10/08/2017

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24 Yolanda Jones (PUR) - 5 Pamela Rosado (PUR) - Cuba v Puerto Rico, 2017 FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2017 (ARG), Buenos Aires(ARG), Group Phase, 9 August 2017

BUENOS AIRES (FIBA Womens AmeriCup) On the fourth day of competition, Virgin Islands shocked the continent to claim an overtime win over Brazil. Paraguay continued its magical run in the championship with an overtime win over Mexico, Puerto Rico got one step closer to the Semi-Finals after a historic first-time win over Cuba, and Argentina extended to a 3-0 record and qualified to the Semi-Finals.

Te perdiste la cuarta jornada de la #AmeriCupFemenino2017?

No te preocupes, aqu te presentamos un resumen con los resultados del da. pic.twitter.com/HlMS9SDV59

Overtime was needed for Paraguay to capture its second win of the FIBA Womens Championship over Mexico 73-67. The game was even, both teams led by monstrous performances from their offensive main weapons, for Paraguay it was Paola Ferrari who added 25 points, while Jacqueline Luna led the way for Mexico with a 24-point and 16-rebound double-double. Neither team could pull away and after 40 minutes of play, overtime was needed to determine a winner. The appeared the figure of Ferrari who led her team to a 9-2 performance in the additional 5 minutes to claim the win.

Qu partido! Paraguay necesit de TE para sellar la victoria frente a Mxico . Revive los mejores momentos del encuentro! pic.twitter.com/4znuX79lI0

In a major upset, Virgin Islands handed undefeated Brazil its first loss at the FIBA Womens AmeriCup with a 67-60 overtime win. From the get-go, the team coached by Wilo Colon matched up with the more experienced Brazil. With huge performances from Natalie Day and Imani Tate, who combined for 38 of their teams point, the Caribbean team came from behind and forced overtime. Brazil couldnt believe what was happening and the Virgin Islands grew in confidence, to produce a 9-2 overtime and claimed the shocking upset against the South American Champions.

Missed Virgin Islands' huge upset over Brazil ? We've got you covered! Here are the best moments of the game! #AmeriCupWomen2017 pic.twitter.com/MJh17Cdho8

Puerto Rico made history by claiming its first ever win over Cuba 70-67, and took a step closer to the Semi-Final qualification. Both teams had a slow start, but that all changed in the second quarter when with great energy Puerto Rico took control of the scoreboard with a 26-12 quarter. The second half saw Cuba start to chip away from the difference with great moments from Anisleidy Galindo, who had 20 of Cubas points. With less than a minute to go the difference was of three-points, Puerto Rico held the ball for time to expire and took the significant win. Pamela Rosado put on the Super Woman cape for Puerto Rico and produced 17 points for the Boricuas.

Revive lo que fue la primera victoria histrica de @fbpur sobre Cuba ! Aqu lo mejor del encuentro en el #AmeriCupFemenino2017! pic.twitter.com/J5l0zwxOhd

Argentina extended its record to 3-0 with a 70-47 win over Colombia. The Argentinians captured a slight lead from the get-go, and never relinquished the advantage. With 15 assists and taking advantage of Colombias 19 turnovers the home team kept adding to the difference. Colombia couldnt answer back and the Argentine secured the win and the qualification to the Semi-Finals. With 16 points and 6 rebounds, Melisa Gretter led the way for the Argentine win.

A semifinales el anfitrin! @cabboficial vence a @Fecolcesto y poncha as su boleto a la prxima fase.

https://t.co/C0uHc4wBFS pic.twitter.com/IcZQBX8u1c

Tomorrow on the last day of the FIBA Womens AmeriCup Group Phase the four Semi-Finals will be determined when Canada faces Paraguay, Mexico takes on Cuba, Venezuela faces Colombia and Argentina faces South American rivals Brazil.

The top-three teams from the FIBA Womens AmeriCup 2017 will qualify to the FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup 2018 in Spain.

FIBA

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Day 4: Virgin Islands upset Brazil, historic Puerto Rico, Argentina qualifies - FIBA

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The Faroe Islands may get their own constitution - The Economist

Guam residents speak on recent threats from the North Korean government. USA TODAY NETWORK

This photo taken on July 14, 2017 shows tourists on a beach in Guam's capital Hagatna. As Guam prepares to celebrate Liberation Day this week, political leaders on the Pacific island say it's time to decide whether to remain a US colony or become an independent nation.(Photo: MAR-VIC CAGURANGAN, AFP/Getty Images)

The remote island paradise of Guam -- a 210-square-mile blot of land in the Pacific -- is at first glance an unlikely place for a ballistic missile crisis.

But the island, considered a vacationer's dream with crystal-clear waters, fabulous sunsets, white beaches, and near-perfect temperatures, has long been an important strategic U.S. military outpost.

And that's likely why North Korea, located roughly 2,100 miles away to the northwest, has selected it as the focal point of a high-stakes game of chicken with the United States.

North Korea's military said Wednesday that it is considering operational measures to strike near the U.S. strategic military installations in Guam with its intermediate range ballistic missiles, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported. Donald Trump, meanwhile, is threatening "fire and fury" on North Korea.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency reported that the rogue nation's military may send a strong message that it can neutralize the U.S. military bases in Guam that house nuclear bombers and other key assets.

This photo taken on July 14, 2017 shows a child on a beach in Guam's capital Hagatna.(Photo: MAR-VIC CAGURANGAN, AFP/Getty Images)

How it will play out remains to be seen. But the world is watching intently as North Korea and the U.S. are standing virtually toe-to-toeagainst the backdrop of one of the world's most beautiful islands, home to some 163,000 people as of 2016.

Among the U.S. military installations on Guam is the sprawling Andersen Air Force Base, as well as Naval Base Guam. The island's positioning in the Pacific is considered a key strategic point for U.S. military planning and presence. At least 6,000 U.S. troops are stationed there.

Guam's residents are considered U.S. citizens, but Guam itself is a U.S. territory and not a state. Admiral Robert Willard said in 2010 that Guam "is the farthest west U.S. territory that we own. And, you know, this is part of our nation . . . Guam is vital."

According to Guam's online history:

"Guams unique culture derived from its original native inhabitants, the Chamorros, who were on Guam as early as 2,000 B.C. The proud Chamorro culture has survived and flourished to the present day and has been influenced and enriched over the centuries by the countless Pacific Islanders, Asians, Europeans, Mexicans and North American peoples who have visited, occupied, and immigrated to Guam."

Guam is part of the Marianas island group, which has a noted past in the annals of U.S. military history. One of Guam's neighbor islands in the Marianas, Tinian Island, was the launching point for the atomic bomb attacks against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan at the end of World War II.

Tinian, easy to supply by sea and perfect for launching air attacks against Japan, was desired by the U.S. military because of its key strategic importance, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation. The proximity of the Marianas to North Korea -- and its history as a launching point for long-range bomb runs in Asia -- is a likely reason that the North Korean military has taken an interest in Guam.

Guam has had more than its share of international headlines this week. News of nearly 100 sex abuse lawsuits against Catholic priests have shaken the island.

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Guam: Island paradise turned ballistic target - USA TODAY

Jeff Small of Scarborough took his boat out Tuesday afternoon, puttering about the islands of Casco Bay, considering tides and currents and what conditions might be like Sunday morning.

Thats when Small and his sister, Angela Bancroft, plan to swim between and run over nine islands in the second annual Casco Bay Islands SwimRun competition. Theyll cover nearly 5 miles in the water and another 14 on land, starting on Cliff Island and finishing on Peaks.

Its something different, said Small, 44, who raced with Zack Priest of Cumberland last year in the mens division. I think I was a little more excited about it than he was.

Small and Bancroft are triathletes who grew up as competitive swimmers in Cape Elizabeth. Bancroft, who lives in Paris and has three kids in the Oxford Hills school system, couldnt take part in last years inaugural SwimRun race because of an Ironman Triathlon race in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec.

This is a whole different type of challenge, said Bancroft, 47. Its a completely different type of racing, yet still hard, and to do something like that with my brother should be pretty fun.

The idea of racing through an archipelago sprang from a bar bet in Sweden in 2002. Four years later, two guys turned the thing into a commercial race and now theres an entire series, mainly in Europe but spreading. Casco Bay hosts the only island-to-island event in North America, although there are swim/run races centered around lakes.

Jeff Cole, a triathlete from Kennebunk, read about Otillo (Swedish for island to island) in Outside magazine and checked out video on YouTube. He called a friend in Texas who is passionate about endurance sports, and it turned out the friend already had competed in the Otillo world championship race in Stockholm.

We need to bring this to North America, Cole told his buddy, Lars Finanger, and they became co-directors of the Casco Bay race, which involved about four miles of swimming and 10 of scampering over islands. They chose the Travis Mills Foundation, which benefits combat-injured veterans, as their charity and donated $10,000 last August.

Were hoping we can do more this year, said Cole, who makes his living as an insurance broker.

The feedback they received from the inaugural race?

Make it longer.

So we have, Cole said. Within that long course race weve embedded the short course to attract people who might want to give it a try.

Last years race included 122 teams of two in three divisions (mens, womens and mixed). Entry fees this year were $750 and $550 per team, and Cole expects about 85 pairs for each race.

The long course, which starts on Cliff Island, involves nearly 5 miles of swimming and 14 miles of running. The short course, starting on Long Island, totals 2.3 miles of swimming and 6.7 miles of running.

Wetsuits, emergency whistles and compasses are mandatory. You can use a variety of gear, including hand paddles, swim fins and small flotation devices called pool buoys for your legs, but if you start with it you must finish with it.

Teammates must remain within 10 meters of each other at all times, so they use tethers about 10 feet long to remain together. They can unclip while they run.

Its unlike any other type of endurance competition were accustomed to seeing here in North America, Cole said. There are interesting social dynamics. Its not uncommon where one of them wants to bail out and the other one doesnt, and theyve got to work that out.

The longest swim is close to a mile across Hussey Sound from Long Island to Peaks. The longest run stretches more than 4 miles on Chebeague Island. While mapping the course last weekend, Cole came across youngsters who plan to set up a lemonade stand. He advised athletes to stick a few dollar bills in their wet suits because a glass of lemonade is going to taste mighty good.

Cole worked with private landowners and land trusts as well as island rescue personnel and the Coast Guard to put the race together, and is grateful to have their blessing.

We emphasize to no small degree to our athletes, he said, enjoy the natural environment but leave it in better shape than you found it.

Along the way are eight aid stations (five on the shorter course) for water and refueling. The longer course includes two checkpoints, at Fowlers Beach on Long Island and Torrington Point on Peaks. Competitors who havent reached them by a certain time are not allowed to continue.

John Stevens, who grew up on Little Diamond Island, and Matt Hurley, who grew up in Belfast, are the defending mens division champions, having completed the course in roughly 31/2 hours.

Last month they placed second and third in the Peaks to Portland Swim, separated by fewer than a second.

Were pretty well suited to doing this together, said Stevens, 38. Were definitely a little more aware of whats going to be thrown at us, but theres so many factors weather, tides, current that we really wont know what were up against until we get out there.

Nate Stevens, Johns brother, is competing in the Short Course race. Stevens and Hurley, 33, will be doing the Long Course.

Last year Stevens used paddles for the swim and Hurley did not. This year Stevens plans to add the pool buoy. They also will wear wet suits with zippers in front instead of the back so they can be opened up for the running portions.

We found we overheated, Stevens said.

Even with his lifelong knowledge of the islands, Stevens said he and Hurley got lost a few times in last years race and had to backtrack. Running through the Peaks Island Land Preserve can be incredibly tricky, he said.

Spectator ferries from Casco Bay Lines depart at 5:30 and 5:45 Sunday morning for the 7 a.m. starts. The Long Course begins on Cliff Island the Short Course on Long Island. They share a finish line on Peaks, near the ferry landing, so anyone on the later-morning ferries to Peaks can catch plenty of action.

When Stevens mentions the race to anyone, the reaction falls somewhere between a kind of disbelief that something like this exists to shock, he said.

If you talk to triathletes, they say, Wow, thats awesome, how do I get into that? If you talk to my mother, its Youre crazy.

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For endurance athletes worth their salt, Casco Bay Islands SwimRun 'a whole different type of challenge' - Press Herald

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Spain's Balearic Islands will from Tuesday penalize landlords for illegally renting apartments to tourists with fines of up to 40,000 euros ($47,228) amid a backlash against the effects of mass tourism across the country.

The move is an escalation in efforts to crack down on home-sharing sites such as Airbnb by city councils or local authorities in Spain, as concern mounts over the side-effects of their increasing popularity.

Airbnb, much like ride-hailing firm Uber, is facing a crackdown from legislators worldwide triggered in part by lobbying from the hotel industry which sees the rental service as unfair competition.

In the Balearic Islands, which drew more foreign visitors than any other region in Spain this June, rental costs have jumped and there are fears of a housing shortage for residents.

Rental prices in Palma de Mallorca, the Mediterranean archipelago's biggest city, have risen 40 percent in the last five years, according to property platform Mitula.

The island of Ibiza has the biggest density of Airbnb rentals, with a tourist apartment for every 30 residents, data from analytics firm Airdna showed.

Renting apartments without a licence was banned in the region in 2012 under a previous administration but enforcement was largely nonexistent, according to the Balearic government.

"We want balanced and sustainable tourism so that it can keep being our lead economic activity for many years to come," the region's tourism chief Biel Barcelo told Reuters.

The new legislation establishes fines of between 20,000 and 40,000 euros for those offering short rentals without a license to tourists.

Local residents will be able to report suspected illegal flats though a website, and online platforms such as Airbnb and Homeaway could also face fines of up to 400,000 euros if they are found to advertise rentals without a license number.

The Balearics' four islands will each have a year to decide if and where they will allow licensed tourist rentals to continue.

Airbnb said the new rules were complex and confusing as they did not distinguish between local families sharing their homes and professional operators running a business. It said it was ready to collaborate with the local authorities on establishing clearer regulation.

"By working together, we can help build sustainable tourism models that spread benefits to many - not keep them in the hands of a few," the firm said in an emailed statement.

Barcelona, in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia and another tourism magnet, has also introduced controls on tourist apartments and sought to fine Airbnb and Homeaway for advertising ones that are unlicensed.

Additional reporting by Madrid TV and Emily Lupton; Editing by Sarah White and Matthew Mpoke Bigg

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Spain's Balearic Islands to fine illegal tourist rentals - Reuters

A picture taken with a drone shows a spot on the sea surface caused by micro-algae near Tabaiba beach, off the coast of El Rosario on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife. Photograph: Desiree Martin/AFP/Getty Images

Tourists have been warned to avoid blooms of toxic micro-algae that have been proliferating in hot weather in the sea off Spains Canary Islands.

Tenerife in particular is awash with visitors at this time of year but some of those having a dip in the Atlantic ocean have come out scratching themselves after brushing up against the tiny algae.

The spreading algae have produced a greenish-brown hue in the waters off some beaches in the tourist haven.

Since the end of June we have seen episodes of massive efflorescence, or bloom, of microalgae, sometimes reaching as far as bathing beaches, said Jose Juan Aleman, director of public health for the Canaries.

The algae are a type of bacteria, trichodesmium erythraeum, also known as sea sawdust, said Aleman.

Its proliferation is a natural, temporary phenomenon which is going to disappear in due course, he added, suggesting global warming was helping the algae spread.

The bacterium contains a toxin which can lead to skin irritation, dermatitis, hence one must avoid coming into contact with it in the water and on the sand.

With the islands last year welcoming more than 13 million foreign tourists, local authorities were keen to reassure sun-seekers.

Generally it has not been necessary to close the beaches, said Aleman.

However, AFP found that several have been closed to swimmers over recent weeks, including the popular Teresitas beach at Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Marta Sanson, professor of plant biology at Tenerifes La Laguna university, said that ideal conditions are allowing proliferation of these micro-algae.

Those include an increase in water temperature as well as a dust cloud sweeping in off the Sahara which is rich in iron, a nutrient which micro-organisms like.

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Canary Island tourists warned to avoid toxic 'sea sawdust' algae - The Guardian

The Liancourt Rocks sound French, but that's just because they're named for a French whaling ship that almost ran aground there in 1849, the first European vessel to see the little islands. They're actually in East Asia, almost exactly halfway between Japan and South Korea and thereby hangs a tale. We still call them the Liancourt Rocks today because these two Asian powers can't agree on who owns the rocks, or what they should be called, or even what the sea around them is named.

It's the little things that matter.

The craggy island grouptwo small islets and ninety surrounding rocks and reefscovers only 47 acres of land in total, the size of New York's Grand Central Terminal . Visitors coming ashore there must brave a cliff stairway so steep that it's almost vertical; food and freight get transported to the top by a pulley system. But despite the islands' small size and inaccessibility, they've become a huge point of contention between Japan and South Korea.

Bamboo Island or Solitary Island?

The Liancourt Rocks were uninhabited before the twentieth century, and historical texts referring to their first settlers are ambiguous. After World War II, the final version of the Allies' peace treaty with Japan failed to mention the Liancourt Rocks among the islands Japan was specifically returning to Korea, so both countries still claim the islands today. Japan calls the island group Takeshima ("bamboo island"); in Korea, it's Dokdo ("solitary island"). Even the name of the sea where the islands sit is different. Often, mapmakers call that body of water the Sea of Japan; on Korean maps it's the "East Sea."

It takes a village to support one fisherman.

The only two civilian residents of the island are a Korean octopus fisherman and his wife. But almost fifty government personnel live there as well, because the South Korean Coast Guard has administered the islands since 1954. In recent years, "Dokdo" has been a big point of pride in the Korean media, inspiring patriotic propaganda and almost 100,000 tourist visits a year. Tourists hop off the ferry, wave flags, and take photos for twenty minutes, and then head back. The Japanese government objects to these visits, since to them visiting "Takeshima" is an international vacation.

The struggle for these islands isn't about the islands.

Predictably, North Korea has jumped into the strained Japan-South Korea relations over the hot spot as well. "Dokdo island has been the sacred territory of North Korea since ancient times," their official state news agency proclaimed in 2012. It doesn't look like any of the three governments will be ceding their claim to the Liancourt Rocks anytime soon. On paper, the dispute is about fishing rights and possible natural gas deposits, but the underlying issue is one of national prestige and not losing face. The real-world stakeslike everything else about these rocksare pretty small.

Explore the world's oddities every week with Ken Jennings, and check out his book Maphead for more geography trivia.

Originally posted here:

Why the Liancourt Rocks Are Some of the Most Disputed Islands in the World - Cond Nast Traveler

Jason Sillman, KING 4:52 AM. PDT August 07, 2017

The brand new, 144-car Samish ferry on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route went into service for the first time on June 14, 2015. (Photo: Chris Teren / http://www.terenphotography.com/)

An engine problem has taken the Washington State Ferry boatSamish out of service causing severe travel delays on the Anacordes/San Juan Islands route.

WSF said they will start an emergency four-boat schedulestarting Monday until another vessel can be dispatched to the route.

Travelers took to social media Sunday said they had been waiting in line all day to board a ferry.

In the ferry line since 0900 on Lopez...100 cars have left the island since, now 730p Just make a plan and communicate!!!@wsferries @king5

@KING5Seattle @wsferries 200+ cars stuck on lopez island since last 8 hours waiting for ferry to anacortes, with kids,no restrooms,no food

@wsferries stuck in lopez island for 8 hrs to get a ferry to Anacortes. No clear schedule updates given.. #bigfail

This is just the latest in what has been a series of breakdowns that have plagued the popular summer travel route.Just last month, one of their regular vessels was taken out of service followed by the only backup ferry the state has in the fleet.

2017 KING-TV

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Ferry service in the San Juan Islands suffers another breakdown - KING5.com

August 7, 2017 by Rob Gutro On August 7, NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and captured an image of extra-tropical storm Nalgae near the Kuril Islands north of Japan. Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

On August 7, NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and captured an image of extra-tropical storm Nalgae near the Kuril Islands north of Japan.

On Sunday, August 6 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final advisory on Tropical depression Nalgae. At the time of the last advisory, Nalgae was located near 36.0 degrees north latitude and 161.4 degrees east longitude, about 805 miles north-northeast of Minami Tori Shima Atoll. Nalgae was moving to the north-northwest at 20 mph (18 knots/33 kph) and maximum sustained winds were down to 28.7 mph (25 knots/46.3 kph).

On August 7, when Aqua passed over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard captured a visible-light image of the storm. Extra-tropical storm Nalgae was just east of the Kuril Islands. The Kuril Islands of Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region are a volcanic archipelago northeast of Hokkaido, Japan that covers about 810 miles (1,300 km) and stretches to Kamchatka, Russia. The archipelago separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean.

In the image, Nalgae had already transitioned to an extra-tropical storm, but still showed a circulation.

When a storm becomes "extra-tropical" it means that a tropical cyclone has lost its "tropical" characteristics. The National Hurricane Center defines "extra-tropical" as a transition that implies both poleward displacement (meaning it moves toward the north or south pole) of the cyclone and the conversion of the cyclone's primary energy source from the release of latent heat of condensation to baroclinic (the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses) processes. Some cyclones can become extratropical and still retain winds of hurricane or tropical storm force, but Nalgae's winds were below 28.7 mph (25 knots/46.3 kph).

Explore further: NASA spies wind shear still affecting Tropical Storm Nalgae

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NASA Spots extra-Tropical Depression Nalgae near Kuril Islands - Phys.Org

The wind is shrill and gusty. And here comes some spitting rain. A noreaster is on tap before the weekend is out. What better time for some open-boat coastal sightseeing?

Assuring us its more uncomfortable than unsafe, Captain Meriwether Payne of Seaside Ecotours backs her skiff out of its Wachapreague, Virginia, slip. The wife and I huddle in our rain gearexcitement trumping apprehensionas we swing in-to Bradford Bay. Our destination: an unprepossessing line of scrub some four miles in the distance, barely discernible amid the whitecaps. Cedar Island.

Its easy to view the Mid-Atlantic coastfrom Rehoboth to Virginia Beachas an endless stretch of taffy stands and sun-blanched condos. Yet the region is also home to one of the countrys longest undeveloped strings of barrier islands. Assateague, the pony-inhabited National Seashore straddling Maryland and Virginia, is part of it. But you can drive there. For the true desert-island experience, you must head into the less trampled corner of the Delmarva Peninsulain Virginiaand take to the waves.

The waters off Wachapreagueself-proclaimed flounder capital of the worldcan teem with recreational anglers, but not today. (Anyone else of a certain age remember seafood dinners at Silver Springs old Wachapreague Restaurant?) Bird life is abundant: Arctic-bound whimbrels fattening up on fiddler crabs, red-billed American oystercatchers furtively pairing off in the marsh grass, terns and gulls wheeling overhead.

After some bumpy open-water stretches, Payne gingerly runs the boat into Cedars sands and we step off. Dry land. Well, for now. Erosion is whittling away the island. Nearly 30 beach houses stood here in 1997. The last one slipped into the surf in 2014.

Today, ours are the only footprints to be seen. What is visible is a beachcombers fever dream of shells and driftwood. Intact whelks are everywhere. We fill our pockets and revel in the exhilarating wildness.

During clement conditions, you could hunt shells for hours, spread a towel, crack open a picnic basket. On this day, were a bit weather-beaten after 90 minutes.

Soon after, were reflecting on it all at Wachapreagues waterfront Island House restaurant, where the Bloody Marys are strong and the island views come warm and dry.

Seaside Ecotours, 34 Atlantic Ave., Wachapreague, Va.; 757-710-2454. Tours: $100 for the first hour, $25 each additional hour. Beach-taxi drop-off on Cedar Island with later pickup: $125.

Many of Virginias nearly two dozen barrier is-lands are under Nature Conservancy purview. For visitation rules, go to nature.org.Rent a boat or kayak on the mainland and head that way.

This article appears in the August2017 issue of Washingtonian.

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You'll Want to Explore These Hidden Barrier Islands Off the Mid-Atlantic Coast - Washingtonian.com

What do Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have in common? They are both islands in the Caribbean, they are both territories of the United States and they are both broke.

Moreover, they both benefited (or so it seemed in the past) from a credit subsidy unwisely granted by the U.S. Congress: having their municipal bonds be triple-tax exempt everywhere in the country, something U.S. states and their component municipalities never get. This tax subsidy helped induce investors and savers imprudently to overlend to both territorial governments, to finance their ongoing annual deficits and thus to create the present and future financial pain of both.

Puerto Rico, said a Forbes article from earlier this yearas could be equally said of the Virgin Islandscould still be merrily chugging along if investors hadnt lost confidence and finally stopped lending. Well, of course: as long as the lenders foolishly keep making you new loans to pay the interest and the principal of the old ones, the day of reckoning does not yet arrive.

In other words, both of these insolvent territories experienced the Financial Law of Lending. This, as an old banker explained to me in the international lending crisis of the 1980s, is that there is no crisis as long as the lenders are merrily lending. The crisis arrives when they stop lending, as they inevitably do when the insolvency becomes glaring. Then everybody says how dumb they are for not having stopped sooner.

Adjusted for population size, the Virgin Islands debt burden is of the same scale as that of Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands, according to Moodys, has public debt of $2 billion, plus unfunded government pension liabilities of $2.6 billion, for a total $4.6 billion. The corresponding numbers for Puerto Rico are $74 billion and $48 billion, respectively, for a total $122 billion.

The population of the Virgin Islands is 106,000, while Puerto Ricos is 3.4 million, or 32 times bigger. So we multiply the Virgin Islands obligations by 32 to see how they compare. This gives us a population-adjusted comparison of $64 billion in public debt, and unfunded pensions of $83 billion, for a total $147 billion. They are in the same league of disastrous debt burden.

What comes next? The Virgin Islands will follow along Puerto Ricos path of insolvency, financial crisis, ultimate reorganization of debt, required government budgetary reform and hoped for economic improvements.

A final similarity: The Virgin Islands economy, like that of Puerto Rico, is locked into a currency union with the United States from which, in my opinion, it should be allowed to escape. This would add external to the imperative internal adjustment, as the debt day of reckoning arrives.

Image byPeter Hermes Furian

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Virgin Islands follow Puerto Rico into the debt day of reckoning - R Street

The Bogdan Khmelnytsky volcano on Iturup in the Kuril Islands

The Kurils are located in the Sakhalin Oblast region of far-eastern Russia. There are 56 volcanic islands stretching 1,300 kilometres between Kamchatka in Russia and Hokkaido, northern Japan.

It is planned that future plants will be primarily built on Iturup Island, which has the best geographical conditions of the archipelago for the establishment of wind projects. Other options may also include Kunashir.

Planned capacities of wind farms are not disclosed, however, according to some sources close to the Sakhalin Oblast region, they may reach 50MW at the initial stage with the possibility of expansion in due course.

Future power will be supplied both to mainland Russia and Japan.

It is thought that the contract between Japanese business for the building of new wind power plants may be signed during the Eastern Economic Forum (6-7 September) business event held in Russia for local and Asian-Pacific companies.

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Japan investigating projects on Kuril Islands - Windpower Monthly (subscription)

High water levels in the Everglades have stranded animals on levees and tree islands, triggering emergency measures last week by water managers to drain flooded areas.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was allowed to change its water storage rules to temporarily allow for more water to be held in a conservation area west of Palm Beach and Broward counties through the fall and into the dry season.

The move will restrict water flowing into an area farther south where the water has risen nearly two feet above whats recommended for flora and fauna to survive. When water levels stay too high for too long, animals can drown and run out of food on the tree islands. Plants submerged under too much water can die for lack of sun.

RELATED: See all of The Palm Beach Posts coverage on Lake Okeechobee

This buys us a little time, said John Campbell, a spokesman for the corps. We are seeing recession, and that is a promising sight, but we really need to get some extended dry weather.

A National Weather Service report released Thursday said preliminary data shows the past two months were the wettest June and July on record with an average of 23.45 inches of rain across a 16-county region managed by the South Florida Water Management District.

On Friday, the district announced it had installed three temporary pumps to reduce water levels. The pumps will run non-stop until the water is back to acceptable levels.

Check The Palm Beach Post radar map

Last weeks actions are the second time this summer officials were forced to make emergency changes to account for the high water levels caused by the heavy rainfall.

In June, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed reluctantly to allow water to be released from one area into another that was being used as a nesting ground for the nearly extinct Cape Sable seaside sparrow. There are between 2,000 and 3,000 endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrows left in the Everglades. If their population drops much below 300, they likely will become extinct. Sparrow nesting season ended mid-July.

RELATED: Active hurricane season forecast holds, 61 percent chance of a Florida landfall

These kind of water management decisions are a distinctly Florida dilemma, born of mans reroute of the states natural plumbing that traditionally drained through channels around the sparrows, which nest on higher ground. The diversion from natural drainage also causes backups in the northern Everglades and Lake Okeechobee while areas to the south, such as Florida Bay, are dying from a lack of freshwater.

This is another example of why Everglades restoration needs to happen faster, USFWS state supervisor Larry Williams said last month.

In the bloated water conservation areas, threatened species include the snail kite, wood storks and indigo snakes. Threatened is a lower concern level than endangered, but still means a species is likely to become endangered in the future. More common wildlife such as deer and raccoon also suffer when there is too much water.

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Florida Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Alligator Ron Bergeron sent a detailed letter to the corps last week describing the conditions of animals marooned on the tree islands, levees and spoil islands.

He said huddled on higher ground, their preferred food sources are limited. They have less to eat, and eat less nutritious food, which increases stress.

Over time, fat reserves become exhausted and malnutrition and death will occur, Bergeron said. Extended duration high water conditions also have detrimental long-term effects on the essential foraging and nesting habitats of federally-listed species such as wood storks and snail kites.

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Everglades animals stranded and dying on tree islands - MyPalmBeachPost

Tahiti kept alive their Rugby World Cup qualifying hopes after beating the Cook Islands 13-9 in Rarotonga to win the Oceania Cup.

In wet and windy conditions, the French territory scored two unanswered tries and kept the Cookies scoreless in the second half.

Tahiti celebrate winning the 2017 Oceania Cup. Photo: Oceania Rugby

The test was marred by ill discipline, with Tahiti prop Martin Taeae, winger James Tekurio and Cook Islands centre Samuela Longo Leuta sent off amid a flurry of eight cards.

President of Tahiti Rugby Union, Charles Tauziet, claimed the "underdog" tag prior to kick-off but said the visitors ultimately won the game up front.

"We were most strongest in the forwards and it makes a difference and after we have a game-plan that was better because we put two tries and Cooks put only three penalties," he said.

"I think we had a problem was ill discipline - both teams - because during the game (there was) eight (players sent to the) bin - it was exceptional."

Tahiti outscored the Cook Islands two tries to none. Photo: Oceania Rugby

The President of the Cook Islands Rugby Union, Moana Moeka'a admitted it was a disappointing result.

"I guess we've got to move on from here and without having any Rugby World Cup pathway in front of us it's back to the drawing board and how we can actually make some progress on today's game," he said.

"The problem is we only play once or twice every two or three years...if you want to be playing international rugby you've got to be playing all the time. One, two, three games every four years is, in my view, just not good enough."

Three players were sent off, and eight cards handed out, in a fiery clash. Photo: Oceania Rugby

Tahiti will now face an Asian qualifier next year in a home and away playoff for a spot in the final World Cup repechage event.

Charles Tauziet was confident Tahiti's first ever victory against the Cook Islands will help them attract more sponsors and arrange more test matches over the next 12 months.

"Because the sponsors will be very happy with what we do - we come to Cook and beat Cook in Cook Islands - so I think they trust us now and we will have more sponsors and it will be more easy for us to organise a team, I'm sure, surely boost our budget towards the next round," he said.

"We have to work hard because we know the next step is higher and we have to watch our discipline and keep focused for the game."

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Sport: Tahiti upset Cook Islands to keep RWC hopes alive - Radio New Zealand

TOKYO (Reuters) - A slow-moving but weakening Typhoon Noru, at one point the strongest storm in the world this year, approached the main islands of Japan on Sunday, leaving two people dead and prompting evacuation advisories to be issued for hundreds of thousands.

The Amami island chain, located just south of the southwest main island of Kyushu, was pounded by heavy rain and high winds on Saturday and early Sunday, leaving at least one road crumbled and setting off a handful of landslides.

Evacuation advisories were issued for at least 210,000 along a broad swathe of Kyushu, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. By 5:00 p.m. (0800 GMT), though, some were being lifted in Kagoshima, at the island's southernmost tip, according to the Kagoshima government.

Two people were killed by the storm as of Sunday, one a man knocked down by heavy winds and the other a fisherman who went missing after going out to check on his boat. Nine were injured, the Fire Agency said.

Parts of southern Kyushu were hit by as much as 34 mm (1.3 inch) of rain in the hour to 5:00 p.m., but the northern and central regions of the island, hit by devastating floods that killed 36 and left four missing just a month ago, were likely to be spared the brunt of the storm as it bore down on the island of Shikoku.

At one point a Category 5 typhoon, Noru - its name the Korean word for a type of deer - was set to weaken into a tropical storm later on Sunday or early on Monday before raking across Japan's main island of Honshu, according to website Tropical Storm Risk.com.

Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman

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At least two dead as weakening Typhoon Noru nears main Japanese islands - Reuters

by: James Tutten Updated: Aug 5, 2017 - 9:51 PM

ORLANDO, Fla. - Universals Islands of Adventure and portions of UniversalsCityWalkexperienced power outages due to storms Saturday afternoon, according to a park official.

The power issues happened around 5:45 p.m. and were weather related, according to spokesman TomSchroder.

Portions ofCityWalkand all of Islands of Adventure were affected and crews worked to restore power soon after.

Several rides, including Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, were stopped and guests had to be removed.

The Orlando Fire Department said they had several units called in to assist and no injuries were reported.

"Often times, we askOFDfor assistance out of an abundance of caution,"Schrodersaid. "Tonight, they were on stand-by as we assisted guests off all attractions on our own.

Schroderconfirmed power had been completely restored around 8:20 p.m. and all guests were safely off all attractions.

2017 Cox Media Group.

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Storms cause power outages at Universal's Islands of Adventure ... - WFTV Orlando

The number of international tourists visiting Riau Islands in May had a 449 percent increase from the same period last year.

Riau Islands Central Statistics Agency (BPS) head Panusunan Siregar said that in the first semester of 2017, there were 977,210 international tourists coming to the province, a 0.17 percent decrease from the same period last year that had 1,689 international tourists.

However, the number in June 2017 reached 175,309 which is amounted to 5.7 percent increase from last month.

In June, there was an increase of 23,485 international tourists. This is probably due to the mid-year holiday, said Panusunan.

The economy of the other three countries continues to grow, especially the two countries that have the highest population numbers in the world. India for example, the amount of upper-class citizens have reached 200 million people and of course, they want to travel overseas. Its the same thing with China, Pitana said.

There was an increase of Indian tourists from May to June this year, the number reached 1,934 people, Panusunan added.

Tourism ministry's deputy minister for Overseas Promotion, I Gde Pitana said that Riau Islands is dominated by tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, China and India.

Singapore is close [to Riau Islands] and they can travel by sea. There were around 492,293 Singaporeans who traveled to Riau Islands, the number is equal to 50.39 percent of the overall visits in the past six months, said Pitana.

The ministry's deputy assistant for Asia-Pacific tourism promotion, Vinsensius Jemadu added that according to a research, these upper-class tourists travel to Asian countries that boost natural attractions and affordable shopping experience. Asian countries are at the top of their list and then followed by Europe.

Tourism minister Arief Yahya said that Riau Islands is one of the ministrys main focuses,because the place is in the top three list of the most-visited destination by international tourists with the percentage of 20 percent, coming after Bali with 40 percent and Jakarta with 30 percent.

Second, Riau Islands has been set as the gate for marine tourism in Indonesia due to its geographical location that is close to Singapore where most yachts and ships are coming from, said Arief.

The third point is Riau Islands is included in the cross-border program and the ministry is planning to hold plenty of international events in the province. (asw)

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Riau Islands sees increase in number of international tourists - Jakarta Post

Sharp Island, Hak Shan Teng.Photo: Hong Kong Discovery

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Think of Hong Kong and you might naturally or unnaturally start with high-risetowers and high-end shopping malls. But the paradox of Hong Kong is that this seemingly most urban of Asian destinations is also a place of immense natural beauty and a thriving outdoors spirit.

Hong Kong is composed of about 250 islands and more than 300 hills. Beaches ring its shores, and walking and cycling trails roam along coasts and deep into the hills.

Step outside the streets and stores and you'll quickly discover Hong Kong's surprisingly wild side.

Hap Mun Bay Beach, Sharp Island. Photo: Hong Kong Discovery

You don't need to travel far from central Hong Kong to find enticing beaches. On Hong Kong Island, just a short bus ride from the city centre, popular Shek O and Big Wave Bay sit at the foot of the Dragon's Back Ridge, which provides a dramatic backdrop. Shek O's two beaches are wrapped around a narrow headland, while surf-patrolled Big Wave Bay is also home to an ancient rock carving discovered only in 1970.

In the New Territories, the Sai Kung Peninsula provides a wealth of beach options, including the perfect crescent of Half Moon Bay, one of Hong Kong's most famous beaches, on Sharp Island. Water-quality tests often rank this beach as the cleanest in Hong Kong.

Half Moon Bay can be reached by boat from Sai Kung town, and you can continue by boat from here to wide Tai Long Wan, a bay regarded by many as Hong Kong's most naturally beautiful place.

Wrapped around the bay, which is inaccessible by road, are four gorgeous white-sand beaches if one is crowded, which is unlikely, stroll on to another. The higgledy-piggledy wooden bridge over the inlet at Ham Tin beach is a visual icon in its own right.

On Lantau Island, beside the seaside holiday centre of Pui O, you'll find Hong Kong's longest beach, Cheung Sha.

The MacLehose Trailcrossesthe hilly New Territories.Photo: Hong Kong Discovery

The perfect way to earn your Hong Kong beach time is to walk, with the territory's many great trails accessing some of the finest beaches, and far beyond. Running along a sharp-tipped ridge on Hong Kong Island, the Dragon's Back was once named Asia's best urban hike by Time magazine.

It's a spectacular eight-kilometre walk overlooking Shek O and finishing on the sands of Big Wave Bay. It's one of the most popular trails in Hong Kong, but is also just one section of the longer Hong Kong Trail, a 50-kilometre trail that almost traverses the entirety of Hong Kong Island.

The Hong Kong Trail is one of four multi-day trails across Hong Kong. The 70-kilometre Lantau Trail traverses Lantau Island, while the Wilson Trail covers 78 kilometres and eight country parks through Hong Kong Island and the New Territories.

The greatest hiking challenge is the 100-kilometre MacLehose Trail, crossing the hilly New Territories. Section two of the trail ambles along the beaches of Tai Long Wan, but you needn't plan a multi-day epic just to get here. If you want to walk to these bay beaches, the beautiful Tai Long Wan Hiking Trail begins at Sai Wan Pavilion (reachable by bus or taxi from Sai Kung town); you should hit the beaches after about an hour of walking.

Greatest hiking challenge: The MacLehose Trail. Photo: Hong Kong Discovery

A place of islands means a place of water, and there are plenty of opportunities to make a splash in Hong Kong. Kwun Yam Beach, on the small island of Cheung Chau, is famed as the spot where Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medallist, windsurfer Lee Lai-shan, learned her trade. Hire a board from the Cheung Chau Windsurfing Centre if you want to try emulating her deeds.

You can also hire kayaks on Cheung Chau, where you can explore some unusual coastal rock features. Perhaps the most exciting kayaking destination in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, where sea arches and caves along the coast and islands invite exploration; kayak hire and tours are available from Sai Kung.

As the name suggests, Big Wave Bay is the centre of the local surf scene. Lessons can be arranged here if you want the rare opportunity of saying that you learned to surf in Hong Kong. Tai Long Wan (which also translates as Big Wave Bay) also has consistently good surf, and a surf shop.

Sai Kung offers stunning cycling.

In recent years, mountain biking has taken off in Hong Kong, with its terrain almost custom-made for the sport. The most popular mountain-biking trails, and the most extensive trail network, are on Hong Kong's highest mountain, Tai Mo Shan. The Tai Mo Shan downhill trail is the premier ride here (be warned, it's technical), while the loop around Tai Lam Reservoir provides a less demanding ride.

The Dragon's Back is Hong Kong Island's only designated mountain-bike route. The route is shared with hikers and is challenging, but the airy sense of riding atop a sharp ridge is exhilarating.

The town of Sha Tin, in the New Territories, is the starting point for an easy cycle north along the Shing Mun River, linking into a coastal bike path along Tolo Harbour. There are several bike-rental places in Sha Tin.

The article brought to you by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The writer travelled courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Cathay Pacific.

For more inspiration on Hong Kong's islands, beaches and outdoor activities see: discoverhongkong.com/au

Linger longer and soak in Hong Kong's kaleidoscope of culture with an immersive short break from Wendy Wu Tours. Inhale the city's intoxicating East meets West vibe, on a four-day exploration that delights the tastebuds, comes face to face with the Big Buddha and even visits Disneyland. To learn more, visit wendywutours.com.au/hong-kong/ or call 1800 026 412.

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The hidden adventure islands of Hong Kong - Traveller

The beach at Ocracoke, part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Ocracoke was one of two islands evacuated after a construction accident cut power; residents are now able to return.

Rental houses and condos were expected to fill up Saturday on two North Carolina islands where a bridge construction accident cut power for a week and threatened seasonal businesses' bottom lines.

The first day of the weekend is a typical starting point for weeklong rentals, and stores and restaurants were expecting brisk business. Both islands reopened to tourists Friday.

"We want everyone to know that we are open for business," said Tommy Hutcherson, the owner of the Ocracoke Variety Store.

The business, which is the island's only grocery store, had its own generator to keep the doors open but saw few customers during the past week.

"We're in the height of our summer season. We're just happy to see people back," Hutcherson said.

Maryland resident Colleen Sax planned to start her eight-hour drive to Hatteras Island on Saturday morning for a vacation with her husband, two adult daughters and extended family. She's relieved after nervously monitoring updates on the situation. An initial estimate that the problem would take weeks to fix was whittled each day until officials announced visitors could return Friday.

"That changed quickly. ... Then it was Friday. I was like: 'Wow!'" she said.

The kitchen staff at the Back Porch Restaurant on Ocracoke Island was busy chopping vegetables and doing other prep work ahead of a Saturday reopening. Owner Daphne Bennink said generator power allowed them to save some high-priced meat and seafood, but they had to order all new fresh produce.

She said her staff also did a deep clean of the kitchen and tried to stay ready because of the uncertain timeframe for reopening.

"While we're used to having an evacuation, there's almost always a weather event that sort of gives us a tangible, visible timeline," she said. But because of the uncertainty about the outage, she said: "We've been perched, sort of ready."

Power was cut to the two islands early on the morning of July 27 when workers building a new bridge drove a steel casing into underground transmission lines. An estimated 50,000 tourists were ordered to leave during a make-or-break period for seasonal businesses, many of which close during the cold-weather months.

Dare County officials estimate that Hatteras Island businesses easily lost $2 million overall for each day of the outage, county spokeswoman Dorothy Hester said. She said the rough estimate is based on last year's tourism figures and could change.

Meanwhile, about 100 people attended a meeting Friday for business owners to begin tallying losses on Ocracoke, which is in Hyde County. County spokesman Donnie Shumate said one restaurant owner calculated that the power outage was likely to cost the business about 11 percent of its yearly revenue. Shumate said the county attorney will be leading negotiations to recoup business losses from the company that caused the accident, PCL Construction.

The company already faces at least four lawsuits by local business owners. Separately, those who had vacations cut short or canceled are working with property owners and travel insurance underwriters to try to recoup losses.

PCL Construction spokeswoman Stephanie McCay said in an email that the company has started a claims process to offer assistance to those affected by the outage.

Visitors with upcoming vacations spent the past week closely watching updates from Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative.

Jessie-Lee Nichols, of Annapolis, Maryland, said she stayed glued to social media, following utility and county officials.

"I was getting notifications and reading all of the transmission updates three and four times a day," she said.

Six adults and two children from her family are scheduled for a vacation on Ocracoke Island the second week of August. She said the adults, who paid for the vacation as a Christmas present to one another, were ecstatic to find out Thursday that power had been restored.

"I posted to Facebook that the vacation was back on and tagged everyone we were going with," she said. "I definitely texted my mom and my sister, and they were like: 'Fantastic!' and 'Yay!'"

Published at 10:05 AM EDT on Aug 5, 2017

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Outer Banks Islands Expect Busy Saturday After Power Outage - NBC4 Washington

Only a single word is necessary to describe how Daniel OKanes recent tour of the Apostle Islands went.

Swimmingly.

OKane, a 36-year-old bartender from St. Paul, swam to 19 of the 22 Apostle Islands and paddled a stand-up paddleboard to three others in 18 days. He finished Wednesday afternoon.

He was accompanied by Duluths Paul Voge, 57, who kayaked alongside OKane for safety purposes, towing the paddleboard in case OKane needed to climb on.

He had the hard job, OKane said. All I had to do was swim. I dont know if you can swim anyplace else that lets you feel as blessed as Lake Superior.

The man likes to swim. He took up swimming eight years ago to help himself quit smoking. He took to it like well, you know the rest.

Hes very adventurous and an upbeat guy, Voge said. He loves being out in the water. He loves the Apostles.

Its OKanes understanding that others have swum among a few of the Apostle Islands, but that no one has done all of them in a single trip.

He and Voge, a Duluth attorney, left Little Sand Bay on the mainland near Bayfield, Wis., on July 16. Early in the trip, due to frigid 52-degree water, OKane used his stand-up paddleboard to cover legs between three islands. Then the water began to warm, eventually reaching the upper 60s.

The original plan was to swim to them all, OKane said. Plan B was the paddleboard.

He found Plan B plenty challenging.

I didnt expect paddleboarding to be as difficult as it was, he said. Its really hard to stay on that thing in a crosswind.

He started6 by traveling to Sand, York, Bear and Devils islands, then worked through the heart of the Apostles down to Stockton. From there he made about a 4-mile crossing to Madeline and on to Long Island, eventually returning by way of Madeline, Hermit and Basswood to the mainland at Red Cliff. Most of the crossings he swam were from 2 to 2 miles long, OKane said.

Averaging about 2 mph using a freestyle technique, OKane figures he swam 37 miles and paddleboarded 37 more in the 18 days. He hiked trails to cross some islands. Much of his paddleboarding was done to get from one point to another around an island to keep his swims shorter.

With a slow, steady pace and a good song in your head, youd be surprised how far you can go, OKane said. Its like being your own boat. Its nice to know you can get yourself somewhere.

The two men camped on the islands at night and took four days off during their quest.

Twenty-one of the 22 Apostles are in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Park officials issued OKane and Voge a special permit that allowed them to be in the park longer than the 14-day limit and to use a stand-up paddleboard, otherwise prohibited.

Friends brought the pair food resupplies at various stops.

Weather conditions were near perfect after the first three days of the trip.

We were striking gold every day, OKane said.

He ate a vegan and calorie-laden diet that propelled him with 3,500 to 5,000 calories a day spoonfuls of peanut butter, freeze-dried black bean burritos, custom trail mix and ramen noodles.

Still, toward the end, OKane felt himself wearing down.

I knew there was a wall on the horizon, but I never hit it, he said. And by then, I had the excitement factor.

The last day dealt OKane and Voge a small-craft advisory and 3- to 4-foot waves. But they forged on OKane swimming from Madeline to Hermit to Basswood.

It was a little scary, he said.

For the final leg to Red Cliff on the mainland, he paddled the SUP while being towed behind Voges kayak.

Read more from the original source:

St. Paul bartender's swim encompasses nearly all of the Apostle Islands - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press