Hurricane Lane: Hawaii hit by flooding and landslides as storm nears
Hurricane Lane has been downgraded to a category two tropical storm as it churns towards Hawaii, but is still causing flash flooding and landslides.
Schools and offices were closed as residents took shelter from the storm, which pummelled the US state with strong winds and torrential rain.
As the storm neared the Aloha state on Friday, it brought winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and heavy rainfall.
President Donald Trump earlier declared a state of emergency for Hawaii.
The White House said federal authorities were on standby to provide support and supplies to local and state emergency response efforts.
By Friday morning Lane was 180 miles (290km) south of the state capital Honolulu, and forecast to pass over or "dangerously close" to parts of the main Hawaiian islands later in the day.
While the storm has been downgraded, the situation remains "dangerous" and severe flooding is a "major concern", the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted earlier.
Lane was also forecast to cause dangerous surf heights of up to 25ft (7.6m) in Maui and Oahu. Officials warned of "significant beach erosion" and waves hitting coastal roadways.
Trump Organization financial chief Weisselberg 'given immunity'
The Trump Organization's finance boss, Allen Weisselberg, has reportedly been granted legal immunity in the probe into Michael Cohen.
He was summoned to testify earlier this year in the investigation into Cohen, Donald Trump's longtime former lawyer, US media report.
Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to handling hush money for Mr Trump in violation of campaign finance laws.
Mr Weisselberg, Chief Financial Officer, is the latest to get immunity.
On Thursday, it emerged that David Pecker, head of the company that publishes the National Enquirer tabloid, was also given immunity.
Mr Weisselberg is reportedly mentioned on a tape secretly recorded by Cohen in 2016 in which a hush money payment to an alleged lover of Mr Trump is discussed.
It is not yet clear what Mr Weisselberg has agreed to in return for getting legal immunity.
The Trump Organization has not commented on the reports, which first emerged in the Wall Street Journal.
Matthew Barnes undertakes his first assignment as Head Coach of the Turks and Caicos Islands Men’s National Football Team.
In light of the Concacaf Nations League approaching, the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA) has agreed with Matthew Barnes to guide the Men’s National Team as its Head Coach for the 4 qualifying games. Barnes has been involved in Coaching Football since the age of 18. He has Coached at the Youth Level, and at the College Level. During his time Coaching at Lubbock Christian University, he coached National Team Captain, Billy Forbes, and became aware of the football talent that exists in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In addition to his College Coaching experience, Barnes has Coached in the Premier Development League (PDL) for multiple years in various states in the USA including Texas and California. The PDL is a proving ground for players looking to transition into the professional league in the USA (Major League Soccer) and this reflects his ability to coach and manage elite players as well as those needing to fine tune their football abilities.
One of the most interesting things about being appointed to the position, Barnes says, is the fact that the Turks & Caicos Islands Men’s National Team currently sits in the lower half of the FIFA worldwide rankings. Although this could be a deterrent for some, he expressed that it is right up his alley, and in some senses, his expertise. Barnes has been very successful in providing support to struggling programmes at four Universities in the United States of America, and is also the helm of a very successful USL-PDL (Premier Development League) and NPSL franchise that made the PDL national semi-final two years ago, and the NPSL National Championship, this time last year.
Barnes’ approach to training the Turks & Caicos Islands Men’s National team, right now, is simple; and that is to lay a foundation for the future. “The islands are full of talented young players and giving them a stable platform for development is critical. The modern manager is faced with a multitude of challenges including progressive training sessions, periodization on a team and individual level, personal wellness and personal growth, just to name a few. We will build a platform that addresses these issues and more, while at the same time developing pride in the fact that we represent the people of Turks and Caicos. Work, effort and commitment are non-negotiable and we will build a Men’s National Team programme that takes pride in that.”
The CONCACAF Nations League Qualifying Matches are scheduled to kick off this September and continue through out March 2019. Turks & Caicos Islands will play its first game against Cuba on September 8th at Estadio Nacional de Futbol Pedro Marerro, in Havana Cuba. “I would like to thank the TCIFA Executive Committee for this amazing opportunity. I sincerely believe that this is one of the most well directed National Teams in the region. I see a lot of great things that can potentially happen here, and I can’t wait to get to work,” said Barnes.
For more information, please contact TCIFA Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Candia Ewing, at 946-5532 or cewingtcifa@gmail.com
Address:
TCIFA National Academy
Venetian Road
Providenciales
Turks & Caicos Islands
Beaches Summer Interns Clean-up Bight Community
(August 22, 2018-Beaches Turks and Caicos Providenciales, TCI)—As part of its commitment to environmental responsibility, Beaches Turks and Caicos Resorts (BTC) hosted a two day community clean-up in the Lower Bight in an effort to help beautify and preserve the residential community.
Nearly 80 hired summer interns and full-time employees volunteered for the clean-up, collecting 75 trash bags along Forbes Road to the Beaches Key West entrance.
The clean-up was coordinated by BTC’s Environmental Health Department in collaboration with the Human Resources Department to educate the interns about corporate responsibility, environmental awareness for hospitality workers and to help build well rounded employees.
“The aim of the cleanup was to instill in our interns a positive attitude towards community work and a clean environment. The community and its surrounding environment existed long before Beaches Turks and Caicos was in operation. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we have a positive impact on our surroundings and maintain the natural beauty of this country,” said Stefon Tyndall, EHS Coordinator for the resort.
Tyndall added; “I would like to encourage the members of the community of the lower Bight to help us keep the Bight community clean. In order to keep our environment clean we need people to hold themselves accountable for keeping their surroundings clean.”
The Beaches Summer Internship Program has employed over 600 student interns since its inception eight years ago. The six week paid internship places high school and college students in the advanced summer program to help foster careers in hospitality.
Human Resources Manager, Monique Vaughn said; ‘Our Company’s credo speaks to involving our community, preserving our environment and making today better than it was yesterday. As mentors to the youth of the Turks and Caicos Islands enrolled in our summer programme, we hope they will model our behaviour. They will become good stewards of the earth they have inherited and understand just as our company (Beaches) and team members do, we must each play our role in preserving it”
Shequell Gardiner, an intern with the Public Relations Department said, “I think the community clean-up was a great idea as we were able to come together and help beautify where we work and live. I have interned here before so this is my fourth time taking part in the cleanup and every year, it gets even more rewarding.”
Senior EHS Coordinator, Shuntal Gibson said; “This was one of the best groups of interns thus far for the cleanup, they were passionate, and it was about working hard and making a difference. You could see the passion and how students were willing to do their part to preserve our community.”
The first intern cleanup was hosted in 2014; the initiative has led to over 700 bags of trash being collected over the years.
The students complete the internship program on Friday, August 24th where they will participate in a graduation ceremony. Students who excelled in the program will be chosen as Shining Stars which will give them preference for future internship opportunities.
SOURCES - SANDALS GROUP
BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS PUBLIC FORECAST 23RD AUGUST, 2018
THIS IS A PUBLIC FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT THURSDAY 23RD AUGUST 2018 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 6AM
GENERAL SITUATION: A MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WILL TRIGGER POCKETS OF UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER THE ISLANDS TODAY AS A BROAD HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER ELSEWHERE.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY TODAY. MARINERS AND BEACHGOERS SHOULD ALSO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND ROUGH SURF ACROSS EAST COAST BEACHES IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, BREEZY, AND HOT WITH FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. PARTLY CLOUDY, BREEZY AND WARM AT NIGHT WITH FEW SHOWERS OR A POSSIBLE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION TODAY.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS TODAY, DECREASING TO 12 TO 18 KNOTS LATER.
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE OCEAN, FALLING TO 3 TO 5 FEET LATER.
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, HOT AND HUMID WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. PARTLY CLOUDY AND WARM AT NIGHT WITH FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OR A POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORM.
ADVISORY: BOATERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES AND EASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS ACROSS THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 93°F 34 °C
HEAT INDEX 107°F 41 °C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 79 °F 26 °C
SUNRISE: 6:47 AM SUNSET: 7:35 PM
MOONRISE: 5:58 PM MOONSET: 5:04 AM FRI
LOW TIDE: 11:35 AM & 12:22 AM FRI
HIGH TIDE: 5:57 PM & 6:12 AM FRI
EXTENDED FORECAST: MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGHS OR LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE BAHAMAS THROUGH SATURDAY AS THEY MEANDER BETWEEN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. MEANWHILE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL SHIFT NORTHWARD AND MAINTAIN MODERATE FRESH BREEZES OVER MOST OF THE BAHAMAS.
DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND CITIZENSHIP HOSTING SEMINAR
DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
The Department of Registration and Citizenship within the Ministry of Border Control and Employment will be hosting a five (5) day in-house Seminar, during the period of Monday August 27th to Friday August 31st, 2018.
The seminar, which will be attended by the staff of Registration & Citizenship and other members throughout the Ministry, will focus primarily on the British Nationality Act and equipping attendees with the necessary skill and knowledge to assist and advise customers on their abilities to advance towards citizenship.
Please be advised that due to the unavailability of staff during that period, all queries should be directed to the Customer Service Centers located at the Three Degrees Building, Grand Turk and Sammy’s Been Building, Providenciales.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation and we apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE – OFFICE CLOSED
The general public is hereby advised that The Department of Agriculture located at Butterfield Square, Providenciales will be closed on Monday 27TH August 2018.
This is to facilitate staff attendance to the Agriculture Seminar featuring the Hon. J.C. Hutchinson (MP) Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries – Jamaica.
The office will reopen at 8:00 am on Tuesday 28th August 2018.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Trump: Impeach me and the market crashes
US President Donald Trump has responded to speculation that he might be impeached by warning that any such move would damage the economy.
In an interview with Fox & Friends, he said the market would crash and "everybody would be very poor".
He was speaking after Michael Cohen, his ex-lawyer, pleaded guilty to violating election laws and said he had been directed to do so by Mr Trump.
Mr Trump has rarely spoken about the prospect of being impeached.
Correspondents say it is unlikely Mr Trump's opponents would try to impeach him before November's mid-term elections.
Why does Trump say the market would crash?
"I don't know how you can impeach somebody who's done a great job," Mr Trump told Fox and Friends.
"I tell you what, if I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash, I think everybody would be very poor."
Pointing to his head, he said: "Because without this thinking, you would see numbers that you wouldn't believe in reverse."
Ronnie Baker: American sprinter sets fastest 100m time of season
American sprinter Ronnie Baker set the fastest 100m time of the season by clocking 9.87 seconds to win at the Chorzow meeting in Poland.
It meant the 24-year-old lowered his personal best, as well as the season's best of 9.88 he shared with compatriot Noah Lyles.
His time also eclipsed Usain Bolt's previous meeting record of 9.98, which was set in 2014.
"I felt ready," said the world indoor 60m bronze medallist.
Baker will have the opportunity to win the Diamond League title in Brussels on 31 August.
He triumphed over 100m in the Rome, Paris and London legs to lead the standings going into the final.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: 'New audio message' from IS leader released
The Islamic State group (IS) has released an audio message purportedly from its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, his first in almost in a year.
In a speech, he calls on IS supporters to "persevere", despite the losses the group has suffered in Iraq and Syria.
The recording's authenticity could not be verified, but experts said the voice resembled that heard in other messages.
Although it is undated, there are references to recent events, including the detention of a US pastor in Turkey.
Russia claimed last year that it had probably killed Baghdadi in an air strike in Syria, but US commanders said they believed he was still alive and hiding in a remote area on the Syria-Iraq border.
In July, IS news outlets reported that Baghdadi's son Hudhayfah had been killed during an IS "commando operation" in the Syrian province of Homs.
Baghdadi - an Iraqi whose real name is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri - has not been seen in public since he proclaimed the creation of a "caliphate" from the pulpit of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in July 2014.
His last audio message was released in September 2017, two months after Iraqi government forces recaptured Mosul and one month before IS militants were driven from their Syrian stronghold of Raqqa by a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters.