YouTube expands shopping features to combat digital ad slowdown
Nov 15 (Reuters) - YouTube said on Tuesday it is bringing shopping features to its TikTok-like short-form video service, as the Alphabet (GOOGL.O)-owned company looks to fortify its revenue against a drop in spending by recession-wary advertisers.
The feature, being tested with eligible creators in the United States, will allow them to tag products from their own stores.
"Viewers in the U.S., India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia can see the tags and interact with them and we'll continue to bring tagging to more creators and geographies," a Google spokesperson said.
The streaming service is also testing new commission schemes for influencers who sell products through links in videos.
This comes months after YouTube unveiled a new way for creators to make money on short-form videos, introducing advertising on its video feature Shorts and giving video creators 45% of the revenue.
The internet's dominant video site has struggled to compete with TikTok, the app that got its start hosting lip-sync and dance videos before burgeoning to 1 billion monthly users.
World population reaches 8 billion
The world's population reached 8 billion on Tuesday, growing by 1 billion in the last dozen years and reflecting the rapid population spike of the past few decades, with India projected to become the world's most populous country by next year, surpassing China.
The world's population milestone of 8 billion people has long-term significance for both rich and poor countries. While it took hundreds of thousands of years for the world's population to reach 1 billion, the world grew from 7 billion to 8 billion just since 2010, a reflection of advancements in health.
As the world is expected to grow even more to over 10 billion during the next 60 years as the U.N.'s population division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) reported, population growth is slowing relative to the past, and the U.N. warns that the challenges of feeding, housing and keeping that level of people from polluting the climate will be significant. On the bright side, the increase in global life expectancy grew to almost 73 years, and is expected to reach 77 years in 2050.
Another key point in the U.N.'s population report, updated in its November brief, is the gender divide: Today there are just slightly more men than women, but that even out by 2050.
The '8 billion' person number is also a wake-up call for the U.S. since the report says that global migration "will be the sole driver of population growth in high-income countries."
The report was originally published on World Population Day five months ago. It projected Tuesday as the day for the 8 billion person milestone, now dubbed the "Day of Eight Billion," to be launched by DESA, the U.N.'s health agency (WHO), and the U.N.'s population fund (UNFPA) at U.N. Headquarters in New York. A more recent policy brief – with graphs and projections by DESA was updated this month.
The global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950 with under 1% growth in 2020. The report estimates that there will be 8.5 billion people in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050 and then peak at 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and remain at that level until 2100.
So, how do we know that the eight billionth baby was born today?
Frankly, the U.N. says, we don't.
John Wilmoth, director of the U.N. Population Division of DESA, conceded — when the report was published — that the day is somewhat arbitrary, but important to mark the milestone.
"We do not pretend that that's the actual date … and we think that the uncertainty is at least plus or minus a year," he said.
That's because the combination of antiquated census gathering in many countries as well as proliferation of conflicts and the COVID19 pandemic, made a door-to-door count difficult, and the numbers are based in some countries on projections.
Half of the increase in population up to 2050 will take place in the following eight countries, the U.N. says: Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.
The U.N. calls the growth "a testament to achievements in public health and medicine."
- Pamela Falk - CBS News
Beyoncé ties Grammy record after leading nominations with 9
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé has propelled herself into the highest Grammy echelon: The star singer claimed a leading nine nominations Tuesday, making her tied — with her husband Jay-Z — as the most nominated music act in the history of the awards show.
Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” reeled in record and song of the year nominations, while “Renaissance” — which ventured into the world of dancehall music — netted an album of the year nod. With Jay-Z also earning five nods this year, each spouse now holds the record for the most-ever Grammy nominations at 88 apiece.
Kendrick Lamar came away with the second-most nominations, with eight. Adele and Brandi Carlile both received seven nods. Harry Styles, Mary J. Blige, Future, DJ Khaled, The-Dream and mastering engineer Randy Merrill each picked up six.
Nearly half of this year’s leading nominees — announced by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, John Legend, Machine Gun Kelly and Smokey Robinson —are women and more than half are people of color, according to the recording academy. The ceremony will be held Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.
“This makes me feel very proud, but it makes me conscious of the fact that we have to maintain the work we have done,” said Harvey Mason jr., the Recording Academy’s CEO. He said there have been strides in the peer-driven voting system and increased membership, but he still believes more progress can be made.
“This year, I’m pleased with the result and work the voters did,” he continued. “We have almost 13,000 voters now. It’s really important work. I’m pleased to think they spent the time listening to the music and evaluating. I think you see by the type of nominations that they are not only going for just popular music or music that has a lot of streams. It’s just music of high quality.”
The academy added a special song for social change and five new categories including songwriter of the year, which Harvey says will further help diversify the 65th edition of the annual awards.
The non-classical songwriter category will recognize one individual who was the “most prolific” non-performing and non-producing songwriter for a body of new work during an eligibility year. It will take a different approach than song of the year, which awards the songwriters who wrote the lyrics or melodies to one song.
Harvey said implementing the songwriters category is a “significant” step forward for the music industry. Last year, a rule update allowed that any songwriter, producer, engineer or featured artist on a work nominated for album of the year could ultimately earn a nomination.
“The academy and voters are placing a high importance on the craft of songwriting,” Harvey said of the new category, in which nominees include The-Dream, Amy Allen, Nija Charles, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Laura Veltz. “Personally, as a songwriter, I’m happy to see it being a significant part of our process. We realize that songwriting is at the heart of our industry. It’s one of the building blocks for every artist’s career.”
Beyoncé, the most decorated woman in Grammy history with 28 wins, could break the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti’s record for most awards won if she wins four awards. Solti, who has 31 Grammys, has held on to the record since 1997.
For the first time in Beyoncé’s lauded career, she was nominated in the dance category. Her seventh studio project “Renaissance” is up for best dance-electronic music album and “Break My Soul” is nominated for best dance-electronic recording. Other nominations include best R&B song for “Cuff It,” R&B performance for “Virgo’s Groove,” traditional R&B performance for “Plastic Off the Sofa” and song written for visual media for “Be Alive,” the Oscar-nominated song from the “King Richard” soundtrack.
Merrill grabbed two nominations in the record of the year category for the second straight year for his work on Adele’s “Easy on Me” and Styles’ “As It Was.” It’s also his first time being nominated three times in the same year for album of the year.
Other album of the year nominees include: Adele’s “30,” ABBA’s “Voyage,” Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti,” Mary J. Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous” (Deluxe), Carlile’s “In These Silent Days,” Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres,” Lamar’s “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Lizzo’s “Special” and Styles’ “Harry’s House.”
Tracks competing with “Break My Soul” for record of the year include Styles’ “As It Was,” Doja Cat’s “Woman,” Adele’s “Easy On Me,” ABBA’s “Don’t Shut Me Down,” Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” and Carlile’s “You and Me On the Rock” featuring Lucius.
Three of Jay-Z’s nominations came through DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” a song featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Fridayy. The track is up for best rap performance and rap song along with song of the year, which also has Jay-Z nominated for his writing efforts on Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.” The rapper also received a nod for album of the year for his work on his wife’s “Renaissance” album.
Young Thug and Gunna both received nominations despite being currently locked up in a racketeering criminal case. The rappers are up for best rap song and rap performance through Gunna’s “pushin P,” featuring Thug and Future.
Christina Aguilera’s comeback to Latin music with her self-titled album earned her two nominations for best Latin pop album and immersive audio album. Among the 10 nominees for best new artist are Muni Long, Latto and Eurovision winner Maneskin.
Guy Fawkes Day celebrations a hit with residents
The nation’s capital came alive this past Saturday, as residents came out to celebrate one of the country’s oldest traditions, the burning of the Guy Fawkes.
Guy Fawkes Day celebrations were once commonplace across the islands. The tradition had been fading away but seems to be making a comeback on Grand Turk.
The festivities started around 1 pm and lasted well into the night with lots of residents descending upon Governor’s Beach. Beachgoers enjoyed lots of games, live music, prize giveaways, delicious food served by local vendors, fireworks, and of cause we can’t forget the Guy Fawkes competition.
RTC’s Damian Wilson was at the event and spoke to a number of residents who shared their views.
The resurgence of this local tradition is thanks to the efforts of the Governor’s Office. We caught up with the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office, Lavern Reynolds, who spoke about the great community involvement.
Executive Director of the Governor’s Office, Lavern Reynolds.
Guy Fawkes Day, also known as Bonfire Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5th November involving bonfires and fireworks displays. Its history begins with the events of 5th November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords. The Catholic plotters had intended to assassinate Protestant king James I and his parliament. Celebrating that the king had survived, people lit bonfires around London; and months later, the Observance of 5 th November Act mandated an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.
The world's second biggest cryptocurrency just got a lot greener
New Delhi (CNN Business) — Ethereum, the world's second most valuable cryptocurrency, has completed a massive software upgrade that its backers claim will slash its carbon footprint.
The long-awaited revamp, which is known as "The Merge," will reduce ethereum's energy consumption by nearly 99.95%, according to the Ethereum Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the cryptocurrency and its related technologies.
"The Merge refers to the original Ethereum Mainnet merging with a separate ... blockchain called the Beacon Chain," it added.
Until now, both ethereum and bitcoin were running on a mechanism called "proof-of-work," under which high-powered computers were required to solve complex puzzles. The merger moves ethereum to a mechanism called "proof-of-stake," which is much more energy efficient, as it does away with the need to have computers compete against each other. Instead, users deposit their ether to participate in the race for more currency.
With this switch, ethereum hopes that it "will improve security, reduce energy consumption, increase the number of users on the network, and grow its market cap," Deutsche Bank research analyst Marion Laboure wrote in a note this week.
"Happy merge all," Vitalik Buterin, the 28-year-old Russian-Canadian programmer who helped create Ethereum said on Twitter. "This is a big moment for the Ethereum ecosystem. Everyone who helped make the merge happen should feel very proud today," he added.
The co-founder said that the upgrade will "reduce worldwide electricity consumption by 0.2%."
While cryptocurrencies have seen a phenomenal rise in the last few years, observers say they're terrible for the environment. According to Digiconomist, a platform that tracks crypto energy usage, a single Ethereum transaction is equivalent to the weekly power consumption of an average US household.
Earlier this month, Digiconomist said that the power saved as a result of the upgrade would "likely be equivalent to the electrical energy consumption of a country like Portugal." It could also become the "final nail in the coffin" for bitcoin's transaction mechanism.
Ethereum was down 0.7% after the news, trading at $1,592.78, but analysts say the upgrade could have a big impact on the crypto world in the long run. The world's most valuable cryptocurrency, bitcoin, was down almost 1%, trading at $20,174, according to CoinDesk.
"It's been a long time in the making and the question on traders' lips right now is will it be the next bullish catalyst for cryptos or a "sell the fact" event," wrote Craig Erlam, a senior market analyst at Oanda, in a note on Thursday.
'The Woman King' builds an action spectacle around its true story of female warriors
(CNN) - Although "inspired by true events," "The Woman King" clearly isn't tethered to them, using the underlying story of 19th-century female warriors in an African kingdom as the jumping-off point for a rousing action vehicle, augmented by plenty of melodrama. That combination yields a strong showcase for the stars, featuring a cast and backdrop that serves to refresh its old-school formula.
Regal as always, Viola Davis provides the movie with its rock-solid core as General Nanisca, the leader of the Agojie, known as the Dahomey Amazons, a unit of women who swear off marriage and motherhood to pursue martial arts and defend the kingdom. It's an egalitarian streak within a society where the king (John Boyega) still possesses a sprawling harem.
The point of entry into this warrior culture comes by way of Nawi ("The Underground Railroad's" Thuso Mbedu, with another mighty performance against a vast canvas), an independent-minded, headstrong young woman who refuses to marry for money, finally prompting her frustrated father to drop her off at the palace.
There, she's taken under the wing of Izogie (Lashana Lynch, adding to an action resume that includes "Captain Marvel" and "No Time to Die"), and trained to undergo the brutal regimen that will eventually admit her into this corps of elite troops.
The boot camp that follows -- which will surely serve as a source of inspiration for modern-day workout programs -- proceeds in concert with preparation for potential war against a rival kingdom, the Oyo Empire, that has extorted tribute from the Dahomey for years. Nanisca, meanwhile, urges the king to depart from his participation in the slave trade, arguing that selling captured foes to the Europeans has created "a dark circle" as they increasingly intrude upon their lands.
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood ("Love & Basketball"), the sweeping contours of the story are, quite simply, a lot to digest, especially with the various subplots and Nanisca's back story that gets tossed into the mix. (The script is by Dana Stevens, who shares story credit with actor Maria Bello.)
Shot in South Africa, the film helps bridge some of the expository gap by opening with a brutal action sequence, demonstrating just how fierce Nanisca and her loyal soldiers can be. It's the first of several such encounters, and although the scenes are carefully shot to mitigate gore, the level of violence and form of warfare are such that the PG-13 rating seems questionably generous.
Nanisca worries that her warriors "do not know an evil is coming," a tease for the pending battle against the Oyo. But "The Woman King" perhaps excels most in portraying this fascinating subculture given the time and place, playing like a celebration of African traditions while incorporating a decidedly modern tone, and still servicing the escapist demands of a Friday-night audience.
Prince-Bythewood has accomplished that last goal with brisk pacing and the sheer muscularity of the exercise, with a significant assist from Terence Blanchard's epic score. With its heavily female and almost entirely Black cast, the movie could give a welcome boost to other projects that have historically struggled in terms of studio support.
Somehow, the film manages to feel like a throwback to the action movies of old while featuring people who were seldom allowed to occupy prominent roles back then. If the finish is a bit too busy to be as rousing as intended, by then, "The Woman King" has made the most of its formidable arsenal.
Fiona nears Dominican Republic after pounding Puerto Rico
HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Fiona bore down on the Dominican Republic Monday after knocking out the power grid and unleashing floods and landslides in Puerto Rico, where the governor said the damage was “catastrophic.”
No deaths have been reported, but authorities in the U.S. territory said it was too early to estimate the damage from a storm that was still forecast to unleash torrential rain across Puerto Rico on Monday.
Up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) was forecast for Puerto Rico’s eastern and southern regions.
“It’s important people understand that this is not over,” said Ernesto Morales, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Juan.
He said flooding has reached “historic levels,” with authorities evacuating or rescuing hundreds of people across the island.
“The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic,” said Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.
Brown water rushed through streets, into homes and even consumed a runway airport in southern Puerto Rico.
Fiona also ripped up asphalt from roads and washed away a bridge in the central mountain town of Utuado that police say was installed by the National Guard after Hurricane Maria hit in 2017 as a Category 4 storm.
The storm also ripped off the roofs of several homes, including that of Nelson Cirino in the northern coastal town of Loiza.
“I was sleeping and saw when the corrugated metal flew off,” he said as he observed how the rain drenched his belonging.
Ada Vivian Román, a 21-year-old photography student, said the storm knocked down trees and fences in her hometown of Toa Alta.
“I’m actually very anxious because it’s a really slow-moving hurricane,” she said.
She said she is also worried about whether the public transportation she relies on to get to her job at a public relations agency will be operating by the time she has to go back to the office.
“But I know that I’m privileged compared with other families who are practically losing their homes because they are under water,” she said.
Fiona was centered 50 miles (85 kilometers) southeast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) on Sunday night, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It was moving to the northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).
It hit on the anniversary of Hurricane Hugo, which slammed into the island in 1989 as a Category 3 storm.
As authorities continue to assess the damage from Fiona, many wondered when power would be restored.
“That’s probably the worst damage there is,” said Tomás Rivera, who co-owns a hotel in the southwest coastal town of El Combate.
U.S. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in the U.S. territory as the eye of the storm approached the island’s southwest corner.
The blackout that Hurricane Maria caused was blamed for the deaths of nearly 3,000 people in the storm’s sweltering aftermath, with power in some neighborhoods not restored until a year later. Maria was a devastating Category 4 storm that struck on Sept. 20, 2017.
Luma, the company that operates power transmission and distribution, said bad weather, including winds of 80 mph, had disrupted transmission lines on Sunday, leading to “a blackout on all the island.”
Health centers were running on generators — and some of those had failed. Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said crews rushed to repair generators at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, where several patients had to be evacuated.
More than 3,000 homes still have only a blue tarp as a roof, and infrastructure remains weak, including the power grid. Outages remain common, and reconstruction started only recently.
“I think all of us Puerto Ricans who lived through Maria have that post-traumatic stress of, ‘What is going to happen, how long is it going to last and what needs might we face?’” said Danny Hernández, who works in the capital of San Juan but planned to weather the storm with his parents and family in the western town of Mayaguez.
The storm pummeled cities and towns along Puerto Rico’s southern coast that have not yet fully recovered from a string of strong earthquakes starting in late 2019.
More than 1,000 people with some 80 pets had sought shelter across the island by Sunday night, the majority of them in the southern coast.
Fiona was forecast to swipe the Dominican Republic early Monday and then northern Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands with the threat of heavy rain. It could threaten the far southern end of the Bahamas on Tuesday.
Hurricane warnings were posted for the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast from Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo, and for the Turks and Caicos.
Fiona previously battered the eastern Caribbean, killing one man in the French territory of Guadeloupe when floods washed his home away, officials said.
Britain and world say final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II
LONDON (AP) — Britain and the world said a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at a state funeral Monday that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers — and crowds that massed along the streets of London to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age.
A day packed with events in London and Windsor began early when the doors of 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners after hundreds of thousands had filed in front of her flag-draped coffin. Many had waited for hours in line, including through cold nights, to see the lying in state in an outpouring of collective grief and respect.
“I felt like I had to come and pay my final respects to our majestic queen. She has done so much for us and just a little thank you really from the people,” said Tracy Dobson, who was among the last to join the line.
In a country known for pomp and pageantry, the first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s was filled with the spectacular display: 142 Royal Navy sailors drew the gun carriage carrying Elizabeth’s coffin to Westminster Abbey, with King Charles III and his sons Princes William and Harry walking behind as pipers played. Pall bearers then carried the coffin into the Abbey, where around 2,000 people ranging from world leaders to health care workers and volunteers gathered to mourn her. Ahead of the service, one of the Abbey’s bells tolled 96 times — once a minute for each year of her life.
Monday has been declared a public holiday in honor of Elizabeth, who died Sept. 8 — and hundreds of thousands of people descended on central London to partake in the historic moment. Long before the service began, city authorities said viewing areas along the route of the funeral’s procession were full.
Millions more were expected to tune into the funeral live on television, and crowds flocked to parks and public spaces across the U.K. to watch it on screens.
On the evening before, Charles issued a message of thanks to people in the U.K. and around the world, saying he and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, have been “moved beyond measure” by the large numbers of people who have turned out to pay their respects to the queen.
“As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my family and myself in this time of grief,” he said.
Following the funeral in the medieval abbey where Elizabeth was married and crowned, her coffin — ringed by units of the armed forces in dress uniforms and members of her family — will be brought through the capital’s streets to Wellington Arch near Hyde Park.
There, it will be placed in a hearse to be driven to Windsor Castle — where Elizabeth spent much of her time — for another procession before a committal service in St. George’s Chapel. She will be laid to rest with her late husband, Prince Philip, at a private family service.
U.S. President Joe Biden was among leaders to pay their respects at the queen’s coffin on Sunday as thousands of police, hundreds of British troops and an army of officials made final preparations for the funeral.
Biden called Queen Elizabeth II “decent” and “honorable” and “all about service” as he signed the condolence book, saying his heart went out to the royal family.
Mourners started arriving to take their seats about three hours ahead of the ceremony.
People across Britain paused for a minute of silence at 8 p.m. Sunday in memory of the only monarch most have ever known. At Westminster Hall, the constant stream of mourners paused for 60 seconds as people observed the minute of reflection in deep silence.
In Windsor, rain began to fall as the crowd fell silent for the moment of reflection. Some camped overnight outside the castle in order to reserve the best spots to view the queen’s coffin.
Jilly Fitzgerald, who was in Windsor, said there was a sense of community among the mourners as they prepared to wait hours to see procession carrying the queen’s coffin.
“It’s good to be with all the people who are all feeling the same. It’s like a big family because everyone feels that … the queen was part of their family,” she said.
ALERT #13 ON HURRICANE FIONA
...EYE OF FIONA NEARING THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC…
...HEAVY RAINFALL AND CATASTROPHIC FLOODING CONTINUES ACROSS MUCH OF PUERTO RICO…
A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. INCLUDED ARE THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, SAMANA CAY, LONG CAY AND RAGGED ISLAND.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 11 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FIONA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 68.1 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PUNTA CANA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, OR 310 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF COCKBURN TOWN, GRAND TURK, OR 410 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, OR 765 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
FIONA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS FORECAST TO BEGIN OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF FIONA WILL MOVE OVER THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TONIGHT AND MONDAY, AND NEAR OR TO THE EAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ON TUESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING ON PORTIONS OF PUERTO RICO, AND WILL LIKELY CONTINUE UNTIL MONDAY MORNING. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN AND NORTHERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LATER TONIGHT AND MONDAY, AND IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ON TUESDAY.
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS BY EARLY TUESDAY.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT FIONA WILL PASS EAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER THE ISLANDS.
RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD COMPLETE THEIR PREPARATIONS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF HURRICANE CONDITIONS AND RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD ALSO FINALIZED THEIR PREPRATIONS FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. THIS INCLUDES HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS RESPECTIVELY, HEAVY RAINFALL, LOCALIZED FLOODING AND OVERTOPPING OF WAVES ALONG ATLANTIC EXPOSED SHORELINES.
SWELLS GENERATED BY FIONA ARE AFFECTING THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. BEACHGOERS ARE TO REFRAIN FROM ENTERING THE WATERS AS LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE. SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN IN PORT.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE FIONA WILL BE ISSUED AT 3 AM EDT MONDAY, 19TH SEPTEMBER, 2022.
Queen to lie in state for four full days before state funeral
The Queen will lie in state for four days before her funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, 19 September.
The public will be allowed to view the coffin during that time
.
Before this, the Queen will be at rest in St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh for 24 hours from Monday 12 September, with people able to pay their respects.
Her family, politicians and world leaders will attend her state funeral at 11:00 BST. It will be a bank holiday.
The Queen's final journey began on Sunday, with her oak coffin being carried by her Balmoral gamekeepers - her own staff bringing her to a hearse that would take her to Edinburgh.
The coffin is driving slowly to the Palace of Holyroodhouse for 16:00 BST.
On Monday afternoon, it will process to St Giles' Cathedral, with members of the Royal Family. There will be a service and the coffin will rest here for 24 hours, for people to pay their respects.
The following day, Princess Anne will accompany her mother's body as it is flown back to London. The Queen's coffin will be taken from Edinburgh Airport to Buckingham Palace via RAF Northolt.
On Wednesday afternoon, the coffin will be taken to Westminster Hall, arriving at 15:00 BST. Four clear days of lying in state will happen from Thursday, before the funeral.
Monday 19th's state funeral will be followed by a procession from London to Windsor Castle. The Queen will be laid to rest at King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor.
Her journey, beginning in simplicity, will end with the sombre grandeur of the first state funeral that many people will have seen - the last being Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.
King visits nations
Ahead of the funeral the new King will visit Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Prime Minister Liz Truss will accompany him.
A period of national mourning will last until the day of the state funeral, the government has announced. The Royal Family will observe a further period of mourning for seven days afterwards.
Westminster Abbey is the historic church where Britain's kings and queens are crowned - but there has not been a monarch's funeral service there since the 18th Century. Funerals for the Queen's father, grandfather and great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, in the 1900s, were all held at St George's Chapel, Windsor.
Heads of state from across the world will be invited to join members of the Royal Family to remember the life and service of the Queen.
Senior UK politicians and current and former prime ministers are also expected at the televised service.
There is no obligation for organisers to cancel planned events on the day of the funeral but government guidance suggests organisers of sporting fixtures or pre-planned events may wish to adjust timings to avoid clashing with the service or processions.
Some events in the immediate aftermath of the Queen's death were cancelled or postponed.
Football matches in the Premier League, English Football League or in Scotland or Northern Ireland have been postponed until Tuesday, while all games in the Women's Super League, Women's Championship and Women's FA Cup have also been put on hold. A number of horse racing, golf, and boxing fixtures have also been called off.
Large-scale strike actions planned for next week were immediately cancelled, and the Trades Union Congress said it was postponing its annual conference in Brighton.
The King confirmed earlier on Saturday that the day of the funeral would be a bank holiday, when he was proclaimed as monarch at St James's Palace, London.
In his speech, he praised the Queen's "unequalled reign".
The King became the monarch after the death of his mother, but the meeting of the privy council of politicians, officials and clergy formally confirmed it.
The packed room, including all of the six living former British prime ministers, repeated the phrase. The proclamation was then read out on a balcony above Friary Court in St James's Palace.
Clerk of the Privy Council Richard Tilbrook proclaimed Charles "King, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith", before declaring "God Save the King".
On Saturday evening, the King's car stopped on its way down the Mall and he and Camilla, the Queen Consort, got out to greet some of the thousands of well-wishers who lined the road down from Buckingham Palace.
There were joyful shouts of "God Save the King", as he and his wife accepted bunches of flowers and handshakes.