Lionel Messi dreams of Champions League win at Paris St-Germain
Lionel Messi said he dreams of winning the Champions League once more after joining Paris St-Germain, adding: "I think we have the team to do it here."
The Argentina captain, 34, won four Champions League titles with Barcelona, the last of which came in 2015.
PSG are still searching for their first title in the competition, having lost to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final.
"My goal and my dream is to win the Champions League once more," Messi said as he was unveiled as a PSG player.
Messi left Barcelona - who he joined aged 13 - as they were unable to afford a new deal under La Liga's financial fair play rules.Considered one of the greatest players of all time, he scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for the Catalan giants.
He won the Ballon d'Or a record six times and lifted 35 trophies during his time at the Nou Camp, but said he is excited to "begin this new moment of my life" after a "difficult" departure from Barcelona.
"It was a difficult change after so long a time," he told reporters at the Parc des Princes. "But the moment I arrived here, I felt very happy and I really want to begin the training sessions. I want it to be quick.
"My only will now is to begin the training sessions. I want to work with the staff and team-mates and begin this new moment of my life.
"I have this will to play. I am really impatient. I still want to win, as I did the first moment of my career.
"I feel this club is ready to fight for all the trophies. This is my goal, I want to keep growing and keep winning titles and that is why I came to this club."
Source-BBC
Police investigates Shootings
Police are investigating two Shooting incidents which occurred on Sunday, 8thAugust, on two different islands.
Officers of the Serious Crime Unit are investigating the Country's fifth murder which took place on Sunday shortly after 9:00 p.m.
Police say that the victim arrived at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in a private vehicle with a gunshot wound.
The 23-year-old male victim later succumbed to his injuries.
Police Commissioner, Travor Botting extended his condolences to the family and friends of the victim, who died due to gun violence.
Commissioner Botting said that as always, the police are depending on the cooperation of witnesses to come forward to assist with bringing the suspect to justice.
He noted that this time was no different, as the police are appealing to anyone with information about the shooting to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline on 1-800-8477 (TIPS). Alternatively, persons can contact 911.
SHOOTING ON NORTH CAICOS
The police are are also seeking the public's help with information on a shooting incident that occurred on Sunday, shortly after 12:00am at Horse Stable Beach, North Caicos, which left a 31-year-old man injured.
The man was taken to Providenciales for further medical treatment.
Anyone with information can contact 911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 (TIPS).
ALERT #15 ON TROPICAL STORM FRED
…CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRED CLOSE TO THE SOUTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC…
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, SAMANA CAY, LONG CAY AND RAGGED ISLAND, AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.
AT 11 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRED WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.2 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 69.7 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, OR 314 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, OR 245 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, AND 680 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
FRED IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH AND A GENERAL WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF FRED IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR OVER HISPANIOLA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, MOVE NEAR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THURSDAY, AND MOVE NORTH OF THE NORTHERN COAST OF CENTRAL CUBA ON FRIDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED WHILE THE SYSTEM INTERACTS WITH HISPANIOLA TODAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER.
RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE PREPARATION FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF TROPICAL STORM WINDS BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT. RESIDENTS IN LOW-LYING AREAS SHOULD ALSO PREPARE FOR HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 5 INCHES.
THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM FRED WILL BE ISSUED AT 3PM EDT.
PUBLIC FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WEDNESDAY 11TH AUGUST 2021
GENERAL SITUATION: HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE ALONG WITH AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL ASSIST IN GENERATING POCKETS OF UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS THE ISLANDS. TROPICAL STORM FRED CONTINUES TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS…BEACHGOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT DUE TO THE MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG EAST COAST BEACHES… RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO LIMIT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND TO REMAIN HYDRATED DUE TO HEAT INDICES EXPECTED IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS.
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY AND HOT WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
ADVISORY: GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS CAN BE EXPECTED IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY AND BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS LATE TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SHOULD NOT VENTURE FAR FROM PORT AND OPERATORS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 KNOTS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS BY TONIGHT.
SEAS: 4 TO 7 FEET OVER THE OCEAN BUILDING 8 TO 12 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS BY TONIGHT…
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 93°F 34°C
HEAT INDEX 105°F 41°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 77°F 25°C
SUNSET: 7:45 PM SUNRISE: 6:43 AM THU
MOONSET: 10:11 PM MOONRISE: 10:31 AM THU
LOW TIDE: 3 :54 PM & 4:31 AM THU
HIGH TIDE: 10:07 PM & 10:31 AM THU
OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW: PARTLY SUNNY AND HOT IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS BUT VARIABLY CLOUDY AND WARM WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: PLEASE SEE THE LATEST NEWS ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM FRED THAT IS NEARING THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. A TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE CABO VERDE ISLANDS HAS A 40% CHANCE OF CYCLONE FORMATION THROUGH FIVE DAYS.
Department of Agriculture issues warning to local farmers on African Swine Fever
The Department of Agriculture is warning local farmers of the possible spread African Swine Fever from the Dominican Republic.
The department says that it was notified by the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) that there is presently an outbreak of African Swine Fever in the Dominican Republic, one of the TCI’s neighbouring informal trading partners.
African Swine Fever is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and feral pigs of all ages and can threaten agriculture. The virus is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans or from humans to pigs. The virus cannot be treated by use of vaccines so the main way of controlling the disease is by prevention.
On-farm biosecurity is crucial to preventing any animal disease from developing and spreading. All pig owners and anyone involved with pig operations should know and follow strict biosecurity practices for example avoid exchanging pigs or visiting farms without cleaning and disinfecting boots. Farmers are being encouraged to work with veterinarians to assess their biosecurity plans and make improvements as needed.
The department says that if persons are planning to visit countries affected by African Swine Fever then they should take precautions when visiting farms, do not bring back pork products, and do not visit any animal facilities with pigs for at least five days after you return.
Farmers and veterinarians are being told to be on the look for the following signs in pig populations.
High fever
Decreased appetite and weakness
Red, blotchy skin or skin lesions
Diarrhea and vomiting
Coughing and difficult breathing
Immediately report animals with any of these signs to the Agriculture Department’s animal health officials by calling 338-5269 on Providenciales and 338-3882 on Grand Turk.
The Importation of live pigs and pork products from the Dominican Republic is now banned until further notice.
Prince's Welcome 2 America is his highest-charting new album since 2009
Prince's album Welcome 2 America, originally recorded in 2010 but just recently released, has debuted at number four on the Billboard album chart. It marks the late legend's highest-charting new album since 2009's Lotusflow3r/MPSound.
Lotusflow3r debuted and peaked at number three in April of 2009. Since then, Prince has had higher-charting albums, but only with previously released material. For example, The Very Best of Prince hit number one after his death in 2016.
Welcome 2 America also debuted at number one on the Billboard R&B Album chart.
To coincide with the album's release, a video of Prince performing his song "17 Days" at The Forum in Inglewood, CA, recorded during the Welcome 2 America tour in 2011, is now available to watch on YouTube. It's part of the footage in the concert Blu-ray that comes with the deluxe edition of Welcome 2 America. "17 Days" was the B-side of Prince's 1984 classic, "When Doves Cry."
If you need more Prince, a new season of The Prince Estate's official podcast has launched, starting with The Story of Welcome 2 America. It documents the years 2010 to 2011, when Prince recorded the album, shelved it and then decided to perform concert residencies around the world.
CTO launches C'bean Community Tourism Network
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has launched the Caribbean Community Tourism Network (CCTN) to provide a platform to support the continued development of community-based tourism (CTB) in the Caribbean.
The network will facilitate the exchange of best practices among CTO member countries and interested tourism development partners, and help to identify capacity-building needs, the organisation said.
CTO's sustainable tourism specialist Amanda Charles indicated that the network will provide an avenue for CTO members to share knowledge, resources, and best practices to improve community tourism experiences and economic impact.
“Community-based tourism offers an opportunity to bridge the social and economic gap of local communities, allows community members a path to sustainable livelihoods, and is a conduit for the active participation and empowerment of local people in tourism,” Charles said.
Among the functions of the CCTN are the promotion and support of regional development strategies in CBT, providing input into, and recommending activities and actions with a view to enhancing the visibility and value of CBT as a regional tourism product, and the exchange of experiences on national and regional initiatives.
The network is one of the initiatives of the CTO, which has identified CBT as a regional tourism development strategy, and is seeking to optimise its role in supporting local livelihoods, stimulating entrepreneurship and community social and economic development, while also creating authentic experiences and unique product offerings for visitors.
Other initiatives include a toolkit for product development, produced in partnership with the Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility. The toolkit includes a how-to guide to assist communities and entrepreneurs develop profitable CBT experiences and enterprises, with information on product development, pricing, marketing and creating business plans. It also includes guidelines and templates to support experience design and product enhancement and a tool to measures communities' capacity and CBT states of readiness.
TCI ELITE ATHLETES TO LEAD TRACK & FIELD DEVELOPMENT CAMP
After a successful series of Sports Performance Camps, the Sports Commission is continuing its focus on Athlete Development, with a Track & Field Development Camp scheduled for August 25-28, 202, at the Downtown Ballpark in Providenciales.
The “Elite Development Track & field Summer Camp will be facilitated by TCI’s Elite Athletes Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye, Delano Williams and Yanique Haye-Smith along with former Olympians Erik Kynard Jr. and Kimberly Williamson, as well as Kansas State University Sprint Coach Vincent Johnson.
Delano Williams, TCI’s Olympian is also a World Championship Medalist and World Junior Champion in Track and Field. Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye is TCI’s current National Long Jump Record Holder, a two-time Commonwealth Games Finalist and a NACAC U23 Champion. Yanique Haye-Smith is TCI’s National 400m Record Holder and a World Championship Qualifier.
Invited guest facilitator, Erik Kynard Jr. is a USA Olympic Gold Medalist, two-time Olympian, World Championships Medalist, and a ten-time USA National Champion. Kimberly Williamson is a six-time Jamaican National Champion, Pan American Games Medalist and Jamaican Junior Record Holder
Invited guest Coach Vincent Johnson is Kansas State University’s Sprints & Jumps Coach & Recruiting Coordinator. He has extensive experience coaching Elite High School & Club Track and Field Athletes. Johnson has coached multiple NCAA National Champions, International medalists, and national record holders
Through these experienced athletes and coaches, TCI’s young Track and Field athletes will be taught how to develop their techniques in Track and Field events such as Sprints, Distance Races, Hurdles, Long Jump and High jump. The Camp will also serve as an avenue for talent identification and will give athletes and opportunity to learn about how Track and Field can help further their educational pursuits.
Media Communications Specialist, Havana Henry told RTC Sports that due to the increasing COVID-19 cases, the Elite Development Track and Field Summer Camp will be conducted by Invitation Only.
She is asking all track & field athletes and enthusiast to follow the Sports Commission on Facebook for live updates related to camps and other upcoming events.
Protests against mandated COVID-19 vaccines pop up across US
As the COVID-19 delta variant causes a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the U.S., protests against mandatory COVID vaccines have cropped up around the country.
Dozens of people gathered outside St. John's Hospital in Maplewood, Minnesota on Saturday to protest vaccination mandates from health care systems including M Health Fairview, Allina Health, HealthPartners and Children's Minnesota, ABC affiliate KSTP reported.
The only exemptions are for strong religious beliefs or medical conditions.
Hundreds protested outside of ChristianaCare in Newark, Delaware, Saturday to push back against the hospital's decision to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for all employees, according to WPVI.
And more than 100 gathered in Vancouver, Washington, to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates for hospital workers, ABC's Portland affiliate, KATU reported.
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said Sunday he believes vaccine requirements could make a difference in slowing the rapid spread of COVID-19 and acknowledged how politics has polarized public opinion on pandemic mitigation strategies.
"Why is it that a mandate about a vaccine or wearing a mask suddenly becomes a statement of your political party? We never should have let that happen." Collins told ABC's This Week.
More than 35.7 million Americans have been infected by COVID-19, resulting in over 616,000 deaths as of early Monday, according to data compiled byJohns Hopkins University.
FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT MONDAY 9TH AUGUST 2021
A TYPICAL SUMMERTIME PATTERN WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE ISLANDS DUE TO A SLOW BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE BAHAMAS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN HYDRATED AND AVOID DIRECT SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE DUE TO TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT INDICES.
ALL AREAS
WEATHER:PARTLY SUNNY AND HOT WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 7 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 93°F 34°C
HEAT INDEX 104°F 40°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 75°F 24°C
SUNRISE: 6:41 AM SUNSET: 7:48 PM
MOONRISE: 7:33 AM MOONSET: 8:58 PM
HIGH TIDE: 9:05 AM & 9:27 PM
LOW TIDE: 3:09 PM & 3:52 AM TUE
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: TWO AREAS ARE BEING MONITORED:
1. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED ABOUT 380 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS HAS A 60% CHANCE OF CYCLONE FORMATION THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE DAYS.
2. AN ELONGATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BETWEEN THE CABO VERDE ISLANDS AND THE LESSER ANTILLES HAS A 30 % CHANCE OF CYCLONE FORMATION THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE DAYS.