20 Wildfires in California Leaves 24 Homes Destroyed
Evacuation orders have been given to 13,000 people in California as firefighters struggle to contain some 20 wildfires.
Some 9,000 firefighters worked throughout yesterday in steep terrain and rugged conditions, officials said.
The biggest blaze - the so-called Rocky fire north of San Francisco - has already consumed more than 90 square miles (233 sq km) of land.
On yesterday afternoon the fire jumped a highway that had been containing it.
At least 24 homes were destroyed as the blaze was whipped up by winds that fuelled the flames, our correspondent says.
Source: BBC
MINISTER CONGRATULATES CLASS OF 1975 ON 40TH ANNIVERSARY
“As Deputy Premier and Minister of Education of the Turks and Caicos Islands, I would like to congratulate the Class of 1975 as they celebrate their 40th Anniversary as the first graduating class from the Helena Jones Robinson High School, (formally Turks and Caicos High)…..Continue to let your lives Shine.”
“As the class of many “firsts”, I challenge you to celebrate this 40th year anniversary as a year of new beginnings; 40 is a number of great significance. It signifies a new beginning, which can be seen mentioned over and over in the bible, from the forty days of rain to Jesus’s forty day Journey.”
“I wish you all the best as you reflect on the dynamic impact Turks and Caicos High School has had on your lives. No doubt I know that you all are excited about reuniting and reconnecting with other batch mates, sharing memories of years past, and look back and smile at the roads you have travelled.”
“On Behalf of the entire Ministry of Education, we wish you all the best for a rewarding and enjoyable reunion, and to all those who have travelled to be a part of the reunion, welcome back and congratulations, Class of 1975!”
New DEMA Director introduced to Turks and Caicos
For the past two weeks he has been mentioned in major news coming from the government’s arm for managing coastal resources. Officially, TCIG is now introducing the nation to Dr John Claydon who heads the Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs, aka, DEMA.
Permanent Secretary Desiree Lewis said in a statement: “We are pleased to have Dr. Claydon as part of the team and look forward to a prosperous and sustainable future with him, his knowledge and professionalism will be an asset considering that the 14 British Overseas Territories account for 90% of the UK’s biodiversity.”
Dr. Claydon holds a Ph.D. from James Cook University, Australia and has 10 years industry experience with a background in Marine Biology & Ecology and strong familiarity with this region.
In fact, he has also spent six years on the island of South Caicos as a lecturer in tropical marine ecology and later as Director of the School for Field Studies.
Dr. Claydon joined the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture since July 4.
The IMF says the Bahamas faces challenge to further economic recovery
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says while the Bahamas economy is recovering, the outlook remains challenging. And even with the United States’ recovery and the opening of the Baha Mar mega resort, growth is expected to remain below pre-global crisis levels.
Against this backdrop, the Washington-based financial institution has called for structural reforms to strengthen competitiveness, raise potential growth, and lower unemployment; and for continued efforts to strengthen the fiscal position.
The advice was contained in the IMF Board’s full report, released yesterday, following the Article IV consultation with the Bahamas last month.
Real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by an estimated one per cent in 2014 on the back of increased tourist arrivals. Potential GDP growth is estimated at about 1.5 per cent over the medium term, which the IMF said was insufficient to generate a significant reduction in the high unemployment rate.
“Absent structural reforms, including in the labour market and the energy sector, significantly higher growth than currently projected will be required to absorb new entrants to the labour force and reduce the unemployment rate to single digits over the medium term,” it said.
“The full opening of Baha Mar and two smaller projects, together with the strengthening US economy could represent a major boost to exports in the near-term,” the IMF added, although stressing that, beyond 2016, growth would taper off as US growth decelerates and the base effects from the opening of Baha Mar fade.
The IMF directors therefore underscored the importance of finalizing and implementing the National Development Programme to accelerate medium-to-long-term economic and social development.
The Fund said that over the medium term, enhancing the efficiency of labour market regulations and institutions and greater investment in human capital would be essential to increasing productivity and competitiveness.
It also stressed the importance of stepping up reforms of the state-owned enterprises, in particular in the energy sector.
As they commended the authorities for the substantial progress on fiscal consolidation, and successful introduction of the VAT, the IMF directors urged government to steadfastly implement the planned fiscal consolidation in order to rebuild buffers and place public debt on a declining path.
“In this regard, they stressed the need for continued revenue reforms, including strengthening tax administration. They also recommended rationalization of current expenditures in the context of a medium-term budget framework,” the directors stated in a press release.
They also agreed that the exchange rate peg has continued to serve the Bahamas well. To support it going forward, they stressed the importance of structural reforms to improve competitiveness, noting that this would also avoid placing an excessive burden on fiscal policy.
Minister Thanks Team For Successful Anti-Poaching Sting
The Minister of Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture Hon. Porsha Stubbs-Smith has registered her gratitude to Officers from the Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) who reacted to a tip from the TCI's Marine Police Air Patrol on Thursday, 23 July, which allowed them to apprehend 28 Poachers together with 14 unlicensed vessels.
"This is proud moment as a Turks and Caicos Islander" stated Hon. Stubbs-Smith. "These civil servants have shown courage and bravery and deserve our recognition and gratitude.
"It is important that all potential violators understand that we will not stand by, while our waters and natural environment be abused. Anyone who insists on malicious efforts, similar to these, will be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
"On behalf of myself and my government, we thank all persons involved with this massive apprehension and hope the good work continues," Minister Porsha Stubbs-Smith added.
The Department of Culture gears up for Emancipation Day celebrations
The Department of Culture in the ministry of Heritage and Culture is currently preparing for Emancipation Day, 2015 which is celebrated annually on August 1st, but will be observed as a Public Holiday throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands on Monday, August 3rd, 2015.
The observance of this day stands as a reminder of the end of an atrocity that ought never to have happened and is meant to unite us all in the brotherhood of man and bring us to the realization that we are indeed all equal in God’s sight.
Last year, we were unable to move forward with the Ecumenical Service due to a tropical storm approaching the islands but will therefore use the same program format for this year’s event with minor changes to same.
The Ecumenical Service, 2015 will be held at the Methodist Church on Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 commencing at 3:30pm in Grand Turk. We are requesting your assistance to provide live broadcast coverage of this event via RTC bringing this ceremony to audiences who are unable to attend. Rev. Christmas of the Methodist Church has confirmed that technical provisions to support this task are already in place.
The celebration will continue on Monday, August 3rd, 2015 at the Governor’s Beach where an Emancipation Day, Family Beach Fun Day will be held from 2:00pm until sunset. I will be forwarding in short order, the program and Press Release, once they are finalized.
The National Blood Bank Host Blood Drive With Partners
A major blood drive got underway, with The Turks and Caicos Islands' (TCI) government teaming up with its largest private employer to save lives locally by boosting blood donations.
Together with the TCI National Blood Bank and Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa, TCIG mounted the blood drive, under the theme 'Save a life – Give Blood, being held at the resort in Providenciales.
"We hope to highlight the importance of blood donation and its impact on saving lives," stated Blood Bank Chief Lab Technician, Peggy Samuels.
"Beaches is the largest private employer in the TCI and our hope is that this private public partnership event will help to increase voluntary blood donations from our community, and also increasing awareness of the issues.
"It is a key goal of the World Health Organization is to promote and encourage all countries to achieve 100% voluntary blood donations by 2020, according to the Melbourne Declaration, and TCI will continue to do its part to help meet this goal," Ms. Samuels added.
As from June 2014, the National Blood Bank has established a monthly blood donor drive, which according to Ms. Samuels has already been successful in raising awareness of the need for blood donations and increasing its database of voluntary blood donors.
Residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands are encouraged to become voluntary blood donors by calling the Blood Bank at Tel: 649-941 2800 Ext. 72106 or 649-338 5132. Become a blood donor today.
A constitutional case is set to be heard next week before Chief Justice, Ramsey Hale.
The applicant, Michael Misick, through his Attorneys-at-Law, Ralph A. Thorne, QC and Beryn Duncanson are challenging the constitutionality of the court headed by retired Jamaican judge Harrison, J. The lawyers are also challenging the power of the court to order a trial without a jury.
"The challenge springs from fundamental breaches of law that have been legislated specially for this trial."
"We are contending that the government has established a special court akin to those of other countries that have experienced severe, social, political and military unrest. Unless it can be demonstrated that this kind of upheaval has taken place in Turks & Caicos, every citizen of this country remains equally entitled to the protection of the constitution."
"Apart from challenging the constitutionality of what appears to be an undue special court, we are challenging the law that gives to that court the power to order that our client must be tried without a jury. We are contending that this order tramples on ancient and sacred principles that stipulate that in matters of trial a man is entitled to be ultimately judged by his fellow citizens."
"It has not escaped our attention that our client is being denied this right while all around him others have been given the same right. We strenuously contend that jury trial is not a luxury nor a privilege. It is a right that is not easily whittled away."
"We are arguing that there is no option other than fair trial. You either have a fair trial or none at all! We are concerned that in the prevailing legal circumstances the prospect for fairness seems to have lost its constitutional guarantee."
"We are prepared to argue that the report of the Commission of Inquiry into possible corruption has been the birth-place of these unconstitutional provisions insofar as the mode of trial now pursued was recommended in that report."
"It is a matter of some regret that a document which sought to prescribe solutions to a political crisis has transfigured portions of itself into to a legal regime of trial in a non-traditional court and without a jury. It seems horribly wrong in a stable democracy with a strong inheritance of English legal values and we hope to persuade the court to a similar view."
Sex Exploitation In USA On The Rise
In the US, poverty, deprivation and exploitation draw thousands of its own children down into a dark underworld that offers few ways out. It is a world few Americans are aware of. But tens of thousands of American children are thought to be sexually exploited every year. It's believed that every night hundreds are sold for sex.
The FBI says child sex abuse is almost at an epidemic level, despite the agency rescuing 600 children last year. "Trafficking" often conjures images of people from other countries being smuggled over land and across the sea and then forced to work against their will in foreign lands. People are trafficked into America from Mexico, Central and South America. But the vast majority of children bought and sold for sex every night in the United States are American kids.
We have heard from a number of women from the East coast to the Mid-west who have frighteningly similar and horrific stories. Neglected, abused, exploited and often ignored starting from a young age - sometimes even prosecuted by the very people who should have protected them.
A handful of good souls, the kindness of a few strangers and the good work of some law enforcement agencies and the FBI offer some relief to America's most vulnerable. But the stories we have heard suggest they are only scratching the surface of one of America's best-kept and darkest secrets.
Man accused of faking death for $17-m insurance payout
A Clarendon farmer, Kim Wayne Phillips, who allegedly conspired with his British wife and others to fake his death in order to claim a $17-million insurance payout, is scheduled to return to the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on September 7. Dr. Ivor Davis, who had reportedly signed the death certificate claiming Phillips had died from a heart attack, is also scheduled to return to court on the same day. Both accused had their bails extended last Thursday by Resident Magistrate Maxine Ellis, after she was informed that the file was still incomplete. 45 Phillips, of Mocho, was arrested on February 21 this year and charged with conspiracy to defraud, attempting to obtain money by false pretense, and making a false declaration, following allegations that he along with wife and another man, conspired to fleece the Guardian Life Insurance Company of the money.
Davis was arrested in April and charged with conspiracy to defraud, following allegations that he had signed Phillips' 'death certificate'. The court heard that a death certificate and a burial order with the name of the doctor, who allegedly signed the order, were presented to the insurance company. The insurance claim application was reportedly submitted to Guardian Life last September, after Phillips had allegedly suffered a heart attack and 'died'. The court was previously informed that following the submission of the claim, Phillips reportedly sent a text to his wife asking if she had gotten the money as yet?
Attorney Patrick Peterkin, who is representing Phillips, maintained that his client had nothing to do with the fraudulent plot. Donald Bryan is representing Dr. Davis. Police said they have been trying to find another man, as well as Phillips' wife, Lorna, who can assist with their investigations.