Governor Welcomes New Financial Adviser
His Excellency the Governor, Dr John Freeman, has welcomed the arrival in TCI of Mr Alex Mills who has been appointed as Financial Adviser to the Governor following the decision by the UK government to abolish the position of Chief Financial Officer at the end of March 2017. Mr Mills will work closely with the Ministry of Finance and other government departments and financial institutions to advise the Governor on economic developments in TCI.
Before coming to TCI, Mr Mills held the position of Chief Accountant in the UK House of Commons where he has worked in several financial roles since 2005.
Unlike the Chief Financial Officer, the Financial Adviser to the Governor has no executive role in or powers over the TCI government’s financial decisions. It is a purely advisory position which is being funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Commenting on Mr Mills’ appointment the Governor said “I am delighted to welcome Alex Mills to TCI to take up his appointment as my Financial Adviser. I regard this as a key position which I believe will be of benefit not only to me in the exercise of my responsibilities as Governor but also to the TCI government as we work together to build on the economic success of the country.”
Invest Turks & Caicos Launches New Website
Invest Turks and Caicos is inviting visitors to explore its new website www.investturksandcaicos.tc. The new site is the main promotional and informational tool used to give Invest Turks and Caicos visibility in domestic, regional and international investment markets.
The scope of the new design was focused on promoting Invest TCI’s primary function and services, Investment and business opportunities in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and incorporated several critical components of a good promotional website, including branding; clarity of navigation; and effective search engine marketing.
The new website means that customers can now benefit from richer online content, improved navigation and functionality and easy access to information such as statistical data. The site is expected to assist in maintaining the Invest Turks and Caicos brand; communicating the competitive advantages of the islands; and providing relevant, quality and timely information to users.
Vice President for Marketing and Promotion, Trina Adams-Smith stated – “The Agency needed a website that can compete on an international level. One that is professional, informative and visually appealing and that is in line with the company’s brand”. Mrs. Smith further stated that “visitors tend to spend more time browsing a company’s site when there is valuable content.
The more informative the website is with quality information; the more time an investor will spend researching the region for opportunities which can generate a lead for the Agency ”.
Mrs. Smith encourages persons to visit the new website and give their feedback by posting a comment on Invest TCI’s Facebook page -investtci.
Sean Spicer resigns as White House press secretary
ABC News has confirmed that Sean Spicer has resigned as White House press secretary.
Senior White House sources confirmed the move to ABC News, who noted that President Donald Trump did not ask for Spicer's resignation.
This comes shortly after it was reported that Anthony Scaramucci, a Wall Street financier, was named as the new White House communications director.
Spicer has spent much less time in the briefing room in recent weeks, with principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders handling more of the daily briefings.
Spicer did brief the press off camera on Monday of this week, his first time doing so in three weeks.
Spicer, 45, worked as the communications director for the Republican National Committee before being named as Trump's press secretary during the transition.
His tenure got off to a rocky start when he made his first appearance in the White House briefing room the day after Trump took office and read a statement to the press about the size of the crowd at the inauguration, citing numbers that were widely disputed.
The resignation comes the day after the Trump administration marked its first six months in office.
About ninety minutes after the news broke, Spicer tweeted, "It's been an honor & a privilege to serve @POTUS @realDonaldTrump & this amazing country. I will continue my service through August."
FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FRIDAY 21st JULY
THE PUBLIC FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FRIDAY 21ST JULY 2017 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 12 PM.
GENERAL SITUATION: UNSTABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE ISLANDS DUE IN PART TO A TROUGH NEAR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND AN UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS AND BEACH-GOERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE RISK OF WATERSPOUTS. WHILE MARINERS AND BEACH-GOERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT BEACHES MAINLY ALONG THE EASTERN SHORELINES IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
ALL AREAS
WEATHER: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS AND HOT WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. PARTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS TONIGHT WITH A FEW SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS. SMALL CRAFT CAUTION IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS, FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES OVER THE NORTHWESTERN ISLANDS AND EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 91°F 33°C
LOW TEMPERATURE TONIGHT 77°F 25°C
SUNSET: 8:00 PM
SUNRISE 6:33 AM SAT
MOONSET: 6:25 PM
MOONRISE: 5:39 AM SAT.
LOW TIDE: 12:31 PM & 1:27 AM SAT
HIGH TIDE: 6:58 PM & 7:18 AM SAT
WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW: PARTLY CLOUDY AND WARM WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: THE TROPICS REMAINS QUIET AND TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
TCI 18th POST CABINET STATEMENT
Her Excellency the Acting Governor, Anya Williams, chaired the 18th meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 19 July 2017, at the Hon. Hilly Ewing Building on Providenciales.
All Ministers were present except the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communication and the Hon. Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services.
At this meeting Cabinet:
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to approve amendments to the Public Finance Management Ordinance, the Public Finance Management Regulations, the Invest Turks and Caicos Islands Ordinance and the Tourist Board Ordinance to insert claw-back clauses to enable unexpended subventions and excess revenues to be remitted to the Consolidated Fund prior to or at the end of any financial year to bring them into in line with other Statutory Bodies;
· Noted the financial performance of the TCI Government as submitted in the Monthly Financial Report for May 2017 by the Accountant General. Cabinet noted that the Caribbean Development Bank loan of $1 million in relation to loans for Invest TCI had been repaid. Cabinet further noted that the Consolidated Fund recorded a surplus of $5.8 million during May and that recurrent revenue for the month amounted to $25.7 million which was $0.3 million ahead of budgeted revenue forecast;
· Received an information paper from the Hon. Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade on implementation of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF11) in TCI. Cabinet noted that the EDF11 budget stood at €14.6 million in support of education sector reform which would be disbursed in several tranches between 2017-2019;
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to approve a technical assistance loan of $441,000 from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and a grant of $50,000 from the European Investment Bank which complemented the CDB loan for consultancy services to conduct a feasibility study and prepare designs for climate resilient coastal protection on the islands of Grand Turk, Salt Cay and Providenciales and to prepare a shoreline management plan for TCI. Cabinet further approved the Loan Agreement with the CDB be forwarded to the House of Assembly for approval;
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to approve the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2017 for forwarding to the House of Assembly for approval;
· Received an information paper from the Hon. Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade up-dating Cabinet on the closure of Salt Cay Airport and on steps being taken by the TCI Airports Authority to address current issues;
· Noted the appointment of Mr Eric Floyd Seymour as CEO of Invest Turks and Caicos for a period of 2 years with effect from 14 August 2017;
· Advised Her Excellency the Governor to approve the re-appointment of Mr Thomas Swann as CEO of the TCI Civil Aviation Authority for a period of 1 year with effect from 1 October 2017;
· Following extensive public consultation which concluded in favour of change, agreed to the reintroduction in TCI of Daylight Saving Time (DST) during the summer months and Standard Time, also known as Local Time, during the winter months with effect from April 2018 to allow sufficient time to notify the public and relevant local and international organisations of the change;
· Received an information paper from the Hon. Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade up-dating Cabinet on progress on the Vision 2040 Document and Medium-Term Development Strategy project;
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to approve for public tender approximately 0.63 acres of Crown Land on Parcel 10409/184 at East Suburbs on Grand Turk for the purpose of commercial development in accordance with the Crown Land Ordinance;
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to approve the Tobacco Control Regulations to enable full implementation of the Tobacco Control Ordinance 2016;
· Requested the Hon. Minister of Health to ensure that the Board, as a matter of urgency, undertakes the recruitment process to fill the positions of CEO and CFO of the National Health Insurance Board on a substantive basis;
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to approve an online public consultation on the introduction of a public transport system to improve transport services across TCI which would be considered further by Cabinet following the consultation;
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to approve dates for the 2017/18 crawfish season to run from 15 August 2017 – 31 March 2018 and for the Ministry to notify the public of the dates;
· Received an information paper from the Hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning up-dating Cabinet on the proposal to use the Green Door on Grand Turk as temporary accommodation for low-risk prisoners to enable essential works to be carried out on prisoner accommodation blocks at HM Prison. Cabinet noted the results of the recently concluded consultation on the temporary change of use of the Green Door and agreed to issue a new notice to address the concerns initially raised;
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to grant approval for the Ministry of Finance, Investment and Trade to begin discussions with AirBnB on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enable the collection of the Government’s revenue from operators in the vacation villa rental accommodation sector and to support the regulation of vacation villa rental accommodation in TCI;
· Advised Her Excellency the Acting Governor to approve the re-establishment of the National Lottery Board in accordance with the TCI National Lottery Ordinance subject to budgetary provision being made;
· Received a briefing by Her Excellency the Acting Governor on a series of workshops carried out across TCI in July by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning and the Procurement Unit to raise awareness of the TCI capital works programme, how to bid for projects and the procurement process for awarding contracts.
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
Stars react to the death of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park
Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has died, according to the L.A. County Coroner. The musician was found dead in his Los Angeles home Thursday. He was 41.
Bennington joined Linkin Park in 1999. A year later, the band released their debut album Hybrid Theory, which became a massive commercial success, and helped launch the rap-metal scene of the early 2000s. Hybrid Theory has since been certified diamond for 10 million copies sold.
In 2004, Linkin Park recorded a collaborative EP with rapper JAY-Z, which spawned the hit mash-up "Numb/Encore."
After Hybrid Theory and its follow-up, 2003's Meteora, Linkin Park began to move away from their initial rap-rock sound. Their seventh and most recent album, One More Light, which was released this past May, took a more pop-oriented approach. The band is scheduled to kick off a tour in support of the album on July 27 in Boston.
In between his work with Linkin Park, Bennington also fronted Stone Temple Pilots between 2013 and 2015.
Bennington had struggled with drug addiction throughout his life. He appeared very affected by the death of Chris Cornell, who committed suicide by hanging in May. Thursday, perhaps not coincidentally, would've been Cornell's 53rd birthday.
At Cornell's funeral service, Bennington sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." The night of Cornell's death, Linkin Park performed the One More Light title track in honor of the late Soundgarden frontman.
In May, Linkin Park performed on a New York City subway for an Good Morning America segment on ABC. They were scheduled to play GMA's concert series in Central Park on August 4.
Meanwhile, many of Chester's famous fans took to Twitter to express their condolences. Here's a roundup of some of their reactions:
Chainsmokers: RIP The legend Chester. You were were and will continue to be a huge inspiration to us.
Rihanna: Literally the most impressive talent I've ever seen live! Vocal beast! #RIPChester #LinkinPark
Nick Jonas: This is heartbreaking. RIP Chester. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends.
OneRepublic: Oh dear God. Massive R.I.P to Chester Bennington of @linkinpark this BREAKS OUR HEART. Suicide is the devil on earth walking amongst us
Imagine Dragons: no words. so heartbroken. RIP Chester Bennington.
Matchbox Twenty's Paul Doucette: So sad to hear about Chester Bennington. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans.
Josh Groban: Label mate and all around nice cool talented guy. We came up at the same time at [Warner Bros. Records]. F**k. RIP Chester.
Hayley Williams from Paramore: artists are ppl compelled to bring beauty into a world that can be so dark. makes sense then that artists are always conscious of darkness.. & maybe at times made more vulnerable by it? i don't know. life can be relentless. heart hurts for Chester's family/band/friends/fans.
American Authors: Chester Bennington thank you for your music and incredible voice. Another legendary singer gone. Sending our hearts
Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz: Mental health is no joke. We have to destigmatize the conversation around it.
Dwayne The Rock Johnson: So sorry to hear the news about Chester Bennington. Sending so much luv, strength & light to his family, kids & @linkinpark ohana.
Jimmy Kimmel: Chester was one of the kindest men I've had on my show. My heart breaks for his family and friends. He will be missed terribly.
Joss Whedon: "A Thousand Suns" got me through a horribly dark time. I'm indebted. Thank you and RIP Chester Bennington, wish you were here.
Bennington is survived by his wife and 6 children.
Justin Bieber banned from performing in China
Sad, sad news for Justin Bieber fans in China hoping Justin’s Purpose tour would make a stop there. They’ll have to be content with streaming and CDs -- the government’s banned him from performing in their country.
A message posted to the Beijing Culture Bureau website declares 23-year-old Bieber’s “bad behavior" is the reason. At least, that’s according to the New York Times’ translation of the Chinese text. Google’s best-effort translation is more entertaining: “It is understood that as a public figure, he had a series of bad behavior in the overseas social life and in the domestic performance activities caused public dissatisfaction.” As such, “it is not appropriate to introduce bad behavior of the performing arts.”
The message was posted Tuesday, apparently in response to a fan’s question.
Justin’s uneven public behavior is no secret, of course, though he’s trying hard to change his image for the better. Also, you might recall the last time Justin visited China, back in October of 2013, he was widely mocked when photos surfaced of two apparent bodyguards carrying him on their shoulders as they walked up the famous Great Wall.
Regardless, Justin’s in good company when it comes to being banned in China, joining acts including Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, JAY-Z, Maroon 5 and others.
Justin’s Purpose tour resumes a week from Saturday in Arlington, Texas, and kicks off its next Asian leg September 23 in Tokyo, Japan.
Source-ABC
Ryan Seacrest officially signs on as host of ABC's "American Idol" reboot
Seacrest...in! Kelly Ripa made the news official Thursday morning on Live with Kelly and Ryan: Ryan Seacrest is the new host of ABC's reboot of American Idol.
"I'm happy to confirm, I can confirm with absolute confirmation, that Ryan Seacrest is returning for the host of American Idol!" said Kelly. Then, realizing her error, she said, "Let me try that one more time. Ryan Seacrest is returning as the host of American Idol!
"Absolutely, without a doubt," Ryan agreed. "I'm so excited. It's gonna be the best time!"
Ryan hosted American Idol on Fox for all 15 seasons. When he signed off last year, he said, "Seacrest out...for now."
In a prepared statement, Seacrest said, "It’s genuinely hard to put into words what American Idol means to me. I’m so grateful for the show and all the career and life opportunities it’s allowed me to experience. It’s been an incredible journey from day one. To be asked to return this year, at my new home at Disney|ABC, is an honor, if not a bit surreal."
He added, "I believe ABC is the perfect home for Idol, and I’ve every confidence the show’s legions of fans will love it – especially Idol’s best traditions of showcasing heartwarming stories, remarkable talent discovery, and, best of all, making dreams come true.”
Source-ABC
Rihanna & Harry Styles invade your multiplex this weekend
Music fans are in for a treat this weekend: two pop superstars are featured in new movies arriving in theaters.
Rihanna stars in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, a sci-fi epic from director Luc [Luke] Besson based on a popular comic book series. Rihanna plays Bubble, a shape-shifting alien, and says when Besson described the part, she was hooked.
"Sci-fi movies are always really fun and this one has such a modern twist," she says. "There’s a lot of reality in this world that’s not real, and that’s why I think I was [attracted] to it."
Rihanna also liked working with Besson, the director of The Fifth Element, The Professional and Lucy.
"He is very patient when it comes to working and directing me because I’m very new to the movie world and he’s very considerate of that," she explains.
Even more of an acting newbie is Harry Styles, making his big-screen debut in Dunkirk, a World War II drama from director Christopher Nolan. It tells the real-life story of the evacuation of 400,000 Allied troops from France. Harry says a big reason for taking the part was Nolan, the director of The Dark Knight and Inception.
"I’ve always been a massive fan of Chris’ movies and just getting to watch him work felt like a big part of the whole experience," he says. "It...felt pretty amazing to be involved in a project with him."
Harry plays a young soldier who, he says, "will kinda do anything to survive."
Harry studied the story of Dunkirk in school, but just barely. "I think that was something that’s so great about the movie," he says. "It’s such a massive piece of history and such an important part that isn’t told that often."
Source-ABC
Quincy Jones testifies in lawsuit against Michael Jackson estate
Quincy Jones took the stand Thursday in Los Angeles in his lawsuit against the Michael Jackson estate, and he made it clear straight away that he’s not taking legal action against the King of Pop.
"I'm not suing Michael," Jones said as he looked at the attorney for the estate, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm suing y'all."
The producer of Jackson’s Thriller, Bad and Off the Wall albums says he’s owed $30 million in royalties from those releases and other music he recorded with Michael.
Jones claims his agreements with Jackson stipulate he would receive additional payment when those songs are used for films, such as the posthumous concert documentary This Is It. The estate attorneys argue Jones is only entitled to a percentage of record sales.
Estate attorney Howard Weitzman asked Jones if he should receive money from music licensed for new projects, even though the estate interpreted the contract to mean he was not entitled to licensing fees. Contract montract," Jones responded. "If we made the record, we deserve to get paid."
When asked why he didn't file his lawsuit while Jackson was alive, Jones said, "I cared more about him as a human being than about the money."
The estate previously offered Jones a settlement of between $2 million and $3 million before trial, which it what it believes Jones is owed.
Closing arguments in the case are scheduled for Monday morning.