3-DAY PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST
GENERAL SITUATION: A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDS ACROSS THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. THE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM A STRONG HIGH-PRESSURE BUILDING IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT THAT PASSED THROUGH THE ISLANDS YESTERDAY. EXPECT WINDY CONDITIONS AND ROUGH SEAS TODAY.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: HAZARDOUS BOATING AND BEACHING CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST DUE TO A ROBUST HIGH-PRESSURE RIDGE GENERATING FRESH TO STRONG BREEZES ACROSS THE CHAIN OF ISLANDS. ALL MARINERS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO REMAIN IN PORT AND BEACHGOERS SHOULD REFRAIN FROM ENTERING THE SEA DUE TO DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS.
AREA: ALL AREAS
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY TODAY. MOSTLY FAIR AND BREEZY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS
SEAS: 7 TO 12 FEET IN NORTHEASTERLY SWELL.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 81°F 27°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 75°F 24°C
SUNSET: 05:31 PM
NEXT LOW TIDE: 12:25 PM (1.0 FT)
NEXT HIGH TIDE: 05:59 PM (2.3 FT)
EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS: THE COLD FRONT WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN EARLY THIS WEEK AND DRIFT SOUTHWARDS SLOWLY. THE STRONG HIGH-PRESSURE BUILDING IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WILL CAUSE AN INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS FOR MOST OF THE WEEK.
FORECAST FOR TUESDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. CHANCE OF RAIN IS 20%. PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AT NIGHT. CHANCE OF RAIN IS 40%. NEW ACCUMULATION OF RAIN IS LESS THAN TENTH OF AN INCH.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS
SEAS: 7 TO 12 FEET IN NORTHEASTERLY TO EASTERLY SWELL.
SUNRISE: 06:29 AM
SUNSET: 05:31 PM
LOW TIDE: 12:03 AM (0.7 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 06:39 AM (3.0 FT)
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY WITH CHANCE OF SHOWERS. CHANCE OF RAIN IS 40%.
PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE. NEW ACCUMULATION OF RAIN ABOUT A TENTH OF AN INCH.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS
SEAS: 7 TO 11 FEET IN NORTHEASTERLY TO EASTERLY SWELL.
SUNRISE: 06:28 AM
SUNSET: 05:32 PM
LOW TIDE: 12:54 AM (0.3 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 07:27 AM (3.0 FT)
Bahamas and Kenya formalises diplomatic relations
The Governments of The Bahamas and Kenya have signed a communique to formalize their diplomatic relations.
The communique was signed on Saturday, January 20th by the Bahamian Minister of Immigration and National Insurance, Alfred Sears, and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Dr Musalia Mudavadi on the margins of the 19 Non-Aligned Summit in Uganda.
This event marks a significant step towards fostering deeper mutual understanding, cooperation, and collaboration between the two nations.
Key highlights of the agreement are that both countries, who are former United Kingdom colonies, agreed to establish diplomatic missions in each other’s capitals “when feasible” and strengthen diplomatic, economic, and cultural relationships for the benefit of their nationals.
Visa restrictions for nationals of Kenya and The Bahamas have already been dropped.
Both nations are also considering signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Technical Cooperation.
The ministry said: “This strategic framework will provide a structured platform for regular dialogue on key regional and international issues of mutual interest. The Bahamas currently has several MOUs with countries in Sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa and Botswana.”
The Bahamas and Kenya also pledged to continue their Mission to provide essential security support and capacity building for Haiti.
US regulator admits cyber-security lapse before rogue Bitcoin post
The US financial regulator has confirmed a key security procedure on its X account had been suspended for six months when hackers made a fake post about Bitcoin in January.
The cryptocurrency surged in value before the post was deleted.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) did not have multi-factor authentication (MFA) in place when hackers gained access to the account.
Cyber-security experts say it should be a wake-up call for other agencies.
"While the SEC's X account hack is a minor security incident, all governmental agencies should review the security of their social network accounts," said Ilia Kolochenko from cyber firm ImmuniWeb.
He pointed out that a similar incident at a body such as the US Department of Defense could have more "devastating consequences".
"While MFA had previously been enabled on the @SECGov X account, it was disabled by X Support, at the staff's request, in July 2023 due to issues accessing the account," the SEC said in a statement.
"Once access was re-established, MFA remained disabled until staff re-enabled it after the account was compromised on January 9.
"MFA currently is enabled for all SEC social media accounts that offer it."
The SEC has confirmed the account was compromised by a fraudster convincing a mobile operator to transfer an SEC employee's phone number to a new SIM.
The employee who was targeted had their phone number associated with the SEC's account for X, formerly known as Twitter.
Because MFA had been suspended on the account, the hacker was able to reset the password, log in, and make a post.
It announced the SEC had approved so-called exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Bitcoin, which shot up in value to $48,000 (£37,800) before the post was withdrawn.
Though the SEC has subsequently confirmed the regulatory change, the cryptocurrency fell to just over $38,600 on Tuesday, its lowest value in 2024 so far.
In a Sim-swapping attack, typically a hacker will call a mobile phone operator claiming they have lost the phone they are targeting and need a new SIM card sent out to them.
Sometimes, the hackers will go into a store in person to carry out the con.
MFA is intended to protect against this kind of hack.
It takes many forms, including having a dedicated app that gives you a PIN code for a website, as well as sending a text message, though this is considered less secure.
If the verification a person chooses is to receive a text confirming they are the user, a person who has gained access to their phone number will receive the text message instead.
Because of this, experts advise people to use a dedicated app for verification instead.
Source-BBC
Oppenheimer leads nominations for 96th Academy Awards
On Tuesday morning, Joker's Zazie Beetz and The Boys' Jack Quaid announced the 96th Oscars nominations in all 23 categories in a live presentation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Oppenheimer led the competition with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Actor, Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, respectively for Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Emily Blunt.
Poor Things was in second place with 11 nominations, including Best Picture, and Best Actress for star and producer Emma Stone, while Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon scored 10.
Barbie earned eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, and Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera.
Here's the list of nominees:
Best supporting actor
Sterling K. Brown - American Fiction
Robert De Niro - Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling - Barbie
Mark Ruffalo - Poor Things
Best costume design
Barbie – Jacqueline Durran
Killers of the Flower Moon – Jacqueline West
Napoleon – David Crossman, Janty Yates
Oppenheimer – Ellen Mirojnick
Poor Things – Holly Waddington
Best makeup and hairstyling
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow
Best live-action short film
The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White, and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Best animated short film
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
Best adapted screenplay
American Fiction - Cord Jefferson
Barbie - Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig
Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan
Poor Things - Tony McNamara
The Zone of Interest - Jonathan Glazer
Best original screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall - Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
The Holdovers - David Hemingson
Maestro - Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer
May December - Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik
Past Lives - Celine Song
Best supporting actress
Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple
America Ferrera - Barbie
Jodie Foster - Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers
Best original song
"The Fire Inside" from Flamin’ Hot
"I'm Just Ken" from Barbie
"It Never Went Away" from American Symphony
"Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)" from Killers of the Flower Moon
"What Was I Made For?" from Barbie
Best original score
American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Best documentary feature film
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol
Best documentary short film
The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
Best international feature film
Io Capitano (Italy)
Perfect Days (Japan)
Society of the Snow (Spain)
The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany)
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)
Best animated feature film
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best production design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Best film editing
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Best sound
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest
Best visual effects
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Best cinematography
El Conde - Edward Lachman
Killers of the Flower Moon - Rodrigo Prieto
Maestro - Matthew Libatique
Oppenheimer - Hoyte van Hoytema
Poor Things - Robbie Ryan
Best actor
Bradley Cooper - Maestro
Colman Domingo - Rustin
Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction
Best Actress
Annette Bening - Nyad
Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller - Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan - Maestro
Emma Stone - Poor Things
Best director
Justine Triet - Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese - Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos - Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer - The Zone of Interest
Best picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
American Fiction, the race-related film starring Jeffrey Wright, earned five nominations, including the coveted Best Motion Picture of the Year. With the film, Wright scores his first-ever nod, as he's up for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his character, Monk.
Sterling K. Brown, who plays Monk's brother in the film, also earned his first Oscar nomination; he's up for Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
Joining Brown in the Supporting Role category is first-time nominee Colman Domingo. He's nominated for his role as Bayard Rustin in Rustin.
Elsewhere on the first-timers list is The Holdovers star Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who's nominated for Actress in a Supporting Role, as is Danielle Brooks for her role as Sofia in The Color Purple.
Up for Best Documentary Feature Film is Bobi Wine: The People's President, National Geographic's feature on Ugandan pop star Bobi Wine, who ran for president against his country's dictator, Yoweri Museveni.
On the music front, Jon Batiste earned his second Oscars nomination with a Best Original Song nod for "It Never Went Away" from American Symphony. He won Best Original Score for Soul in 2021.
The 2024 Oscars will air on March 10 on ABC.
IMF says Antigua and Barbuda’s economy is recovering
The executive directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Tuesday said that Antigua and Barbuda’s economy continues to bounce back from the sharp contraction experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The executive, which concluded the Article IV consultation with the island, said real activity is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, with growth projected at 5.7 percent, driven by a rebound in tourism and construction activity.
It said inflation has declined from 2022 peaks but remains elevated at 6.6 percent accompanied by moderating core inflation.
“The financial sector is well capitalized and liquid and the share of nonperforming loans is stable, with credit growth remaining weak.”
The IMF said the fiscal position has improved as the deficit and debt have declined, though gross financing needs remain high. Improved revenues and continued public sector payroll restraint, along with a rise in nominal gross domestic product (GDP), have brought down the primary deficit to 1.7 percent of GDP and the public debt to 87 percent of GDP in 2022.
In their assessment, the executive directors welcomed Antigua and Barbuda’s robust recovery noting that while the near-term growth outlook is favorable, it remains subject to downside risks, including weaker tourism performance, unfavorable financing conditions, and natural disasters.
They emphasized the need for decisive actions to address fiscal and external imbalances and further efforts to improve growth prospects and build resilience. Directors highlighted the importance of continued close collaboration with the Fund and other development partners to address imbalances and build capacity.
The IMF directors underscored the need for fiscal adjustment and welcomed the authorities’ focus on revenue mobilization and expenditure restraint. Important measures include limiting discretionary tax exemptions and broadening the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) base.
They agreed that these measures should be supported by a sound cash and debt management strategy, focused on lengthening debt maturities and contingency planning. “Recognizing the importance of restoring debt sustainability, directors stressed the need for close engagement with creditors and domestic suppliers and a concrete plan to resolve existing arrears and avoid new arrears. They also recommended strengthening the social safety net to provide more targeted support for the vulnerable and centralizing programs to reduce coverage gaps and avoid duplication.”
The IMF directors also agreed that fiscal institutions should be enhanced to support the credibility of the fiscal framework as well as addressing shortcomings in the transparency and exchange of information frameworks for tax purposes would facilitate an exit from the EU list of noncooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes.
The directors welcomed that the financial sector remains stable and liquid encouraged continued measures to strengthen financial stability and recommended enhancing the oversight and regulation of credit unions and incorporating climate risks into the stress testing framework.
Source- CMC
Inter-High School Basketball league set for Feb 2nd.
The semi-final matchups for the Inter-High School Sports Basketball league will take place on February 2nd at the Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Complex.
Clement Howell will take on British West Indies Collegiate, while HJ Robinson High will take on Wesley Methodist.
And over to Inter High School Softball... the results are in - Here are your semi-finalists...
Group A
HJ Robinson High School (HJRHS) will take Marjorie Basden High School (MBHS)
Group B
Wesley Methodist School (WM) will challenge the British West Indies Collegiate (BWIC)
The semi-finals kick off this weekend on Friday, Jan 26th in Grand Turk with the Championship Game on Saturday, January 27th!
RTC Sports urges you to go on out and support the team's.
Bodies wash up on a shoreline in Turkey.
Authorities in Turkey are investigating eight bodies that washed up in the Mediterranean province of Antalya, including two found Monday on a beach in the vacation resort of Serik.
The Antalya governor’s office said one body is assumed to be a Turkish citizen who was reported missing.
Authorities believe the seven other bodies discovered over the past week may be migrants from a boat that went missing off the coast near the Syria-Lebanon border last month on its way to Cyprus.
An estimated 90 people were on board the boat that disappeared on Dec. 11, the governor’s office said, citing information provided by the Lebanese embassy in Turkey.
An evaluation of currents, winds, and waves indicates that the victims may have been dragged toward the Antalya coastline, the office said in a statement.
Maserati delays launch of electric Quattroporte saloon
Maserati has delayed the launch of the next-generation Quattroporte, casting doubt over whether the saloon’s electric successor will hit showrooms by mid-2025, as initially planned.
The seventh-generation Quattroporte, which will be built at parent company Stellantis's Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, is due to be a smaller, more luxurious, battery-powered replacement for both the current V8 Maserati Quattroporte and its Maserati Ghibli sibling.
It was due to be launched in early 2025, but today the brand confirmed to Autocar it has put production plans “on hold”. “We are keeping our suppliers and partners posted on this point,” it said in a statement
Maserati decided to delay the EV because of “the need to take zero risks on the performance level of the new car”, a spokesperson told Automotive News Europe, hinting at the need for further development work before it is signed off.
It is understood supplier pricing negotiations are one of the reasons for the setback. Reports suggest Stellantis wants to reduce costs by some 6%.
The new Quattroporte is now not expected to be unveiled until the second half of next year at the earliest.
This is the latest knock to the Italian marque's electrification program. It previously shifted back build schedules for the Folgore electric versions of its Maserati Granturismo and Maserati Grecale – though deliveries of each are set to begin in the coming months. By 2030, Maserati aims to have an electric-only line-up but has no new series-production combustion models left to launch before then.
Source- Autocar
Police urges residence of Cooper Jack & Discovery Bay to exercise vigilance
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are asking members of the public and residents in Discovery Bay and Cooper Jack Bay, Providenciales, to exercise extra vigilance and care following a report of a naked prowler in the area.
Head of Crime, Safeguarding, and Public Protection Superintendent Dean Holden told RTC News: “The RTCIPF are prioritizing this with dedicated resources investigating the report and increasing patrols in the area. Residents are asked to secure their homes appropriately and report any suspicious happenings.
“The male has been captured on local CCTV and was naked from the chest down and, if seen, should not be approached. Immediately contact 911; DO NOT ENGAGE.
"Members of the public are asked to look at the images of the male face and the distinctive tattoos and to contact the police if they know his identity or have any other information that may assist the police in locating him.”
The public is being asked to contact 911, the closest police station, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 and anonymously give any information on this incident or other illegal activity.
Hon. Otis Morris provides statement on Providenciales Domestic Fire Service
As Minister of Home Affairs, Public Safety and Utilities and Telecommunications Commission with responsibility for the Domestic Fire Service, I wish to clarify and dispel misinformation concerning the state of the Domestic Fire Service on Providenciales.
I do acknowledge that the fire truck on Providenciales did experience mechanical issues resulting in it being out of service for urgent repairs, however, those repairs have since been completed and the truck is operational. Furthermore, despite the truck being out of service the staff of the Domestic Fire Service were on hand to assist whenever they were called upon.
As it relates to the Fire Service fleet, my Ministry and Government are aware of the needs of the Fire Service which includes an upgrade of its fleet of trucks. We are actively working on plans to provide additional fire service vehicles and equipment to the department, as well as to optimize resources and operations between the Grand Turk and Providenciales stations. The safety and well-being of our citizens are of utmost importance, and we take any concerns regarding emergency response capabilities seriously.
Let me be clear in stating that Fire Safety Officers do not need to use their private vehicles to respond to emergencies. Officers receive a transportation and on-call allowance in the event of emergency incidents but are not required to use their private vehicles to do so.
We recognize the crucial service that the Domestic Fire Service provides, and we appreciate our Officer's hard work and dedication on the frontline. In acknowledgment of this, I am grateful that the team was rewarded tangibly, following the recent pay and grade review which provided increases to the salaries of all front-line workers.
Our Fire Safety Officers received a twenty-eight-point three percent (28.3%) increase, and Senior Fire Safety Officers received a twenty-two-point five percent (22.5%) increase. This shows that indeed our first responders are being adequately compensated for their important and hard work and we will continue to ensure that they are properly remunerated.
Lastly, I wish to take this opportunity to thank our team of dedicated Officers, who are on the frontline daily, protecting our communities.
My Ministry understands the urgency of the matter and will not delay in ensuring that the Fire Service is duly and ably equipped with the necessary resources to efficiently serve the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.