WEATHER & UPDATE ON CINDY FOR JUNE 22ND 2017
AT 11 EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION CINDY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 31.0°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 93.5° WEST OR ABOUT 165 MILES NORTHWEST OF MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA.
CINDY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT 13 MPH AND A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST ON FRIDAY.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK, CINDY OR ITS REMNANTS WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEASTERN ARKANSAS EARLY FRIDAY, AND INTO TENNESSEE LATER ON FRIDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST AND THE DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A REMNANT LOW BY FRIDAY IF NOT SOONER.
CINDY CONTINUES TO POSE NO THREAT TO THE BAHAMAS OR THE TURKS & CAICOS.
IN OUR WEATHER:
GENERAL SITUATION: THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF A TROPICAL WAVE JUST SOUTH OF THE ISLANDS WITH LITTLE FANFARE WHILE A BROAD HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM MAINTAINS MODERATE TO FRESH BREEZES ACROSS THE AREA.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS AND BEACHGOERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE ALERT FOR THE HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT BEACHES MAINLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
FOR ALL AREAS:
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY, WARM AND BREEZY WITH THE CHANCE OF A BRIEF PASSING ISOLATED SHOWER OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THIS AFTERNOON. FAIR AND BREEZY WITH THE CHANCE OF A STRAY SHOWER MAINLY IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION IS IN EFFECT. BOATERS SHOULD ALSO BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 7 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
HIGH TEMPERATURE TODAY 91F 33C
LOW TEMPERATURE TONIGHT 77F 25C
SUNSET: 08:03 PM
SUNRISE: 06:21 AM FRI.
MOONSET: 06:36 PM
MOONRISE: 05:55 AM FRI.
LOW TIDE: 12:48 PM HIGH TIDE: 07:14 PM
LOW TIDE: 01:42 AM FRI. HIGH TIDE: 07:33 AM FRI.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: SEE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION CINDY...ELSEWHERE TROPICAL STORM FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
GM safety practices no longer under NHTSA
General Motors' safety practices are no longer under the oversight of federal regulators, but the automaker said it plans to keep meeting with them at least monthly about potential defects.
GM said on Thursday it forged a "positive and productive relationship" with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the three years since it admitted failing to recall faulty ignition switches before they contributed to 124 deaths and hundreds of serious injuries.
The oversight, part of a $35 million settlement with NHTSA reached in May 2014, ended last month. GM said it has proposed continuing regular monthly meetings with senior agency officials about field investigations, recalls and other safety issues it encounters, with more frequent discussions when warranted. It also has offered to meet periodically with NHTSA and other stakeholders about industrywide safety matters.
"Over the past three years, we have taken significant strides toward our goal of setting a new standard for customer safety," Jeff Boyer, GM's vice president for global vehicle safety, said in a statement.
"GM's goal is to bolster lessons learned and to continue a cooperative relationship between GM and NHTSA to help further advance motor vehicle safety," Boyer said. "In the spirit of continuous improvement, we will constantly evolve this approach to help keep the safety of our customers at the center of everything we do."
GM said it has received and responded to "hundreds of product safety concerns" submitted by employees through the Speak Up for Safety program it created soon after the ignition switch recalls began.
The defect affected millions of small cars with ignition switches that could be easily bumped out of position by a driver's knee or rough terrain, cutting off power to the airbag, steering and braking systems. Some GM employees became aware that the switches were too flimsy more than a decade before the recalls.
GM CEO Mary Barra in June 2014 dismissed 15 employees, including a number of high-level lawyers who settled cases brought by victims' families to keep the problem quiet. Barra has apologized repeatedly for what she characterized as a "pattern of incompetence and neglect" that allowed the defect to fester unchecked, and GM has since paid more than $2 billion in fines, penalties and victim compensation.
Source-AutoNews
WhatsApp rises as a major force in news media
WhatsApp is becoming one of the prevailing ways people discover and discuss news, according to a study.
But use of the messaging app appears to vary widely between countries.
In Malaysia, more than 50% of those surveyed said they used WhatsApp for news at least once a week. But in the US, the figure was only 3%, and in the UK it was 5%.
The Digital News Report also indicates the Brexit debate has led to growing mistrust of the UK's media.
It said only 43% of respondents declared that the news could be trusted - down from 50% last year - with the BBC in particular criticised for having both a pro-EU bias and failing to expose the "distortions" of the leave campaign.
The research was carried out by the Reuters Institute For The Study of Journalism and covered 34 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia, in addition to Taiwan and Hong Kong. It was sponsored by the BBC and Google among others.
A total of 71,805 people were questioned by YouGov in January and February to generate its data.
Deaths from Venezuelan anti-government protests up to 75
A 22-year-old man was shot dead Thursday during an anti-government protest in Caracas, becoming the 75th victim in three months of unrest over the rule of President Nicolas Maduro.
The young man was killed during a demonstration in the capital's Altamira area, the public ministry said on Twitter, without specifying the type of weapon that killed him.
Opposition lawmaker Jose Manuel Olivares said the man had been shot by a member of the National Guard.
Near-daily protests against Maduro began April 1, with demonstrators demanding his removal and new elections.
The protests have often turned violent, with more than 1,000 people injured so far, prosecutors say, and more than 3,000 arrested, according to the NGO Forum Penal.
Maduro has been blamed for an economic crisis that has caused desperate shortages of food, medicine and other basic goods.
The socialist leader says the crisis is a US-backed conspiracy.
On Thursday, he slammed the Organization of American States, which met last week to advance a plan to deal with Venezuela's political instability, but failed to reach an agreement.
"The OAS will never again set foot in Venezuela," Maduro said during a briefing with foreign reporters.
He called the regional group's lack of agreement "a diplomatic and political victory," and added that he would ignore any future decision by the body.
Qatar wants 10% of American Airlines
American Airlines has received an "unsolicited" approach from Qatar Airways which wants to acquire 10% of the US carrier.
In a regulatory filing, American Airlines said Qatar intended to buy at least $808m (£638m) of its shares.
American Airlines said it would respond "in due course".
Shares in American Airlines, which is the biggest airline in the world, initially rose 5%, but fell back to a 1.1% rise by the end of trading.
Qatar Airways said it sees American as a good investment opportunity and would not involve itself in management, operations or governance.
"Qatar Airways believes in American Airlines' fundamentals," the firm said.
In 2015, Qatar Airways took a 10% stake in International Airlines Group (IAG), the owner of British Airways and Iberia.
Then in July 2015 it increased its stake to 20%, becoming IAG's biggest shareholder.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Yemen and the Maldives cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt all said they would stop flights in and out of Qatar, and close their airspace to the country's flag carrier, Qatar Airways.
US companies, including American Airlines, have also pressured the White House to take action against Qatar Airways and other Gulf airlines, which they say receive unfair government subsidies.
Source-BBC
FLOW wins 11 Telly Awards
FLOW Jamaica has copped 11 awards for multimedia campaigns in the international Telly Awards 2017 — the premier award for the best in TV and cable, digital and streaming, and non-broadcast productions.
The telecommunications firm said it received silver awards for the FLOW Lyf prepaid mobile campaign starring local dancehall superstar Shenseea and the introductory television campaign featuring double Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson, FLOW's newest brand ambassador.
The other awarded campaigns include FLOW's 2016 “Olympics” and “Most Wonderful Christmas” promotions, which received bronze awards in categories such as craft-videography/cinematography, visual effects and editing.
Founded in 1978 to honour excellence in TV commercials, the Telly Award is one of the most sought after by industry leaders from large international firms to production companies and advertising agencies.
To date FLOW (formerly LIME) said it has won more than 25 Telly Awards for its advertising work.
Blood Bank in critical need of blood
The Turks and Caicos Blood Bank is desperately in need of O positive blood.
Radio Turks and Caicos was first informed recently through a text message dispensed by the Department of Health on Tuesday (June 20)
In a recent interview with Mr Ricardo Missick, medical technologist for the public health lab, he said that although the lab was in urgent need of these blood types, all blood types were welcomed to visit the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Providenciales, or the Cockburn Medical Centre in Grand Turk to donate blood.
He said: "Blood stocks are down and we need to get blood stocks up.
"We usually try to keep at least 15 units of blood for Providenciales and at least five units or more for Grand Turk."
Although it is quite evident that the TCI population is increasing on an annual basis, Missick explained that only a small percentage of the people's blood is able to be used, for a number of reasons.
He encouraged everyone who is 17 or older and in good health, to go down to the hospital from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm and state that they are interested in donating blood.
If it is a large group that is interested in donating blood, the blood bank will facilitate those individuals on a weekend.
The blood bank and the blood supplying system have been divided into two major activity centres; one is the inventory and the supply chain side, which falls under the administrative control of the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health is responsible for contacting donors and bringing them in to donate blood.
Then, there is the transfusion service which is under the laboratory at InterHealth Canada.
The donors go and they donate a unit of blood which receives initial testing then it goes to the main hospital lab where the testing is repeated and if the physician deems that the patient needs a blood transfusion, then they complete the testing and do the transfusion at the laboratory.
Peter Tosh's son left in coma following jail beating
The family of the late reggae icon and marijuana activist Peter Tosh is seeking answers after they say his son was left in a coma following an attack in a New Jersey jail, where he was serving a six-month sentence on pot possession charges.
Jawara McIntosh has been hospitalised since suffering traumatic brain injuries in the attack in February at the Bergen County jail, where he was after pleading guilty to marijuana possession, his family said.
McIntosh, of Boston, performed under the stage name Tosh1. His father was a Jamaican-born musician and activist who started the Wailers along with Bob Marley. His 1976 hit "Legalize It" remains a rallying cry for those pushing to make marijuana legal.
Jawara McIntosh also was a pro-marijuana activist and performed the song outside of the New Jersey statehouse in April 2014 during a rally pushing for state and federal lawmakers to legalise or decriminalise marijuana.
Attorney Jasmine Rand said Thursday the family has filed a notice that it plans to sue the county and also wants the US Justice Department to investigate.
"My heart cries not knowing what happened to my son," said his mother, Melody Cunningham. "Not being able to talk to him because of the condition that he's in. (I'm) trying to be strong for him, I have to be strong for him."
His sister, Niambe McIntosh, said that they haven't been given any solid information about what happened. Rand said the county hasn't been forthcoming about providing evidence about what happened.
Source-AP
Britain's May vows EU citizens can stay after Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May promised Thursday to let EU citizens stay after Brexit as she met sceptical European leaders for the first time since her disastrous election gamble.
Under pressure from all sides since losing her parliamentary majority, May held out an apparent olive branch on the uncertain fate of three million Europeans living in Britain.
But leaders of the 27 nations that will remain in the EU after Brexit made clear that question was not at the top of their agenda, as they try to capitalise on a renewed sense of optimism to put the bloc back on track after years of austerity and crisis.
The EU sought instead to show its unity by pressing ahead with plans on counter-terrorism, defence and by renewing damaging economic sanctions against Russia over the war in eastern Ukraine.
"For me the shaping of the future of the 27 is a priority coming before the issue of the negotiations with Britain on the exit," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe's most powerful leader.
New French President Emmanuel Macron, attending his first summit, added that the EU had to "establish our own strategy based on our own interests."
A year after its shock referendum vote to leave the EU, Britain is mired in crisis. May's weakened position has raised fresh questions about whether to go for a so-called "hard" Brexit, which includes Britain leaving the European single market.
Over dinner at the summit, May addressed the issue of citizens' rights, one of the key three priorities for the opening stage of Brexit negotiations that began on Monday.
"The UK's position represents a fair and serious offer and one aimed at giving as much certainty as possible to citizens who have settled in the UK, building careers and lives and contributing so much to our society," May told her colleagues, according to a British government source.
No EU citizen currently in Britain would be asked to leave on Brexit day, she said, while EU citizens living in Britain for more than five years will get "settled status."
The prime minister said she expected any offer by Britain to be matched by the EU for the one million Britons living on the continent, the source said.
But May's proposal sets up a clash with the EU after she rejected Brussels's demand that the European Court of Justice oversee and resolve any dispute over citizens' rights post-Brexit.
With "taking back control" of British laws one of the reasons Britons voted for Brexit, May said the pledge on EU citizens would instead "be enshrined in UK law and enforceable through our highly respected courts."
EU President Donald Tusk said the other leaders would not discuss the plans with May, insisting that all such proposals are dealt with by official British and EU negotiators. The other main issues in the Brexit talks are Britain's estimated 100 billion euro (88 billion pounds, $112 billion) divorce bill, and the fraught question of Northern Ireland, which will be on Britain's only land border with the EU after Brexit.
Imagine there's no Brexit
Earlier, Tusk had channelled John Lennon's "Imagine" as he said he hoped Brexit could be reversed -- though others immediately poured cold water on the idea.
"Who knows? You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one," the former Polish premier said with a broad smile, quoting Lennon's iconic song.
But Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel -- who has strongly argued for EU unity on Brexit -- said Tusk should let it be.
"I am not a dreamer and I am not the only one," Michel told reporters, saying he thought it was "British humour" by Tusk.
Tusk also insisted that the EU had turned a corner in the year since the Brexit vote, adding: "Never before have I had such a strong belief that things are going in a better direction."
Law to combat online terror
In Brussels, security was stepped up after Tuesday's failed bomb attack at one of the city's main rail stations by an Islamic State sympathiser, following strikes in Britain and France.
Tusk said leaders were all deeply concerned by the issue and agreed that if social media companies could not help prevent online radicalisation and hate-crime, then they were ready to introduce legislation to make them do so.
Leaders also endorsed the EU's growing efforts to build up defence capabilities, especially amid concerns about US President Donald Trump's commitment to transatlantic ties.
All 28 leaders including May meanwhile recommended another six-month rollover of tough economic sanctions imposed against Russia in 2014 over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed 10,000 lives.
TCI Hospital launches ‘Literacy Begins at Birth’ initiative
Caregivers and parents are being encouraged to incorporate language and literacy development in their child's daily routine.
Learn and Lead Educational Centre has partnered with TCI Hospital to launch the 'Literacy Begins at Birth' project.
Every baby delivered at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre and later Cockburn Town Medical Centre on Grand Turk, will receive literacy and language tips along with an early childhood board book, which parents are encouraged to read to their little ones.
A press conference was held at the Providenciales healthcare facility on Wednesday (June 14) to explain the initiative.
Yolande Robinson, founder of Learn and Lead Educational Centre, said that parents and caregivers should be more intentional and targeted in their literacy and language intervention during this critical period.
She said: "Children acquire the tools for language and literacy before learning how to speak, read and write.
"There is a higher likelihood of language improvement if a child is exposed to more vocabulary and utterances, which will improve both their receptive and expressive language over time."
Commenting on the partnership, TCI Hospital chief of medical services, Dr Denise Braithwaite-Tennant said that a literate country is an empowered country.
"Even math problems start with a problem statement and one must clearly understand and comprehend the statement prior to attempting the numeric calculation.
"The majority of births delivered at our health care facility are recorded at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.
"We have an immense opportunity to engage mothers in our care and provide these basic tools for literacy and language development."
Braithwaite added that today's world is so heavily dependent on electronics and the missing component is the human touch and the bi-directional conversation.
She said that mothers of all nationalities will be empowered by this book provided by Learn and Lead Educational Centre, which encourages children from birth to have an interest in reading, which today seems to be a lost art.
Staff at Learn and Lead Educational Centre believe that it is important for people to take a more proactive approach to language and literacy development in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Research worldwide outlines the need for quality early childhood home learning environments in order to help build stronger literacy foundations for children between birth and five years of age.
Children in the Turks and Caicos Islands typically begin formal education at the age of three.
The greatest amount of brain growth occurs between birth and age five.
In fact, by age three, roughly 85 percent of the brain's core structure is formed.
Problems associated with literacy later in life are traced back to the earlier years of life in many cases.