iPhone battery troubles? 3 easy fixes
So, your iPhone doesn't work like it used to. Maybe it has slowed considerably, or it powers off prematurely.
The good news: You might not need to splurge for a new device. It could just be your battery.
To check quickly, search for "Battery" in Settings. A small notice will appear at the top of the device to indicate if it needs to be replaced.
If the notice appears, you have three options: Get Apple to replace the battery, pay a third-party professional to help or replace the battery yourself.
Here's what to expect for each option:
Get Apple to replace your iPhone battery
Apple will cover the cost of a new battery if it's defective and the phone is under warranty. A new iPhone is only under warranty for a year after you purchase it. (You can extend that period by paying for an AppleCare plan.)
But if your battery is showing regular signs of wear and tear, you'll have to pay $79 for a replacement from Apple. You can mail your phone to an Apple (AAPL) repair center or drop it off at an authorized Apple service store. Both options will take 3 to 5 days.
It's important to note that Apple admitted in late 2017 that a software update deliberately slowed down older phones in some situations to extend battery life. To make amends, the company temporarily dropped the price of replacement batteries for the iPhone 6 and earlier models to $29. The price will go back up to the usual $79 in 2019.
Go the third-party route
If you don't want to wait a few days, a faster option is to use a third-party service, such as iCracked or your nearest phone repair shop.
But be wary of letting companies other than Apple access your iPhone unless it's no longer under warranty. Once an "unauthorized service" opens your device, Apple will no longer repair your phone free of charge under its warranty.
A battery fix from a third-party company can cost $50 to $80.
Replace the iPhone battery yourself
If you're comfortable replacing your own iPhone battery, you can purchase a battery replacement kit online.
The kits can cost as little as $10 on Amazon (AMZN). Videos on YouTube will walk you through the process.
But buyer beware: if you haven't replaced an iPhone battery before, it might be best to leave it to the pros. Apple builds iPhone batteries deep into the device. They are accessible only by removing the back of the phone, which is held shut with proprietary screws.
-- Heather Kelly contributed to this story.
Rihanna criticizes Snapchat for ad referencing domestic violence
(CNN) Rihanna does not think much of Snapchat's apology for an advertisement that appeared to mock her domestic violence incident with her former boyfriend, Chris Brown.
The ad, for a game called "Would You Rather?", featured photos of the two singers and asked users if they would "rather slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown."
Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to assaulting Rihanna during an argument when they were dating.
The "Would You Rather" ad was removed earlier this week, and Snapchat released an apology.
"The advert was reviewed and approved in error, as it violates our advertising guidelines," the company said in a statement obtained by CNN.
The majority of advertising on Snapchat is purchased through a self-serve advertising platform and subject to review, according to the company.
Rihanna posted a statement on Thursday about the incident on her Instagram story, criticizing the company for making light of domestic violence.
"Now SNAPCHAT I know you already know you ain't my fav app out there! But I'm just trying to figure out what the point was with this mess!" the singer wrote. "I'd love to call it ignorance but I know you ain't that dumb. You spent money to animate something that would intentionally bring shame to DV victims and made a joke of it."
The award-winning singer ended by saying, "You let us down! Shame on you. Throw the whole app-oligy away."
Snapchat responded to Rihanna's posting in a statement to CNN on Thursday.
"This advertisement is disgusting and never should have appeared on our service," the statement read. "We are so sorry we made the terrible mistake of allowing it through our review process"
The company added they are investigating what happened "so that we can make sure it never happens again."
Some, including rapper Joe Budden, took Rihanna's comments as wanting fans to delete Snapchat.
The incident comes weeks after the company's stock took a tumble following reality star Kylie Jenner tweeting she no longer uses the app.
"We are so sorry we made the terrible mistake of allowing it through our review process," the Snapchat statement concluded. "We are investigating how that happened so that we can make sure it never happens again."
Jacob Zuma to be prosecuted on corruption charges
(CNN)Former South African President Jacob Zuma will be prosecuted on corruption charges, the country's chief prosecutor announced Friday in a press conference in Pretoria.
This is a breaking news story -- more to follow ...
Arrival of Illegal Sloops Within TCI
Over the past week there have been numerous sloops making landfall on the Island of Providenciales. The most recent landing was early Thursday morning 15th March 2018 in the vicinity of North West Point, Providenciales. There has been no confirmation of the number of persons that were on board. The Ministry is currently working with Law Enforcement agencies to identify individuals who may have come ashore.
The Ministry of Border Control and Employment recognizes that the protection of borders of the Turks and Caicos Islands remains our top priority and in response to the illegal migrant problem faced by the government, a multi-agency operational response was established in January of this year, called Operation Guardian. The main objective of Operation Guardian is to carry out enforcement and compliance activities across the Turks and Caicos Islands by identifying those persons who are illegal migrants or who may be working without the necessary permits and authorization. Through this medium, operations have been successful thus far by visiting job sites, bars, construction areas, restaurants and business places. Since January 2018 there have been 290 illegal migrants repatriated to their homeland. This is an ongoing exercise as the department continues their compliance and enforcement activities with joint agencies.
The Department of Immigration have recently promoted seven Immigration Officers, recruited three new additional staff members and employed temporary staff to ensure that critical areas are fully staffed.
The Ministry of Border and Employment is presently reviewing the current work permit policies and wish to remind persons that a band is still in effect on all first time work permits for specific countries.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government have secured funding through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to facilitate the repair, upgrade and maintenance work that must be conducted on the Radar System. This work begun earlier this week and will continue over the next few days. Radar Station staff along with the Police are also receiving additional training in the use of the upgraded equipment.
The Honourable Deputy Premier and Minister of Border Control and Employment, wishes again to remind persons of his Government's commitment to improving the protection of our borders and tighter controls on immigration processes. Additionally, he stated that “illegal migration threatens the lives and livelihood of our people and that persons found to be engaged in the smuggling of humans would be prosecuted under the law. He advises all persons to observe the immigration laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands as anyone found in breach of the same will be dealt with accordingly.”
The Ministry of Border Control reiterates its caution issued to those in Turks and Caicos Islands that might be inclined to harbor illegal migrants, that as a result of the new Immigration Ordinance which came into effect on April 1, 2016, penalties for harboring illegal migrants were increased, and such persons now face a fine of $20,000 on summary conviction or to a term of imprisonment of four years or both. In addition, persons convicted of such offence, face the possibility of having their status in the Islands revoked, making them liable to deportation.
TURKS & CAICOS GOVERNMENT HOST JOINT TWO DAY CHILD PROTECTION WORKSHOP
In an effort to educate and protect children against all types of crimes, the Office of the Director of Prosecutions along with the Department of Social Development, Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and Gender Desk embarked on a two day workshop in Grand Turk entitled Child Protection, Law Awareness-Saving Our Children by Educating Everyone”.
Teachers from all Schools on Grand Turk (Private and Public), members of the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force, personnel from the Department of Social Development, Truancy Officers as well as School Crossing Guards were all privy to presentations about mental effects, social amenities’ available and the procedure, laws and penalties relating to investigation and prosecution of abuse against children.
Much emphasis was placed on the responsibility of persons who come in contact with children who have suffered some form abuse to report what they observed, were told or suspect to have taken place.
A similar workshop will be held in Providenciales on a future date, the presenters are also scheduled to do school visits and talk with children and other teachers about Child Abuse.
Child abuse is everyone’s business and no child wants a monster! If you believe or know that a child is in trouble please report the matter to your nearest social worker or the Department of Social Development.
Ministry of Tourism Honors Mrs. Tina Fenimore
The Ministry of Tourism in commemoration of Women’s International Day 2018 under the theme “Press for Progress”; Minister of Tourism, Hon. Ralph Higgs along with staff paid tribute to Mrs. Tina Fenimore for her immeasurable contribution not only to tourism but national development. Mrs. Fenimore was the first local, female hotelier on the Island of Grand Turk and instrumental in both the Grand Turk and Providenciales Chambers of Commerce.
Her dreams turning the Turks and Caicos Islands into a tourism destination is truly seen today. Her actions were a part of the engine that still assists in driving the local economy; The business provided employment for a number of residents and saw countless guests. Mrs. Fenimore mentored and trained many local employees, allowing for direct socio-economic injection to the community. She also operated a travel agency, T & C Travel, along with other tourism related businesses since the early 70’s through 90’s.
Minister, Hon. Higgs commented; “It is an honor and pleasure to recognize Mrs. Fenimore for her unselfish contribution to the tourism industry, she has always been a champion for our destination since its modern infancy. She has historically promoted the Turks and Caicos, which we are grateful for; especially today. We are happy to highlight the accomplishment of women in the various sectors as their efforts have paved the way for the empowerment of women in leadership across every sphere.”
There are many women, past and present who have played key roles in developing our tourism industry. The sustained growth over the years is testament to their ingenuity and involvement. The Turks and Caicos Islands is truly a place of gender equality as women play leading roles at the executive level. As we pay special recognition to accomplished women, we must be mindful of young aspiring women who seek to follow their lead in breaking through glass ceilings.
Let us thank God for all he has given as we reflect on all accomplishments of women throughout the country; the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Heritage, Maritime and Gaming extend best wishes to the hardworking women across the globe for a Happy International Women’s day!
Protect our land from fearless non-Belongers
Lest my haters, detractors and those who do not wish this country well deliberately distort and misconstrue my views, let me preface this by highlighting our love, respect and embracement of the Haitian people who have positively contributed to the development of this country and have assimilated themselves respectfully into mainstream society and become responsible, true and caring Turks and Caicos Islanders. Having said that, it is never more true than now as it relates to our immigration problems, that enough is enough and it’s about time that proactive, deliberate and effective measures be taken to rid ourselves of this devastating and costly menace of illegal immigration and illegal occupation
It is indeed distressing and alarming to say the least, realizing that our Beautiful By Nature Turks and Caicos Islands are under siege by well calculated and deliberate invasive forces in the form of illegal Haitian nationals. This rapidly expanding army of illegals compliment and reinforce the thousands of legal non-Belonger Haitians who are already fearlessly and boldly flexing their muscles and expressing their evil intentions to take over our country. The sad and inexplicable aspect of all of this is that our government, inclusive of our British Colonialists element, seems to be the only ones that are oblivious to this looming threat to our national security.
Consequently, one is left to wonder if this apathetic, lame duck approach in dealing with this festering issue is because of election entanglements and or the lack of vision or the will to tackle it head on.
It is obvious that we as a people inclusive of government and populace, have been far too complacent and too gutless for too long to the extent that we have already lost almost everything that is dear and precious to us inclusive of key authoritative positions in the civil service as well as the private sector.
The mistake is often made in recognizing only illegal immigration as a major problem, however the truth is that we have an immigration problem, both illegal and legal and until such time as this is recognized and tackled forcibly and systematically, we will continue to see our country slipping our of our hands.
The illegal entry by sloops and go fast boats is but one of the contributing factors that not only facilitates human trafficking but the trafficking of illegal drugs, guns and ammunition that results in an overwhelming superiority of an invisible illegal military element in our country.
A combination of these illegal, invasive activities poses the biggest threat to our safety, our national security, our job security, and in the long run, our franchise security.
The arrogance and effrontery displayed in the bold and relentless efforts to illegally enter our country fearlessly, find jobs illegally, build shacks illegally on crown land and people’s private property, and the blatant disrespect for our limited sovereignty, demand that we as a Turks and Caicos people, rise to this overbearing challenge and take bold, stinging Initiatives that would effectively rid ourselves of this menacing plague that is tantamount to a subtle, well thought out, incremental coupe.
There is absolutely no justifiable reason why legitimate Turks and Caicos Islanders should be negatively impacted in the Turks and Caicos by illegal Haitians and legal non Belonger Haitians in the Turks and Caicos should not share in the agony that is being presumptuously perpetuated by illegal Haitian invaders.
If we are to effectively tackle our festering illegal Haitian immigration problems, it is imperative that official, diplomatic, bilateral talks between Turks and Caicos government officials and Haitian government officials take place at the highest level. It gives our officials the opportunity to sensitize the present Haitian government of the historic long term love and support we shared with its people over the years. Alluding to the thousands of Belonger Status, Permanent Residence Certificates, Naturalizations and work permits. Not to mention the thousands of their children that we educated free and are still educating, the tens of millions of dollars annually that are sent to Haiti as remittances, the inclusion in our civil service, the opportunity to establish businesses and the list goes on.
Our officials need to impress on the Haitian officials that while we have been and are still being excessively benevolent to its people, there is the need for them to recognize the need for us to maintain our national security, and our socio economic and political prominence in our country. As such, there is an obligation on the Haitian government to not even appear to be complicit in any way in this illegal surge to take over our country, hence their obligation to visibly assist in stemming this illegal flow.
This may be done by the Haitian authorities preventing sloops from leaving illegally, sponsoring public service announcement that discourage this illegal traffic, funding the repatriation of their illegals caught in the islands and severely punishing those illegals that are returned. In the event that a captain is not identified among any of the illegals that come by boat, then the Haitian government will provide a captain to take back an acceptable load on a sea worthy vessels.
If the Haitian authorities prove unwilling or unable to assist us in this fight, then there are consequential measures that the TCI government would take to drastically and decisively stem the flow of these illegals.
Furthermore, the Turks and Caicos government has options that should already have been put in place such as:
- - The cancellation and non renewal of Haitian work permits.
- - The non issuance of first time work permits to Haitian nationals
- - Stem the flow of the remittances of the tens of millions of dollars that are sent to Haiti annually that obviously help to facilitate the human, drug, gun and ammunition trafficking.
- - Initiate a serious crackdown on the illegal jitneys
- - In the absence of militarily qualified personnel to root out the illegals from the bush and the unwillingness of the British to provide such forces, then
the immigration department bring in expatriate militarily qualified personnel to compliment its task force. - - Reassign the task force to visit construction job sites, hotels and other businesses.
- - Place severe penalties inclusive of prison sentences on persons who harbour and employ illegals
- - Eliminate the government Stamp program that hires numerous Haitian nationals with just a stamp in their passports.
- - Have work permit holders to leave the country if impregnated until after childbirth.
- - A crackdown on illegal shops, illegal restaurants, illegal car sales business and other illegal businesses
- - prepare a detailed position paper and appeal to the British, American Government, CARICOM, the United Nations and the European Union to recognize the invasion and assist in bringing it to a halt.
- - Join forces with the Bahamian government to jointly approach the problem as they also suffer from it.
While this is not an exhaustive list of options to tackle this problem, it is an effective list that would go a mighty long way in dealing with this threat and taking back our country. What is also important is that it provides options that may begin tomorrow without additional budgeting and staffing or British government approval and be effective at the same time.
After Bruno Mars is accused of cultural appropriation, black celebrities come to his defense
(CNN)Bruno Mars found himself caught in a heated debate about cultural appropriation over the weekend after an activist accused the "24K Magic" star of being a culture vulture profiting off of traditionally black music.
"Cultural appropriation," according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is "the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture."
Bruno Mars' mother is Filipina and his father is Puerto Rican and Jewish
But the Grammy-winning star is known for blending elements of funk, soul, R&B, reggae and hip-hop in his music --- genres that are historically and traditionally African-American.
Here's the two-minute video that started it all:
https://twitter.com/hannahmburrell/status/971924903174733826/video/1
"Bruno Mars 100% is a cultural appropriator. He is not black, at all, and he plays up his racial ambiguity to cross genres," writer and activist Seren Sensei said in a clip for "The Grapevine," a web series that explores African-American issues.
"What Bruno Mars does, is he takes pre-existing work and he just completely, word-for-word recreates it, extrapolates it," she added. "He does not create it, he does not improve upon it, he does not make it better. He's a karaoke singer, he's a wedding singer, he's the person you hire to do Michael Jackson and Prince covers. Yet Bruno Mars has an Album of the Year Grammy and Prince never won an Album of the Year Grammy."
Hours after being fired, emotional Tillerson tells his side of the story
Just hours after his very public firing Tuesday, an emotional Secretary of State Rex Tillerson came to the State Department briefing room to tell his side of the story, saying he had received a call shortly after noon from the president aboard Air Force One, and had spoken as well with White House chief of staff John Kelly.
He did not otherwise mention or thank President Donald Trump.
Tillerson first learned he was being dismissed when Trump tweeted this morning that he was nominating CIA Director Mike Pompeo as his new secretary of state.
Tillerson said it was most important to ensure a "smooth and orderly transition" for Pompeo.
He said he was delegating all his responsibilities to Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan effective at the end of the day Tuesday and that his commission as secretary of state would terminate at midnight March 31.
Tillerson had just returned from Africa Monday night after cutting his trip short.
Tillerson pointed to progress on North Korea and Syria as some of his accomplishments and thanked his State Department colleagues for the "privilege" of serving with them.
"I'll now return to private life, as a private citizen, as a proud American, proud of the opportunity I've had to have serve my country," Tillerson said, leaving the room without taking questions.
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Sixth Meeting of National AIDS Programme Managers and Key Partners Opens With Call for More Country Ownership of HIV Response
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 (PANCAP Coordinating Unit, CARICOM Secretariat): The Pan-Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, commenced the Sixth Meeting of National AIDS Programme (NAP) Managers and Key Partners in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago from 12–14 March 2018.
Delivering the Feature Address, Honourable Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister of Health, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago highlighted that it has been more than 34 years since the first reported HIV and AIDS case in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean and over 17 years since highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) became a reality.
However, he emphasized the need to focus on the sustainability of the response. “From the outset of the HIV epidemic in the Caribbean, there have been varied efforts to ensure that our regional and local communities achieved sustainability in our response to HIV”, stated Minister Deyalsingh, “Sustainable HIV programmes are characterized by the ability of a national government and regional partners to increasingly assume full strategic and financial responsibility for their HIV and AIDS response over the long-term”.
The Minister explained that this requires the development and strengthening of policies, infrastructure, skills, processes, human and financial resources to ensure that the response can survive, adapt and scale-up. He highlighted that financing is key to mounting a sustainable response and referred to the approaching 2020 deadline for the “90-90-90 Fast-Track Target”. Further, he explained that “the region finds itself in a global environment with complex development priorities that pose challenges to national budgets and affect bilateral cooperation. The region is expected to experience reduced technical and financial inflows and must collectively mobilize domestic resources especially, for the support of prevention and the elimination of HIV-related stigma and discrimination among key and vulnerable populations, as complimentary external financing dwindles”. Minister warned that while the desire to achieve sustainable responses is widespread, little formal research has been undertaken to assess the resilience of Caribbean territories, in the face of the withdrawal of external support.
“As a region, we need to urgently heighten the research and the debate on the sustainability of the HIV response,” stated the Minister.
Addressing the participants, Chair of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism (RCM), Global Fund Project and Minister of Education, Guyana, Honourable Nicolette Henry advocated for more country ownership of the HIV response.
“To achieve the objectives of the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS there is still need to strengthen country ownership of the response and shared responsibility to strategically align efforts to end HIV as a public health problem in the Caribbean”, stated Minister Henry, “As a region we are still challenged with late diagnosis, particularly for men. Yet there is much to celebrate. People are living much longer with HIV, many more patients are on ART and there are greater methods and practices for fast-tracking prevention, operational financing mechanisms, and authority and responsibility of National AIDS Programmes. These are all essential requirements for closing the gap and shepherding an AIDS-free generation”.
The Minister’s sentiments on low diagnosis figures for men were echoed in remarks by Dr Cesar Nuñez, UNAIDS Director, Latin America and Caribbean Regional Support Team, who stated “the region as a whole is lagging behind on the HIV testing and viral suppression targets. One of three people (36%) living with HIV in the Caribbean is not aware of their HIV status, and late diagnosis is a challenge in several countries, particularly for men. In 2016, one-third of those on treatment were not virally suppressed (33%). This is what we must seek to understand and address. Why are most systems able to initiate treatment once people are diagnosed, but not to retain them in care and achieve the gold standard of viral suppression?”
Ms Annelise Hirschmann, Regional Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, The Global Fund noted the success of the region’s response to HIV. She reminded the participants of their critical role in defining a path for the challenges ahead and emphasized the need to use treatment and key population cascades to make decisions on investing domestic and donor funding. Ms Hirschmann advocated that data should be used to shape decisions on the response more effectively. “We know that the region does not have huge increases in domestic financing for health, but are we effectively utilizing what is available?” stated Ms Hirschmann. She also urged participants to continue to plan for the sustainability of the HIV response in light of reduced donor funding.
Dr Edwin Bolastig, PAHO/WHO Representative (ag.), Republic of Trinidad and Tobago reiterated PAHO/WHO’s commitment to all partners involved in the HIV response towards achieving the 90-90-90 Targets by 2030. Dr Bolastig stated that country ownership of the HIV response aligned with the Regional Strategic objectives are indeed essential for the response. He also noted that while more countries have been validated for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transfer of HIV and Syphilis (EMTCT), there is still work to be done. In light of this, he recognized PANCAP’s consistent efforts to bring together regional minds for the collective thought process towards building consensus, creating synergies and generating collective action towards ending HIV. He also highlighted the synergy between PAHO/WHO and PANCAP in advocating for universal health coverage and ensuring that no one is denied health care because of age, sexual orientation, occupation, religious beliefs, etc.
Mr Ivan Cruickshank, Administrative and Finance Manager, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) highlighted the critical need for data necessary to achieve the 90-90-90 Targets. He also advocated for full involvement of civil society representatives at all levels in the implementation of HIV programmes and the region’s overall response.
Dr Nikkiah Forbes, Director, National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Diseases Programme, Ministry of Health, The Bahamas continued the theme of the meeting, calling for more interest by governments in the sustainability of the response. She stated “I make a respectful but urgent plea to our governments to commit to, as well as finance their National and Regional AIDS response”.
Dr Forbes acknowledged the financial costs of such a commitment but implored governments to also consider the costs associated with inaction. “I also want you to remember that the colour of AIDS awareness is blood red, for its connection to blood and passion – not just red for anger in the face of injustice”, stated Dr Forbes, “The AIDS response must prevail beyond party colours, such as in The Bahamas where fortunately HIV has been a matter that our successive government administrations have consistently supported”.
Director of PANCAP and Chair of the opening ceremony, Mr Dereck Springer highlighted that the meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the Region’s progress towards achieving the 90-90-90 Targets, to identify gaps in the region’s response and discuss strategies for filling the gaps. He noted that the meeting was being convened at a time of declining resources therefore the region must ensure greater efficiencies and effectiveness of HIV programmes.
The three-day forum will culminate on Wednesday, 14 March as National AIDS Programme Managers, Chief Medical Officers, Permanent Secretaries, Development, Regional and Implementing Partners, including civil society organizations that work with people living with HIV and key population groups (including youth), are expected to reach an agreement on approaches for integration as a key strategy for sustainability of the HIV response.