Two survive St Vincent plane crash
Two men survived, reportedly suffering only soft tissue injuries, after the small private plane they were flying in crashed in Georgetown, on the windward side of St Vincent, yesterday.
The pilot, St Lucian Wayne McDiarmed, and his co-pilot, Marvin Fabian Peka of Grenada, remained in hospital overnight.
They were on board a Cessna C-337 Skymaster on their way to Carraicou from St. Lucia when the plane went down after 2:30 p.m.
A man who said he saw the crash told I-Witness News that the plane seemed to have lost power and was gliding before it clipped some trees and went down.
Leon Yearwood, a security officer at the Langley Park Airstrip, said he rushed to the scene to help the crash victims, assisted by other residents.
Another man, who did not want to be named, told the online news site that by the time he arrived, one of the men was already out and people in the community came out and “did a good job in saving the [other] guy’s life”.
Source-caribbean360
Dozens die in new tremor near Everest, Nepal
A major earthquake has struck eastern Nepal, near Mount Everest, two weeks after more than 8,000 people died in a devastating quake.
At least 37 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured, officials say. At least 17 have also died in India.
The latest earthquake hit near the town of Namche Bazaar and sent thousands of panicked residents on to the streets of Nepal's capital, Kathmandu.
It had a magnitude of 7.3, compared with the 7.8 of the 25 April quake.
The latest quake struck at 12:35 Nepali time (06:50 GMT) and was centred about 76km (47 miles) east of Kathmandu, in a rural area close to the Chinese border.
The quake was felt in northern India, Tibet and Bangladesh. India's home ministry said 16 people had been killed in the state of Bihar, and one more in Uttar Pradesh. Officials in China said one person was confirmed dead in Tibet.
Rescue helicopters have been sent to districts east of Kathmandu, that are believed to be worst hit. Police in Charikot, 80km north-east of the capital, said 20 people had died there.
A spokesman for Nepal's government told the BBC that 31 of the country's 75 districts had been affected.
Prime Minister Sushil Koirala called for "courage and patience" and urged all those who had assisted Nepal since the 25 April quake "to once again extend your helping hand".
At least four people were killed in the town of Chautara, east of Kathmandu, where a number of buildings are reported to have collapsed.
The International Organisation for Migration said bodies were being pulled from rubble there.
Krishna Gyawali, the chief district officer for Chautara, said there had been a number of landslides.
Landslides were also reported by Save the Children in Sindhupalchok and Dolakha.
MARINE FORECAST FOR SUNDAY 10TH MAY 2015.
NO GALE WARNINGS BUT WINDS MAY GUSTS UP TO 25 KNOTS OR MORE AND VISIBILITY MAY BE REDUCED TO 3NM OR LESS IN HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
GENERAL SITUATION: AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD OVER THE ISLANDS GENERATING SUNNY AND HOT CONDITIONS OVER THE ISLANDS.
FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY HOT AND HUMID WITH SOME AFTERNOON SCATTERED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS, TURNING FAIR AND HUMID TONIGHT WITH THE CHANCE OF A SCATTERED SHOWER OR TWO.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST-SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN MODERATE NORTHERLY SWELLS.
FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY ,HOT AND WINDY TODAY WITH THE CHANCE OF A BRIEF PASSING SHOWER AND THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS, TURNING FAIR AND WINDY TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION.
WINDS: EAST-SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS.
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET IN MODERATE NORTHLY SWELLS.
SUNRISE 6.28 AM SUNSET: 7.45 PM
MOON SET: 12:15 PM MOON RISE: 1:33 AM MON
LOW TIDE: 7:24 AM HIGH TIDE: 1:24 PM
LOW TIDE: 6:32 PM
EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAY: AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE THE DOMINANT WEATHER FEATURE ACROSS THE ISLANDS FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS, GENERATING, SUNNY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS ACROSS THE ISLANDS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: SEE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM ANA…
FORECAST FOR MONDAY:
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY HOT AND HUMID, WITH SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE DAY, TURNING FAIR AND HUMID AT NIGHT WITH THE CHANCE OF A SCATTERED SHOWER OR TWO.
WINDS: EAST-SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE NW BAHAMAS AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN NW BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
FORECAST FOR TUEDAY:
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY HOT AND WINDY, WITH SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE DAY, TURNING FAIR AND HUMID AT NIGHT WITH THE CHANCE OF A SCATTERED SHOWER OR TWO.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS.
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET
WEATHER FORECAST FOR SATURDAY 09TH MAY 2015
THIS IS THE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS FOR TONIGHT AND TOMORROW SATURDAY 09TH MAY 2015
GENERAL SITUATION: THE OUTER BANDS OF TROPICAL STORM ANA CONTINUES TO CREATE SOME ISOLATED UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
FOR ALL AREAS
WEATHER: FAIR AND MILD TONIGHT, MOSTLY SUNNY AND HOT TOMORROW WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN THUNDERSTORMS
WINDS: EAST-SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 15 KNOTS
SEAS RUNNING: 3-5 FEET OVER THE OCEAN WITH MODERATE NORTHERLY SWELLS
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE IN NASSAU 88F 31C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE IN NASSAU 72F 22C
SUNRISE AT 6.28 AM SUNDAY AND SUNSET AT 7.45 PM SUNDAY
MOONRISE AT 12.45 AM SUNDAY AND MOONSET AT 12.15 PM SUNDAY
HIGH TIDE AT 12.51 AM SUNDAY AND LOW TIDE AT 7.24 AM SUNDAY
MARINE FORECAST FOR 1:00PM SATURDAY 09TH MAY, 2015
MARINE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS FOR 24 HOURS FROM 1:00PM SATURDAY 09TH MAY, 2015 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 1530 UTC
NO GALE WARNINGS…BUT RESIDENTS AND BOATERS PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SHOULD BE VIGILANT AND TAKE ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AS THE POSSIBILITY OF FUNNEL CLOUDS AND WATERSPOUTS CONTINUES OVER THE AREA.
GENERAL SITUATION: OUTTER BANDS OF TROPICAL STORM ANA ALONG WITH A MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SOME INSTABILITY IN OUR ATMOSPHERE. MEANWHILE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL GRADUALLY REBUILD OVER THE AREA.
ALL AREAS
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES, EASTERLY AT 15 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND EASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, 3 TO 5 FEET IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 5 TO 8 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS BUT ISOLATED SHOWERS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE
MOONRISE: 12:45 AM SUN. HIGH TIDE: 12:25 PM
MOONSET: 12:15 PM SUN. LOW TIDE: 06:30 PM
HIGH TIDE: 12:51 AM
LOW TIDE: 07:24 AM SUN.
MARINE FORECAST FOR SATURDAY 9TH MAY 2015
THIS IS THE BAHAMAS MARINE FORECAST FOR 24 HOURS FROM 6AM, SATURDAY 9TH MAY 2015, ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 0930 UTC.
WARNINGS: CONDITIONS WILL BE CONDUSIVE FOR THE FORMATION OF FUNNEL CLOUDS AND WATERSPOUTS SO RESIDENTS AND BOATERS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT DURING THESE EVENTS.
GENERAL SITUATION: OUTTERBANDS FROM NOW TROPICAL STORM ANA ALONG WITH A MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROF ACROSS THE BAHAMAS WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOME INSTABILITY ACROSS THE ISLANDS RESULTING IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
ALL AREAS
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NW AND CNTRL BAHAMAS AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE SE BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NW AND CNTRL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SE BAHAMAS
WEATHER: FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
MOONSET 11:15AM & MOONRISE 12:45AM SUN
LOW TIDE 6:29AM & HIGH TIDE 12:25PM
LOW TIDE 6:30PM & HIGH TIDE 12:51AM SUN
EXTENDED FORECAST: AS ANA LIFTS NORTHWARDS AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE ISLANDS RESULTING IN A FRESHINING OF THE WINDS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS
FORECAST FOR SUNDAY:
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT IN THE CNTRL/SE BAHAMAS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION
WINDS: SE’LY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NW BAHAMAS AND E TO SE AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CNTRL/SE BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NW BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CNTRL/SE BAHAMAS
WEATHER: CHANCE OF A FEW SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
FORECAST FOR MONDAY:
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT IN THE CNTRL/SE BAHAMAS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION
WINDS: E TO SE AT 15 KNOTS IN THE NW BAHAMAS AND 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CNTRL/SE BAHAMAS…WINDS WILL BE GUSTY AT TIMES
SEAS: 3 TO 5 FEET IN THE NW BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CNTRL/SE BAHAMAS
WEATHER: CHANCE OF PASSING SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
CWC OBTAINS AUDIO RIGHTS FOR BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL
Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) today announced that it has reached an agreement with talkSPORT, global audio partner of the Barclays Premier League, to acquire live audio streaming rights and official match commentary of Barclays Premier League football across all its markets in the Caribbean and Latin America until the end of the 2018/19 season. CWC has also been granted sponsorship and marketing rights within the content, as well as the right to distribute branded coverage across free to air radio stations in the region.
CWC, which now operates the Flow brand in a number of markets, will allow their customers access to live commentary (in English and Spanish) of every Barclays Premier League match for four seasons starting in 2015/16. CWC’s customers will also have access to live commentary for the climax of the 2014/15 season.
Through its market-leading products, CWC will stream coverage of the world’s most popular and exciting football league to customers through their Flow set top box and online via a new mobile application to be unveiled shortly. In addition to talkSPORT’s official live commentary; users will also enjoy coverage of selected FA Cup matches, weekly Barclays Premier League preview and review shows and other mobile and digital content. Additionally, CWC customers will also be able to download a specially created Football App associated with this partnership, and access the exciting commentary of the matches, at their convenience.
James McElvanna, newly appointed VP of Products at CWC, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with talkSPORT in bringing exclusive audio rights for Barclays Premier League football to our markets up until the end of the 2018/19 season. This partnership also allows us to continue to demonstrate the advantages of our recent merger with Columbus. Through our newly merged companies we are combining our strengths and will work with our content partners to expand our multi-platform approach to deliver top sports programming to our customers throughout our markets, as well as the advertisers who want to reach them. With access to every game – all 380 – there will be no better place for fans to keep up with all the action than with CWC.”
Scott Taunton, Chief Operating Officer of talkSPORT owner UTV Media plc, said: “We are thrilled to be entering into this new long-term strategic partnership with Cable and Wireless to exploit talkSPORT’s Barclays Premier League audio rights in the Caribbean. The combination of our world class content and Cable and Wireless’s market-leading fixed and mobile distribution equals great news for football fans across the region.”
IMF releases their findings following a visit to the TCI
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, headed by Hiroko Oura, visited Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), during April 14-27, to conduct a financial stability assessment under the IMF’s Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP).
The mission met with Governor Peter Beckingham, Financial Services Commission (FSC) Managing Director Kevin Higgins, Minister of Finance, Trade, and Investment Charles Washington Misick, Chief Financial Officer Stephen Turnbull, Permanent Secretary, Finance Sonia Thomas-Been, senior officials from the FSC and other agencies, as well as representatives of financial institutions and professional bodies. The preliminary findings of the mission are summarized as follows.
The financial system is been gradually recovering from the 2008 economic crisis. Banks continue to show high levels of Non Performing Loan (NPL) ratios and credit growth remains negative. But high levels of capital buffers should help them withstanding a range of adverse shocks. While the economy is recovering, the FSC should remain vigilant and monitor asset quality and liquidity conditions, and ensure the capital buffers remain. The domestic insurance sector is small and do not appear to pose systemic risks. The offshore insurance sector has little link to the domestic financial system.
However, small depositors and policyholders suffered substantially from the lack of standard safety net tools. The territory does not have lender of last resort (namely, a central bank) or a deposit insurance scheme (DIS). Without government support, small depositors of a systemically important indigenous bank, failed in 2010, lost significant amount. Policyholders of a failed local insurance company (originally a branch of failed Trinidad-and-Tobago-based CL Financial) are expected to lose a considerable sum as well.
At this moment, the Turks and Caicos Islands authorities are not ready to introduce a DIS. A DIS can function properly when its two preconditions are met: a strong supervisory framework and a special resolution regime for banks that are not viable. While progress has been made in the first area, more needs to be done in the second area. More specifically:
• Enhance regulation and supervision: The FSC has made notable progress since the previous IMF assessment in 2003 and now has better governance, ample financial resources, and supervisory power. Nonetheless, there remains a need for modernizing key legislations urgently, strengthening the Board’s oversight, filling key senior management positions, implementing supervisory guidelines, and more intrusively examining the nature of risks.
• Introduce a Special Bank Resolution Regime: Such a regime empowers the FSC to directly take a whole array of actions to deal with non-viable banks before they become insolvent. It includes power to remove and replace senior managers, restructure or wind down the bank, establishing a bridge bank, and transfer the bank’s assets and liabilities.
Nonetheless, there are other tools that can protect small depositors and policyholders, and these should be introduced urgently.
• “Preference” for depositors and policyholders: The Company Ordinance should be modified to pay out small depositors and insurance policyholders ahead of larger and wealthier creditors when a financial institution is liquidated.
• Funds earmarked for depositor and policyholder payout: For banks, create a Special Purpose Reserve Fund that holds a portion of total customer deposits in high quality liquid assets, earmarked exclusively for protecting small depositors in case of a failure of the particular bank. For insurers, the new draft domestic Insurance Ordinance will require setting up a statutory segregated trust in TCI, which is dedicated to pay out policyholder claims.
Coordination with various stakeholders is important for the FSC. TCI should create a Financial Stability Committee, including the representatives from the Governor’s office, the Ministry of Finance, and the FSC, to ensure interagency coordination in both regular and crisis periods. Since TCI’s financial system is dominated by foreign-owned institutions, there should be adequate cross-border collaboration with relevant supervisors.
Communication and consultation with the industry need to be formalized to facilitate dialogues said the IMF Agent.
The IMF conducts FSAPs in all its member countries that request it. Assessments in developing and emerging market countries are conducted jointly with the World Bank. FSAPs include two components: a financial stability assessment, which is the responsibility of the Fund; and, in developing and emerging market countries, a financial development assessment, the responsibility of the World Bank.
Cable & Wireless Communications Recognized as Avaya Central America and the Caribbean Mid - Market
Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) today announced it has been recognized as Avaya Central America and the Caribbean Mid-Market Partner of the Year
for 2014.
In addition to this win, Cable and Wireless received nominations for Project of the Year, Salesperson of the Year and Pre-Sales Engineer of the year.
The company received the award during Avaya’s recent Partner Engage Week Event in Miami, FL.
“We are honored to receive this award from Avaya that serves as a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication in serving our customers with excellence. The Small and Medium enterprise segment is one of the largest growing in the Caribbean and Latin America and thus a vital piece of our business plans.
We look forward to continue working with key partners, such as Avaya, in helping small and medium companies grow in the region, while providing them with the best ICT products and solutions
”, said John Maduri, President Cable & Wireless Business.
CWC has been Avaya’s platinum Partner for the past five years, the highest partner status level in Avaya's Channel Relationship hierarchy.
With this award, A vaya recognizes CWC’s commitment to the region shown through increased synergy and collaboration as well as the launching of new initiatives such as myOFFICE, a business solution
that helps small and medium companies achieve faster and more efficient communications,improve productivity and cut costs.“
With the integration of Columbus, Cable & Wireless Communications is positioned to excel as one of the region’s top ICT providers.
As Avaya’s first and longest running Platinum Partner in the Caribbean an d Central America, we are glad to be one of Cable & Wireless’ partners of choice and continue working together to deliver innovative solutions to companies and governments in the region” said Galib Karim, Managing Director, Avaya LATAM.
Long Bay High School Opens for the 2015-2016 Academic Year
The new academic year will herald in several first for students in the Turks & Caicos Islands at the new Long Bay Hills School.
It will be the first day of preschool for the active and timid preschooler, the first day protective parents will release their babies and preteens from their hovering clutches into the hollow walls of educational institutions to receive quality education and for the Turks & Caicos Islands Government Ministry of Education, it will be the first day a new high school, which will welcome the first set of students, coming some twenty-eight years after the first high school was built on the island of Providenciales.
Like all other government educational institutions, the new school will open its doors at the commencement of the academic year 2015-2016 and will embrace its first batch of students who will intern be the first graduating class of the institution in 2020.
The school is located in the Long Bay Hills area, the Long Bay High School as it will be named, will be a fully functional high school separate and apart from the Clement Howell High School. The school will be built in phases, with the first phase accommodating all first formers (Form 1) or year one students who registered for public high school in Providenciales for the new academic year.
The second phase will give allowance for the enrollment of students entering forms two to five (forms 2-5). This is in keeping with the pivotal role that Education plays in nation building. Students will be afforded holistic development through the provision of educational opportunities and friendly learning environments for them to flourish into well-adjusted adults.