Trump Opposes Clinton Prosecution, Reversing His Campaign Taunts
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he has no intention of pursuing more investigations of Democrat Hillary Clinton and her use of a private email server while she was the country's top diplomat, despite his vow during their lengthy race for the White House to put her "in jail."
"I think it would be very, very divisive for the country," Trump told reporters and editors at The New York Times. "My inclination would be for whatever power I have on the matter is to say let's go forward. This has been looked at for so long, ad nauseam."
Pressed whether he had definitively ruled out prosecution of Clinton for her handling of national security material in her emails when she was secretary of state, Trump said, "It's just not something that I feel very strongly about. I don't want to hurt the Clintons, I really don't," referring to his defeated presidential foe and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. "She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways."
Some U.S. investigators have sought to continue their probe of the Clintons' foundation and allegations that foreign donors made large contributions to the international charity in hopes of currying favor with Clinton while she headed the U.S. State Department from 2009 to 2013. Trump said some people could argue that the foundation did "good work."
In months of campaign appearances, the Republican Trump attacked Clinton's handling of national security material in her emails, with his cheering supporters shouting, "Lock her up!" Trump repeatedly referred to her as "Crooked Hillary" and, at one point, said that if he were elected, he would name a special prosecutor to investigate her.
Hours before the president-elect offered his views at the newspaper, Kellyanne Conway, now an adviser to Trump after serving as his campaign manager, told the MSNBC network that "he doesn't wish to pursue these charges."
In her interview, however, Conway said, "I think Hillary Clinton still has to face the fact that a majority of Americans don't find her to be honest or trustworthy, but if Donald Trump can help her heal, then perhaps that's a good thing."
A directive from Trump to U.S. law enforcement officials that he does not want to pursue another investigation of Clinton would be unusual. In the United States, federal law enforcement officials are considered to be independent of political interference from the White House.
Conway, however, said, "I think when the president-elect, who's also the head of your party, tells you before he's even inaugurated that he doesn't wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone and content" to fellow Republicans.
"Look, I think he's thinking of many different things as he prepares to become the president of the United States," she said, "and things that sound like the campaign are not among them."
Clinton's use of the private server based in her New York home played a central role in the election. Surveys showed that many voters doubted Clinton's explanations about the tens of thousands of emails she sent or received while she was the country's top diplomat and questioned her trustworthiness and honesty.
Clinton said she used the unsecured server on a single mobile device, rather than a more secure government server, for her convenience. Clinton said it was a mistake, but that she had not knowingly sent or received classified material in the emails.
Source-VOA
3 dead in Panama rains linked to Tropical Storm Otto
Civil defense officials in Panama say the country has already seen three deaths blamed on late-season Tropical Storm Otto.
The agency says two people died in landslides, and a child was killed when a tree fell on a car outside a school in Panama City.
Panama announced Tuesday it was cancelling classes it began to release water from locks and lakes feeding the Panama Canal.
Otto is gained strength in the Caribbean and could become a hurricane soon as it heads for a possible Thursday landfall in Costa Rica or Nicaragua.
The US National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm has top sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and is stationary about 260 miles (420 kilometres) east of Limon, Costa Rica.
Source-AP
Panic behind Windies meltdown
Batting coach Toby Radford said West Indies were guilty of panicking in the late stages of their Tri-Nations Series clash with Zimbabwe last Saturday, which resulted in the tied game at Queens Sports Club.
West Indies seemed en route to an uncomplicated victory in pursuit of 258 in their second game of the tournament when they reached 220 for two in the 45th over.
However, they lost six wickets for 37 runs in the space of 32 balls — including three wickets in the last over with four runs required — as Zimbabwe forced their way back into the contest to earn a share of the points.
“We needed 60 runs with eight wickets in hand [at one stage], and nine times out of ten you’d expect the batting side to do that,” Radford said.
“I think a little bit of panic set in, which is easy when you’re away from home and there’s a noisy crowd. To be fair, they (Zimbabwe) actually bowled well and took the pace off on what was a slow-ish wicket.”
He added: “There were big boundaries and we made a made a couple of good strikes to keep us in with a chance of winning, and I think after we got into that position it was just a case of knocking the ball around, but one or two [players] sort of panicked under the pressure and then we ended up with the tie rather than the win which we probably deserved.”
The run chase had been expertly guided by novice Shai Hope who carved out 101 off 120 balls in only his second One-Day International, and opener Kraigg Brathwaite who struck 78 from 117 deliveries.
Together they put on 162 for the third wicket, a stand which put the Caribbean side in pole position to take victory.
“I thought it was outstanding. [They were] both great innings in a wonderful partnership… to set up the potential win,” Radford noted.
“We’ve talked about seeing the 50 overs in blocks of 10 and that there were certain rates we wanted to go at to keep up with Duckworth/Lewis. There were a bit of rain clouds around and we thought it could come down to Duckworth/Lewis, and also we just wanted to break it up so players knew what kind of rate to bat at.
“I thought both were exceptional; they rotated the strike really well. When bad balls were there, they put them away. There are two really talented young players who played as well as they could play.”
Despite the result, Radford said West Indies were doing all the right things and needed to remain consistent for the remainder of the tournament.
“I think we’re playing good cricket. There are a lot of positives to be taken from [the game] as disappointed as we were not to cross the line, having played so well,” the Englishman said.
“We know we are playing good cricket; we had a good win against Sri Lanka a couple of days ago … We have to keep doing these things, keep doing the basics well, keep pinning sides down in the field, and making it tough for them to score.”
He continued: “And in terms of batting, [we have to] set up the innings. I thought what was very good with those young batters (Hope and Brathwaite) was that they paced it well, didn’t go too rash early on, and got us into a situation where, to be honest we should have won.”
West Indies face Sri Lanka here tomorrow in their next game.
Source-CMC
TCI Shines Schools’ Big Bin Competition
Look out litter critters! The TCI will soon be scattered with beautifully decorated bins to keep our islands Beautiful by Nature. The Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Gaming, Heritage and Culture, in collaboration with TC Crystal Pure, Karam & Missick Attorneys at Law, the Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board, the Turks & Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA) and the Department of Environmental Health will be initiating the TCI Shines Schools' Big Bin Competition on 21 November, 2016.
The initiative, which will see every school on every island decorate a large plastic drum to be used as a garbage bin, is part of Tourism Environment Awareness Month, and hopes to create awareness, at schools and within the local community, to ensuring a cleaner, healthier environment for us all.
"I am excited for the Big Bin competition, as I am certain our students' talent will shine bright. This is a wonderful initiative and one that should continue as we promote cleanliness for a healthier environment, not only for our tourism industry but for generations to come," said Hon. Porsha Stubbs-Smith, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Gaming, Heritage and Culture.
Every school on every island will receive one, TC Crystal-sponsored plastic drum and a set of criteria. The three most creative drums in each category, namely Primary and High school, will stand a chance to win some exciting prizes for their school! The competition will kick-off with eight Provo schools, who will display their completed bins at the annual TCI Shines Clean-up, at the Bight Park on December 3rd, 2016.
"We are excited to have TCHTA's TCI Shine develop to include this year's Big Bin competition, making it more accessible and easier for individuals to dispose of their litter. We look forward to the support of each individual to take advantage of the bins that will be strategically placed around the Island in an effort to keep our Island "Beautiful by Nature".......as we all remember "Tourism is Key....it starts with ME!!," said Stacy Cox, TCHTA's Executive Director.
No entry fee is required, however all schools are to participate and will be required to submit three photographs of their drum, including a photograph of the location where the drum has been placed, by the closing date on March 1st, 2017.
The Ministry would like to thank Mrs Johanne Karam and Mr Lorell Ewing for their volunteerism and collaboration. Mrs Karam has, over the last year, tirelessly collected and stored enough drums to ensure that all schools can participate in this exciting initiative. Mr Lorell Ewing, owner of Perfect2Us Arts, and a son of the soil, artfully decorated a drum to provide students with inspiration for their entries.
MARINE FORECAST FOR 24 HOURS FROM 12PM TUESDAY 22ND NOV 2016
MARINE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS & TCI FOR 24 HOURS FROM 12PM TUESDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2016 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 1600UTC.
WARNINGS: BEACHGOERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MAINLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN COAST BEACHES OF THE ISLANDS.
GENERAL SITUATION: A STATIONARY FRONT IN THE VICINITY OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WILL WEAKEN OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO AND DISSIPATE WHILE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD AND PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY.
FOR THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 20 TO 25 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 7 TO 10 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
WEATHER: THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF A BRIEF SHOWER IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY
MOONSET: 1:25PM MOONRISE: 1:30AM WED
HIGH TIDE: 2:26PM 3:08AM WED
LOW TIDE: 8:54PM 9:21AM WED
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: SEE THE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM OTTO, LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA. ELSEWHERE TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
Universal Children’s Day 2016 Message from the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Unit of the RTCIPF
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Unit will join the rest of the World on Sunday 20th November 2016 to celebrate Universal Children’s Day.
Universal Children’s day is celebrated every year on 20th November. It was first established in the United Kingdom and later, other countries around the world were encouraged to dedicate a day to promote mutual exchange and understanding amongst children and also to start a movement that will promote and benefit the welfare of children around the world. It is also a day celebrated to honor children, to give them love and affection because after all, they are the future of the world. This day is not a public holiday, but it is a global day of observance.
The unit recently formed a Child Safeguarding Committee which is a multi-Agency team of professionals and other persons from the community working together to provide services that promote the welfare of children and protect them from all forms of abuse. The committee is still in its early stages of getting the project off the ground.
The Mission Statement of the Committee is to strengthen families and promotes the well-being of children through prevention, intervention, education and advocacy.
Children’s day is a reminder to everyone of their obligation to protect the rights, needs, and welfare of children. It is a day to promote good healthcare and education to help children who are in need; also a day to reflect on the good that we have done in our communities – such as public awareness through community and school programs, Development of a zero tolerance approach to crimes against children, formulating a committee to safeguard children from all forms of abuse and swiftly dealing with perpetrators of these crimes.
It is the responsibility of the community to protect children from neglect and abuse and to also provide support to victims of violence and to ensure that justice is served because today’s children are tomorrow’s doctors, teachers, politicians, and scientists. They will follow in the footsteps of what the human race has been able to accomplish since the beginning of time. Therefore we should start building a great and honorable future for them. Let us teach them how to protect the weak and vulnerable people of this world and even teach them how to make decisions on their own and not what we want them to think and the kind of decision we would like them to make for their time – this will also teach them how to be independent. This is a day filled with joy and freedom.
The Social Development Department in collaboration with the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Unit of the RTCIPF commenced the activities on Thursday 17th November 2016 with a prayer vigil was held at the Down Town Ball Park. A motorcade and family fun day will be held on Friday 25th November starting from Frist Caribbean International Bank and ending at Edward Garland Youth Centre.
All are welcome to attend to show unity in this partnership we have in safeguarding our country’s treasures, our children.
Apple to fix iPhone 6 Plus 'touch disease' for a fee
Apple has started offering a service to fix a fault on iPhone 6 Plus phones known as "touch disease".
Touchscreens on smartphones that have this problem gradually become unresponsive.
The fault was highlighted by gadget sites which said it was caused by a manufacturing issue that meant some screen controller chips became loose.
Apple was criticised by one expert who said it was the phonemaker's responsibility to fix it.
Apple is charging $149 in the USA for the service that will only be available on phones that are "in working order".
In a statement on its website, Apple said it had "determined" that displays on some iPhone 6 Plus handsets flickered or became unresponsive if the device was dropped several times on a hard surface and was then subjected to "further stress".
An iPhone 6 Plus suffering this problem, which worked and did not have a cracked or broken screen, was eligible for the repair programme, it said.
The service is available worldwide and costs £146.44 in the UK.
Apple said that customers who had already paid to get their phone cured of "touch disease" should get in touch to be repaid for the amount they spent beyond the programme fee.
The repair programme will run for five years beyond the initial date on which the iPhone 6 Plus went on sale, said Apple.
Stuart Miles, founder of gadget news site Pocket-lint, said: "I think if it's a known defect that isn't caused by the user then it should be the responsibility of Apple to fix the phone free of charge regardless of the age."
The manufacturing problem with the iPhone 6 Plus was first highlighted by gadget site iFixit which said it had seen an "influx of faulty iPhones".
In a blogpost about the problem posted in August, iFixit said there were "pages and pages" of messages from aggrieved iPhone 6 Plus owners on the Apple support site complaining about the fault.
An investigation by iFixit and specialist repair shops found the cause of the fault was the placement of the touchscreen controller chip. Several rough knocks could dislodge this chip making phones unresponsive, it said.
Source-BBC
PABA in full swing
The Nazarene Kings suffered their second defeat as the new look Sonics team kept the Kings from sitting on the throne in the PABA Wednesday night match up.
The final score for that game was 73 -64 in favor of the Sonics. Darado Fulford shot 30 points and caught 3 Rebounds for the Sonics; he was assisted by Jordan Garland with 11 pts and 5 rebounds.
Fedlor Semora unleashed 29 points and 7 rebounds while Ralph McKinnon added 17 points collecting 3 rebounds in a losing effort for the Kings.
In game 2 the Knights rebounded from a disappointing season opener to hustle pass the Hustlerz. Both teams traded points in the opening minutes before the Knights asserted themselves and out hustled the Hustlerz 61-53.
Kirk Adams hustled 21 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals for the Huslterz, he was supported by Troy Saunders with 10 points and 5 rebounds.
Andujar Gardiner did most of the damage for the Knights as he unleashed a barrage of threes, to be precise, five 3 pointers in that game, finishing with 25 pts while handsomely collecting 5 rebounds.
Mike Cumberland added 18 pts and 8 Rebs as the big man on the court.
The PABA on Friday night will feature at 7 PM the HUSTLERZ VS NC SPARTANS, while at 8 PM F C KNIGHTS takes on NAZARENE KINGS.
RTC Sports will keep you updated on the results from those games.
Andy Murray beats Stan Wawrinka to reach the ATP World Tour Finals
Andy Murray qualified for the semi-finals and stayed on track to retain the world number one ranking with victory over Stan Wawrinka at the ATP World Tour Finals.
The Briton only needed one set to reach the last four, but beat the Swiss 6-4 6-2 to top the John McEnroe Group.
Murray extended his winning streak to 22 matches and goes on to face Milos Raonic at 14:00 GMT on Saturday.
Serb Novak Djokovic faces Japan's Kei Nishikori in the other semi at 20:00.
Djokovic also won all three of his group matches, and Murray must at least match his results at the O2 Arena to end the year at the top of the rankings.
In the last group match of the tournament, Croat Marin Cilic defeated Japan's world number five Nishikori 3-6 6-2 6-3.
Cilic's win means he will replace Frenchman Gael Monfils to become the new world number six.
Murray withstood an early barrage of winners from Wawrinka before taking a grip on the match midway through the first set.
"The first set was tight. There weren't many chances," said Murray, 29.
"I managed to get the break late in the set. In the second set I'd already qualified for the semis, so maybe it was easier for me to play more free than him."
The Scot knew he only required one set, while Wawrinka was really in need of a straight-set victory, lending the contest an added air of tension from even the early stages.
A healthy contingent of Swiss fans among the 16,000 spectators added to an atmosphere more akin to the latter stages of a Grand Slam.
Wawrinka, 31, blasted four winners in the opening game but could not make the breakthrough and Murray capitalised in game seven.
A loose backhand gave Murray a break point and when the Swiss failed to put away a forehand pass, the Wimbledon champion pounced at the net - prompting Wawrinka to smash his racquet in anger.
Murray could have been forgiven for a few nerves when three set points then slipped by on the Wawrinka serve, but he served out calmly in the following game and qualification was secure.
Wawrinka framed a forehand to drop serve at the start of the second and his challenge was all but over, as Murray raced 4-0 clear and closed it out after one hour and 26 minutes.
Source-BBC
Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch slump on unhappy holidays
Shares in two of America's largest clothing retailers plunged on Friday following disappointing third quarter sales and a downbeat forecast for the crucial holiday shopping season.
Gap shares sank by 13.1% after a seventh consecutive quarter of falling revenue and warned that fewer people were visiting stores.
Abercrombie & Fitch's stock fell 13.9% on poor sales and a weak outlook.
Both have been attempting to revitalise their brands, with limited success.
Neil Saunders, chief executive of Conlumino, the retail research company, pinned the blame for Abercrombie & Fitch's poor figures on a failure to communicate with customers about the changes it has made to its fashion lines.
Once known for its picture-perfect models and sales assistants, as well as Abercrombie & Fitch monogrammed garments, the retailer has shifted "towards a more inclusive and gentler approach with an emphasis on stylish, quality clothing", said Mr Saunders.
However, a "confusing" marketing campaign, poor foot traffic at both its flagship and mall-situated shops and warmer weather resulted a 6% fall in third quarter sales to $821.7m and an 80% slump in profit to $7.9m.
Abercrombie & Fitch said it expects business to remain challenging for the rest of the year, which includes Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving Day shopping jamboree, as well as Christmas and the New Year.
Source-