Heat move forward minus Chris Bosh
The Miami Heat will prepare for the Eastern Conference finals as if forward Chris Bosh won't be available for the series, coach Erik Spoelstra said Saturday.
The team remains uncertain when -- or if -- Bosh will return from the strained abdominal muscle he sustained on May 15 in Game 1 of Miami's semifinal series against Indiana. The Heat will play Game 1 of the conference finals on Monday against Boston.
In his most extensive update of Bosh's status since the injury, Spoelstra said the perennial All-Star has modestly progressed in his treatment and light conditioning sessions, such as riding a stationary bike, in recent days. But several Heat players have said Bosh has been unable to participate in any on-court work with the team in limited practices.
"He's doing a little bit more, [but] he's still indefinite," Spoelstra said of Bosh. "For me, it's my responsibility right now to prepare this team without him. If and when we get to a point when he starts to emerge into the picture, we'll gladly deal with that. For our mental state of health -- and I'd love to [get] Chris -- but our preparation is without him."
The Heat were able to regroup without Bosh to eliminate the Pacers in six games after falling into a 2-1 series hole. Spoelstra suggested the adjustments the Heat made were part of "reinventing ourselves" without Bosh, who has averaged 18 points and 7.9 rebounds during the season. He averaged 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds in Miami's first six playoff games, including five against New York.
Results of an MRI confirmed the strain a day after Bosh was injured, and the Heat planned to re-evaluate the nine-year veteran after two to three weeks of rest and therapy.
Bosh repeatedly has said his teammates would have to extend the season -- presumably to the Finals -- in order to give him enough time to return to action this season.
In the meantime, the Heat have had to rely on increased production from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who put together a historic stretch of games to pull away from the Pacers with three consecutive victories. James averaged 32.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8 assists on 55 percent shooting. In that same span, Wade contributed 33 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 62 percent shooting.
Considering the uncertainty around Bosh, Spoelstra suggested James and Wade would have to continue to produce at that level -- if not more -- for the Heat to advance past the conference finals and have a chance to win a title.
"What happened the last three games, now that has to be the norm," Spoelstra said of not only the play of Wade and James, but the entire team. "What I told them [Saturday] as a team is we have to go to the next level. That won't be enough for our ultimate goal."
Wade and James had similar reactions when initially informed of Spoelstra's comments after Saturday's practice. Both rocked back on their heels and raised their eyebrows.
James said he's prepared to make any adjustments necessary with his offense if Bosh is ready to return.
"You prepare yourself to try to go out there and play at a high level," said James, who averaged 42.3 minutes the past three games against Indiana. "Does it always happen that way? Nah. It doesn't.
"Sometimes the ball doesn't always go in for you. We're not just shooting all layups. We're also making jumpers and floaters and things of that nature. [Spoelstra] said the right thing to just keep us on our toes, let us know we can't have a relaxed moment."
The Heat took advantage of a few extra days of rest before the next round by taking a day off Friday and going through a light workout Saturday. The workload will increase on Sunday in advance of Game 1 on Monday.
For now, Wade will enjoy the chance to replenish before he helps James carry the bulk of the burden without Bosh. Wade, who had his troublesome left knee drained during the Pacers series, joked that he can't see the two of them putting up similar numbers like that again, with a game scheduled to be played every other night in the next series.
"I don't think that's going to happen," Wade said. "You don't know what the numbers are going to be. But I just think [Spoelstra] wants the focus, the attack and that mentality, more so than anything."
ESPN
Apple boss Tim Cook rejects $75m payout
Apple's boss Tim Cook has turned down a payout worth about $75m (£48m).
The technology giant will pay a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share from July, the first time Apple has declared a dividend since 1995.
But a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that Mr Cook will not take up his dividends.
A newspaper recently said that Mr Cook was the best-paid boss in the US with an income of more than $300m.
"At Mr Cook's request, none of his restricted stock units will participate in dividend equivalents," the filing said. It did not say why.
Talent
According to the Wall Street Journal, Mr Cook made $378m last year, most of which came from a grant of one million shares awarded.
His base salary is $900,000. His predecessor, Steve Jobs, famously had an annual salary of $1.
Earlier this week, Apple's lead designer Jonathan Ive was knighted.
The Briton - responsible for the designs behind iconic products like Apple's iPod, iPhone and iPad - also reaffirmed his desire to stay at the company.
Since the death of Jobs, the Apple co-founder and figurehead, many have speculated that the company might struggle to maintain its reputation for innovative products and would face an exodus of top talent.
That has not happened yet as Apple has sought to lock in people like Mr Cook and Sir Jonathan through long-term stock options.
Apple has about $110bn in cash. In March, the tech giant said it would use its cash to start paying a dividend to shareholders and to buy back some of its shares.
It expects to use $45bn over the next three years.
Earlier this year, Apple's shares touched a high of $644, surpassing $600bn in market value and making the company the world's most valuable firm.
Since then, Apple shares have dropped to $562 each, making the company worth $525bn.
Spain's loss-making Bankia vows transparency
The head of Spain's fourth-largest bank, Bankia, has promised more transparency, a day after announcing huge losses and asking for a bailout.
Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri told a news conference a full restructuring plan would be finalised by the end of June.
On Friday, the bank revised its 2011 results from a profit of 300m euros (£240m; $375m) to a 2.98bn-euro loss, and asked the state for 19bn euros.
The Madrid stockmarket suspended trading in Bankia shares on Friday.
The bailout of Bankia would be the biggest of its kind in Spanish history and would largely nationalise the bank.
Mr Goirigolzarri said the bank would use the bailout money to clean-up losses from loans made during the construction boom and protect against future losses.
In the news conference, he stressed how the bank had to look to the future and move on from the crisis.
"We are mindful that we will be managing a bank with public participation and will do so with all the professionalism, austerity and transparency we are capable of applying," he said, according to a transcript on Bankia's website.
The BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid says the fear is that Spain's financial crisis and recession will continue, and more people will default on their mortgages.
Credit downgrade
Spanish banks, which lent heavily during the property bubble, are seen as particularly shaky as they now hold massive amounts of soured investments.
Shortly after the bank announced its huge losses, rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) downgraded the bank, along with four other lenders, to "junk" status.
The government had already intervened earlier this month and awarded Bankia a 4.47bn-euro loan.
Bankia had to reassure savers last week that their money was safe after a Spanish newspaper reported a run on the bank.
Bankia was created in 2010 from the merger of seven struggling regional savings banks. It holds 32bn euros in distressed property assets.
Its shares fell 7.4% on Thursday to close at 1.57 euros, down 58% from their listing price in July 2011.
There have been four attempts by Spanish governments to shore up the banking system since the global financial crisis of 2008.
As part of the latest plan, lenders are having to make 30bn euros of extra provisions to cover potential losses on property loans. This is in addition to 54bn euros they were ordered to set aside in February.
The health of Spain's banking system is key to whether the country eventually needs to seek a bailout itself from the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Spain's credit rating was downgraded by S&P last month on the basis that it would probably have to take on more debt to support its banks.
Lloyd's 'has plans for euro collapse'
The insurance market Lloyd's of London is preparing contingency plans for the possibility of the euro collapsing, its chief executive has said.
With Greece facing new elections in June and anti-bailout feelings high, there are fears Athens may be forced to exit the eurozone.
In a Sunday Telegraph interview, Richard Ward said Lloyd's needs to "prepare for that eventuality".
He said that Lloyd's would settle claims using multiple currencies.
Mr Ward is one of the first bosses of a large UK business to admit he is planning for the end of the euro.
Lloyd's of London is a market in which syndicates meet brokers and agree to take on particular risks.
'Quite worried'
Greece has implemented tough austerity measures in return for two multi-billion-euro bailouts, but five years of recession has seen the Greek people become increasingly opposed to pro-austerity politicians.
Many analysts think that Greece may abandon the austerity measures and be forced out of the euro if the leftist bloc Syriza, which came second in Greece's 6 May election, wins on 17 June.
This could potentially trigger a run on banks not only in Greece but in other eurozone nations.
"We've got multi-currency functionality and we would switch to multi-currency settlement if the Greeks abandoned the euro and started using the drachma again," Mr Ward told the newspaper.
"I don't think that if Greece exited the euro it would lead to the collapse of the eurozone, but what we need to do is prepare for that eventuality."
He added: "I'm quite worried about Europe."
In March, Lloyd's announced a loss of £516m for 2011, saying it was its worst year for catastrophe claims such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the earthquake in New Zealand.
Euro woes
Mr Ward's comments come as more and more politicians and business leaders talk of a Greek exit.
In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, the head of the International Monetary Fund urged Greeks to pay taxes.
Christine Lagarde also suggested it was payback time for Greece.
In addition to a Greek exit, investors are also worried about what would happen if other ailing economies like Spain and Italy followed suit.
On Friday, Spain's Bankia said it needed 19bn euros more from the government - the biggest bailout ever - as it and fellow regional banks struggle under a mountain of bad property debt.
Stocks have fallen over the past few weeks while on Friday the euro tumbled to under $1.25 for the first time since July 2010.
Suspected NATO Airstrike Kills 8 Afghan Civilians
Officials in eastern Afghanistan say a NATO airstrike has killed a family of eight.
A government spokesman for Paktia province, Rohullah Samoon, tells VOA that a coalition airstrike late Saturday killed a man, his wife and six children in the Gerda Serai district. He said that according to his information, the man was not linked to any insurgent group or any anti-government activities.
NATO officials say they are aware of reports of the incident and are investigating.
Civilian casualties have been a major source of friction between President Hamid Karzai's government and the international coalition in Afghanistan.
Earlier this month, the United Nations special representative to Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said that civilian casualties have gone down by 20 percent in the first four months of 2012, compared to the same period last year. Kubis said insurgent attacks, including suicide bombings, cause the majority of civilian deaths.
Syrian Officials Deny Responsibililty for Houla Massacre
Syrian officials say Damascus is not responsible for the massacre in a village that killed at least 92 people, including dozens of children.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters in Damascus Sunday that anti-government gunmen carried out Friday's attack. He says the government condemns what he called the “terrorist” attack, and is opening an investigation into the incident, with results expected within days. The spokesman also said U.N. envoy Kofi Annan will be in Syria Monday.
Syrian activists say the massacre in Houla was a coordinated assault by government forces and militiamen.
The attack is one of the deadliest incidents since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 15 months ago.
Witnesses said the killing began when government forces shelled the village after Friday prayers.
A team of U.N. observers, headed by General Robert Mood, arrived in Houla Saturday to investigate the killings. Mood said the observers had counted more than 32 children under the age of 10 and over 60 adults killed.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, condemned the violence as an “appalling and brutal crime involving indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force.”
The U.N. says more than 10,000 people have been killed in Syria since the government began its crackdown on dissent in March 2011.
Vatican Confirms Pope's Butler's Arrest
The Vatican confirmed Saturday that Pope Benedict XVI's butler has been arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential documents and letters from the pontiff's private quarters.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Paolo Gabriele, 46, was arrested Wednesday after secret documents were found in his Vatican City home. Gabriele had been the pope's personal butler since 2006, one of the few members of the papal household, which includes a few nuns and secretaries.
The scandal, dubbed "Vatileaks" by the media, involves the leaking of a string of documents earlier this year to Italian media. The documents allege corruption in Vatican finances and have centered on the activities of Cardinal and Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone.
The pope has ordered several investigations into the leak, which took on greater weight several days ago with the publication of "His Holiness," a book written by Gianluigi Nuzzi that reproduced confidential letters and documents reportedly smuggled out by unnamed whistle blowers.
TCI Public Authorities Address Illnesses at Hotels in Providenciales.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Authorities would like to advise the travelling public and residents that all resources are being mobilized to investigate and contain a situation that has seen an increase in diarrhoea and vomiting in some resorts on Providenciales.
The Ministry of Health, Environmental Health Department, TCI Health Surveillance Team, Hotel Association and Tourist Board are committed to working closely together to address this situation and to ensure that there is little or no disruption to our people, our guests and to business locally and overseas.
Public health teams are assessing, identifying and reporting on the situation utilizing Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) and Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) guidelines. Their top priority is to protect the public as well as the tourism industry from any further illness by containing any outbreak.
Public health professionals are working with hoteliers to gather data on the number of cases and to determine if there is any common cause. Samples have already been sent to a laboratory for investigation in the US and results are currently awaited. As a precaution, refresher hygiene training courses for all hotel staff are being arranged.
Those persons experiencing diarrhoea, abdominal pain or vomiting should report to their nearest health care facility. The health surveillance team may also need to interview any person experiencing such signs and symptoms in order to help pinpoint the source of the outbreak. Information will be kept confidential; however, updates on the number of cases will be released as soon as they are confirmed.
The Ministry of Health and Education (MOHE) would also like to take this opportunity to encourage the general public to practice healthy hygienic measures at all times such as frequent hand washing, especially when preparing meals, before eating and after using the toilet. The MOHE will keep the public up to date on any further developments.
The Tourist Board would like to reassure travellers that the TCI remains a safe place to visit
Governor responds to Carlos Simons
In response to a letter from Carlos Simons QC, HE Governor Todd responded to the rules of Chair outlined in the following sent to RTC news:
Dear Mr Simons,
Thank you for your letter of 22 May.
Everyone on TCI is entitled to hold and express opinions and debate issues, including “hot button political” ones.
I do not think that anything that the Chair said at the session of the Consultative Forum on 21 May contravened either the Constitutional Order setting up the Consultative Forum nor its rules of procedure. As I have set out, membership of the Advisory Council and the Consultative Forum is incompatible with being a candidate for elected office. It is not, and never has been, incompatible with holding and expressing opinions. Mrs Misick is not, unlike Mrs Cartwright-Robinson and Mrs Delancy a declared candidate for elected political office.
If you wish to challenge, disagree with or object to any comments made by the Chair of the Consultative Forum you are of course free to do so.
Yours sincerely,
D R Todd
D R Todd
Governor
Police News-Two Men Charged plus more
TWO men have appeared in court today (Wednesday May 23) charged with the murder of Anthony Quinn.
Misael Castillo, 19, of Long Bay, Providenciales, and Stanford Forbes Jnr, 18, of Leeward Highway, Providenciales, were also charged with robbery.
The body of Mr Quinn, was found close to the beach at the bottom of Technology Drive near Heaving Down Rock on the morning of Sunday May 13.
The 34-year-old British national worked as a quantity surveyor for local firm, Projectech.
Meanwhile TOOLS were among items stolen from a property in Robinson Street, Five Cays. The break-in occurred sometime between 2pm on Monday and 7am on Tuesday.
CELL phones, a TV set, laptop computers and jewellery were taken during a burglary in Leeward Palms. Intruders smashed their way into the house in Palm Circle sometime between 8am and 1.30pm on Tuesday.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 911 or Crimestoppers on 1-800-8477.
Tips can also be left in English, French or Spanish at www.crimestoppers.tc or by becoming a friend of Crimestoppers TCI on Facebook.
Crime prevention tips are also available by visiting www.tcipolice.tc
GRAND TURK
POLICE are questioning a 32-year-old man on suspicion of burglary.
A GRAND Turk man was found guilty of obstruction by Magistrates in the island.
Lewis Williams was fined $250 for the offence.