St. Lucia Times Online News (press release) | Caribbean agencies to sign landmark agreement St. Lucia Times Online News (press release) Eight intergovernmental organizations involved in the management of marine resources in the Caribbean and the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+) region are expected to sign a landmark agreement for strengthened coordination and ... |
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Caribbean agencies to sign landmark agreement - St. Lucia Times Online News (press release)
COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY PICTURES
You may be asking yourself, what is Pirates of the Caribbean, a film series based off a theme park ride, doing with a fifth installment? I can tell you in one word. Money!
But, what about quality? Is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and the rest of the Pirates franchise for that matter, a success or failure? Or, did it all go downhill after the first film?
Only two of my predictions were accurate: (two and a half really, but you can figure out what I mean when you see it) music and jokes. The music, although not spectacular, is a different and fresh score with old themes mixed ina change from the last installments stale soundtrack. There is even a throwback to the score from At Worlds End, which gave me goosebumps since Im a total fangirl for that soundtrack. Also, there are time period-related jokes related, such as in a scene with a guillotine. Henry (Brenton Thwaites), Will Turners son, and the girl with the map, Carina (Kaya Scodelario), are outcasts in their own society, but they are straight enough characters to play off of the insanity and stupidity of the pirates.
Lets accept that Curse of the Black Pearl (the first in the series) was a really good film. Not perfect, but really entertaining. It did what no other film could: take a theme park ride and turn it into an enjoyable, successful film. It set the trend of practical ship effects and introduced the plot that would pretty much dominate every other film. The effects and CGI have improved throughout the series, as the puppet-like pirates in the moonlight change to the realistic fishy crew of Davy Jones. But, how good is the fifth film in comparison to the others?
Dead Men Tell No Tales is about the search for the trident of Poseidon while Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) hunts down Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Why this, or Galileos diary, is in the Caribbean Sea is beyond me. I guess after the appearance of the Norse myth of the Kraken, anythings possible.
The effects are quite spectacular, but some of the CGI bothered me. I didnt find Salazars hair convincing. And, can we please go back to the days of having someone else play a younger version of a character? CGI young Jack Sparrow looks unnatural, and hearing older Johnny Depps voice come out of that kid is uncanny. So, the effects from Pirates 2-4 are actually better, since these effects distance the audience from the film by displaying it as a fictional representation.
The antagonist, Salazar, is a very entertaining, heartless villain with a need for revenge. We havent seen this since the first film. As a result, he is the third best antagonist in the series. They do bring back my favorite villain, Davy Jones (but only from movie two). With the Kraken at his side, (my favorite part of Dead Mans Chest) he is the most menacing character of the franchise. Unfortunately, his appearance in the after credits scene of Dead Men Tell No Tales does downgrade Salazar a bit, as it is the creepiest part of the film. It makes the audience realize whos the better character out of the two.
Speaking of antagonists, Barbossa is one of the few characters to appear in every film of the franchise. I had an epiphany as to why: the series is about Barbossa, not Jack. Think about it. Jacks a fun character, but there arent any character dynamics to him. He is just the middle man that walks away unscathed. Barbossa is the most well-developed character, as he transitions from villain to hero, and he has the best lines in the series. I started to notice it while watching On Stranger Tides, as that film revolves around Barbossas revenge plot, not Jack. So, I found it incongruous that so much time is spent on Jack, one of the less developed characters of the series.
Many scenes in this film were way too long. Clichs seemed to be a big part of the screenwriters toolbox. Continuity errors and plot holes were abundant, including a major plot holeif youve seen Dead Mans Chestinvolving the compass. Also, the connection of the compass to the Devils Triangle is never explained. And, why was it to that one object and not something else?
Also, there are many unnecessary plots and subplots. They overly complicate things, which is an issue that is not a stranger to Pirates of the Caribbean. And, there are definitely missed opportunities for character development, like the relationship between Jack and Wills son. They rarely interact, despite Jack now officially sailing with three generations of Turners. Surely there must be some dynamic to develop.
And, surprise, they have the romantic interest between Henry and Carina. Why? It was unneeded and superficial anyway. It felt tacked on to fulfill the romantic requirement. Finally, Im just going to say for a second how ridiculously stupid the resolution is. In a Price of Egypt rip-off scene, when Salazar has the trident (I still think shouldnt have happened), the way they resolve their issue makes no sense. Youll see what I mean when you watch it.
Despite these issues, this film is an improvement from On Stranger Tides. Everyone has a purpose in the story, and there is some sense of urgency. I want to say its better than At Worlds End because Salazar is a more thrilling villain than Beckett, but I have such a soft spot for that soundtrack. So, Im going to say its a tie for third place. And, Im going to give it three out of five adventurous hats because, despite the thrill, there are a bunch of issues that are hard to overlook.
But, is it a success? The film is by no means a masterpiece, but its not supposed to be. Its supposed to be a fun ride for the audience, and it definitely delivers. And, for a film, and series, based off of a theme park ride, giving the sensation of a ride is exactly the success for which the filmmakers may be intending.
Trip Hastings is a rising junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at gh357@cornell.edu
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MIAMI, FL, Jun 08, 2017 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - Jun 8, 2017) - Flow's younger viewers now have a kid-friendly service that delivers children's content anytime, anywhere, on any device via the new "Flow Kids" app specially developed by Toon Goggles, the top kids' on-demand entertainment service.
The Flow Kids app offers viewers approximately 1000 hours of high-definition children's content -- thousands of fun and educational cartoons for boys and girls, live action shows, comedy, engaging games for preschool to older age groups -- something for every child.
"We're pleased to have partnered with Toon Goggles as we introduce an exciting new option for children's educational and entertainment programming to the region," said James Tooke, SVP Content & Media at Cable & Wireless, operator of Flow. "We've invested significantly to secure the world's best content for our audiences, and we of course wanted to ensure that the young ones weren't left out. With Flow Kids, children now have the ability to stream their favourite shows and play fun, interactive games any time of the day, keeping them entertained for hours on end. Plus, Flow Kids is not only jam-packed with fun games and entertainment -- it's also educational, intuitive, easy-to-use and a safe platform for kids of any age. We're confident Flow Kids will put a smile on every child's face."
Aside from the diverse selection of content, Flow Kids offers other features to enhance the viewing experience for children and parents alike. For example, for those parents who'd like to ensure their children are watching content that's suitable for their age, Flow Kids has a built-in parental control switch to allow them control over what shows, music or games kids can access. The app also allows for access over 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi, and has the ability to store content, so kids can watch their favourite shows even when they're not connected to the Internet.
Commenting on the innovative app and the cosmopolitan perspective it offers children, Stephen L. Hodge, C.E.O. of Toon Goggles said, "Growing up on the small Caribbean island of Anguilla, and as a father of three myself, I know first-hand how important it is for kids to gain a global perspective, and the fun and educational content on Flow Kids helps facilitate that. We feel that our partnership with Flow and Cable & Wireless meets both our companies' goals of increasing quality media options for kids everywhere."
Flow Kids is available to Flow subscribers for free via the mobile app, once they have a Flow broadband package, mobile bundle or TV account and a Flow ID. A premium version will also be available for a fee, which will give users the ability to access content via their mobile and Flow's video-on-demand service on up to 5 devices, including smart TVs and set-top boxes.
Flow Kids is available in twelve Flow markets: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
About C&W Communications
C&W is a full service communications and entertainment provider and delivers market-leading video, broadband, telephony and mobile services to consumers in 18 countries. Through its business division, C&W provides data center hosting, domestic and international managed network services, and customized IT service solutions, utilizing cloud technology to serve business and government customers.
C&W also operates a state-of-the-art submarine fiber network -- the most extensive in the region.
Learn more at http://www.cwc.com/, or follow C&W on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
About Liberty Global
Liberty Global is the world's largest international TV and broadband company, with operations in more than 30 countries across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. We invest in the infrastructure that empowers our customers to make the most of the digital revolution. Our scale and commitment to innovation enable us to develop market-leading products delivered through next generation networks that connect our 25 million customers who subscribe to over 50 million television, broadband internet and telephony services. We also serve over 10 million mobile subscribers and offer WiFi service across 6 million access points.
Liberty Global's businesses are comprised of two stocks: the Liberty Global Group LBTYA, -0.63% LBTYB, +0.80% LBTYK, -0.38% for our European operations, and the LiLAC Group LILA, -0.43% and LILAK, -1.34% (otc pink:LILAB), which consists of our operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Liberty Global Group operates in 11 European countries under the consumer brands Virgin Media, Unitymedia, Telenet and UPC. The Liberty Global Group also owns 50% of VodafoneZiggo, a Dutch joint venture, which has 4 million customers, 10 million fixed-line subscribers and 5 million mobile subscribers. The LiLAC Group operates in over 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean under the consumer brands VTR, Flow, Liberty, Ms Mvil and BTC. In addition, the LiLAC Group operates a sub-sea fiber network throughout the region in over 30 markets.
For more information, please visit http://www.libertyglobal.com
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New Flow Kids App Delivers Anytime/Anywhere Content To Caribbean Children - MarketWatch
Several elected officials kicked off National Caribbean American Heritage Month with a celebration of nine people of Caribbean heritage at the Our Caribbean Heritage Celebration last weekend at the Celeste Bartos Forum, New York Public Library in Manhattan, hosted by City Council Member Andy King.
Among this years honorees were City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito; United Nations Ambassador to Dominica the Hon. Bannis-Roberts; Gabriel J. Christian, Esq.; Henry A. Garrido, DC 37 executive director; Ambassador Curtis Ward, former ambassador of Jamaica to the United Nations; the Hon. Dr. Irving W. Andr, Superior Court of Justice, Dominica; Crispin Gregoire, United Nations Development Programs chief of the Caribbean Strategic Monitoring and Support Unit of the Regional Bureau of Latin America and the Caribbean; and Dr. Clayton Shillingford, former president of the Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Supporters of Our Caribbean Heritage Celebration include Congress members Gregory Meeks and Eliot Engel; borough presidents Ruben Diaz Jr, Bronx and Eric Adams, Brooklyn; state senators Jamaal Bailey and Kevin Parker; State Assembly members Latrice Walker, Rodneyse Bichotte, Victor Pichardo, Diana Richardson and N. Nick Perry; and City Council members Bill Perkins, Fernando Cabrera, Rory Lancman, Rosie Mendez, Mark Levine, Rafael Espinal, Laurie Cumbo, Corey Johnson, Vanessa Gibson and Jumaane Williams.
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National Caribbean Heritage Month kicks off - Amsterdam News
BY TRONE DOWD Editor
The Queens Tribune honored seven Caribbean Americans for their community work during the papers inaugural Caribbean Heritage Month celebration on June 2 at Douglaston Manor.
(Left to right): Deodat Urprasad, Linda Watson Lord, Clive White, U.S. Rep. Yvette Clark, Adrian Peters, Roy Hastick, State Sen. Roxanne Persaud, Patricia Chin, Younna Bailey-Magalhaes, Carlo Thertus and Barbara Atherly. Photos by Bruce Adler
We are a great city of diversity, Queens Tribune publisher Mike Nussbaum told attendees. Were proud of that. We take pride in our cultural roots. Its a significant part of who we are and each of the immigrants who have come to this borough here has a story.
The ceremony drew a number of special guests, including city Public Advocate Letitia James, U.S. Rep. Yvette Clark (D-Brooklyn), city Small Business Services Commissioner Gregg Bishop and consulate generals of Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados.
Bishop recalled the journey that his grandmother took when she immigrated to New York City from a politically ailing Grenada, pushing his mother at a young age to do all that she could. He said that his mother attended college, while ensuring that her children had the same values that her mother taught her. He said that he was proud of the role that he has in helping small business and entrepreneurs, many of whom come to the city from abroad to start anew.
Clark talked about the historic importance of Caribbean Americans, both in the past and the present, and said that the city should protect immigrants, especially in the current political climate.
James told the crowd that it is important to recognize the contributions of Caribbean Americans and that their hard work and commitment to family is part of what makes New York City great.
The events honorees all had a chance to speak upon receiving their awards, reflecting on their lives as successful Caribbean Americans and how far they have come in their respective fields.
Jamaica native Patricia Chin, founder of the world-renowned VP Records, accepted her award on behalf of both her Caribbean heritage and status as a woman in a male-dominated field.
I am blessed that I could have continued what my mom and dad told meto help others, Chin said. This country is a beautiful country. If you work hard and play by the rules, you can be a success. Just make sure that you never forget where you come from.
Clive White, a banker with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and second-generation Caribbean American of Barbadian and Dominican descent, said that he was thankful for the opportunities afforded to his parentswhich, in turn, laid the groundwork for his success.
They helped nourish my passion to help the community, he said, adding that he was pleased for the opportunity he has to help cultivate small businesses and further his passion for assisting the little man.
Deputy Inspector Deodat Urprasad, the commanding officer of the 102nd Precinct, dedicated his award to honor his family in an emotional speech.
Its a humbling experience to be here, said Urprasad, who moved to the United States with his parents in 1973. I am happy to share the moment with my family and friends.
Urprasad also gave a shout-out to his brothers in blue, thanking them for the support theyve given him over the years. I have some great men and women in the 102nd Precinct, he said. He attributed a 41 percent deduction in crime since he took the position in 2015 to their work.
Carlo Thertus, a Haiti-born artist whose work is frequently of a political nature, displayed some of the artwork from children who attend Creative Space for Kids, an art school Thertus founded in Long Island in 1996. He told the Queens Tribune that he wanted to show off his students workrather than his ownduring the event.
Adrian Peters, a branch manager for New York Community Bank who originally hails from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said that he was grateful to be recognized for his work.
I am grateful for my parents, he said. I realized the value of what they taught me growing up. It starts with my mom. She taught me how to cook and bake some of my favorites, like callaloo. She taught kindness. I remember weekends with people who did odd jobs. They had lunch with us and were served first. I was told, It will come back to you.
Peters also remembered that his father taught him the importance of service above self, whether through an organizationsuch as a churchor community programs.
State Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn), who hails from Guyana, was recognized for her extensive involvement in her communitywhich culminated in her running for office three years ago. Persaud said that Caribbean Americans should be proud of their heritage and encouraged them to become involved in their communities. She closed out her acceptance speech with a plea to end gun violence in the five boroughs.
Dr. Roy Hastick, a Grenada native who worked in a number of city agencies and operated a newspaper before founding the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, thanked his wife upon accepting his award, noting that it is good to have a strong woman beside you, behind you and, sometimes, driving you.
Hastick said that he was thrilled to see fellow Caribbean Americans being recognized for work in their respective fields as he pointed out City Council candidate Richard David in the audienceespecially in government, where he was pleased that they can help move a document to the top of the pile.
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Queens Tribune Celebrates Caribbean Heritage Month - Queens Tribune
Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) | Royal Caribbean drink package rules overview Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) Thinking about purchasing a Royal Caribbean unlimited drink package for your upcoming cruise? They have the potential to save money compared to buying the same amount of drinks without a package, but it is important to be aware and understand the ... Port Everglades to Invest More Than $100 Million in Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal Royal Caribbean Raises Cost Of Bringing Wine Aboard Port Everglades Investing $100 Million to Renovate Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal |
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Royal Caribbean drink package rules overview - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)
DJ Master Rich is bringing Jouvert, a Caribbean tradition, to Philly this weekend on a large scale.
The first rendition of COLORS: The Ultimate Jouvert Jam,featuring DJ Private Ryan, will be Sunday in Fairmount Park by the Mann Center.
Jouvert (jou-vay) is a Caribbean paint-and-powder, pre-Carnival party, to which attendees come prepared to dance to carefree soca music and to get a little messy. In Fairmount Park, there will be 300 bottles and 20 buckets filled with paint. Attendees also will get packages of colored powder to throw on one another.
Rich is bringing with him not only megapopular Private Ryan, who is from Trinidad, but also a surprise special guest. Ensuring these guests attendance wasnt easy. Rich has been trying to get Ryan here since 2013. Philadelphia isnt known as apremier destination for Caribbean events, conceded Rich, who is also Trinidadian and has been spinning for 15 years at spots like Riverdeck, Trilogy, Reef, and Reserve. He is looking to change that.Theres a huge Caribbean population in the tri-state, he said, and people are looking for stuff to go to.
Last year, he brought the Pon De Rooftop Caribbean party to TGI Fridays on the Parkway. Owners were afraid it wouldnt be a big-enough crowd, he said, but it has proved popular. That weekly Wednesday night event has returned this summer.
Jouvert, which has African and French roots, should prove to be a wilder party. (By tradition, its a precursor to Carnival, ushering in Lent; in Philadelphia, people in colorful and bejeweled costumes willparade June 17 down Chamounix Drive in Fairmount Park.) Expect to be covered in paint and powder, Rich said. Its a big party.
C O L O R S: The Ultimate Jouvert Jam
June 11
Fairmount Park
12-6pm
$25-60
For more info: 267.879.6441
Published: June 8, 2017 3:01 AM EDT
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Colorful Caribbean party set for Fairmount Park on Sunday - Philly.com
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
The Bahamas' "financial reputation" will be in peril without "emergency borrowing" of $400 million, with the 'junk' downgrade having exposed the Government to a $70 million cash demand.
K P Turnquest, minister of finance, told Tribune Business that Standard & Poor's (S&P) action earlier this year had left the Government on the wrong side of a "hedge" or derivative transaction relating to some of its borrowings.
The loss of 'investment grade' status triggered an immediate demand by the lenders for $150 million in extra collateral, with the Government having to provide "a minimum of $70 million" by the first week of July - the first seven days of its 2017-2018 Budget year.
Mr Turnquest did not provide in-depth details on the 'hedge', other than to reveal that the Bahamas' creditworthiness downgrade by S&P resulted in the Government "immediately" facing demands for extra loan security "in excess of $150 million".
"While this does not represent an expenditure, it does represent a use of cash which has to be funded by revenues," he told the House of Assembly yesterday. "The Ministry of Finance was partially successful in negotiating temporary waivers, but the obligation has not gone away.
"The Government is now required to provide a minimum of $70 million by the first week of July to meet this collateral call."
Mr Turnquest warned that the lenders' demands for extra security would increase should the Government suffer further downgrades, and disclosed that exiting the 'hedge' was "not recommended" as it would require a $120 million-plus payment.
When questioned by Tribune Business about the transaction, he replied: "That relates to a hedge on a loan. If I recall correctly we have to come up with $70 million to collateralise one of these derivatives transactions."
The lenders' demands were revealed to help explain, and justify, why the Minnis administration is seeking Parliamentary authority to borrow $400 million to cover unfunded claims dating from the 2016-2017 fiscal year. Without it, the Bahamas will be in jeopardy of defaulting on some of its loan obligations.
Besides the $70 million 'hedge' fall-out, Mr Turnquest said the $400 million was required to cover the Treasury's $161.284 million payments backlog, representing transactions that required funding.
And, completing its financial exposure, the Government also faces $130.781 million in unfunded commitments - representing promises to pay vendors once the goods or services have been delivered.
"This figure is not exhaustive, as we are aware of further unrecorded commitments," Mr Turnquest said. "While the Government is not insolvent, it is clear that it has a liquidity challenge and, as a result, employees and vendors have had to wait an inordinate time for payment.
"Many civil servants have had to suffer challenges with deductions [for loan payments] not being paid in a timely manner to the bank and other lending agencies.... We faced an immediate cash flow shortage that caused many payables and salary deductions to be delayed as we robbed Peter to pay Paul, so to speak. "
Mr Turnquest's comments illustrate how the Government's financial challenges are negatively impacting individual Bahamians and households, plus the wider economy, with public officials unable to meet their obligations through no fault of their own.
They also highlight, in a very real sense, how downgrades to the Bahamas' sovereign creditworthiness have a direct impact on the Government's fiscal position and end up diverting scarce resources away from essential public services.
"The emergency borrowing authority was the only prudent thing the Government could do to protect the financial reputation of the Bahamas," Mr Turnquest emphasised.
He then blasted the former Christie administration for engaging in what was described as "sheer fiscal insanity" by allowing the recurrent deficit - the gap between revenues and the Government's fixed-cost spending - to balloon to as high as $498 million in the current 2016-2017 fiscal year.
Mr Turnquest likened this to a family having to borrow to pay for its weekly grocery and other bills, a situation that would eventually lead to insolvency. He argued that the Christie administration had "spent like drunken sailors" while giving "lip service" to the need for fiscal consolidation, pointing to how far away it was from its previously forecast $80 million GFS surplus for 2017-2018.
The Minister recalled how he and the former St Anne's MP, Hubert Chipman, upon hearing that projection questioned "what world are these people living in", given that the then-government was continuing to increase spending while also raising taxes on Bahamians.
Acknowledging that Hurricane Matthew's impact had contributed to the expected $500 million deficit for 2017-2018, Mr Turnquest said the figure had been inflated by the former administration "entering into many egregious commitments on the eve of the general election".
He added that new spending commitments were emerging every day, and said: "Commitments and contracts were signed between May 8-9, millions of dollars in commitments.
"It is evident that the blatant fiscal recklessness of the other side in the run-up to the general election was a major contributing factor. When they look back at the 8-9, they will have to explain to the Bahamian people why they entered into these contracts for services, employment and extension of contracts for people on contracts that should have ended."
Mr Turnquest cited 41 persons in Acklins who were hired on May 9, a day before the election. While his claims were challenged by Opposition MP, Glenys Hanna-Martin, the Minister said they were "calling, trying to find out how they will get paid and when.
"What is egregious is the previous administration gave these people the impression they would be long-term employees, when the contract for those people is three months," he added. "They have these people on three month contracts, and when that is up this government will have to make a decision."
Highlighting the growing gap between the Government's spending and income, Mr Turnquest said recurrent revenues had increased as a percentage of GDP by 5.4 percentage points - from 17.6 per cent in 2011-2012 to a projected 23 per cent in 2017-2018.
Yet over the same period, recurrent spending had risen by 8.6 percentage points to a forecast 28.6 per cent in 2017-2018. This, Mr Turnquest said, had resulted in the Government's recurrent fiscal deficit growing from 2.4 per cent of GDP in 2011-2012 to 5.6 per cent for the upcoming fiscal year.
Unless this was corrected, the Minister warned that the Government will "have to borrow ever more to cover everyday expenses", creating "an ever-growing vicious cycle that could begin to feed on itself continually if not corrected".
"It points out why we have to break this borrowing cycle," Mr Turnquest said.
Original post:
Bahamas 'Reputation' In Danger Without $400 Million Borrowing - Bahamas Tribune
By RENALDO DORSETT
Tribune Sports Reporter
THE basketball prospect showcase culture in the country continues to develop and International Basketball Academy Bahamas looks to become one of the leaders in the field as its event grows in stature.
IBA Bahamas and Get Me Recruited (GMR) will host the 2017 "Super 60 Showdown/Hot 100 Bahamas Showcase" at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium June 16-18.
Friday's opening session will be hosted 4-8pm followed by 9am to 5pm sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
The Super 60 segment is geared towards the top seniors in the country and the Hot 100 is for the top juniors among both boys and girls.
The two groups collaborated last June when they hosted the inaugural edition of the showcase and scores of players came out to seize advantage of the opportunity. The showcase featured some of the most highly touted Bahamian high school players based both locally and abroad.
IBA Bahamas has impacted the local basketball scene in its brief history led by its director Denycko Bowles, who also serves as the head coach of the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins. It is the first international branch of the IBA programme.
The showcase featured players from junior high schoolers to post grad unattached. In addition to the summer programmes, IBA has participated in the Summer of Thunder and travelled to AAU tournaments in the US.
Lamont Taylor, the CEO of GetMeRecruited.com said the partnership is aimed at bringing greater exposure to talented players from the Bahamas.
Get Me Recruited is a Raleigh, North Carolina-based company whose goal is to connect high school players and college coaches through the mission statement: "To be personally involved in the collegiate basketball recruiting process one recruit at a time."
"We're looking to build a bridge between America and the Bahamas because there is so much talent here. The athleticism here is a step above what we've normally seen. The athleticism in these videos and in these games is well above what we're used to. If no one sees them they don't have a chance to offer them scholarships and get them to the states. We want to provide a platform where these kids can showcase their skills, get coaches looking at them and provide opportunities," he said following the 2016 showcase.
Training at the showcase also featured Tim Fields, a skill instructor at John Lucas Enterprises.
A busy summer for IBA Bahamas will also include its 4th Annual Elite Skills Summer Camp. The camp, to be hosted June 26 to July 14 at the Bahamas Academy Gymnasium, Wulff Road, is open to both boys and girls ages 5 to 18.
The camp will feature a concentration on offensive and defensive critiquing and performance, advanced ball handling and footwork.
Registration for both the showcase and the camp can be found at http://www.ibabahamas242.com and more information can be found via email - info.ibabahamas@gmail.com, or coach Bowles at 466-0049.
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'Super 60 Showdown/Hot 100 Bahamas Showcase' Starts June 16 - Bahamas Tribune
In the great tradition of members surrounding the Kardashian-Jenner clan (considerKylie Jenner's over-the-top 19th birthday in the Bahamaswith an all-star squad),Kim Kardashian just went all out for Kanye West's island destination40th birthday party.
Kim flew a whole squad of friends and family naturally to the Bahamas to celebrate Kanye's big 4-0... which is technically today: June 8.
A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Jun 6, 2017 at 4:30pm PDT
According to a source close to the couple, they "had a great time on vacation in Baker's Bay [on the island of Great Guana Cay in the Bahamas]," ET reports. Specifically,E! News reports the family spent four full days atBaker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club, where they reportedlyrented a villa home on the grounds.
Also according to the source in ET, "They spent six days at a private home and were able to go totally off the map."
And going off the map from time to time is among Kim's publicly stated new priorities, following the Paris robbery.
The source told ET the trip involved "no work or social media" for the parents of two just family time, pool time, and relaxation. In the spirit of both true relaxation, and personal protection of both physical and emotional varieties, the family asked for a social media blackout. (Recall that Kanye, too, had a tumultuous last year including psychiatric hospitalization.)
But Kim did share a couple of isolated snaps on social media, including a shot with her kids on a private plane.
But more on their lodgings: The couple took over the home of Mike Meldman, according to the ET report. He's the third owner of Casamigos Tequila, along with Rande Gerber and new-twin-dad George Clooney and that certainly explains why sparse details available from the trip always seemed to include tequila... and by that particular brand name.
cheers!
A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Jun 7, 2017 at 11:58am PDT
Kim and sister Kourtney have both stayed at the home before.
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The Bahamas in action during the Beach Soccer World Cup.
By RENALDO DORSETT
Tribune Sports Reporter
WITH their performance at the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the Bahamas moved up nine spots in the latest edition of the world rankings.
The Bahamas is ranked at No.38 with a total of 435 points, in the latest edition of the poll released yesterday.
Prior to the tournament, the Bahamas stood in the No. 47 spot in the 2016 world rankings with 287 points. Under the leadership of head coach Alexander Soares, the team finished with a 1-2 win-loss record.
In game one, they suffered a hard-fought 3-2 loss to familiar foe Switzerland, followed by a lopsided 10-1 loss to Senegal.
The Bahamas made history when they became the first Caribbean team to win a match at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup with their 4-1 victory over Ecuador to close out play in Group A.
In addition, the tournament featured another first as FIFA fielded a select All-Star side to host the Bahamas in an exhibition match. The FIFA All-Stars won that match 6-3.
The Bahamas is also ranked No.5 in CONCACAF behind Mexico, El Salvador, Panama and the USA.
Following the tournament, Team Bahamas captain Gavin Christie told FIFA.com that he hoped the performance left a lasting legacy and great source of pride for the future of beach soccer in the country.
"It's a dream come true for a small nation like the Bahamas to host an event of this magnitude on our shores," he said.
"It's just the beginning for the Bahamas. It's a building block and a very good start. It's creating a new culture for beach soccer in the country. The fans love it and they want more. They're already asking when the next tournament is and they see that it's a sport that the Bahamas can perform in at the highest level. This can be huge for the Bahamas."
The tournament also produced a shakeup among the top teams in the world ranking.
Brazil returns to the top overall team in the rankings after they claimed their fifth Beach Soccer World Cup title, their first since 2009.
Former champions, Portugal, fell one spot behind to No.2, followed by this year's surprise story Iran at No.3 after they finished third at the BSWC.
Russia is ranked No.4 followed by 2017 runners-up Tahiti who returned to the top five. Switzerland remained in seventh, eighth-place Paraguay swapped places with Japan, who now sit ninth, while UAE end May in the top 10, having narrowly missed out on a place in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup quarter-final.
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Bahamas Climbs To No.38 In Latest Beach Soccer World Rankings Poll - Bahamas Tribune
The Bahamas was well represented at the Cruise Lines International Association's (CLIA) Cruise360 Conference and Trade Show, which recently took place at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Centre in Florida.
The Bahamas used the show to forge links with key travel agents, cruise line executives and industry representatives through a series of networking events, educational workshops and trade show exhibitions.
Glenda Johnson, the Bahamas' Florida-based director for cruise and maritime development, said: "It's crucial to educate agents so that they can better sell to their clients."
CLIA is the world's largest cruise industry trade association.
The cruise industry surpassed 2016 passenger projections, reaching 24.7 globally, up from a projection of 24.2 million.
Passenger numbers are again forecast to grow this year to 25.8 million.
According to the cruise industry, 72 per cent of cruise sales are generated by travel agents.
In the luxury cruise segment, 93 per cent of worldwide cruise sales are generated by travel agents.
The demand for cruising has grown 62 per cent over the past two years, and eight of 10 agents in the US expect sales to increase in 2017.
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Bahamas Well Representedat Key Cruise Industry Show - Bahamas Tribune
ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin speaks in the House of Assembly.
By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin yesterday criticised Finance Minister Peter Turnquest for allegedly failing to disclose his interest in Sky Bahamas to Parliament after the government approved duty exemptions for the repair and maintenance of aircraft in the 2017-2018 Budget.
Addressing her colleagues in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, Mrs Hanna Martin said because these concessions "could impact the financial interest of persons in the House," Mr Turnquest was "obliged" to reveal his interest in the company when the debate began.
"I want to raise the concern of a potential conflict of interest of favourable concessions of this budget, Mr Speaker, that might impact the financial interest of members and the rules require that you have to declare that out in the open," Mrs Hanna Martin said.
"The minster of finance declared in his communication on page 50, page 50 speaks about the duties that are being exempted and what I found interesting about this is, in his description he said 'providing duty exemptions for equipment and machinery specifically designed for groundwork and the service of cruise ships and sea vessels' but in fact the actual provision speaks to sea craft and aircraft, air and sea services.
"You have to have an awareness that these peculiar concessions could impact the financial interest of persons in the House. So you have exemptions and there are multiple items for aircraft in this budget and I support incentivising the aviation sector but this talks about the catering for the aircraft, the tyres and so on. So, Mr Speaker, I believe that the minister should clarify whether this impacts him financially... We are obliged when we debate to declare it. It is a part of transparency. It is an obligation. I am saying he ought to have disclosed it and that is what you normally do, if you have interest in something you are debating before the House, you disclose it. I am saying he admits he has an interest, we have tax concessions for aircraft and it ought to be something he put on the table."
In response, Mr Turnquest said before the election he disclosed all his interests to the relevant authorities because he had nothing to hide. He also admitted that he did not realise the aircraft exemptions were in the budget until he read them in the House of Assembly because he had "very little to do" with the changing of anything in the budget.
Mr Turnquest also said Mrs Hanna Martin's implication that he somehow amended the legislation to benefit himself is "misleading" and dangerous to his reputation.
"It is no secret in this place or in public that I do have an interest in Sky Bahamas airline. I have said throughout my budget that this minister of finance has had very little to do with changing anything in the budget, as a matter of fact, it may be interesting to note, that I didn't recognise that was in there until I was reading it," Mr Turnquest said.
"And so when she suggests that this minister of finance somehow amended or proposed an amendment to the duty rates to benefit him, it is a complete and utter lie and that is a strong word. It is intentionally misleading and it is dangerous to me and to my reputation. Secondly, the proposal to eliminate duties on aircraft was made by that side when I was sitting over there, not by me."
Mr Turnquest applauded the former Christie administration for reducing the aircraft duties because he said it will create "the opportunity for an industry that has not been able to rise to the level of its potential".
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Turnquest Under Fire Over His Link To Sky Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune
The Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea, UK, which killed 167 people in July 1988, is the deadliest offshore oil rig accident in history.
Discovered in 1973 and brought on stream in 1976, Piper Alpha was one of the biggest offshore oil platforms in the UK producing more than 300,000 barrels of crude a day (about ten percent of the country's total crude production). The offshore platform started producing gas in the early 1980s and had three main gas transport risers and an oil export riser before disaster struck, destroying the entire facility causing an estimated loss of $1.4bn.
The Piper Alpha disaster occurred due to gas leakage from one of the condensate pipes at the platform on 6 July 1988. The pressure safety valve of the corresponding condensate-injection pump was removed during the day as part the routine maintenance of the pump. The open condensate pipe was temporarily sealed with two blind flanges. The temporary disc cover, however, remained in place during shift-change in the evening as maintenance work was not complete. The condensate-injection pump was not supposed to be switched on under any circumstances.
Communication errors however led the night crew staff at the platform to turn on the pump after the other pump tripped. It resulted in leakage of gas condensate from the two blind flanges causing gas ignition and serial explosions on the platform. Only 61 out of the 226 workers survived the disaster and it took close to three weeks to control the fire.
At the time of the disaster the platform was managed by Occidental in block 15 of the UK Continental Shelf, about 120 miles north-east of Aberdeen.
The Alexander L. Kielland was a semi-submersible platform accommodating the workers of the bridge-linked Edda oil rig in the Ekofisk field, about 235 miles east of Dundee, Scotland, in the Norwegian continental Shelf. The Platform, operated by Phillips Petroleum, capsized in March 1980, killing 123 people.
Only 89 out of 212 workers survived the accident and most died by drowning as the platform turned upside down in deep waters. The platform capsized after the failure of one of the bracings attached to one leg of the five-legged platform structure, after strong winds created waves of up to 12m high on the day of the accident.
Once the first broke, all bracings attached to the leg failed in succession, the platform lost one of its five legs and the entire structure tilted 30 degrees. Five of the six anchor cables snapped but the platform was stabilised for some time by the remaining single cable, which ultimately snapped.
Official investigation concluded that the root cause of the accident was an undetected fatigue crack in the weld of an instrument connection on the bracing.
The Seacrest Drillship disaster in the South China Sea 430km south of Bangkok, Thailand, killed 91 crew men on the 3rd of November 1989. The 4,400t drillship was anchored for drilling at the Platong gas field owned and operated by Unocal. The drillship was capsized by the Typhoon Gay which produced 40ft high waves on the day of the accident.
The Seacrest drillship, also known as The Scan Queen, had been operational in the Gulf of Thailand since 1981 as a drill ship for Unocal. The drillship was reported missing on 4 November 1989 and only found floating upside-down by a search helicopter the next day. The capsize was believed to have occurred so quickly that there was no distress signal and no time for the crew members to respond to the disaster.
Just six out of the 97 crew members onboard were rescued by fishing boats and the Thai Navy. Apart from the severe weather condition the seaworthiness of the drillship was questioned as the likely cause for the tragedy.
The ship also had 12,500ft of drill-pipe in its derrick, which was believed to have resulted in a unstable high centre of gravity.
The Ocean Ranger oil drilling rig disaster which occurred in the North Atlantic Sea off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, on 15 February 1982 is one of the deadliest offshore oil rig accidents in history. The offshore oil drilling capsized and sank killing 84 crew members onboard.
The semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling rig owned by Ocean Drilling and Exploration Company (ODECO) was hired by Mobil Oil of Canada for drilling exploration well at Hibernia field at the time of accident. One of the biggest rigs built by then, the 25,000t rig was 396ft long, 262ft wide and 337ft tall, with the capacity to operate 1,500ft beneath water and drill up to a depth of 25,000ft below the seabed.
The rig was capsized due to a very strong storm which produced 190km/h winds and up to 65ft (20m) high waves. On 14 February 1982, it was reported that a porthole window had broken and water had entered into the ballast control room of the Ocean Ranger. The ballast control panel was noticed to be malfunctioning two hours later.
Crew workers abandoned the rig and moved into the lifeboat stations but only one lifeboat with 36 crew members inside could be launched successfully. At least 20 crew were reported to be in the water before the rig sank between 3:07am and 3:13am after staying afloat for about one and half hours. Out of the 84 workers who drowned, 46 were Mobil Oil employees.
The Glomar Java Sea Drillship disaster which took place on 25 October 1983 in the South China Sea caused the death of 81 people when the drillship capsized and sank at depth of 317ft about 63 nautical miles south-west of Hainan Island, China, 80 nautical miles east of Vietnam.
The 5,930t Glomar Java Sea drillship was built by the Levingston Shipbuilding Company of Orange, Texas, in 1975 and delivered to Global Marine. The 400ft long drillship was contracted to ARCO China at the time of the disaster. The vessel had performed drilling for ARCO in the Gulf of Mexico between 1975 and 1881, and operated off the coast of California for some time before its arrival in the South China Sea in January 1983.
Operations ceased prior to the arrival of tropical Storm Lex as it approached from the east of the drilling site. Global Marine's office in Houston, Texas, reported that the drillship was experiencing 75kt (138.9km/h) winds over the bow, but the contact was abruptly lost.
No survivors were found in the extensive search operation conducted thereafter. The wrecked drillship was found in an inverted position 1,600ft south-west of the drilling site. Only 36 bodies were found, and the remaining 45 crew members were presumed dead.
The Bohai 2 oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Bohai off the coast of China in November 1979 is the sixth most fatal offshore oil rig disaster. It caused the death of 72 out of 76 people on board as the Bohai 2 jack-up rig capsized and toppled in the sea water.
The accident was caused by a storm which occurred while the rig was being towed. Fierce winds broke the ventilator pump of the platform causing a puncture hole in the deck resulting in extensive flooding.
The loss of stability due to flooding coupled with severe weather conditions eventually led to the capsizing of the jack-up. The accompanying tow boat could not rescue the crew members, who were also believed to lack proper training on emergency evacuation procedures and the use of lifesaving equipment.
The post-disaster investigations reported a failure in correctly stowing the deck equipment prior to towing. It was also reported that standard tow procedures were not followed given the bad weather conditions. The sunken jack-up rig was eventually salvaged with explosives by the Yantai Salvage Company in April 1981.
The Enchova Central Platform disaster in the Campos Basin near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killed 42 people in August 1984. The accident occurred due to a blowout which caused a fire and explosion at the central platform of the Enchova field operated by Petrobras.
Most of the workers were evacuated from the platform by lifeboats and helicopter except for 42 workers who lost their lives during the evacuation process. Malfunctioning of the lowering mechanism of a lifeboat caused the death of 36, while six died as they jumped from the platform into the sea. The lifeboat remained vertically suspended because of the failure of the bow hook and eventually fell 20m deep into the sea as its supporting cables snapped.
Another disaster struck the Enchova platform on 24 April 1988 as one of its 21 wells blew out and eventually ignited. The well suffered a blow out while undergoing a work-over to convert it from oil production to gas production. The fire caused by the blowout on the platform led to massive damage topside, however all the workers were safely evacuated to the nearby floating accommodation ship without a single casualty.
The platform remained on fire for a month and Petrobras eventually drilled two relief wells to control the blowout. The platform was declared a total loss and replaced by a new facility that commenced production nearly 18 months after the accident.
The Mumbai High North disaster on 27 July 2005 in the Arabian Sea, around 160km west of the Mumbai coast, killed 22 people. Mumbai High North, one of the producing platforms of the Mumbai High field owned and operated by India's state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), caught fire after a collision with the multipurpose support vessel (MSV) Samudra Suraksha.
Strong swells, pushed the MSV towards the platform hitting the rear part of the vessel causing rupture of one or more of the platform's gas export risers.
The resultant gas leakage led to ignition that set the platform on fire. Heat radiation also caused damage to the MSV and the Noble Charlie Yester jack-up rig engaged in drilling operation near the platform.
The accident caused significant oil spill and a production loss of about 120,000 barrels of oil and about 4.4 million cubic metres of gas a day. ONGC opened a new platform at Mumbai High North in October 2012.
The Usumacinta Jack-up disaster, which occurred on the 23rd of October 2007 in the Gulf of Mexico, claimed 22 lives after a collision with the PEMEX-operated Kab-101 platform in the Bay of Campeche.
The Usumacinta Jack-up was positioned alongside the Kab-101 platform to complete drilling of the Kab-103 well. A storm with winds of 130km/h and up to 8m of waves created an oscillating movement, which eventually caused its cantilever deck to hit the production valve tree on the Kab-101 platform.
The collision resulted in oil and gas leakage leading to the closure of the safety valves of two production wells at the platform. The crew members were, however, unable to seal the valves completely, which resulted in continued leakage of oil and gas which eventually ignited causing fires on the platform. 21 people were declared to have died during the evacuation and one worker missing in the rescue operation was presumed dead.
The Usumacinta Jack-up also suffered two more fire breakouts in the month the followed, during well control operations. The fire was, however, extinguished without any loss of life and complete control of the well was achieved by the middle of December 2007. Approximately 5,000 barrels of oil was reported to have lost from the well without being recovered.
The C.P. Baker Drilling Barge disaster in the Gulf of Mexico on 30 June 1964 resulted in the death of 21 people and injured 22 after fires and a explosion occurred on the drilling barge.
C.P. Baker Drilling Barge constructed Reading & Bates in 1962 was deployed for drilling operation for Pan American Petroleum Corporation in block 273 in Eugene Island, Gulf of Mexico, at the time of the accident.
The two 260ft long hulls suffered a blowout on morning of 30 June 1964. Water gushed into the vessel through open doors on the main deck and the barge lost electric power soon thereafter.
The entire drilling barge was engulfed with fire and explosion just minutes of noticing the blow out. Only 22 out of the total 43 crew on board survived the disaster, most of which saved their lives by jumping from the port bow. The vessel sank upside-down in the water after heeling aft for around 30 minutes. The rescue operation confirmed eight as dead and 13 crew missing who were presumed dead.
Elgin and Franklin lie in the UK North Sea's Central Graben, approximately 240km east of Aberdeen and in water 93m deep.
Considered one of BP's most technically challenging projects ever, the Atlantis platform is the deepest moored floating dual oil and gas production facility in the world.
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Building wind farms in the ocean is still more expensive than building them on land. But maybe not for much longer.
A new report from McKinseyfinds that fast growth, increased investment, bigger wind farms, falling costs and new technologies are driving new project bids to record lows in Europe.
Late last year, the Netherlands approved a bid for its cheapest offshore project yet, 54.50 ($61.10) per megawatt-hour, a sharp drop from the 72.70 ($81.50) per megawatt-hour bid for the same site just five months earlier. Denmark set its own record in a November auction, with a winning bid of 49.90 ($55.94) per megawatt-hour, down 50 percent from 2014.
Some of these bids are coming in at grid parity prices as well. In a German auction in April, the average winning bid for the projects was far below expectations, with some bids coming in at the wholesale electricity price -- meaning no subsidy is required.
One caveat: these are prices, not actual costs, McKinsey noted. Until the parks are actually built and running, it is impossible to know if they can be profitable at these prices. But companies would not be competing so fiercely -- the Dutch auction saw 38 bids -- if they didnt think they could be.
Offshore wind still costs about 40 percent more than onshore wind and 20 percent more than solar PV on a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) basis -- about 120 to 130 per megawatt-hour for 2016 projects, according to McKinsey.
But because offshore wind is at an earlier stage of development, its prices can be expected to fall further, faster, thus improving its competitive position. Indeed, McKinseys normalized wind farm data, which creates comparable figures for different sites based on water depth, site preparation, subsidies and other factors, shows how a combination of improvements could lead to projects in 2020 coming in at costs 68 percent below 2010 figures, as the following chart indicates.
Bigger turbines are a big deal, driving much of the cost reductions. Just last week, Vestas released its 9.5-megawatt offshore turbine, two to three times bigger than the standard turbines from only a few years ago By 2024, 13- to 15-megawatt models will likely hit the market, McKinsey predicts.
Improved logistics and operations and maintenance could translate into savings of as much as 10 per megawatt-hour in LCOE. Some of this involves a degree of cooperation across operators in sharing crew transfer vessels, helicopters and jack-up barges -- specialized vessels with steel support legs that can be lowered to the sea floor to give them stability to lift heavy turbines. But improved operations start with the relentless application of advanced analytics to improve predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, and component replacement, McKinsey noted.
Contracting and procurement could add another to 5 to 10 percent in cost savings, a figure thats actually being exceeded by the more adept wind farm developers today, McKinsey noted. At several companies, this rigorous purchasing approach has translated into 15 to 20 percent price reductions in the procurement of turbines. Improving project execution could cut costs by another 3 to 5 percent, and as for financing, each percentage-point decrease in the cost of capital brings a 5 to 10 percent improvement in LCOE for renewables.
Europe holds 90 percent of the worlds offshore wind capacity, giving it a maturing supply chain, a high level of expertise, and strong competition, the report notes. This European expertise is now being applied to other markets such as the United States and Asia, with the promise of cheaper and better-planned and -executed projects driving increased investor interest and government support.
In the U.S., the countrys first offshore wind project in Massachusetts is finally moving ahead, and the state has a goal of 1.6 gigawatts of offshore wind in the next decade. New York's first offshore wind push will be a90-megawatt project30 miles southeast of Long Island, and the state wants to add up to as much as 800 megawatts of capacity -- a process that kicked off with Statoil's win of a development area off New York's coast for $42 million in December.
In Asia, China has made offshore wind part of its five-year energy plan, and Korea and Taiwan are also considering offshore wind as part of their future energy mix, the report noted. Although in some areas of the world, the LCOE of offshore wind may never become at par with, say, solar PV, the value it can bring -- as less-intermittent baseload power generation near urban demand centers, offsetting supply deficits from solar PV in winter -- can make it a valuable addition to the energy mix.
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Offshore Wind Reaches Cost-Competitiveness Without Subsidies - Greentech Media
Trump and Zinke Must Disavow Plans to Re-Create Troubled Offshore Drilling Agency Common Dreams WASHINGTON - Today's Bloomberg News report that President Donald Trump and U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke are considering re-creating the ineffectual and corrupt structure of America's offshore oil drilling regulator would be a disaster for ... |
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Trump and Zinke Must Disavow Plans to Re-Create Troubled Offshore Drilling Agency - Common Dreams
Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and a body of 25 energy companies have signed a pledge to increase Europes offshore wind capacity by a whopping five times over the next decade. This unprecedented push should not only supply the continent with ample clean energy, but also drive the price of offshore wind down in the future, making it more than competitive with fossil fuels.
Middelgrunden offshore wind farm off the shore of Copenhagen, Denmark. Image credits Lars Plougmann / Flickr.
Plopping wind farms offshore is one of those things that just makes perfect sense: its both easier and cheaper to install turbines at sea than on mountains,it doesnt use up valuable real estate driving installation prices even lower, all making for avery price competitive power source. While still controversial in the US, offshore wind has its roots firmly set down in Europe and many countries on the old continent are aggressively developing the technology. Because of this, offshore wind became one of the most efficient and fastest growing energy markets and its only going to get better.
Thats becauseGermany, Belgium, and Denmark have joined 25 high profile European energy companies, such as Dong Energy and Siemens Gamesa, to up offshore wind generation to a huge60 gigawattsin the next decade to put things into perspective, Europes current total offshore wind capacity totals roughly 13 gigawatts. Thats 4gigawatts a year, amounting to an almost fivefold increase over the next ten years.
But unlike the power these turbines will churn out, the announcement doesnt come out of the blue. The pledge comes hot on the heels of plans to construct an artificial island with some 7,000 offshore turbines in the North Sea by 2050. Such ambitious projects are hoped to start a domino effect, as the experience and efficiency gained from the works will slash installation prices around the world, making offshore turbines even more attractive (and more importantly, affordable) for other countries.
Existing European offshore windprojects have already lowered costs by 48%overthe last two years, and the technology is projected to become very competitive with new fossil fuel generators (such as natural gas power) by 2030.
With this Joint Statement, said Giles Dickson, chief executive officer of industry group WindEurope, leading businesses and governments are taking the next step by committing to cooperate on the deployment of big volumes for offshore wind energy.
The project ties into Europes efforts to develop low-carbon electricity generation systems to meet its emission reduction targets a 40% slash compared with 1990 levels by 2030 and its leaders are gambling that if theypave the way, other countries will follow suit in a bid to reach their own Paris pledges.
And given that WindEuropeestimatesthat about one quarter of the EUs electricity demand could be supplied via offshore wind for an average cost of54 euros/megawatt hour in the most favorable locations, were likely going to see a lot more of these turbines in the future.
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Germany, Belgium, Denmark, pledge to quintuple the EU's offshore wind in a decade - ZME Science
Published on June 8th, 2017 | by Joshua S Hill
June 8th, 2017 by Joshua S Hill
MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has unveiled the next iteration in its V164 wind turbine series, a 9.5 megawatt turbine that is larger than the giant London Eye ferris wheel.
Only four months after the company unveiled its 9 megawatt (MW) wind turbine, MHI Vestas (the resulting collaboration between parent companies Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Vestas Wind Systems) unveiled the latest V164 wind turbine, the V164-9.5 MW. This currently ranks as the most powerful serially-produced wind turbine in the world, according to MHI Vestas, with massive 80-meter blades that result in a swept area of 21,124 meters-squared, larger than the London Eye.
OneV164-9.5 MW wind turbine alone could power 8,300 UK homes.
As a leader in the offshore wind industry, we are committed to lowering the cost of energy through innovative turbine technology, said Jens Tommerup, CEO of MHI Vestas. The launch of our V164-9.5 MW turbine is a testament to that leadership and to the ingenuity of our engineers and technicians. The V164-9.5 MW is built on the industry-leading V164 platform, the most powerful platform in operation. Just one single turbine is now capable of powering more than 8,300 UK homes.
MHI Vestas V164-8 MW wind turbines are already in operationat the258 MW Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Liverpool, in England, and will be installed at the370 MWNorther offshore wind power plant in Belgium.
Im very proud of our team for their hard work in launching our next generation turbine, the V164-9.5 MW, added Torben Hvid Larsen, Chief Technology Officer at MHI Vestas. With only minimal design changes, including a redesigned gearbox and cooling system upgrades, this turbine continues the legacy of the proven V164 platform and is available now to all MHI Vestas customers.
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Tags: MHI Vestas, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, V164, V164-9.5 MW, Vestas Wind Systems
Joshua S Hill I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.
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MHI Vestas Offshore Unveils 9.5 Megawatt Wind Turbine - CleanTechnica
6/8/2017
LONDON -- Empyrean Energy plc, the oil and gas development company with interests in China, Indonesia and the United States, is pleased to announce that a 3D seismic survey has commenced on its 100% owned Block 29/11, offshore China. Block 29/11 is approximately 1,800 km2 and is situated approximately 200 km SSE of Hong Kong in water depths ranging from 340-600 m. Empyrean has the right to conduct exploration under a Geophysical Survey Agreement and a subsequent right to enter a pre-negotiated Production Sharing Contract with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).
Empyrean has contracted China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL) to complete the Survey. The Survey will cover an area of approximately 580 km2 and is expected to take approximately 40 days to shoot. The data acquired will then be processed and interpreted, which will take approximately 90 days.
The Survey will cover a number of exciting leads and prospects that have previously been identified on 2D seismic by Ameco Corporation (now part of BP) and CNOOC on Block 29/11. These include Jade and Topaz, two significant prospects which the Company believes will benefit from the current 3D seismic program.
Importantly, the Survey will also include the acquisition of 3D seismic over recent discoveries immediately to the west of Block 29/11. This excellent cooperation between Empyrean and CNOOC is designed to greatly enhance both parties technical understanding of the producing formations in the region and, specifically, over the areal extent of the Survey. Empyrean has a 100% working interest in Block 29/11 during the Geophysical Survey Agreement period. Once the Company has signed a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with CNOOC, CNOOC will have a back-in right to a 51% interest in the licence in the event of a commercial discovery.
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Empyrean Energy commences 3D seismic survey offshore China - WorldOil (subscription)
TAIPEI Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world's largest contract chipmaker, said on Thursday it will consider sites in Taiwan before offshore options when it decides the location of a multi-billion dollar foundry early next year.
The Taiwan government is helping the company find the ideal location for an advanced technology 3-nanometer chip plant, it added.
"We do not exclude locations in other countries, but a Taiwan location will be our first consideration," acting spokeswoman Elizabeth Sun told reporters on the sidelines of a shareholders' meeting.
The plan comes at a time when other tech heavyweights, like Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, which goes by the trade name of Foxconn, and Japan's SoftBank Group Corp, look to deepen investment in their U.S. businesses. This follows Donald Trump's presidential win last year, built on a campaign promise to boost American manufacturing and jobs.
TSMC Chairman Morris Chang said in January he would not rule out a U.S. plant but added that such a move would involve sacrifices for both the company and consumers, pointing to the benefits of being able to shift engineers across the firm's Taiwan factories.
TSMC, a major supplier to Apple Inc, has also flagged plans for the development of 5-nanometer chip plant. A Taiwan location for that factory is under environmental review, Sun said.
The contract chipmaker's plans for new plants come in the wake of record sales and profits last year and an upbeat outlook for 2017 as the shift to mobile computing creates robust global demand for its products.
"This year should also be a pretty good year. Our stock price is very, very good and healthy," Chang told shareholders on Thursday.
The stock closed up 0.7 percent at a record high to value the firm at T$5.52 trillion ($184 billion), boosted by Chang's comments and as shareholders approved a cash dividend of T$7 for 2016, up from T$6 a year earlier.
Its shares have climbed steadily over the past seven years and this year it surpassed Intel Corp in market value.
Chang played down TSMC's decision to pull out of the race for Toshiba Corp's highly prized chip business, saying after 6-7 weeks of intense deliberation earlier this year, the company decided the acquisition didn't fit with its strategy.
"This kind of opportunity will be there in the future," he told shareholders.
Toshiba aims to name the buyer for its $18 bln chips business next week, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
(Reporting by Jess Macy Yu and J.R. Wu; Additional reporting by Murali Anantharaman; Editing by Sam Holmes and Edwina Gibbs)
BRUSSELS The European Union wants to make it easier for law enforcement authorities to get electronic evidence directly from tech companies, such as Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google, even when stored in another European country.
BEIJING Alibaba Group Holding Ltd expects revenue growth of 45-49 percent in the 2018 fiscal year, said Chief Financial Officer Maggie Wu on Thursday during an investor conference in Hangzhou, China.
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TSMC will consider Taiwan sites ahead of offshore ones for new foundry - Reuters