a school's pole vault clinic number one to be held at the George Odlam Stadium on Thursday, February 21st. The clinic starts at 9.30 a.m. and runs until 2.45 p.m. Participants from Corinth, Bocage, Barbano, Tenmeri's College, St. Joseph's Convent, Fitbutei, Cicero and Antipo are asked to be at the Derrick-Walkard Square for their transportation, which leaves at 8.15 a.m. And at that same time, transportation for students from Trousel, Beinfield and V4 Comprehensive, they are asked to note that departure is from the Souffre Square. That's all from Youth and Sports this week. I'm Ryan O'Brien. Happy Independence and see you next week. Thanks, Ryan. St. Lucia is one of the countries that shared diplomatic relations with the Holy See and His Excellency the most reverent Fortunatus Apostolic Nunsia of the Holy See to St. Lucia presented letters of credentials to the Governor-General of St. Lucia, His Excellency Sir Emmanuel Neville Snack on Wednesday. The most reverent emphasized the intention of the Vatican. Pope Francis has been persistent in his call to reach out to the more vulnerable members of our society and our world. He has also insistently invited all to do more to protect our world from avoidable disasters, especially those disasters caused by human beings. With consequences that translate into interpersonal and international conflicts, wars, migration flows and climatic changes. His Excellency Sir Emmanuel Neville Snack shared St. Lucia's decision to become a parliamentary democracy ensuring everyone was endowed with three will and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We'll be celebrating in true glory its 40th anniversary of independence as a nation equal in status with every other nation, great or small. I therefore consider your presence here at this time to be not Fortunatus but divine. It is no wonder then that the people of this land of light proclaimed and affirmed in its 1979 constitution their faith in the supremacy of the Almighty God, the self-subsisting creator of heaven and earth and everything in between. The Holy See established diplomatic relations with St. Lucia on the 1st of September 1984 and stayed with the NT and Knightley up next, primus Hutchinson is here with the NT and Wampont Aquaeon. Excessive agrochemical use, additives and genetically modified foods are harmful to health and the environment. Join the Good Food Revolution, grow, buy and consume organic. A message from Rye St. Lucia and the Ministry of Sustainable Development with funding from the GEF Small Grads Program, UNDP. Welcome back and time now for the NTN's Wampont Aquaeon with Primus Hutchinson. Good Positivity, Health Ministry of Education and Organization for this type of Caribbean, Téjouin and Met Emitres Le Corle, Primier Actis Afan, are here to introduce your assessment system for performance in Guard Dio, for Guam Salah, who for Guard K and Guard 6 who have done it in a diverse way that is critical for these children who have a system of education. Your official service for social science, Selma Bisset, explained that it consists of Caribbean examinations developed for Guam Salah to ensure that the assessment that these children have for Guard Salah is equal in all these Caribbean exams, and that the institutions that have experienced these problems can directly contribute to the end of the year. So, for Guam Salah, you have a position to serve their students in Guard Dio who have completed this Dio. You can encourage the Eccliparan Institute to serve their students if they want to do it. So, the Eccliparan Institute at Dio Le Corle will help them with their education in Neapot Le Corle because everything that is written in Guam Salah. Jodya also addressed Prime Minister Pounassio to D-Mill Disney. It examined hotel remote Bato Tourist who visited the city to see how many tourists have been here. So, Prime Minister Selma said that you can see how many tourists have been here in Guam Salah. Prime Minister Selma said that you can see how many tourists have been here in Guam Salah. This is why Prime Minister Selma said that you can see how many tourists have been here in Guam Salah. So, Prime Minister Selma said that you can see how many tourists have been here in Guam Salah. and also the hotel that implemented a program to embrace European countries. Prime Minister Chastney also announced hotels, sandals, and shops. I started putting this place at nine and added more shams. Prime Minister also said that the situation that we are in, that he hates the pressure that has affected baptism, and then 300 second shams that cost $600,000 is the only way to prevent it from happening. So, the program that we are in, is the place that has affected the hotel industry. Because of that, we were invited to visit the hotel. So, I was invited to visit the hotel. Moderate to brisk easterly winds and above normal seas will continue around the eastern Caribbean over the next few days. Patches of low level clouds drifting with the wind flow will produce some scattered showers over the region during the next 24 hours. Small craft operators and sea bathers are advised to exercise caution due to brisk winds and above normal seas. Tides for Castries Harbor, high at 4.30pm, low at 10.42pm. Tides for V4 Bay, high at 5.37pm, low at 12.09am. Seas moderate to locally rough with waves and swells 5 to 7 feet or 1.5 to 2.1 meters. Sun will rise Thursday at 6.24am. And that brings us to the end of the NTN Nightly. Join us next time at 7pm with a repeat at 7am. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St. Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I'm Nisha Charles.