TCINT HOLDS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Turks & Caicos National Trust hosted its Annual General Meeting for this year on the evening of Friday August 25th, 2017. One of the highlights for the evening's agenda was the launching of the Trust's Silver Jubilee Celebration Program. Goals and activities to celebrate such a significant achievement of 25 years of service to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands are planned throughout the rest of this year, culminating in July 2018.
In greetings received from Mrs. Patricia Bradley, wife of former Governor of the Turks Islands, Michael Bradley (deceased) who was instrumental in the inception of the National Trust in 1992, she expressed delight in congratulating the Turks & Caicos National Trust on such a memorable milestone with a formidable list of achievements. Mrs. Bradley did not fail to point out the awesome responsibility of the Trust in sustainable tourism and guarding and conserving the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands. She reflected on the initial stages in the development of the organization, and how these were exciting, but yet challenging periods. She applauded the founding members and all those who have supported the work of the Trust up to this present time. Mrs. Bradley expressed regret in not being present at the event due to her being in the UK at the time for medical reasons, but wished the Trust further and greater achievements in the years ahead.
The National Trust was elated to honor the five past chairmen who steered the Governance Council in oversight of the organization over the twenty-five years. The first chairman being Mr. Oswald R. Williams, followed by Hon. Royal S. Robinson, Mr. Michael Taylor (deceased), Mr. Norman W. Hamilton and Mr. Princie S. Harris respectively.
On the evening's agenda as well was the very intriguing timeline video depicting scenes, events and achievements from 1992 to 2017.
The TC National Trust is very grateful to all who showed up to join in the celebration launch and would like to express special gratitude to the following persons who played a role in the Annual General Meeting's program: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Heritage, Culture and Gaming, Mrs. Cheryl Ann Jones, Change Manager in the Tourist Board, Mrs. Cheryl-Ann Foreman and Mr. O'Brien Forbes, Moderator for the evening.
The Governance Council, Executive Director and Staff of the Trust give thanks to Almighty God for guiding this noble institution through the years and look forward to His continued lead as they forge forward in the service of country.
PUBLIC FORECAST FOR TUESDAY 29TH AUGUST 2017
THIS IS THE PUBLIC FORECAST FOR 12:00 PM THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT TUESDAY 29TH AUGUST 2017.
GENERAL SITUATION: THE NORTHERN PORTION OF A TROPICAL WAVE WILL APPROACH THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS TONIGHT BEFORE MOVING ACROSS THE TCI & SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: MARINERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUTS.
AREA: TCI
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND HOT WITH A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. MOSTLY FAIR AND WARM TONIGHT WITH THE CHANCE OF AN ISOLATED SHOWER.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 92°F 34°C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 81°F 27°C
SUNSET: 7:31PM
SUNRISE: 6:50AM. WED
MOONRISE: 1:51PM
MOONSET: 1:04AM.WED
HIGH TIDE: 2:33PM & 2:49AM. WED
LOW TIDE: 8:59PM & 9:01AM.WED
WEATHER OUTLOOK: TROPICAL WAVE WILL RACE THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS EARLY WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WHILE HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE ELSEWHERE.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: (1) PLEASE SEE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM HARVEY, LOCATED JUST OFFSHORE OF THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST. (2) PLEASE SEE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE TEN, LOCATED JUST OFFSHORE OF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. THIS SYSTEM HAS A MEDIUM CHANCE OF 40 PERCENT FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND A MEDIUM CHANCE OF 40 PERCENT DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS. (3) A LOW-PRESSURE AREA NEAR THE CABO VERDE ISLANDS HAS BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED SINCE YESTERDAY. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO FORM IN 2 OR 3 DAYS OVER THE EASTERN ATLANTIC. THIS SYSTEM HAS A HIGH CHANCE OF 70 PERCENT FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND A HIGH CHANCE OF 90 PERCENT DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
Fitbit Ionic smartwatch introduces blood oxygen sensor
Fitbit has put on sale its first fully-featured smartwatch.
The Ionic differs from the firm's existing Blaze watch in that third-party developers will be able to release apps and watchface designs that can be installed on the device.
It also introduces a sensor that can detect blood oxygen levels.
Fitbit has also announced a forthcoming "special edition" in partnership with sportswear firm Adidas, mirroring the Apple Watch tie-up with Nike.
Until recently, Fitbit was ranked the world's bestselling wearable tech brand. However, market research firm IDC reported in June that it had been overtaken by both Xiaomi and Apple in terms of shipments over the first three months of the year.
Fitbit recently reported that its second quarter sales were 40% down on 2016's equivalent figure, leading to a $58.2m (£44.9m) net loss for the period.
"It's a tough market for Fitbit - not least the dramatic drop in North American sales it has experienced - and the whole wearables category has certainly not lived up to expectations," commented Ben Wood from the CCS Insight tech consultancy.
"But the firm is continuing to push forward."
The standard version of the Ionic has been priced at £300, making it more expensive than the current cost of Apple's entry-level smartwatch but less costly than the Apple Watch Series 2.
Although Fitbit has started accepting pre-orders, it has said shipments will not start until late September.
Ionic's release has been much-anticipated since Fitbit bought crowdfunding success story Pebble's smartwatch business in 2016.
It cancelled work on Pebble's own devices, but adapted its software to create a new operating system - Fitbit OS - which promises to work with the Android, iOS and Windows platforms.
The San-Francisco-based company aims to release a web tool to allow developers to create their own software for the device from next month.
This will include access to the device's NFC (near-field communication) chip, which could allow it to be used to open vehicles and building doors fitted with compatible smart locks.
By contrast, Apple has locked down access to its own mobile devices' NFC chips on security grounds, although this is expected to be relaxed later this year.
The new device also marks the first time Fitbit has included an SpO2 sensor in one of its wearables.
The component estimates the amount of oxygenated haemoglobin in blood.
The firm suggests this could be used to provide new types of health alerts, including warnings of sleep apnoea - a disorder that causes people to briefly stop breathing or take shallow breaths during rest.
The technology is relatively rare outside of medical equipment, although Nokia does include an SpO2 sensor in its Pulse Ox wristband.
Fitbit also says the Ionic's heart rate tracker is more accurate than those found in its other products.
The new watch's other advertised features include:
more than four days of use on a battery charge, although this drops to 10 hours if GPS location data or music playback via Bluetooth is used
water resistance to depths of 50m (164ft)
storage of 2.5 gigabytes, which Fitbit says allows 300 songs to be stored on board
touchless payments via the forthcoming Fitbit Pay facility
"The Ionic is very much orientated towards being fitness-first rather than fashion-first, and that will be a challenge," said Mr Wood.
Source- BBC
US stocks tick up as missile fear eases
US stocks recovered at the close from steep early losses brought by fears of escalation of hostilities in the Korean Peninsula.
US President Donald Trump had warned that "all options are on the table" after North Korea fired a missile over Japan.
The Dow Jones, a basket of 30 major US companies, rose 0.27% to 21,866.23, while the wider S&P 500 index was up 0.08% to 2,446.30.
The Nasdaq added 0.30% at 6,301.89.
The S&P 500 fell as much as 0.66% after Mr Trump's warning to North Korea.
"When the President says 'All options are on the table,' the best strategy for investors is sometimes to do nothing," said Brian Jacobsen, senior investment strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, Storm Harvey closed refineries across Texas, but stocks in the energy sector were little changed, with declines in oil services companies mostly offset by gains in refiners and some producers.
Source-
Euro rises to 18-month high against dollar
The euro has hit $1.20 for the first time since January 2015 as the prospect of a US interest rate rise recedes.
Hurricane Harvey's impact has led analysts to assume the US central bank will not want to risk curbing economic growth and fears over North Korea's activities have unnerved investors.
A rise in interest rates tends to draw investors to a currency, taking advantage of the higher returns.
Meanwhile, the euro has itself been gaining against a range of currencies.
Against the dollar, it has risen by almost 15% so far this year.
The euro has strengthened in recent months, as the eurozone's economy improves and markets predict the European Central Bank could start to cut back the money-printing programme it has been running to repair the ravages of the eurozone crisis and credit crunch of the late 2000s.
The dollar was also undermined by Friday's annual meeting of central bankers at the Jackson Hole resort in Wyoming at which US central bank chief Janet Yellen's speech gave no hint that the Federal Reserve was planning any policy change that would support the dollar.
At the same event, European Central Bank boss, Mario Draghi, did nothing to talk down the euro.
Euro strength has left the pound at its weakest for almost a year. It buys 1.0759 euros in the wholesale currency markets, making a euro worth a much as 92.95p.
Sterling buys $1.2955 currently.
Tourist rates tend to be below those of the markets, sometimes by quite a bit.
Source-BBC
Blake wins 100m in Zagreb, Powell 3rd
Former world champion Yohan Blake claimed 100-metre victory at the World Challenge event in Zagreb on Tuesday in a time of 10.05 seconds.
The second-fastest man of all-time, who finished fourth in the world championship final in London earlier this month, beat American Mike Rodgers (10.14) and his fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell (10.16) into second and third respectively.
Surprise world 200m champion Ramil Guliyev of Turkey had to settle for fifth in a time of 10.36 secs.
Botswanan 400m runner Isaac Makwala, who was at the centre of controversy at the world championships when he was stopped from competing in the final over a health scare, suffered a surprise defeat in Croatia as American Gil Roberts won in 44.94 seconds.
Meanwhile, Shanieka Ricketts, who was eight in London with 14.13m, leapt 14.45m for victory. Viktoriya Prokopenko was second in 13.96m with Lithuania’s Dovile Dzindzaletaite third with 13.95m.
Jamaica’s 2015 100m hurdles champion, Danielle Williams was fifth in 13.40s (0.1 m/s) the same time as fourth-placed Megan Simmonds. In form American Christina Manning won in 12.66s ahead of veteran Dawn Harper-Nelson in 12.84s. Kristi Castling rounded out the top three for the Americans in 12.86s.
On the men’s side, Jamaica’s 2014 Commonwealth Games 110m hurdles champion Andrew Riley was fourth in 13.49s. London silver medalist, Sergey Shubenkov won in 13.12s ahead of American Devon Allen with 13.19s. Jamaica’s Ronald Levy who was scheduled to compete, did not start.
Schillonie Calvert-Powell was fifth in the women’s 100m, clocking 11.43s (1.0 m/s) in a race won by Nigeria’s Blessing Okagabare-Ighoteguonor in 11.14s. Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain was second in 11.23s with Michelle-Lee Ahye third in 11.26s.
Source-AFP
Haiti gov't denies planning to impose tax on citizens returning
Haiti has denied reports that it intends to impose a tax on nationals returning to the country.
Minister of Haitians Living Abroad (MHAVE), Stéphanie Auguste, told reporters there was no truth to the reports circulating in the diaspora that all Haitians abroad would be required to pay US$86 and a flat-rate income tax of 10,000 gourdes (One Haitian Gourde=US$0.01 cents).
She dismissed suggestions that the new fiscal measures were included in the draft budget for 2017-2018.
Auguste, speaking in the presence of Economy and Finance Minister, Jude Alix Patrick, said “there is no question of paying $186 on arrival in Haiti, neither to the consulates nor to the embassies of Haiti for the request of a public service.
“The question of the income tax does not refer particularly to the diaspora, it concerns all Haitian or any national of other countries undertaking transactions in Haiti that involve income, importing goods, selling land, buying / selling a vehicle, or claiming the issuance of a passport…” The authorities said that citizens whose annual income is less than 60,000 gourdes are not subjected to the payment of the tax.
However they said it is necessary to present the certificate of filing of final declaration to conclude certain transactions.
They warned that any citizen not in a position to present it, at the time of a transaction or a public service which requires this document, will have to pay the lump sum of 10,000 gourdes, as provided for in the draft budget for 2017-2018.
Source-CMC
Harvey's death toll climbs to 6 in Texas amid "epic and catastrophic" flooding
The death toll has climbed to six in Texas amid the "epic and catastrophic" flooding left behind in the southeast part of the state from Hurricane Harvey.
On Monday evening, Houston's Mayor Sylvester Turner confirmed three deaths in Houston.
Three other storm-related deaths occurred in La Marque, East Montgomery County and the coastal city of Rockport.
Houston, the country’s fourth largest city, has been inundated with flooding as result of Harvey, which made landfall late Friday as a Category 4 hurricane and lingered as a tropical storm over the weekend.
The National Weather Service deemed the deadly flooding, which forced evacuations and wiped out homes, "epic and catastrophic."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has activated the entire Texas National Guard. The total number of guardsmen available to the state is roughly 12,000, and all of them will be used in support of recovery efforts in southeast Texas, according to Abbott.
"These guys have saved our lives," one woman rescued by Texas National Guard soldiers said in a video by Staff Sgt. Tim Pruitt. Her husband and dogs were also rescued. "We’ve been in water all day, actually since last night, and we didn’t think help was coming. ... Thank you so much."
Abbott told ABC News' Good Morning America on Monday that he expects the aftermath of Harvey to be "horrific," leaving a mess that will "take years" to rebuild.
ABC News meteorologists anticipate that more rain will fall this week, potentially worsening the already dangerous situation.
ABC News meteorologists say about 20 to 40 inches of rain has already fallen in the Houston area. Rainfall totals could reach 50 inches by the end of the week.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it began to release water from the Addicks and Barker dams early Monday morning to prevent uncontrollable flooding of the Houston metropolitan area as water levels continued to rise rapidly beneath torrential rains being released by the tropical storm.
Engineers were forced to start the process earlier than previously announced because water levels in the reservoirs had “increased dramatically in the last few hours,” officials said early Monday, adding that the release would likely cause additional street flooding that could potentially spill into homes.
“If we don’t begin releasing now, the volume of uncontrolled water around the dams will be higher and have a greater impact on the surrounding communities,” Col. Lars Zetterstrom, Galveston District commander, said in a statement Monday.
Meanwhile, officials in Fort Bend County, located about 45 minutes southwest of Houston, issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents near the Brazos River levee districts as the river reached major flood stages late Sunday.
North Korean missile flies over Japan, Pentagon says
North Korea has fired a missile that flew over Japan, the Pentagon confirmed.
"We assess North Korea conducted a missile launch within the last 90 minutes," Col. Rob Manning, the director of press operations at the Department of Defense, said Monday evening in a statement. "We can confirm that the missile launch by North Korea flew over Japan. We are in the process of assessing this launch.
"North American Aerospsace Defense Command, or NORAD, determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America. We are working closely with Pacific Command, Strategic Command and NORAD, and we'll provide an update as soon as possible," he added.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe briefly addressed the launch, saying the country will be collecting more information, according to NHK, Japan's national public broadcasting organization.
The missile, which was launched early Tuesday local time, landed in the ocean, said Yoshihide Suga, Japan's chief Cabinet secretary, NHK reported.
"Nothing seemed have dropped on Japanese soil," Suga said.
"We will be working with Korea and other nations and gather information to secure the population of Japan," he added, according to NHK. It was the 13th launch by North Korea this year.
NHK reported the Japanese government issued a warning to people living in northern prefectures to take cover near strong structures after reports of the launch.
North Korean ballistic missiles have passed Japanese airspace at least four times in the past.
The last time a North Korea missile passed over Japanese airspace was February 2016, over islands in south Japan. At that time, North Korea said it was launching a satellite, the same explanation the country gave on two other occasions in 2012 and 2009.
North Korea also fired a two-stage ballistic missile over Japan in 1998, offering no explanation at the time.
On Friday, North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles, one of which failed in flight.
Source-ABC
Three more days of rain in store for Houston as water keeps rising
Hurricane Harvey, which slammed into the Texas coast this weekend and wreaked havoc along the way, has weakened to a tropical storm but not before dropping an improbable 25 inches of rain on Houston in only 36 hours, with more expected.
The deadly storm has moved into the Gulf of Mexico, where it's regained a bit of strength, with max winds of 45 mph, according to ABC News meteorologists. The storm is expected to make landfall again east of Galveston, Texas, on late Tuesday or early Wednesday. It will then speed up and weaken by Thursday into a depression over northern Louisiana.
ABC News meteorologists predict up to 50 total inches of rain in some areas by Thursday.
Anyone looking for a silver lining might find it in the dry air that’s likely to be mixed into the system, which sometimes limits the severity of storms.
Either way, rain bands are expected to rotate around Harvey through eastern Texas and western Louisiana. Six to 12 more inches of rain are expected to fall in Houston over the next three days.
East of the city, closer to Louisiana, an additional 10 to 20 inches of rainfall is possible, meteorologists say.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for New Orleans as Harvey passes through the region.
New Orleans, which is vulnerable to flooding, saw pervasive flooding earlier this month after receiving 8 inches of rainfall in parts of Jefferson Parish.
Source-ABC