Haitians were told to prepare for evacuations as Tropical Storm Gustav was set to hit the country’s southern coast as a full hurricane tomorrow morning.

Tropical Storm Fay has hit land for a fourth time over Florida as it slowly moves towards New Orleans.

Brent crude oil begins today’s session around the US$111 per barrel mark as the threat from Tropical Storm Fay to oil production in the Gulf receded.

Residents were defying warnings and taking a wait-and-see attitude as a strengthening Tropical Storm Fay swept over the Florida Keys at the tip of the state and bore down on the Gulf Coast.

US Democrat Barack Obama quickly took off the gloves and was again battering John McCain as little different from President George Bush as the race for the White House intensified.

AFTER pelting Haiti and the Dominican Republic with torrential rains and floods that killed at least four people, Tropical Storm Fay lashed south-eastern Cuba with downpours and heavy winds yesterday.