Pentagon identifies Army reservists killed in drone attack on U.S. base in Jordan
The Pentagon on Monday announced the names of the three Army reservists killed in the drone attack over the weekend on a U.S. base in Jordan near the border with Syria.
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh announced the names at a briefing Monday afternoon: Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia.
The three reservists were killed Sunday when a one-way unmanned aerial system hit their container housing units, where they were sleeping at the time. The working theory about how an enemy drone slipped past defenses at a U.S. base in Jordan is that American personnel mistook the enemy drone for one of their own returning from a surveillance mission, two U.S. officials confirmed Monday.
Source-ABC
Lionel Richie’s “pumped” to be a grandfather again
Lionel Richie’s daughter Sofia Richie Grainge and her husband, Elliot Grainge, recently announced they were expecting their first child, and Lionel is excited to be a grandfather again.
People talked to Lionel at the premiere of the Netflix "We Are The World" documentary, The Greatest Night in Pop, and he said he was “pumped up” about the upcoming addition to the family.
“I am now going to spoil yet another child in the world,” he said. “And I am not quite sure what the child will do to me, but I'm hoping that the child gives the parents a bit of a run because every parent wants to get even as to what you did to me.”
He adds, “I'm in a position right now where I'm going to love this child to death, spoil him to death. And on very special occasions give the child back so the parents can raise this child.”
Lionel, who already has two grandkids thanks to daughter Nicole Richie and hubby Joel Madden, is confident Sophia's going to be a “fantastic” mom. When it comes to guidance, he doesn't think any advice he'd offer would matter.
“These are two loving parents, and I don't think they know what's coming because every kid is different,” Lionel says. “So no matter what advice I give them, there's no manual for this. They'll figure it out.”
Source-ABC
House of Assembly passed two Gaming ‘Amendment’ Bills
A new methodology for calculating gaming machine taxes will be introduced in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The government will be moving away from tax collection based on the drop box recovery method and a new cabinet-approved Adjusted Gross Receipts system will be introduced, as part of its efforts to better regulate the gaming sector.
This comes as the House of Assembly recently passed two Gaming ‘Amendment’ Bills to bring the local Gaming Industry on par with international standards.
On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, Hon Premier Charles Washington Misick laid the
Gaming Control (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Gaming Machines (Amendment) Bill 2023 are on the table of the House of Assembly for debate.
In presenting the bills to the House, Premier Misick underscored that the Gaming Control (Amendment) Bill 2023 is critical for the territory to stay abreast with evolving international standards, to ensure "a responsible, fair and sustainable gaming environment”.
Misick explained that the Bill further "revises the tax payable rate to 30%” of the adjusted gross receipts, creating a more streamlined and equitable tax structure.
Misick underscored that the Amendment Bill 2023 is a testament to his government’s commitment to evolving and adapting the regulatory framework to meet the challenges of the dynamic gaming industry.
Gaming is a big revenue earner for the government, however, it attracts the attention of the international community due to the money laundering concerns.
In December 2021, the House passed the Gaming Control (Amendment) Bill 2020 aimed at imposing stricter measures related to the detection or prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing and to ensure all gaming activities are completely regulated and transparent.
Caribbean tax administrators to meet in St. Lucia
The annual general assembly and technical conference of the Caribbean Organization of Tax Administrators (COTA) is scheduled to take place here in July.
The Director for Economic Policy and Development at the Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Evelyn Wayne, said issues and solutions relating to the impact of the international tax agenda on Caribbean jurisdictions will feature at the conference.
Established in 1971, the COTA aims to improve tax administration within CARICOM, promote regional tax cooperation and harmonization as well as closer collaboration with other tax organizations within the region and worldwide. Saint Martin is the only observer within the grouping.
“The purpose of COTA is to improve the efficiency of tax administrators within the community. At this point when member states are encountering considerable problems with fiscal space, the issue of revenue generation is high on our agenda.
“So, our role is to collaborate to ensure that we share our experiences and for the betterment of tax administration within the Caribbean Community,” said Wayne, who is also the COTA executive secretary.
Speaking at the end of the executive council meeting held here, Wayne said it was to discuss COTA’s strategic priorities and work program for 2024 in addition to planning for the annual general assembly.
President of COTA’s executive council and Deputy Commissioner of Revenue for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Channel Andrews, said each country would have to implement its measures outside of the tax administration “but of course, revenue is key to any country.
“The more revenue we collect the better government will be able to provide services to the people of that specific country. So, once we can discuss ways that we can effectively and efficiently implement revenue measures that can better enable the collection process for the country as well as do not put a burden on the taxpayers.”
Comptroller for Inland Revenue in St. Lucia, Marcia Vite, said she is pleased that Castries will be hosting the annual general assembly.
“Countries would volunteer to host the meeting. It’s always good when you can be the host, you can show off your island and you get the opportunity to invite some of your other teammates to the meeting to listen to all of the discussions.
At these meetings, you will get more comptrollers and heads of departments coming in and making their contributions at that meeting. So it will be at that level with many speakers coming on. Speakers will range around the world. So whether it be UN speakers, OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) but more on the Caribbean and the Caribbean Experience.”
Suits beats The Office's pandemic record for top-watched streaming show in 2023
In a detailed analysis of what Americans were watching on streaming in 2023, Suits toppled a record previously held by The Office during the pandemic.
According to Nielsen data quoted by Variety, U.S. viewers watched 57.7 billion total minutes of the former USA legal drama in 2023, making it the most-watched show on streaming — and beating The Office's record of 57.1 billion from 2020.
Interestingly, we weren't all stuck at home in 2023, but viewers still found a way to cram in pandemic levels of bingeing.
Coming in second place was the kid's show Bluey on Disney+; it pulled in 43.9 billion minutes watched, followed by NCIS in third place (39.4 billion), Grey’s Anatomy (38.6 billion), and another kids show, Cocomelon (36.3 billion).
The trade points out that four of the top 10 titles stream exclusively on Netflix: Grey's, Cocomelon; the #7 spot holder, Gilmore Girls, and the tenth-place finisher, Supernatural.
Netflix also had bragging rights over the top 10 most-watched original streaming titles: Seven out of the top 10 were Netflix shows. Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso was the most-watched original show, followed by Netflix respectively filling in the rest of the top five with The Night Agent, Ginny & Georgia, Virgin River and Love is Blind.
When it comes to movies, family films dominated the top five: Disney+'s Moana was the most-watched with 11.6 billion minutes watched; Disney's Encanto (9.7 billion) was second; The Super Mario Bros. Movie was third on Netflix and Peacock with 8.8 billion; Disney's Elemental ranked fourth (8.6 billion), and Minions: The Rise of Gru rounded out the top five with 7.1 billion for Netflix.
Source-ABC
TCI 3-DAY PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST
GENERAL SITUATION: A STRONG COLD FRONT LOCATED ACROSS THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS IS PROGRESSING QUICKLY THROUGH THE ARCHIPELAGO AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS TONIGHT.
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE TODAY. PARTLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS TONIGHT.
WINDS: WEST TO NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS, INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS TONIGHT
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET, INCREASING TO 3 TO 5 FEET TONIGHT
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 81°F 27°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 73°F 23°C
SUNSET: 05:35 PM
NEXT LOW TIDE: 05:01 PM (1.0 FT)
NEXT HIGH TIDE: 11:04 PM (2.3 FT)
EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS: THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EASTWARD AND PAST THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS BY TUESDAY AND THEN WEAKEN. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA, SLIDE EASTWARDS, AND WEAKEN ALLOWING WINDS TO WEAKEN GRADUALLY ACROSS THE ISLANDS.
FORECAST FOR TUESDAY
WEATHER: A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED SHOWER POSSIBLE…MOSTLY FAIR AND COOL AT NIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION WILL COME INTO EFFECT
WINDS: NORTHWEST TO NORTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 5 TO 7 FEET IN NORTHWESTERLY TO NORTHERLY SWELL
SUNRISE: 06:27 AM
SUNSET: 05:36 PM
HIGH TIDE: 05:12 AM (1.0 FT)
LOW TIDE: 11:21 AM (2.3 FT)
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND COOL. MOSTLY FAIR, COOL, AND A BIT BREEZY AT NIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT
WINDS: LIGHT AND VARIABLE DURING THE DAY, BECOMING NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET IN NORTHERLY SWELL
SUNRISE: 06:27 AM
SUNSET: 05:37 PM
HIGH TIDE: 05:58 AM (1.0 FT)
LOW TIDE: 11:57 AM (2.0 FT)
RTC Scores
TCISS SOFTBALL 2024
Marjorie Basden Lady Knights defeats HJ Robinson High
More on this story on RTC Sports & Sports Watch
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Detroit 120, Oklahoma City 104
Indiana 116, Memphis 110
Atlanta 126, Toronto 125
Orlando 113, Phoenix 98
Chicago 104, Portland 96
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
St. Louis 4 Los Angeles 3 (OT)
Final Seattle 4 Columbus 2
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Kansas City 17, Baltimore 10
San Francisco 34, Detroit 31
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UConn 99, Xavier 56
Purdue 68, Rutgers 60
UAB 97, Memphis 88
FAU 66, North Texas 63
New Mexico 89, Nevada 55
Tesla calls for higher tariffs on Chinese EVs
Tesla remains the world’s global leader in EV sales, but such is the competitiveness of China’s EV industry that CEO Elon Musk has called for import tariffs to protect the remaining global car industry.
“Chinese car companies are the most competitive car companies in the world,” Musk said on Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings call. “Frankly, I think if there aren't trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other car companies.”
Both the US and the EU are investigating whether to apply further tariffs beyond those already imposed on cars imported from China.
However, the UK's standpoint is less clear, as it grapples with the need to both protect its car makers and encourage the sale of cheaper EVs to boost their appeal to less affluent private buyers.
Source-AutoCar
Deepfakes spark calls in Congress for new legislation
US politicians have called for new laws to criminalise the creation of deepfake images, after explicit faked photos of Taylor Swift were viewed millions of times online.
The images were posted on social media sites, including X and Telegram.
US Representative Joe Morelle called the spread of the pictures "appalling".
In a statement, X said it was "actively removing" the images and taking "appropriate actions" against the accounts involved in spreading them.
It added: "We're closely monitoring the situation to ensure that any further violations are immediately addressed, and the content is removed."
While many of the images appear to have been removed at the time of publication, one photo of Swift was viewed a reported 47 million times before being taken down.
The name "Taylor Swift" is no longer searchable on X, alongside terms such as "Taylor Swift AI" and "Taylor AI".
Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI) to make a video of someone by manipulating their face or body. A study in 2023 found that there has been a 550% rise in the creation of doctored images since 2019, fuelled by the emergence of AI.
There are currently no federal laws against the sharing or creation of deepfake images, though there have been moves at the state level to tackle the issue.
In the UK, the sharing of deepfake pornography became illegal as part of its Online Safety Act in 2023.
Democratic Rep Morelle, who last year unveiled the proposed Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act - which would have made it illegal to share deepfake pornography without consent - called for urgent action on the issue.
He said the images and videos "can cause irrevocable emotional, financial, and reputational harm - and unfortunately, women are disproportionately impacted".
Pornography consists of the overwhelming majority of the deepfakes posted online, with women making up 99% of those targeted in such content, according to the State of Deepfakes report published last year.
"What's happened to Taylor Swift is nothing new," Democratic Rep Yvette D Clarke posted on X. She noted that women had been targeted by the technology "for years", adding that with "advancements in AI, creating deep fakes is easier & cheaper".
Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr agreed, saying that it is "clear that AI technology is advancing faster than the necessary guardrails".
"Whether the victim is Taylor Swift or any young person across our country, we need to establish safeguards to combat this alarming trend," he added.
Swift has not spoken publicly about the images, but the Daily Mail reported that her team is "considering legal action" against the site that published the AI-generated images.
Worries about AI-generated content have increased as billions of people vote in elections this year across the globe.
This week, a fake robocall claiming to be from US President Joe Biden sparked an investigation. It is thought to have been made by AI.
Source-BBC
Police speaks on Grand Turk Incident
Officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are currently investigating the shooting death of a 26-year-old male in Grand Turk and the wounding of three females.
At 11:29 pm last evening (January 26th), the Police Control Room received reports of gunshots being heard at a location on West Road.
Officers arrived at the scene and received information that four persons received gunshot injuries.
The three females, ages 31, 36, and 38, were rushed to the Cockburn Town Medical Centre for treatment.
The male victim has been identified, but his name is being withheld pending next of kin being informed.
The RTCIPF extends condolences to relatives of the deceased.
Additionally, officers are actively investigating a structure fire.
At 2:45 am today (January 27th), officers responded to reports of a fire in Robinson Street, Five Cays, Providenciales.
The home's occupants are accounted for, while the structure was destroyed.
Both incidents remain under active investigation.
We are advising persons to notify the closest police station, contact 911 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-8477 and provide any information on illegal activities anonymously.