PUBLIC FORECAST 12:00 PM THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT MONDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2016
GENERAL SITUATION: DEEP LAYERED TROUGHING COMBINED WITH A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS ACROSS THE BAHAMAS WILL CONTINUE TO TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAINLY OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THEREFORE FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS ARE POSSIBLE…ALSO BOATERS AND BEACH-GOERS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT DUE TO ROUGH SURF AND THE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS ALONG NORTH AND EAST COAST BEACHES AS A RESULT OF SEA SWELLS.
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING VARIABLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION…
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS…
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE OCEAN BUT UP TO 9 FEET IN NORTHEASTERLY
SWELLS…
TURKS & CAICOS
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY SKIES WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION…
WINDS: NORTHEASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND LIGHT
AND VARIABLE AT 10 KNOTS OR LESS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEANIN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 3 FEET OR LESS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS BUT UP TO 8 FEET IN NORTHEASTERLY SWELLS IN ALL AREAS
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 86 °F 30 °C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 74 °F 23 °C
SUNSET: 6:41PM SUNRISE: 7:09AM
MOONRISE: 8:17PM MOONSET: 9:42AM
LOW TIDE: 3:33 PM HIGH TIDE: 9:31 PM
LOW TIDE: 3:42 AM TUE HIGH TIDE: 10:00 AM TUE
OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW: DEEP LAYERED TROUGHING WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA WITH AN INCREASE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ISLANDS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: A large area of cloudiness and disorganized showers located over the central and southeastern Bahamas and adjacent western Atlantic waters is associated with a surface trough that is interacting with an upper-level low. Upper-level winds are currently unfavorable for significant development, but they could become more conducive for tropical or subtropical cyclone formation by late Tuesday or Wednesday when the system begins to drift northward or north-northwestward. Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is possible over portions of the Bahamas during the next day or so. Formation chance through 48 hours...low...20 percent AND Formation chance through 5 days...medium...50 percent.
A Partnership made in China due to Bloodhound
A British team is developing a car that will be capable of reaching 1,000mph (1,610km/h). Powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine, the vehicle will first mount an assault on the world land speed record (763mph; 1,228km/h). Bloodhound should start running on Hakskeen Pan in Northern Cape, South Africa, in 2017.
Exactly 12 months ago we held the public launch of the nearly completed Bloodhound SSC in the centre of London.
We were swamped by the media (over £100m of global coverage for the launch) and the general public, with some 8,000 people packing out our Canary Wharf venue during the two brief days that the car was on show.
It was obvious that we had a winner; now we just had to find the right partner to help us get it finished.
This has taken a little longer than we’d hoped, but finally we are able to announce our new Lead Partner, Geely (technically, it’s the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, but let’s keep it simple – Geely).
If we were choosing an ideal new partner, we’d look for someone that would understand Bloodhound's mission as "an Engineering Adventure" to inspire the next generation’. Better still, we’d look for someone to help us put the Bloodhound Engineering Adventure in front of millions of people we haven’t reached yet.
Now here’s the good bit: the Geely Group makes cars (inlcuding Geelys, Volvos and London Taxis), the Group runs research and development centres around the world (including one in Coventry), and it’s also set up a number of universities in China.
This is a company that clearly understands the technology and the education mission of our story.
Following our recent press launch, Bloodhound is fast becoming big news in China and I’ve had two email enquiries already from the British Embassy in Beijing.
Thanks to this new partnership, we’re starting reaching out to country of well over 1.3 billion people, as well as the other countries in the region. We’ve only just started working together, but Geely already seems like a great partner for Bloodhound’s Engineering Adventure.
We’ve had a lot of texts, emails, tweets and notes of congratulations since we announced our new partner, as well as lots of "about time – when’s it running?" comments.
My personal highlight was seeing a picture of Bloodhound SSC, and our announcement about Geely, on a billboard in Times Square in New York.
From Beijing to NY, there is no escape, Bloodhound is coming to get you. Thanks to all of you who wrote in and yes, I do know just how you feel, I can’t wait to see it running either!
Source-BBC
PUBLICFORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SUNDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2016
GENERAL SITUATION: DEEP LAYERED TROUGHING OVER THE AREA ALONG WITH A SHEARLINE, WHICH EXTENDS FROM HURRICANE NICOLE, IS PRODUCING WIDESPREAD CLOUDINESS AND SHOWER ACTIVITY OVER THE ISLAND CHAIN.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT LOCALIZED FLOODING IN LOW-LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS…MARINERS AND BEACHGOERS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT DUE TO LINGERING NORTHEASTERLY SWELLS AND THE HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ESPECIALLY ALONG NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
AREA: NORTHWEST & CENTRAL BAHAMAS
WEATHER: MOSTLY CLOUDY TO OVERCAST AND BREEZY WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT…GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS CAN BE EXPECTED IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET IN NORTHEASTERLY SWELLS.
AREA: TURKS & CAICOS
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS, FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN NORTHEASTERLY SWELLS.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 86 °F 30 °C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 73 °F 23 °C
SUNSET: 6:41PM MOONRISE: 7:27PM LOW TIDE: 2:41PM 2:53AM MON
SUNRISE: 7:09AM MON MOONSET: 8:36AM MON HIGH TIDE: 8:40PM 9:09AM MON
WEATHER OUTLOOK: 11:00 AM (FOR TOMORROW): PARTLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: PLEASE SEE THE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE NICOLE, LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL NORTH ATLANTIC…ELSEWHERE, A SURFACE TROUGH INTERACTING WITH AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW IS PRODUCING A PERSISTENT AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER OVER MOST OF THE BAHAMAS AND ADJACENT WATERS OF THE WESTERN ATLANTIC AND THE FLORIDA STRAITS. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE CURRENTLY UNFAVORABLE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR, BUT THEY COULD BECOME SOMEWHAT MORE CONDUCIVE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. REGARDLESS OF DEVELOPMENT, LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THIS SYSTEM HAS A 20% CHANCE OF TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION THROUGH THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
Google News launches fact check label
Google has launched a new feature, fact check, which will add a label next to news stories in search results.
Fact check will appear with other news organisations in Google News and will, Google says, "shine a light on its efforts to divide fact from fiction".
Richard Gingras, Google's head of news, added it will "help readers find fact checking in large news stories".
He said sites which already have a fact checking service can apply to be included to appear in search results.
"You'll see the tagged articles in the expanded story box on news.google.com and in the Google News & Weather iOS and Android apps, starting with the US and the UK," he added in a blogpost.
Google will determine whether a fact check is needed for a news story using the claim review technique. It already labels stories with tabs such as opinion, related and local source.
Fact checking is something that has become increasingly popular in the past few years.
According to the the Duke University Reporter's Lab, there are more than 100 fact checking sites online including the BBC's own Reality Check.
However, not all fact check sites run by algorithm have been as fortunate when it comes to fulfilling their intended purpose.
Source-BBC
Billboard honors Madonna
Madonna is being honoured by Billboard magazine - who've named her woman of the year for 2016.
The magazine has written a long list of reasons why they chose her and said it came following a year where she extended her record as the highest-grossing female touring artist of all time,
Janice Min president and chief creative officer for Billboard had this to say..
" Madonna is one of a miniscule number of super-artists whose influence and career transcend music. With her creative vision, relentless innovation, and dedication to philanthropic causes, she is an inspiration to hundreds of millions of people around the world, all while shattering every career record out there. She is an important feminist on top of that, a one-of-a-kind artist who’s used her influence to change the conversation around women, sexuality and equal rights."
The seven-time Grammy winner will receive the honour at the 11th annual Women in Music event, held on 9 December in New York.
Source-BBC
Thousands flee as typhoon smashes into Philippines
Typhoon Sarika smashed into the main Philippine island of Luzon early Sunday, ripping off roofs, toppling power lines and forcing more than 12,000 people to flee to safer ground, officials said.
Minor landslides and flooding were also reported a day after the cyclone brushed past a remote island and left one person drowned and three others missing, they said.
"The roofs of some house were blown away and power was cut in some areas," Mina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the government's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, told AFP.
"Minor landslides were also reported as well as floods. We're waiting for the typhoon to blow over to conduct a fuller assessment," Marasigan added.
Sarika was progressively weakening since making landfall on the east coast town of Baler before dawn Sunday (1830 GMT Saturday) packing winds of 130 kilometres an hour (81 mph), weather forecasters said.
It later raked across mainly mountainous and sparsely populated areas in the morning, and was expected to roar out to the South China Sea in the afternoon.
Marasigan's disaster agency said nearly 12,500 people left their homes in the typhoon's path, seeking refuge in government-run shelters and relatives' homes.
Eleven people were rescued after a boat capsized off the eastern island of Samar on Friday, while about 1,000 boats and 6,500 passengers were stranded at ports as the coast guard barred smaller vessels from putting to sea.
The disaster agency said 290 commercial flights, including 63 to international destinations, were cancelled due to bad weather.
Marasigan also said 23 mountain climbers were rescued in the northern Philippines.
The Philippine islands are often the first major landmass to be hit by storms that generate over the Pacific Ocean. The Southeast Asian archipelago endures about 20 major storms each year, many of them deadly.
Haiyan, the strongest typhoon ever recorded to hit land, smashed into the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.
Source-AFP
Daughter of Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay fatally shot
Authorities say the 15-year-old daughter of Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay has been fatally shot in Kentucky.
The Fayette County coroner's office says in a statement that Trinity Gay died at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.
The sprinter's agent, Mark Wetmore, confirmed in a text message to The Associated Press that Gay's daughter was killed.
Lexington police said in a statement officers went to the parking lot of a restaurant after witnesses reported gunfire exchanged between two vehicles. Officers located one of the vehicles and stopped two people for questioning.
Tyson Gay has competed in the last three Summer Olympics. He was part of a team that won a silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay at the 2012 London Games though that medal was ultimately stripped after Gay tested positive for steroids in 2013.
Source-AP
Haitian presidential, legislative elections to be held on November 20
The long delayed presidential and legislative elections in Haiti will be held on November 20 following yet another setback due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew.
On Friday, the Provisional Election Council said the second round of elections will be held on January 29.
Haiti’s elections had been scheduled for last week. The country’s previous elections, in 2015, were canceled because of violence and fraud, leaving Haiti in political limbo.
Since President Michel Martelly, demitted office in February – parliament elected Jocelerme Privert as interim president, but his 120-day mandate expired in June.
Haiti was forced to postpone the scheduled second round of elections in January amid protests after the frontrunner Jude Celestin said he would not campaign until government officials addressed fraud allegations resulting from the October 25 poll last year.
Celestin welcomed the latest postponement after the hurricane saying “getting assistance to the population is more important than elections right now.
“It’s difficult to go ask people to go vote, given what we’re dealing with right now. But elections are important. I hope that the CEP announces a new date as soon as possible so that regardless of the conditions, there is a new president who takes office in Haiti on February 7.”
The four main challengers for the post of president are Jean-Henri Céant, Jovenel Moise, Moïse Jean-Charles and Celestin.
Source-CMC
New Financial Services Commission Director & Staff Appointmented
In their continuing efforts to ensure that it human resources are adequate and prepared to meet the regulatory challenges of a dynamic financial services industry, the Financial Services Commission announced the establishment of a Human Resources Department in Providenciales.
The meeting was to appoint a new board member and three heads of departments, the promotion of 11 members of staff and the confirmation to the permanent staff of five temporary staff. These staff changes took effect from 1 October 2016.
The new board member, Dr David Oakden, comes to the Commission with extensive training and experience in insurance. Dr Oakden is an independent consultant and a former Managing Director in the Actuarial Division at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) in Canada. Dr Oakden is a fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and holds a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Toronto. The Commission’s Managing Director, Mr Niguel Streete, commented that “Dr Oakden is an excellent complement to our existing Board skill set, bringing demonstrated and relevant industry and regulatory experience and strategic acumen to the Commission in the area of insurance. His experience will further support our strategy to deliver value to our stakeholders through good governance and regulatory excellence.”
The new heads of departments and members of the Commission’s management team are
i) Mrs Kenisha Bacchus: Director of Human Resources and Administration, and Advisor to the MD on Legal and AML Matters
ii) Mrs Karlene Ferrier: Registrar of Companies, Trademarks and Patents
iii) Ms Corine Bolton: Director of Insurance
In commenting on the new appointments, Mr Streete stated “I am confident that the new heads of department have the requisite skill, training, experience and attitude to build on the successes of the Commission. These are officers with a deep understanding of regulatory issues and a commitment to the jurisdiction. They also recognise the important link between financial stability and economic development.”
The Commission is confident that these staff changes create a strong foundation for pursuing the initiatives in its strategic plan and for building local regulatory capacity.
US bans Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones on flights
The US Department of Transportation has banned Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones on flights after reports of the device catching fire.
Passengers will not be able to take the phones on flights or in their luggage to and from the US from 16:00 GMT on Saturday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously advised against packing the phones in luggage.
Samsung permanently stopped Galaxy Note 7 production this week.
"We recognise that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.
"We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident in-flight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk."
Samsung recalled around 2.5 million phones in September after complaints of exploding batteries.
While it later insisted that all replaced devices were safe, there were reports that those phones were catching fire too.
The company then said it would stop Galaxy Note 7 production.
"The fire hazard with the original Note 7 and with the replacement Note 7 is simply too great for anyone to risk it and not respond to this official recall," said US Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Elliot Kaye.
"I would like to remind consumers once again to take advantage of the remedies offered, including a full refund. It's the right thing to do and the safest thing to do."
Source-BBC