 Welcome to the NTN Nightly. I'm Nisha Chance. This edition's top stories. Government makes an investment in digital diagnostic equipment at St. Jude's Hospital. New collective agreements are signed between the Government and the Police Welfare Association. The Contest for Carnival Queen 2019 heightens. All that plus the latest in new development, sports and the NTN Niverl Arc Rail. The Government of St. Lucia has made an investment in digital diagnostic equipment that is expected to enhance services at the St. Jude Hospital, more from Phenel Neptune. Patients at the St. Jude Hospital are expected to benefit from an improvement of diagnostic imaging services following the handover of a floor-mounted X-ray machine. Chairman of the St. Jude Board, Wyn Harrow says he's confident that equipment will allow the staff to provide cost-effective and high-quality diagnostic service to the people in the south of the island. Today we will commission an X-ray machine, top-of-the-line X-ray machine, best on island. We will be able right now to deliver to our people a higher quality of diagnostic services. We should enable our doctors to diagnose situations and will dispense the right treatment to our people in the south. We also have the ultrasound machine which is installed in the ER department which will assist our ER doctors and nurses in again discharging a higher and better and a quicker quality of service to the patients. Minister for Health and Wellness, Senator the Honourable Mary Isaac says she's extremely appreciative of the work undertaken by the staff of St. Jude Hospital despite the daily challenges. So you at St. Jude, you know of all the new initiatives, all the repairs and all the equipment that you now have at your disposal that of course some of them needed repair, some of them have been lying around for years and these have been repaired and you will be able to utilize this. Now that will save you and the patients, the people that you serve, a lot of problems in terms of having to go down to Victoria Hospital and so on. So we are all very happy to have this news this morning. Supervisor of the radiology department at the St. Jude Hospital, Shanelle St. Louis expressed gratitude for the X-ray machine and gave assurance that it will put it to good use. As we remain in transit here at the George Audlam Stadium, it became necessary to improve the capability of our X-ray services here and our equipment and the best suited equipment was a floor mounted unit and we would like to thank the government of St. Lucia for this timely investment. We assure you that a lot of the services that we could not provide, we will be able to provide these services here at St. Jude Hospital. The St. Jude Hospital remains committed to providing the best of medical services to its patients. Reporting from the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, I am Funa Neptune. Negotiations between the Police Welfare Association, the PWA and the Government Negotiating Team, the GNT, have concluded with the signing of two collective agreements. The Police Welfare Association and the Government Negotiating Team signed the Collective Bargaining Agreement on May 17, 2019, which according to the PWA President, Travis Chico, was accepted by members unanimously. The negotiations covered the period April 2016 to March 2022. According to Chairman of the Government Negotiating Team, Vern Gill, in an effort to cover the two periods, adjustments were necessary. The broad outline of what is agreed is that the Government will pay a lump sum to the members of $1,500 for the period 2016 to 2019. There will be a 1% increase in salary for the period 2018 to 2019 and for the period 19 to 22, there will be 1% in the first year, 19 to 20, 1% in the second year, 20 to 21 and 2% in the last year, 21 to 22. President of the Police Welfare Association, Travis Chico, expressed gratitude to the Government Negotiating Team for the effort and to members of the Association for their patience. I am very happy that at least members are able to see a shift in the salaries coming in the few days that they would enjoy the benefits given to them and also to secure landmark deal where the police at this point, in terms of part of its national crime strategy that the insurances would now be a big part of the police to really boost the moral and confidence as we tackle the issue of crime. The Government Negotiating Team will be continuing negotiations with the other bargaining agents on Ireland. In an effort to improve and sustain student performance in mathematics, a comprehensive revision of the mathematics curriculum is underway. The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations is currently reviewing the mathematics curriculum to include trends, issues and the way forward. Ministry of Education's Deputy Chief Education Officer for Instruction Dawson Raghunanan explained that following an analysis, it was recognized that the mathematics performance is not what is desired. Consequently, the Ministry has begun a review of the potential issues. And as we go through, we recognize that the curriculum has been incomplete in a sense. We actually have a curriculum from grade K to grade 2. However, there is no formal curriculum from grade 3 up to grade 6. So today we have decided to come together because of the fact that one, we have developed learning standards for the OECS. And out of those learning standards, the math curriculum should come out. It should evolve from the learning standards. The Deputy Chief Education Officer for Instruction noted that the development of a mathematics curriculum requires input from a number of stakeholders. A curriculum, according to Raghunanan, is done based on the needs of society and must take into account all the various players. It is therefore important that consultations are held with all stakeholders in an effort to ensure that the curriculum adequately meets the needs of learners. Curriculum takes a long period of time. It doesn't just happen overnight. So what we're actually looking for is a draft curriculum, after which we would need to pilot that curriculum. And based on the pilot and the evaluation, then we would need to come back and to actually complete it. Also, I want you to recognize also that with the curriculum itself, it is going to take a long period of time. But because we have the lowest school primary curriculum already, we're expecting to have a draft maybe by August 2019 so that we can start working from there. A consultation was held on the 16th of May 2019 at the National Skills Development Conference Room with educators from Kingdom Garten to grade 3, among others. For the Government Information Service, I am General Norvel. St. Lucia is extending its reach into the U.S. market through the introduction of a non-stop American Airlines flight from Chicago. The weekly Saturday service from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Huronara International Airport will begin on December 21, 2019. The Minister for Tourism, the Honorable Dominic Fede, says this is American Airlines' continued belief in St. Lucia and its product. The flight is without minimum revenue guarantee as the government has proven that with the refocused marketing of St. Lucia Tourism Authority, it can build confidence to invest in sustainable getaways. Currently, American Airlines offers a daily morning service into the island from Miami and a weekly service from Charlotte. The Cultural Development Foundation, the CDF, is preparing to spearhead St. Lucia's participation in the upcoming Caribbean Festival of Arts, Carre Festa, more from Anicia Antoine. The Cultural Development Foundation held final auditions to select a contingent to represent St. Lucia at the Regent's Premier Festival of Arts, Carre Festa 14. Carre Festa is a 10-day multi-disciplinary arts and culture festival which occurs every two years and aims to celebrate the spirit, culture and heritage of Caribbean people through expressions of music, visual art, food, literature, folklore, theater and dance. Director of Training, Promotions and Development at the CDF, Celeste Burton, stated that Carre Festa creates a space for artists to gather and collaborate which will ensure that there is a lasting benefit for the practitioners themselves and the advancement of the art forms. It's an opportunity for us as a country to showcase our talent, to showcase St. Lucia, what we have to offer in terms of arts and culture. It's also an opportunity for our artists the best of St. Lucia's artists to get an opportunity to learn because the festival actually is a mixture of showcasing and workshops and masterclasses where the artist is exposed first of all to some very reputable lecturers and persons involved in the arts who do workshops with them and they learn a lot as well as the opportunity for them to showcase what we have to offer. 25 people will be selected out of the 69 shortlisted candidates who attended the final auditions at the National Cultural Center on Thursday, May 16th, 2019. Director of Events, Arts and Production at the CDF, Drina Frederick, explained that the shortlisted candidates also received training and were rewarded a certificate upon completion. What we wanted to do was to provide some sort of training for them in terms of professionalism in the theatre, drama, dance, vocals and what we're doing today is a sort of a training workshop and we'll be selecting the cast that will be part of the contingent to go to Cairo Fester and so this is, well you could call it an elimination process but it's an elimination process of benefits where we sort of need to provide training as well. Cairo Fester 14 will be hosted by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago from August 16th to August 25th, 2019. And this is the NTN Nightly. Ryan O'Brien is up next. I was in my neighborhood. It was a very dark night. I decided to go for a drink by a bar. On my way from the bar I felt distinct to my right leg and when I looked back I knew it was a fuller snake. You happen to be in an area where there are snakes and you are bitten by a snake. This is what you do. You call for help and try to reach the Victoria Hospital within one or three hours. You will be seen immediately. My uncle at the time was a police officer called the Victoria Hospital and told them that we're coming down for a snake bite. It's the only facility on the island which has a protocol and a treatment plan where you can be treated adequately. We call them before you go there so they can prepare for you. Rest assured that there are adequate supplies of anti-venom with doctors who have been trained in the treatment protocols of the snake bite. Welcome back. We join Ryan O'Brien for the latest Happenings in Youth Development and Sports. Welcome once again to your update on Happenings in Youth Development and Sports on the NTN Nightly News. I'm Ryan O'Brien. Officials are hailing the recently concluded Inter-District Primary School's Female Football Tournament as a huge success. District 6 emerged champions when they won two goals to one against District 1 in the final play at the South Plain Field VG on Friday afternoon. Cyrus Seapal is Education Officer for District 1. He told NTN Nightly he was pleased by what he saw during the playing of the competition. Yes, I must say I was very impressed with the skills that I saw in a lot of the girls. It definitely tells us that we have talent and what we have to do now is to put in place the development program where we can harness these resources and then identify the skills very early and put these girls in a training program where we can develop them to represent St. Lucia or even to develop it as a career. So I need to commend the Football Association for coming up with this program and for understanding that they can partner with Ministry of Education and then we can develop the children in a holistic manner. So it's not just simply the academics I always say, but it's a holistic development and then we need to understand also that sports is part of the education system with the children. It is not an interruption in the program. I need to say this loud. Mr. Seapal congratulated District 6 on their victory and also commended the other districts for their participation. Preparations are well underway for this Sunday's Independence Sports Fund Day, an event organized as part of the Ireland's recognition of 40 years independence and coordinated by the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports in collaboration with the National Sporting Associations which are putting on events built as a fun family sports day. Organizers are expecting a number of teams with participants 40 years and over will come out to show their skills in the disciplines of Netball, Basketball and Volleyball and the VFOR multipurpose courts. Proceedings are set to get underway from 9.30 in the morning. Organizers of the Sports Fund Day have planned a site visit for Tuesday, May 21 to ensure logistics for the day are at the anticipated timelines. Two senior officers from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports will be leaving the island on Wednesday for Dominica to attend a technical meeting ahead of the 2019 Winner Island Schools Games set to be held in the Nature Island of Dominica. Representing St. Lucia at the meeting will be Director of Sports Patrick Matrae and School Sports Coordinator Isabel Alexander Markey. Final arrangements for the games will be discussed by attending delegates and a determination and confirmation that countries will agree to keep the same five sporting disciplines to be competed as was the case in St. Lucia last year. And if that item on this year's Winner Island Schools Games technical meeting in Dominica we come to the end of your update from Youth Development and Sports for today. I'm Ryan O'Brien. Thanks Ryan. The contest for Carnival Queen 2019 has heightened following the Sashing Ceremony held on the weekend. Eight contestants will vie for the title of Carnival Queen 2019. The Sashing Ceremony of the National Carnival Queen Pageant Contestant evoked great expectations from the contestants as the left attendees impressed with their showcase. Speaking at the ceremony ministering the Ministry of Tourism, Communication and Broadcasting, culture and creative industries with responsibility for culture and creative industries for Tunabel Rose called for support for the contestants adding that there needs to be more synergy between similar events. The object is for us as a citizen as a country to focus on developing our young people and this is one of the opportunities that our society gives to young people through pageantry. What I would certainly like to see as minister pageantry develops not develops, it's already developing I think what I want to see is greater synergy between this pageant and also the Miss Universe pageant. I think there are too many events of this nature happening in isolation. We need a clear pathway for the young women and men who decide to go into pageantry so that they know if they wish to get to Miss Universe what it is they have to do the steps they have to take opportunities that are provided for them to be able to realize that dream of becoming who they want to become on the world stage. Chief Executive Officer of Events in Lucia, Thomas Leos highlighted the benefits to the contestants embarking on such a venture. It's really a journey over the next several weeks I think the ladies will learn skills of time management they will learn how to build self-confidence perseverance to lose gracefully because everybody will win but I think the winning for them will be the journey that they would have undertaken towards that day where the pageant will be held there's not so much winning or losing but it's really that journey the training that they go through on a daily question how to network during the pageant before and after I think that will be valuable for young ladies. Head Sharperon for the National Carnival Queen pageant contestants have been undergoing vigorous preparation for the pageant she shared some modes of advice with the contestants Be themselves it sounds cliche but the judges could always tell the audience could always tell it's also important to be vulnerable because by being vulnerable throughout the process you get to learn and be more emotionally and mentally immersed in the process and I think that is very, very key how to approach everything just on the surface it doesn't connect as it should and with pageantry by somewhat letting the walls down you're in that space where you can it's like you're an empty cup and you're being filled and you're filling the cups of your audience. The session ceremony was held on Saturday 18th May 2019 the pageant is scheduled for the 29th of June 2019 for the Government Information Service I am Janelle Norville and stay with the NTN Nightly up next, Primus Hutchinson is here with the NTN Nouvelle Arquillon I have my mobile, landline, cable TV and internet service if I have a problem with any of the services what should I do? Here's what you should do to resolve the problem first, get infillota complaint form and lodge your complaint with the service provider if after 30 days there is still no solution, you may contact your National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission NTRC This message is brought to you as a public service announcement by Ectel, the NTRC and this station Welcome back We join Primus Hutchinson for the NTN Nouvelle Arquillon Mr. Madame Department of Investigation for information on the Government this is GIS at the National Television at the NTN Nouvelle Arquillon Primus Hutchinson The Association of the U.S. Government to guard the police if there is a collective agreement and the government who has the responsibility to conduct negotiations for the U.S. Government to cover the period from 2016 to 2020 The Chief of the Government Gilles explains that an effort to address the period was necessary for this new arrangement According to Mr. Gilles during the Government that was available for the police to accept the $1,600 for 2016 for 2019 for 2018 for 2019 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 President of the Association of Police and Decide Travis Chico explains that negotiations will take place especially for the police who have the responsibility to guard the police if there is a total agreement to accept the $1,600 which will cover the most significance for Mr. Chico he is confident that the government will place the police next to him in order to address the issues of the government and to continue the negotiations in order to set up a good benefit for the Government of the Association of Police and Decide to accept the $1,600 for 2019 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for 2020 for the quality of the situation that we are living in. Minister King declared that he would play for a one-force relation and that he would go to Canada to offer this position for the first time, to continue putting the advantage for the government to work with him in Canada for the first time to come. Minister for Education Onimaba Dr. Gil Rigabet declared that the prison, the second choice school, would not only advance the technology, but also the computer that would be able to advance but also that it would be able to advance the climate and the facilities in place to assist the students who were disabled. He declared that the official ceremony would be held in the second choice school on the 12th of May. Onimaba Dr. Rigabet declared that he would also be able to assist the students who were injured to embrace education in a different way. Minister for Education Onimaba Dr. Gil Rigabet said that the first choice school would be able to offer is the ability to advance the energy and resilience of the climate problem. He also said that he would be able to assist the students who were disabled to pursue education in a different way. Minister for Education Onimaba Dr. Gil Rigabet said that the first choice school would be able to advance the education in a different way. Minister for Education Onimaba Dr. Gil Rigabet said that the first choice school would be able to assist the students who were disabled to embrace the climate and help the children who were disabled to participate in the education program. to be able to provide assistance to finance, to implement it in a diverse way, to resist climate change, and to have the ability to facilitate finance, to adapt climate, to make it a hot-buck development. And that's why we have the news here, we have Mr. Other to look at, we have a lot of invitation. I don't think it's a good idea, because we have a lot of news here in Cuyol. Thank you very much, and here's a look at what's happening to us weather-wise. Winds will be blowing from the east near 22 miles per hour, or 35 kilometers per hour. The Atlantic high-pressure system will maintain a moderate easterly wind flow across the eastern Caribbean region over the next few days. We can stable conditions in the lower atmosphere over the region will cause a few isolated showers over the Leicester Antilles during the next 24 hours. The Tide-Varcastris Harbour was high at 5.38pm and will be low again at 10.11pm. The Tide-Varvier-4 Bay was high at 6.45pm and will be low again at 11.38pm. The seas slide to moderate with waves 4 to 6 feet or 1.2 to 1.8 meters. The sun will rise Tuesday at 5.35am. 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 Saint Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I'm Nisha Traws.