WEATHER FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY, HOT, AND HUMID WITH THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. BREEZY IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY, HOT, AND HUMID WITH THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. BREEZY IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, EASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS, AND 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS.
Donald Trump social media post flagged by prosecutors in court filing
Prosecutors in Donald Trump's upcoming trial have asked for limits on what the ex-president can publicly say about the case after he shared a threatening message online.
In a filing late on Friday night, the prosecutors said they feared Mr Trump might disclose confidential evidence.
They justified the move citing a post by Mr Trump shared on Friday, saying it targeted people involved in the case.
But Mr Trump's team insisted the post was directed at political opponents.
On the Truth social network Mr Trump wrote "IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I'M COMING AFTER YOU!" on Friday afternoon, just a day after he pleaded not guilty to four charges in the alleged election fraud case.
The charges - which include conspiracy to defraud the US, tampering with a witness and conspiracy against the rights of citizens - stem from the former president's actions in the wake of the 2020 election, including around the 6 January Capitol riot.
In their filing, the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith said the post raised concerns that Mr Trump could publicly reveal secret material, including grand jury transcripts obtained from prosecutors.
Noting that Mr Trump has a history of attacking judges, attorneys and witnesses against him, Mr Smith's office warned that his behaviour could have "a harmful chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case".
The Republican has already hit out against the special counsel, telling a crowd of supporters in Alabama on Friday that Mr Smith was a "deranged human being" and "a bad guy".
The filing added that Friday's post "specifically or by implication" referred to those involved in the criminal case against him.
It added the order they are seeking - known as a protective order - would not be "overly restrictive", saying that it did not prevent Mr Trump and his team from discussing the case in the media and would allow him to access discovery materials for use in his defence.
"All the proposed order seeks to prevent is the improper dissemination or use of discovery materials, including to the public," the filing said.
Judge Tanya Chutkan gave Mr Trump's legal team until 17:00 local time on Monday to respond to the submission. Mr Trump's lawyers asked for three more days, but the judge denied their request.
In a statement shortly after the filing, a spokesperson for Mr Trump defended the social media post and insisted that he had been targeting political opponents.
"The Truth post cited is the definition of political speech," the statement said, adding that it was in response to "dishonest special interest groups" and political action committees attacking him.
Speaking later at a campaign rally in South Carolina, Mr Trump said he regards his indictment as a "great badge of honour".
He told the event that he was being indicted "because they're afraid of all of us", and wanted to silence him and his supporters - but America would be free again if he returned to the White House.
Judge Chutkan, a noted hardliner on cases against those accused of participation in the Capitol riots, is expected to call in attorneys from both sides on 28 August to discuss setting a trial date.
Prosecutors have already said that the case would benefit from a speedy trial.
But Mr Trump's defence attorney John Lauro has said his team will need more time to prepare. He said the prosecution's timeline was "somewhat absurd" given that the investigation itself had taken three years.
Mr Trump now faces five upcoming trials - three criminal trials which include the classified documents case, the hush money case, and these election charges; and two civil trials over business practices and alleged defamation of a woman who accused him of rape.
Source- BBC
Jamaica now prepared to send soldiers to Haiti
The government of Jamaica will be sending soldiers to Haiti as part of a multi-national peacekeeping force.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Prime Minister Andrew Holness during a media briefing.
According to Holness, his administration has always stated that it is ready to play its part in restoring peace and stability in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state.
“We said this when we spoke in Parliament, we have said it before and yes we are the first to say so….in fact, you could say that Jamaica’s statement would have started an interest in the situation there,” he said.
Meanwhile – earlier this week, the government of The Bahamas said it is committed to sending 150 persons to support a multi-national force in Haiti.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that The Bahamas would send the personnel to Haiti as part of the multi-national force “once authorized by the United Nations Security Council.”
The pledge made by Jamaica and The Bahamas follows reports that Kenya it is prepared to lead such a force to Haiti as escalating violence between armed gangs and police is fueling a humanitarian crisis that has displaced tens of thousands of people.
Kenya is prepared to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti.
Source- Loop Caribbean News
Police charge Twitch streamer after PS5 giveaway mayhem
US YouTuber Kai Cenat has been charged by police after a video games console giveaway event he organized sparked mayhem in New York.
Thousands of people rampaged through Union Square in anticipation of free PlayStation 5 devices, hurling bottles, stones, and tins of paint.
Mr. Cenat has been charged with at least two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly, police confirmed to the BBC's partner CBS News.
Officers made more than 60 arrests.
Mr. Cenat has been given the notice to appear in court, CBS reported.
People first gathered at about 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT) after Mr. Cenat posted on social media - where he has more than 10 million followers and subscribers - that he would be handing out 300 PlayStations.
By 15:00, hundreds had piled onto streets surrounding one of New York's busiest train stops.
They climbed cars and the train station entrance's roof and threw bottles at responding police officers.
New York Police Department declared a "level four" mobilization, meaning roughly 1,000 officers were deployed to the scene.
During a live stream inside a vehicle near Union Square, as the disorder was unfolding, Mr. Cenat said: "They're throwing tear gas out there.
"We're not going to do anything until it's safe. Everybody for themselves, because it's a war out there man."
Mr. Cenat was taken into police custody at around 17:00. The crowd was finally dispersed about an hour later.
According to a CBS affiliate, Mr. Cenat did not have a permit for the event, which was reportedly a collaboration with Bronx YouTube star Fanum.
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said: "We have encountered things like this before, but never to this level of dangerousness, where young people would not listen to our commands."
He added: "You had people walking around with shovels, axes, and other tools from the construction trade.
"In addition, individuals were also lighting fireworks. They were throwing them towards police and they were throwing them at each other."
Mr. Cenat made headlines in March after he broke the record for attracting the most Twitch subscribers by reaching 300,000.
Twitch is a livestreaming platform, where people typically play video games while chatting to viewers.
In the build-up to breaking the record, Mr Cenat launched a round-the-clock drive to boost his subscribers - chatting, gaming and interviewing guests, as well as sleeping, all on camera - for 30 days.
Source- BBC
Adidas generates millions from Yeezys after Kanye West split
Adidas generated millions from its first "drop" of Yeezy trainers after ending the collaboration with rapper and fashion designer Kanye West.
The sportswear giant reported sales of €400m (£344m) from the shoes between April and June this year.
Adidas cut ties with West, known as Ye, last November after he made a series of antisemitic comments on social media.
It has pledged to donate some of the proceeds of the sales to charities that work on combating hate.
The demand for Yeezy shoes has not faded though, with the trainers remaining wildly popular in the resale market.
Adidas boss Bjorn Gulden said the firm will "continue to carefully sell off more of the existing Yeezy inventory" in its latest financial update.
He argued the sale was "much better than destroying and writing off the inventory", but acknowledged that it boosted the company's "general financial strength".
Strong demand for Yeezys helped the company narrow its projected loss for the year to €450m, down from the €700m previously expected.
Sales from the Yeezy line were similar to the level seen in the same period in 2022 before the high-profile fallout.
Adidas also set aside €110m for charitable donations to the likes of the Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism and the Anti-Defamation League - a move it had announced previously in the wake of Kanye West's remarks online.
In May, Adidas said it had about €1.2bn worth of Yeezy shoes sitting in storage after the highly profitable partnership came to an end.
On Thursday, it said that if it decided not to sell the rest of the inventory it would take a hit of about €400m.
Its latest results did not account for the recent second release of the trainers, which is likely to give it a further financial boost.
JD Sports said it had started selling Yeezy products from the German sportswear giant's second release of the shoes on Wednesday.
But Alice Price, associate apparel analyst at research firm GlobalData, said that the sale of remaining Yeezy stock was a "short-term solution for a brand that has lost some of its identity and relevance in the market".
She suggested that Adidas was now trailing behind some of its competitors like Puma who offered more on-trend and innovative products.
Despite Mr. Gulden's efforts to turn the chaotic situation around, Adidas is being sued by investors who claim the firm knew about Kanye West's problematic behavior years before it ended their partnership.
Investors allege Adidas failed to limit financial losses and take precautionary measures to minimize their exposure.
Adidas has previously said it rejected "these unfounded claims", adding that it would take "all necessary measures to vigorously defend ourselves against them".
Source- BBC
Dillian Whyte out of Anthony Joshua fight after adverse test
Dillian Whyte has returned "an adverse finding" from a doping test, causing his heavyweight rematch against Anthony Joshua on 12 August to be canceled.
The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) informed promoters Matchroom and boxing authorities of the test result.
"In light of this news, the fight will be canceled and a full investigation will be conducted," said a Matchroom statement.
A "devastated" Whyte, 35, says he is "completely innocent".
Joshua, 33, could still fight at London's O2 Arena if a new opponent can be found.
"I am shocked and devastated to learn of a report by Vada of adverse findings relating to me," Whyte wrote in a statement released on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"I only learned of it this morning and am still reacting to it.
"I have also just seen that the fight is being canceled without having any chance to demonstrate my innocence before the decision was taken.
"I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that I have not taken the reported substance, in this camp or at any point in my life.
"I am completely innocent and ask to be given the time to go through the process of proving this without anybody jumping to conclusions or a trial by media."
The fight between Joshua and Whyte, a rematch of their 2015 bout, was announced a month ago.
Joshua knocked out Whyte in the seventh round of their heated British title fight eight years ago, which also took place at the O2, as he avenged a loss to his rival on the amateur circuit.
Whyte, who lost his only world title challenge to Tyson Fury in 2022, beat Joshua by decision as an amateur in 2009 to start what became a bitter rivalry.
Olympic gold medallist Joshua went on to become a two-time world champion.
Joshua gained revenge when the pair met again as professionals in December 2015, being rocked in the second round but recovering to force a stoppage in the seventh.
Whyte had a doping violation charge dropped in 2019 after UK Anti-Doping said the levels of a banned steroid were "very low" and he was not at fault.
He served a two-year suspension from 2012 to 2014 for taking an illegal supplement.
A tribunal accepted Whyte's claim he did not knowingly take methylhexaneamine (MHA) but said he did not do enough to check the supplement's ingredients.
Source- BBC
Elon Musk says X will fund legal bills if users treated unfairly by bosses
Elon Musk has said X, formerly known as Twitter, will pay the legal bills of anyone who is treated unfairly by their employer for their activity on his social media platform.
On Sunday, Mr. Musk told users that financial assistance from his platform would have "no limits".
He asked users to "let us know" if they had experienced unfair treatment for posting or liking something.
Formerly known as Twitter, the social media platform was renamed last month.
Mr. Musk is a self-described "free speech absolutist" and has been vocal in his criticisms of the platform's policies on moderating content prior to his takeover.
When he announced that he was taking over Twitter in April last year, Mr. Musk said "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated".
Elon Musk sues anti-hate campaigners
More recently, the firm that owns Twitter announced that it was suing an anti-hate organization whose research criticized the platform.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) had done research that showed hate and disinformation were "spreading like wildfire on the platform under Musk's ownership".
X Corp accused CCDH of "unlawful acts" to "improperly gain access" to its data.
Source- BBC
Gusts of 78mph hit UK as Storm Antoni drenches country with heavy rain
Gusts of up to 78mph hit parts of the UK on Saturday as Storm Antoni brought heavy rain and strong winds to the country.
Amber warnings for wind in southwest Wales and southwest England, a wider yellow warning for wind across southern parts of the UK and a yellow thunderstorm warning have all now elapsed as things calm down into the night.
Earlier, the Met Office, said Storm Antoni would be "potentially disruptive" as it moved from west to east - and it was likely some roads and bridges would need to close.
Senior operational meteorologist at the Met Office, Rachel Ayers, said the conditions could be attributed to the jet stream - a fast-flowing current of air - bringing in a low-pressure system across the UK.
Ms. Ayers said: "We're currently on the northern, cooler side of the jet... keeping the more settled weather further south."
However, she was more optimistic about the coming week, saying it could be warmer and more settled than what the UK has experienced over the past month.
Few parts of the UK escaped downpours, clouds, and cold conditions - with low pressure persisting following the sixth-wettest July in history.
Some events planned for this weekend were canceled, with Dorset's jazz festival Stompin' on the Quomps postponed for the first time in its 30-year history.
About 10,000 people were expected to attend, but organizers were concerned for the safety of both traders and spectators alike.
However, one event that went ahead was Brighton Pride, despite a yellow weather warning being issued for the coastal city and downpours drenching attendees.
Revelers gathered on the wet streets cloaked in ponchos as performers waltzed through the streets despite the heavy rain and winds.
NHS nurse Leo Gonzales traveled from London to the festival, and despite getting "drenched", he said everyone was having "fun [in an] engaging and inclusive" environment.
Antoni is the second storm to cross the UK in five days.
Source- Sky News
Russia hits blood transfusion center, says Zelensky
A Russian "guided bomb" has hit a blood transfusion center in north-eastern Ukraine, killing and injuring people, Ukraine's president has said.
Volodymyr Zelensky did not give details on how many people had been killed or injured in Saturday's attack in Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region.
"This war crime alone says everything about Russian aggression," he said.
Russia has not commented. It has previously denied all allegations of targeting civilians - or war crimes.
The BBC has not been able to verify the report.
Russian troops seized the city of Kupiansk and nearby settlements in the first few days of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022.
The area was liberated during a Ukrainian counter-offensive last September.
In a post on social media, Mr. Zelensky described the perpetrators as "beasts".
"Defeating terrorists is a matter of honor for everyone who values life," he added.
President Zelensky also said that on Saturday Russia separately carried out a missile attack, targeting an aeronautical company run by group Motor Sich in the western Khmelnytskyi region.
The Russian strikes come after Moscow accused Ukraine of hitting a Russian tanker with 11 crew members in the Black Sea - the second such sea drone attack in as many days.
Russian maritime officials said the engine room of the Sig tanker was damaged in the attack in the Kerch Strait. No one was injured.
The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating Crimea - Ukraine's peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014 - and Russia's Taman peninsula.
Ukraine has not publicly commented. But a Ukrainian security service source told the BBC a sea drone had been used.
Source- BBC
Best July in three years for car registration, SMMT says
UK car sales have grown all year, despite borrowing becoming more expensive and a cost of living crisis creating difficult financial conditions for consumers.
The number of new cars registered grew 28% in July, compared to a year earlier, in the seventh month of growth this year, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
But despite the increase last month, new registrations are still below historical trends and the outlook for next year has been downgraded.
The July 2023 growth was sizeable because of the extent of contraction last year - new registrations in July 2022 were at the lowest level across the 16 years from 2006.
Latest SMMT data showed more orders were able to be fulfilled and production increased as supply chain woes that plagued the pandemic years have unwound, the SMMT said.
It led to 143,921 new vehicles being registered, the highest number since July 2020 when pent-up demand from the first few months of lockdown was unleashed.
Economic research firm, Pantheon Macro, noted the figure was below the 168,000 average July sales from 2015 to 2019.
New car sales to individuals "remain in the doldrums", Pantheon's senior UK economist said.
Company registrations, rather than individual purchases, drove the July growth.
Uptake by large fleets increased 62% to 80,961 units and business registrations rose 28.7% to 2,915 new vehicles.
Tough economic conditions, such as the rate of inflation and high-interest rates, have led to a 0.7% downgrade in the number of expected vehicle registrations for 2024.
For the remainder of the year, however, Pantheon said car sales will recover "only gradually", and will be around 10% to 15% below pre-COVID norms.
At the same time, the proportion of electric car sales grew. The SMMT said one battery electric car was registered every 60 seconds as deliveries rose 87.9% and electrified vehicles accounted for more than a third (35.4%) of the market.
Electric growth needs to accelerate, the SMMT said, if environmental targets are to be met.
The government had set a target of 2030 by which new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from sale.
"While the growth in electric vehicles hitting UK roads is significant, it must move even faster if it is to outpace the rest of the market and enable the UK to meet ambitious but necessary environmental targets," the SMMT said.
It did note that a record high of 3,056 new public chargers were installed for electric vehicles.
Source- Sky News