TCIG HOSTS QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE WATERSPORTS INDUSTRY
The Department of Maritime and Shipping in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) held two meetings with stakeholders of the water sports industry, on the islands of Grand Turk and Providenciales respectively.
The meeting provided an opportunity for both the regulators and users of the marine space to come together and discuss the various issues and challenges of the water sports industry. The discussions during the meetings encouraged a mutual platform for all parties present to raise their concerns, with the aim of developing solutions to the issues and challenges raised.
The meeting in Providenciales was attended by over 30 persons from various stakeholder groups, including dive operators, tour operators and beach vendors.
The main issues raised during the meetings included:
• Provision of and clear demarcation for access to ramps, beach and boat access lanes
• Water sports operators navigating dangerously
• Dangerous operation of jet skis
• Improper disposal of conch shells on the beach by operators
• Captains anchoring vessels on the reef
• Maintenance to swim and dive moorings
The meetings concluded with the understanding that there will be quarterly meetings held on both islands to ensure that concerns of the government and the private sector are being addressed effectively and in a timely manner. The next round of meetings is scheduled for November 2018, with specific dates to be announced in October 2018.
The Government would like to thank everyone who attended for their cooperation, and would like to encourage stakeholders to attend future sessions as we work together to develop and sustain the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Beautiful by Nature tourism product.
Figure 1: Participants at stakeholder group meeting in Providenciales
Figure 2: Participants at stakeholder group meeting in Grand Turk
Aretha Franklin's family being 'guided by God' to honor her
Sabrina Owens started to consider how to bid her beloved aunt Aretha Franklin farewell before the world even knew the legendary singer was ill.
St Kitts-Nevis minister’s son shot to death
A son of St Kitts and Nevis minister of public infrastructure, posts, urban development and transport, Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd, was killed by gunfire on Monday night.
According to reports, Mickail ‘Mitch’ Liburd was ambushed by at least three armed and masked men shortly after 10 pm as he got out of his car. The young Liburd was reportedly shot several times.
On behalf of the government and people of St Kitts and Nevis, Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris extended deepest sympathy to his Cabinet colleague.
In his capacity as minister of national security, Harris encouraged the people of St Kitts and Nevis to provide any information relevant to the investigation of the fatal shooting.
The St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) candidate for St Christopher 1 (East Basseterre), Dr Geoffrey Hanley, also expressed sympathy to the parliamentary representative and his opponent in the next general elections.
Liburd’s murder takes the number of persons killed for this year to 20.
Ford Pushes Next-Gen Mustang Launch To 2021
All-wheel drive and a hybrid powertrain are still on the docket.
Ford is dropping nearly every car from its lineup beginning in 2019. The Fiesta and Focus will be the first to go, and only the Focus Active and Mustang will remain. But when the last sedan – the Fusion – shuffles off sometime in 2020 or 2021, the Blue Oval will debut an all-new version of its iconic pony car that same year. And it promises to offer more than the current model.
According to Automotive News, the new Mustang won't arrive until 2021. That's a year later than Ford had initially promised. When it does show up, it will ride on one of Ford's five new modular platforms. That means it should share some components with the new Explorer and upcoming Lincoln Aviator.
Though it will retain its rear-drive bias, Ford could offer an all-wheel-drive version of the Mustang for the first time ever. It would compete directly with cars like the Dodge Challenger GT. There have also been reports of a hybrid model, too, which is scheduled to show up sometime shortly after the pure gas-powered model in 2021.
"Mustang is still going to be a strong, well-proportioned vehicle," Chief Designer Darrell Behmer said in an interview with Automotive News. "The modular architectures will still give us flexibility; it's not going to bastardize Mustang."
But the Mustang's DNA won't be limited to one vehicle. The rest of the range could have pony car-inspired cues. Ford has already confirmed an all-electric SUV dubbed the Mach 1, which will draw inspiration from the iconic Mustang – even the new Explorer appears to adopt a more aggressive look.
Odell Beckham, Jr. becomes the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL
The New York Giants called it a "lucrative contract extension" and "generational money." After signing on the dotted line, Odell Beckham, Jr. described it as "such an amazing feeling."
Facebook Watch video service launches worldwide
Facebook's Watch video-streaming service is rolling out worldwide, just over a year after its US launch.
Users will be able to choose from a range of shows - from both established brands and new players - and have the ability to view clips saved from their News Feeds.
The firm plans to allow all content creators to feature advertising breaks, so long as they hit certain metrics.
Until now, only select publishers had been given the opportunity.
To begin with, only videos shown to audiences in the UK, US, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand will have this facility.
The revenue split will be 55% to the creators and 45% to Facebook.
Facebook had intended to reveal the roll-out on Wednesday, but brought forward the announcement after details leaked. As a consequence, some users may not be able to access its pages yet.
US economic growth revised up to 4.2% for the second quarter
The US economy grew at a faster pace than initially thought in the second quarter, according to revised figures.
The Commerce Department's second estimate for the April-June period put growth at an annualised 4.2%, slightly up from the previous figure of 4.1%.
It was the best quarterly figure for nearly four years and put the economy on track to hit the Trump government's goal of 3% annual growth.
The news helped send Wall Street share markets higher.
Many economists had forecast a downward revision of growth to about 4%.
On a non-annualised basis, the economy grew 1% during the quarter. During the same period, the UK economy grew 0.4%.
The upward revision reflected more business spending on software than previously estimated and less imports of oil. Growth was driven by one-off factors such as a $1.5 trillion tax cut package, which helped boost consumer spending.
The new estimate was based on a more complete set of data than previously available and will be revised again next month.
US defence spending rose 6% in the quarter, the biggest increase in nine years. But there was also downward revisions to consumer spending and construction.
Puerto Rico mayor derides Trump actions
The mayor of the Puerto Rican capital San Juan says President Donald Trump's response to the hurricane that devastated the US territory last year is a "stain on his presidency".
Carmen Yulin Cruz's comments came a day after officials said 2,975 people had died in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria last September.
The revised death toll is nearly 50 times the previous estimate of 64.
"The Trump administration killed the Puerto Rican with neglect," she said.
Speaking to CNN, she added: "The Trump administration led us to believe that they were helping when they weren't really up to par."
The territory has struggled to repair its infrastructure and power grid since the storm, and is asking US Congress for $139bn (£108bn) in recovery funds.
Ms Cruz criticised Mr Trump personally for his response to the crisis, referencing a photo op during which the president threw rolls of paper towels to a crowd of hurricane survivors.
"Shame on President Trump for not even once - not even yesterday - just saying: 'Look, I grieve with the people of Puerto Rico.'" she said.
"This will be a stain on his presidency for as long as he lives. Because rather than come here to support us, he came here to throw paper towels at us, and we will never forget and we will always remember."
President Trump praised the federal response to the hurricane-ravaged island in the weeks following the storm. But critics accused him of showing more concern for residents in Texas and Florida after they were hit by hurricanes.
During a visit to Puerto Rico in October, Mr Trump suggested officials should be "proud" the death toll - at the time only 16 - was not as high as "a real catastrophe" like Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS PUBLIC FORECAST 29TH AUGUST, 2018
GENERAL SITUATION: THE COMBINATION OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IN THE VICINITY OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS ALONG WITH A WEAK MID LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT POCKETS OF UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS THE ISLANDS TODAY.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY AND BEACHGOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO MODERATE TO ROUGH SURF CONDITIONS AND THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT EAST COAST BEACHES.
ALL AREAS
WEATHER: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS, HOT AND HUMID WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. BOATERS SHOULD ASLO BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS …EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 7 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 92F 33C HEAT INDEX: 105F 41C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE: 79F 26C
SUNRISE: 6:50AM SUNSET: 7:30PM
MOONSET: 9:25AM MOONRISE: 9:45PM
HIGH TIDE: 9:23AM LOW TIDE: 3:34PM
HIGH TIDE: 9:38PM LOW TIDE: 3:55AM THUR.
EXTENDED FORECAST: UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING WILL KEEP RAIN CHANCES ELEVATED WHILE A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM ANCHORED NORTH OF THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS ACROSS THE ISLANDS INTO THE WEEKEND.
Cayman Islands speaker denies working with blacklisted Chinese company
Former premier and current speaker of the Legislative Assembly in the Cayman Islands, McKeeva Bush, has denied that his consulting firm is working with or consulting for China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). The parent company of CHEC, China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), was barred from being involved in projects financed by the World Bank in 2009 under its fraud and corruption sanctioning policy.
In a memo written on behalf of his company, WMB International Consulting Ltd, regarding his connections to CHEC, Bush indicated that he was in Belize in June “introducing” the Beijing-based firm to possible investments there, but he has said he is not working with them.
n 2013, as then premier, Bush faced opposition from Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) over his decision to negotiate with CHEC outside international procurement standards over the development of cruise berthing facilities in Grand Cayman.
The World Bank had stated that any firm directly or indirectly controlled by CCCC is ineligible for any World Bank financed contracts related to roads and bridges during the period 12 January 2009 to 12 January 2017, which automatically extended to CHEC as a major subsidiary of CCCC.
In its efforts to combat corruption in public sector contracting, the bank prohibits member countries from awarding World Bank-financed contracts to any of the firms or individuals that it has sanctioned.
CHEC rejected the concerns, stressing that it was not involved in and had never been involved in any activity that has attracted sanctions by the World Bank.
It said the issue related to 2003 and involved the China Road and Bridge Group, which was later taken over by CCCC in 2005. CHEC claimed its parent company came under the debarment in 2011 based on changes made at that time to the World Bank system.
The question of Bush’s continuing relationship with CHEC re-emerged in June this year, when Bush was reportedly in Belize consulting for Sinopharm, a Chinese pharmaceutical and health services firm, and introducing CHEC to possible business partners.
Bush told local media that his only connection to CHEC was that he introduced them to possible business in Belize.
“I am not a consultant for CHEC and have no relationship with CHEC in Belize or in Cayman,” Bush told Cayman News Service.
The Cayman Islands government admitted earlier this year that CHEC had submitted applications during the bidder pre-qualification stage of the latest iteration of the George Town cruise berthing facility. Since then it emerged that the Chinese firm had not continued with its bid.