 Welcome to the NTN Nightly, I'm Nisha Charles, this edition's top stories. The first phase of the DSH investment project in Vierfort is coming to fruition with a company and opportunities for St. Lucia's. The NCPC to focus on research and innovation in the drive for competitiveness. St. Lucia's award-winning, lovely Sheridan gets buddy support for Sophia Primary School. All that was the latest in youth development, sports and the NTN Nouvelle-Arcoyol. The first phase of the Desert Star Holdings DSH investment project in Vierfort is coming to fruition with a company and opportunities for St. Lucia's. The newly-built horse racing track on December 13, 2019 will welcome the Pito Cup. In anticipation of this new economic avenue, the National Apprenticeship Programme has facilitated the training and certification of more than 20%'s Genel Nouvelle reports. 24 individuals have successfully completed an entry-level training course in the grooming of race horses. The training was facilitated by Groom Elite Programme Inc. out of Stanford, Kentucky for the National Apprenticeship Programme. Executive Director of Groom Elite Programme Inc. Dr. Reed McClellan explained that the individuals received extensive training in the caring and maintenance of race horses. The training began with learning horse behavior, anatomy of horses, health of horses and diseases and injuries they may be susceptible to, and how to treat these injuries and prevent these diseases. Dr. McClellan emphasized that regular horses and race horses are very different and the specific training is required. One of the horses you might have seen, Charm, is the name they gave this chestnut that's in the stall right beside me here, and all of these horses that are here are what they call half-breeds or beach ponies and stuff, and we measured them the other day. They're around 14 hands tall, and they weigh between 600 and 670 pounds. The horses that are going to be coming in here are going to be between 16 and 16 and a half hands tall, and they're going to weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds. So they're going to be about twice as big as the horses we're working here. They're also going to be faster, they're going to move quicker, and as I've been telling them, you have to stay on your toes to keep that horse from being on your toes. The training is in preparation for the most anticipated event, the Peter Cup, hosted by the Royal St. Lucia Turf Club, scheduled for the 13th of December 2019 at the newly built horse race track in Viewfort. Some 42 race horses age ranging between 2 and 3, purchased by the China Horse Club and participants, expected to arrive in St. Lucia sometime in October. Participant Jessrin Andrew indicated that the training will assist participants in securing employment. I think one major limitation with young people being able to access employment is the fact that there's a limitation in terms of training opportunities for those young people, and I think that it's imperative that we often try our best to give them the opportunity to receive those training, those programs. I think also it is necessary that we notice that many of those young people here today are young people who are passionate about the industry. They come here because they have a love, they have a drive, they're interested in horses and it's a career that they want to develop for themselves. So I'm very pleased that this program has been rolled out here in Viewfort at the horse race facility and I think that I'm hoping that it is something that is continued and not just for the grooms but we see training for the turkeys, we see training for the farriers, we see training for trainers and other persons who want to develop themselves within the industry. Participant Moza Mofat expressed gratitude for the opportunity. Basically my goal here is to become a farrier and stuff like that. Over the two weeks we guys have learned a lot and based on what we knew and what we're learning now is very important because we learned the very new things, things that was alien to us and I think they're the docks for giving us the knowledge. The group commenced training on September 17, 2019 and is anxiously looking forward to what's in store. For the Government Information Service, I am General Norville. The Government of St. Lucia welcomes the news that the Government of Canada has opened a visa application centre in St. Lucia. This follows continued dialogue and advocacy by the Government on behalf of the people of St. Lucia with the Canadian Government. This means that St. Lucia's wanting to travel to Canada will save on the additional costs to process applications in other islands. The Government of Canada was asked by the Government of St. Lucia to consider among other things the deployment of a mobile system that would alleviate the need for travel. While other OECS countries have been the beneficiaries of the mobile system, beginning late August, that operating framework is periodic and necessitates travel to those countries by officials from the Canadian High Commission. The permanent visa application centre in St. Lucia will process a visitor, student and work visas. The centre in St. Lucia is managed by an outsourcing and technology service entity that provides visa processing services to the Government of Canada. The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, NCPC, has unveiled its week of activities for the sixth edition of Productivity Awareness Week, October 14-18. The week also coincides with the sixth anniversary of the NCPC establishment on October 18, 2013. This year, Productivity Awareness Week focuses on the vital role research and innovation must play to stimulate and drive competitiveness in St. Lucia. Productivity Awareness Week was created to build awareness of the issues related to productivity in St. Lucia, while increasing dialogue between public-private sector entities. The event is organised by the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, NCPC. Director for the NCPC Fiona Hingson indicated that the theme for this year's observance is embracing competitiveness through research and innovation. For Productivity Awareness Week, we always say to the public, you know, it takes this time to reflect on what you've been doing for the year, have I been productive? What can I do differently? What can I incorporate into my business processes to make a difference? How can I motivate my staff in order to be more productive? Creativity is not only about the worker, it's also about the business owner. It's about everybody doing their part. Productivity Awareness Week will be launched on Monday, October 14, and will feature a theatrical presentation produced and directed by Drenia Frederick. An exhibition and health fair will also be staged on the grounds of Finance Administrative Building in Point Seraphine, and the day will culminate with a television panel discussion on the topic, How do we achieve a more competitive St. Lucia? On October 14-15, the Research and Policy Unit in the Department of Finance will stage a research symposium under the theme, Research, a platform for innovation, competitiveness and growth. Gemma Lafayette is a director for research and policy. So the areas of focus for this year's research symposium are on the real sector, more specifically agricultural production, also on the social sectors, looking at issues related to education, health and poverty, as well as environmental concerns, looking at the impact of climate change and natural disasters, and also on financial matters, also looking at some issues surrounding deported growth, as well as electronic payment systems. Resident representative for the ECCB in St. Lucia, Sharon Ferdinand, said the ECCB is happy to once again partner with the NCPC, and will present the future of the EC currency, the digital EC dollar, on October 16. She said the information is relevant to everyone, from the small to large business operation, the A-level student, to the ordinary man on the street. We are proud to present on the digital EC dollar. We want persons to know that this is not any way involved with the other digital currencies out there. It is just a different format of the EC dollar, offering another alternative for payment methods. On October 17, the NCPC will host an open day for select businesses to utilize the NCPC's productivity measuring tool, called the PRO tool. It is expected that 12 businesses will participate in this exercise. The Department of Economic Planning has also partnered with the NCPC to stage the final event for Productivity Awareness Week on Friday, October 18. Stanza Deligny is the representative for the Department of Economic Planning. Well the final activity to commemorate Productivity Awareness Week is the Department of Economic Development's Exposition des Developements économiques. So on the 18th of October, students will be educated by ministry officials on the six key areas for the medium-term development strategy, also how it links to sustainable development and our overall national development plan. For more information on the activities for Productivity Awareness Week 2019, you can visit the NCPC's Facebook page by searching St. Lucia, NCPC. For the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, Glenn Simon reporting. St. Lucia has joined the Republic of China Taiwan in celebrating its national day. The Honourable Prime Minister, Alan Shastney, along with a delegation visited Taiwan to join in the celebrations there, while at home, the Governor-General, Sir Emmanuel Neville Snack and Mr Snack, Raquel Jubilee Shastney, Honourable Andy Daniel, as well as Cabinet colleagues and the diplomatic corps celebrator. Acting Prime Minister Honourable Ezekiel Joseph said the decision to establish relations with the Republic of China Taiwan some 40 years ago continues to be a tremendous fruit. We are seeing that both of our countries are benefitting from that decision. And I remember my Prime Minister, when we came back in 2016, when we had a dialogue with the Embassy, he made it clear that the relationship should be a two-way relationship. The government and people of St. Lucia should benefit. Likewise, the government and people of Taiwan should benefit from our relationship. And we can say here today, we are accomplishing this. The acting Prime Minister highlighted the accomplishments in agriculture where farmers are getting back into the banana industry. Technical support led by the Taiwanese is also forthcoming in other areas. Apart from agriculture, we are seeing that in the health sector, we are benefitting. In the education sector, we are benefitting. In the IT sector, we are benefitting. And we can go on and on as potential areas that we, the people of St. Lucia, are benefitting based on the relationship that we have established with the government and people of Taiwan. As part of the celebrations, a St. Lucia contingent traveled to Taiwan to take part in the Tai Chiang Jazz Festival and Tai Chiang Instruments Festival, including Ronald Buhingsen, five members of the band and technical personnel. Taiwan's 108th National Day celebrations took place on October 10th, 2019. Some 768 graduates from across 16 Caribbean countries will graduate from the University of the West Indies open campus on Saturday, October 12th, 2019. The presentation of graduate ceremony will be held at the St. John's Pentecostal Ministries, St. John's in Antigua, starting at 10 a.m. Of the graduates, 561 will receive undergraduate degrees, certificates and diplomas, while 207 will receive postgraduate qualifications. During the ceremony, the University of the West Indies will confer honorary degree on Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis, his Excellency Sir Samuel Weymouth Tapley-Steaton. He will receive the degree of Doctor of Lawyers and LLD for outstanding public service to his country. And this is the NTN Nightly. Ryan O'Brien is up next. How do I decide which telecommunications service provider to use? When choosing a mobile, landline, cable TV and Internet service provider or changing the one you currently use, here's what you should think about in order to get the best service to meet your needs. Why do I need the service? What is the quality of service offered? What are the rates? Are there hidden charges? How much can I afford to pay for the service? What are the customer service obligations of the provider? Not satisfied with the service? The choice is yours whether or not to use the service. This message is brought to you as a public service announcement by Ectel, the NTRC, and this station. Welcome back. We join Ryan O'Brien for the latest happenings in youth development and sports. Thanks, Misha. Welcome once again to your update from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on the NTN Nightly News. I'm Ryan O'Brien. Work on the Sufremini Stadium upgrade continues despite some setbacks due to interventions by adverse weather conditions. Base work for the FIFA size football field and the athletic track are at an advanced stage. Stephen Brighurst is a contracts manager at CEO Williams. The company engaged during this phase of the upgrade of the facility. Essentially, you can see from behind us the progress they've made. We've done the main cutting and filling and the grading. You can see the rectangle in the middle, which will be the soccer pitch eventually. What we're working on at the moment is the base for the running track. The project includes the full-size soccer pitch and athletics track. Not only will you have athletics, running events, you'll have long jump, short-pots and all other sort of subsidiary events associated with athletics events basically. Site Severe Hayden-Thomas disclosed that the surveying aspect of the project went as expected. The field is of FIFA standard, the size, and the levels, the drainage, the sloping is like a crown from the center of the crown. And then if you can realize we have the restruct all around it, which is over 0.75% with a drain at the middle of them, just between them. It is expected that start turning ceremonies will be held in the coming weeks in various districts to mark the continuation of the sporting infrastructure redevelopment policy of the government of St. Lucia. Now for some results of Indusco's netball competition under 19 Division II, Beanfield Comprehensive defeated Clendon Mason Memorial 26-21 Beanfield Comprehensive goal shoot Zoya Jamari scored 23 from 35 attempts and goal attack Diaz-Fontaleo 3 from 17. For Clendon Mason Memorial, McAlina Hunt scored 17 from 25 attempts and Grisa Sealy 4 from 5 attempts. Under 15 netball, Schroeser Secondary defeated Barbono Secondary 22-9. For Schroeser Secondary, goal shoot Nadine Rages 14 from 26 attempts and goal attack Valeny Gustav 8 from 15. For Barbono Secondary, goal shoot Vincentia Edwards scored 3 from 7 attempts and goal attack Jozan Lewis scored 6 from her 10 attempts. And that's your update from youth development and sports for this weekend. I'm Ryan O'Brien. Thanks, Ryan. In the wake of the issue of bullying in schools, Bank of St. Lucia and founder of the internationally applauded Buddy Ambassadors program, Leverly Sheridan, are fighting back. The bank donated a buddy bench to the Sufre Parmi School to help foster friendliness and inclusiveness among the students. Bullying is a global epidemic happening in St. Lucia and all over the world. While it took the likes of a local video gone viral to alert some to the dangers and reality of bullying, there are others who have taken a more proactive approach. Bank of St. Lucia recently partnered with the founder of the Buddy Ambassador program and donated a buddy bench to the Sufre Primary School. Branch Manager Aleta Raid Mitchell says that BOSL Sufre is always looking for ways to positively impact the community it serves. We've done quite a bit of work in Sufre, especially with the schools. So this was easy for us to come in and to donate this buddy bench to the Sufre Primary School. It's important to us to have the children in the community be positive influences on each other. And so we like to be part of this as well. So today, this is what we've done. We've donated this bench and we hope and expect that the Sufre Primary School students will use it to their own benefit. According to founder Laverly Sheridan, the Buddy Ambassador Initiative is an anti-bullying program that aims to create a culture of being a buddy in schools that is encouraging students to be more kind, friendly and inclusive to each other in and outside the school compound. Today at the unveiling of the Buddy Bench, Ms Sheridan spoke to the students about the importance of being a buddy and utilizing the Buddy Bench. The Buddy Bench basically is a tangible tool to put the message into practice. So basically, I'm telling the kids about being a buddy and being kind, including others. So with the Buddy Bench, if a child is feeling left out, if they feel like they need a friend, they need somebody to talk to, they need somebody to play with, they will sit on that bench and a buddy will come up to them and say, hey, is everything okay and talk to them and include them? And so sometimes children don't have ways to express themselves. So it's just sort of like a serve as a metaphor, a tool for them to go there and for others to reach out to them. The principal and staff of the Souffre Primary School were more than happy for the initiative and support from BOSL, who was able to bring it all to fruition. Since we are CFA school, a child friendly school, we have come on board to take the initiative because we have seen that many of our students complain about bullying. We at Souffre Primary School, we want to reduce or eliminate bullying and taking on that initiative. We are assured that our students will be able to be good buddies and don't bully others around. Bank of St. Lucia over the years has supported several initiatives, geared at combating some of the social ills plaguing the nation's youth. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. What's in the food you're eating? Do you really even know? All the chemicals and hormones used to accelerate their growth. All the artificial flavoring, sweeteners and colors too. We consume and we don't spare a thought for the damage that they'll do. No. Think about the children. How will we save them? Chemicals and GMOs are not the solution. Use organic and join. 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 Grants Program, UNDP. The Good Food Revolution. Welcome back. We join Primers Hutchinson for the NTN Nouvelle Arquille. Mr. Niche, Mr. Madame, Department of Universities and Information and Government Services, CIGIS, National Television and NTN, what's the name of the Nouvelle Arquille? What's the name of Primers Hutchinson? Department of Universities and Police, National Security, What's the name of the fire brigade? What's the use of the fire brigade? And besides that, we do need to be able to avoid exposure of the wrecks. And besides that, we do need to be able to avoid exposure of the wrecks. How do we do this? First, let's take this initiative to provide support and their problems and provide information on your special telephone. to the most vulnerable areas of the country. This police officer immediately took action to conduct an investigation and did not have to volunteer to speak. In response to the situation in Trinidad, the police discovered the most vulnerable areas of the country, the National Security Agency, and the Public Council, to pay attention to the situation in Trinidad, and the police found the most vulnerable areas of the country. This police officer immediately took action to conduct an investigation and did not have to volunteer to speak. The Police discovered the most vulnerable areas of the country, the National Security Agency, and the Public Council, and the Public Council, to pay attention to the situation in Trinidad, and the result was that the police had six months of connection with the situation in Trinidad. The Public Council found the most vulnerable areas of the country to use the information tools of the agency that was working on this case, which I developed specifically to make the public aware of the situation in Trinidad. In the address of the Special Police, for the National Security Agency, the National Security Agency, you have observed a set. You have observed for the National Security Agency, the Minister of Agriculture. We havevsical Joseph. Congratulations to the Government of Taiwan on their big day work! But more often, for all the friends that have been in this set, and Taiwan. We havevsical Joseph spoke about the friends from these paid salaries. I have accomplished it and I will show you the benefits, of Taiwan from these paid salaries in the diplomatic relationship. Opposite to the Prime Minister, Placianville and Portas, as well as the Financial and Technical Association, who are here, I have received and will continue to receive from Taiwan. They mentioned the great support for agriculture, education, health, and education in general. We have taken care of Joseph Bay to continue to support Taiwan's country to find an acceptable nation. Among the officers who were present, it was Governor General, Senator Snack, and Governor General, as well as the Prime Minister, as well as the Minister of Government. Fourteen members of the Opposition have been present in Taiwan recently, who have observed the national youth celebration with the people of Taiwan. We are a group of students who have finished their studies with the help of the National Programme to assist the youth to learn about the state. The Programme has been held in Monroe College in V4. The program has been set up with the initiative of the government to try to address the situation of the young people who do not work in the country, especially in the south of the country. The National Programme has been adopted by Wendy Moschery. Congratulations to you to find success in finishing your studies and wish you all the best in the future. Thank you to the Cabinet Office, Governor General Benjamin Emmanuel, and to all the students who have taken control of this country. I would like to thank all the professors who have supported the studies to guide and advise us on the situation of this country. That is all for today. Thank you so much for watching. I would like to invite you all to continue to support us in the future. I would like to thank all the students who have taken part in the study. Miss your pill promise. And here's a look at what's happening to us weather wise. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered showers and a chance of isolated thunderstorms over the southern portion of the Lesser Antilles. Elsewhere, fair to partly cloudy with a few showers. An upper-level trough and the intertropical convergent zone are maintaining above normal cloudiness and some showers over the southern part of the Lesser Antilles. A tropical wave located several hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles is moving westward near 17 miles per hour or 28 kilometers per hour. This wave is expected to bring cloudy conditions with showers and a few thunderstorms over the eastern Caribbean islands from late Sunday continuing into Monday. Another tropical wave located over the far eastern tropical Atlantic is moving westward near 17 miles per hour or 28 kilometers per hour. The tide for Castries Harbor was high at 2.30 p.m. and will be low again at 8.17 p.m. The tide for V4 Bay was high at 3.37 p.m. and will be low again at 9.44 p.m. The sea is a slide to moderate with waves three to six feet or 0.9 to 1.8 meters. The sun will rise Saturday at 5.54 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 Saint Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I'm Nisha Tross.