Black Immigrant Daily News

Hurricane Julia hit Nicaragua’s central Caribbean coast on Sunday after lashing Colombia’s San Andres island, and a weakened storm was expected to emerge over the Pacific.

Julia hit as a Category One hurricane early Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), though its winds had dipped to tropical storm force, 70 mph (110 kph), by late morning as it pushed across Nicaragua with heavy rains.

The US National Hurricane Center said Julia was centered about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east-northeast of Managua, the capital, and was moving west at 15 mph (24 kph).

It said life-threatening flash floods and mudslides were possible across Central America and southern Mexico through Tuesday, with the storm expected to bring as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain in isolated areas.

Colombia’s national disaster agency reported Sunday that Julia blew the roofs off at least five houses and knocked over trees, but there were no reported casualties as it blasted past San Andres Island east of Nicaragua.

In Nicaragua, Vice President Rosario Murillo told TN8 television that there had been no reports of deaths so far, but power and communications were cut in some areas. She said that 9,500 people had been evacuated to shelters.

Local news media showed images of trees toppled across roads.

Guillermo Gonz?lez, director of Nicaragua’s Disaster Response System, told official media that people at high risk had been evacuated from coastal areas by noon Saturday. The army said it delivered humanitarian supplies to Bluefields and Laguna de Perlas for distribution to 118 temporary shelters.

The storm was forecast to emerge over the Pacific and skirt the coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala, a region already saturated by weeks of heavy rains.

In Guatemala, storms since early May had already caused at least 49 confirmed deaths, with six people missing. Roads and hundreds of homes have been damaged, Guatemalan officials say.

In El Salvador, where 19 people have died this rainy season, the worst rainfall was expected Monday and Tuesday, said Fernando L?pez, the minister of environmental and natural resources. Officials said they had opened 61 shelters with the capacity to house more than 3,000 people.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

News

One of the roads which needs clearing in Guaracara. –

TABAQUITE MP Anita Haynes is calling on the government to give urgent attention to the 17km mark at the Guaracara/Tabaquite road.

In a press release, Haynes said the Works Ministry cleared the roadway in September, but was blocked by landslip debris again.

She said, “This is a matter of urgent public safety.

“The land is still moving and the road is becoming increasingly compromised.”

She said the road, which was once a two-way, has been reduced to a single lane and was“becoming narrower day by day, with vehicles being forced to drive along the edge of the retaining wall.”

She said she wrote to the Planning Ministry last month for support to get legal access to the land which is privatelt owned.

She said the ministry referred the matter to the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).

“Ultimately, as the investigations continue, the responsibility of the land owner will be determined. Until such time, I am calling on the Ministry of Works and Transport to continue to assist us with clearing the roadway so that members of the public can traverse safely.”

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Tobago

In this March 24 file photo, chairman of the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee, speaks at a media conference at the Courts Mega Store, San Juan. – ROGER JACOB

JONATHAN RAMNANANSINGH

TRINIDAD and Tobago Football Association’s (TTFA) audited financial statements for 2020 and 2021 have been approved by its membership.

The approval came with “some conditions” but these are expected to be ironed out and made official, within the coming days.

TTFA normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad and Eastern Football Association president (EFA) Kieron Edwards breathed a sigh of relief following the membership’s decision to finally approve the Aegis Business Solutions-audited statements.

Both administrators were upbeat on the landmark move and believe it’s a step in the right direction for TT football.

“It is another positive step in football after the recent Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act approval. We are excited about moving football forward and working with the football fraternity to get the sport back to a level we can all be proud of.

“Our doors are opened to the stakeholders and we look forward to working with them. Let’s get going together,” Hadad said.

The welcomed approval came 17 days after the association’s annual general meeting (AGM), where it was decided to postpone the action, and hold talks with the normalisation committee to address some minor concerns raised by members.

Edwards said, “The financials were approved but with some conditions. The normalisation committee would have to provide some further documents to the audited statement but that would be provided. It should be a simple process.”

At the EGM, Edwards said members showed strong interest in clarifying certain issues, holding persons accountable and ensuring their questions did not go unanswered.

He was, however, pleased the TTFA had arrived at such a crucial juncture and communication between the normalisation committee and members had improved for the betterment of TT football.

“This approval was the first time I felt that football is going in a right direction, especially when members are asking pertinent questions towards important issues. We have to continue the process.

“Once documents are brought before us to approve, it cannot be a rubber stamp. We (membership) have to look at the information before us and make proper representation.

“So when we cast that vote of approval, it must be one that we are comfortable with and we can take back to our members and let them know that a decision was made in the best interest of the TTFA,” he added.

Edwards said there was positive feedback from the normalisation committee and confirmed that Hadad mentioned that they “need to do a little better with communication.”

The future looks promising, he told Newsday.

“We look forward to seeing this level of communication and dialogues continue in a respectful manner in which it did for matters going forward. We continue to look forward to better and brighter days ahead for football.

Of the 48 TTFA members, approximately 30 were present for Saturday’s EGM. The approval of financial statements for 2020 and 2021 was the only item on the EGM agenda.

Edwards added that the approval is one of several requirements needed by FIFA for the TTFA to request its FIFA Forward Funding.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

NIEUW-NICKERIE — In twee maanden hebben haast 2.400 burgers in Nickerie een Bazo-kaart gekregen. Tijdens een ontmoeting met de presidentiële

NewsAmericasNow.com