LA Lakers defeated Orlando Magic to rekindle play-off hopes
Austin Reaves scored a career-high 35 points as the Los Angeles Lakers rekindled their play-off push with a 111-105 win over the Orlando Magic.
D'Angelo Russell scored 18 and Anthony Davis added 15 points to end the Lakers' two-game losing streak.
Reaves, 24, was met with chants for 'MVP' (most valuable player) from the crowd at the Crypto.com Arena.
"I play with a sense of urgency, leave it all out on the floor, that's how basketball should be played," he said.
Talking about the crowd chants, Reaves added: "For them to recognize what I do - obviously not an MVP-caliber player, those guys are really good - but for them to do that for me is special, it means a lot to me."
The Lakers are 10th in the Western Conference, taking the last spot in the play-in tournament with 10 games of the regular season remaining.
Teams placed seventh to 10th in the Western and Eastern conferences will contest the play-in. with two teams taking the final two spots in the play-offs.
Elsewhere, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 points and achieved 13 rebounds and 10 assists as Eastern Conference leaders the Milwaukee Bucks recorded a 118-111 win over the play-off chasing Toronto Raptors.
He finished with a perfect shooting record with nine from nine field goals, and one three-pointer, becoming the fourth player in NBA history with a triple-double of more than 20 points with perfect shooting.
Nikola Jokic scored his 28th triple-double of the season in the Denver Nuggets' 108-102 victories over the Brooklyn Nets. The Nuggets lead the Western Conference by four games.
Source- BBC
Keanu Reeves teases "really epic" John Wick: Chapter 4
With the John Wick franchise, Keanu Reeves is playing the role of a lifetime.
That's saying something, considering Reeves is a veteran of action classics like Point Break, Speed, and, of course, The Matrix.
"It's a fun character to be able to have that, you know, that John Wick kinda thing," Reeves told Good Morning America of the seemingly unstoppable titular assassin, in an interview that aired Monday. "But I don't take that home with me."
Preparation "starts with training before the training," as Reeves calls getting his "John Wick toolbox" together. On display in the films is a mix of judo, jiujitsu, and weapons manipulation — gun-fu, as it has come to be known.
Asked if he's aging out of doing these over-the-top stunts at 58, Reeves assures fans "I'm not quite there yet," but admits the fourth John Wick movie "got me closer."
"I'm definitely feelin' the age," he said, also noting that he's more experienced and therefore more efficient in tackling the action than he was when starting out.
Reeves said it's cool and kind for people to be referring to John Wick: Chapter 4 as one of the greatest action movies of all time.
"I mean, I think the film is really epic, and I love playing the role," he said. "I love the John Wick world."
Reeves spoke to GMA before last Friday's death of Wick co-star Lance Reddick. But in a statement after the actor's unexpected death from natural causes at 60, Reeves shared a statement with the film's director, Chad Stahelski, to ABC News. The pair said they were "deeply saddened and heartbroken" by the loss of the "consummate professional," who was "a joy to work with."
Source- ABC
Keanu Reeves teases "really epic" John Wick: Chapter 4
With the John Wick franchise, Keanu Reeves is playing the role of a lifetime.
That's saying something, considering Reeves is a veteran of action classics like Point Break, Speed, and, of course, The Matrix.
"It's a fun character to be able to have that, you know, that John Wick kinda thing," Reeves told Good Morning America of the seemingly unstoppable titular assassin, in an interview that aired Monday. "But I don't take that home with me."
Preparation "starts with training before the training," as Reeves calls getting his "John Wick toolbox" together. On display in the films is a mix of judo, jiujitsu, and weapons manipulation — gun-fu, as it has come to be known.
Asked if he's aging out of doing these over-the-top stunts at 58, Reeves assures fans "I'm not quite there yet," but admits the fourth John Wick movie "got me closer."
"I'm definitely feelin' the age," he said, also noting that he's more experienced and therefore more efficient in tackling the action than he was when starting out.
Reeves said it's cool and kind for people to be referring to John Wick: Chapter 4 as one of the greatest action movies of all time.
"I mean, I think the film is really epic, and I love playing the role," he said. "I love the John Wick world."
Reeves spoke to GMA before last Friday's death of Wick co-star Lance Reddick. But in a statement after the actor's unexpected death from natural causes at 60, Reeves shared a statement with the film's director, Chad Stahelski, to ABC News. The pair said they were "deeply saddened and heartbroken" by the loss of the "consummate professional," who was "a joy to work with."
Source- ABC
BBC advises staff to delete TikTok from work phones
The BBC has advised staff to delete TikTok from corporate phones because of privacy and security fears.
The BBC seems to be the first UK media organization to issue the guidance - and only the second in the world after Denmark's public service broadcaster.
The BBC said it would continue to use the platform for editorial and marketing purposes for now. TikTok has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The app has been banned on government phones in the UK and elsewhere.
Countries imposing bans include the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Belgium, while the same applies to anyone working at the European Commission.
However, it is still permitted on personal devices.
The big fear is that data harvested by the platform from corporate phones could be shared with the Chinese government by TikTok's parent company ByteDance because its headquarters are in Beijing.
TikTok says the bans are based on "fundamental misconceptions".
ByteDance employees were found to have tracked the locations of a handful of Western journalists in 2022. The company says they were fired.
Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, was asked for her view on the BBC's decision, and tweeted: "If protecting sources isn't a priority, that's a major problem."
Source- BBC
Amazon to cut another 9,000 jobs
Online retail giant Amazon plans to cut another 9,000 jobs as it seeks to save costs.
The firm, which employs 1.5 million people worldwide, said the cuts would fall mainly in areas including cloud computing and advertising.
It did not say which countries would be affected but said the positions would be closed in the next few weeks.
Boss Andy Jassy said it was a "difficult decision" but it would be best for the company in the long term.
The firm already axed 18,000 jobs in January.
Mr Jassy said that in recent years, most areas of Amazon's business had been adding roles.
"However, given the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have chosen to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount," he continued.
Like many tech giants, Amazon saw sales boom during the pandemic when customers were stuck at home.
But more recently its sales have slowed down as consumers spend less due to the cost of living crisis.
Other companies, including Google and Facebook-owner Meta, have been grappling with how to balance cost-cutting measures with the need to remain competitive.
Last week Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs.
Mr Jassy said it is "never easy" to lose employees, adding: "To those ultimately impacted by these reductions, I want to thank you for the work you have done on behalf of customers and the company."
Another area that will see cuts is Twitch, a livestreaming platform for content including gaming and music.
It comes days after Emmett Shear announced he would be stepping down as Twitch's chief executive officer after 16 years in post.
Amazon bought Twitch for $1bn (£1.5bn) in 2014.
Source- BBC
Farmers crack under pressure as eggs price rises
President of the Jamaica Egg Farmers Association Mark Campbell claims that the spike in the cost of egg production has already resulted in sending up the price of the product in some international markets.
"Look at what happened in the United States where the consumers are now paying anywhere between US$6.50 and US$9 a dozen for eggs...and that is up from US$2.50, or there about. So that is what has happened worldwide. Whereas the farmers have been able to make the adjustments in the United States and so on, in Jamaica we have not been able to," Campbell argued.
He also blamed the spiralling expense faced by egg farmers among the causes for a contraction in the supply of eggs now being experienced on the local market.
"Why the eggs are so short is because people are not able to buy back the birds or buy the feed. So the eggs have become tight and will become tighter and inevitably will result in an adjustment in the price, a significant adjustment," the head of the local egg farmers' association warned.
"I would say, based on how some farmers are low down on their pricing, that nothing short of a 30 per cent increase is going to make those people viable in their business. Their business won't be viable unless they can see at least a 30 per cent increase," he added.
He was, however, quick to add that there is not currently an acute shortness in supply but it is trending towards a "tightness".
"There is nobody, like any big hotel, that is not receiving their eggs, but the quantities are not there to fill the orders 100 per cent. So a man will, for example, order 10 cases. He will get half today and half tomorrow when he would have wanted everything at the same time. So it is heading towards a tightness. We don't describe it yet as a shortage, we describe it as a tightness in the market," Campbell explained.
He listed the Russian invasion of Ukraine; the failure of some farmers to recover from the full impact of COVID-19; a logistical challenge in the US, among the factors that contributed to the tightness in supply.
At the same time, Campbell explained that the cost to feed the birds as well as to replenish the flock account for 75 per cent of the overall expense to egg farmers.
"...So everything else — to pay the workers, to pay light bill, to maintain the farm, purchase medication, deliver the eggs — all of those things only come up to between 20 and 25 per cent of production cost. Just to feed the fowls and make them healthy enough and to buy back the fowls when them finish and the feeding of the fowls come up to between 75 and 80 per cent," he expressed.
But he remains optimistic that the expected supply of 10 per cent increase in the number of poulets coming into the market for this year will reverse the contraction in supply, "but that alone cannot solve the problem if the farmers do not get a significant adjustment.
"We have a tightness in the market but between now and August, 360,000 new layers will be added to the national flock. Now the national flock is just over a million, so 360,000 is about 30 per cent of it. So that is going to put a significant amount of eggs into the system. So although it is tight now, it us going to be short-lived because who are able to afford it, can now replace non-performing birds," Campbell said.
Campbell also noted that the introduction of white eggs to the local consumers during the height of COVID-19 was one of the positive spin-offs from the pandemic for farmers.
"We were forced to sell the eggs to the people of Jamaica at a significantly reduced price and so they got into consuming more eggs. So right now I think the per capita consumption of eggs has gone up. It has also contributed to the shortage," the veteran egg farmer said.
"The Jamaican people were not buying white eggs. Now they are buying a significant amount of white eggs so the demand is up and the supply is down and that is where the farmer now is caught in a bind. With the cost of production increasing so significantly they have not been able to make the adjustment in terms of pricing," Campbell continued.
Source- Jamaican Observer
Three men found guilty of murdering rapper in 2018
Three men accused of killing 20-year-old rapper XXXTentacion during a 2018 ambush robbery have been found guilty.
A Florida jury convicted Michael Boatwright, 27, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24 on Monday after deliberating for more than a week.
All three were charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of the controversial rapper.
Another man, Robert Allen, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder.
The three face a possible sentence of life behind bars.
Rapper XXXTentacion, real name Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed in Florida in June 2018.
He was visiting a motorcycle shop and was leaving when he was approached by two armed masked men who "demanded property" from him, police said at the time.
At least one of the men shot XXXTentacion during a 45-second struggle. The suspects then grabbed a bag full of $50,000 (£42,000) in cash that the rapper had just withdrawn from the bank before fleeing the scene in an SUV.
During the trial, the lawyer for Boatwright argued that his client's DNA was not found on XXXTentacion's body. He said the DNA of the two other men did not match either.
"Whoever (XXXTentacion) struggled with is not in this courtroom," lawyer Joseph Kimok said during closing arguments.
The fourth suspect, Allen, testified against the other three after he pleaded guilty last year. Lawyers for the other suspects have argued that Allen lied about their client's involvement in the robbery and death.
They also claimed that investigators botched the case and failed to consider other suspects.
Lead prosecutor Pascale Achille, however, said that the lack of DNA evidence was irrelevant, as cell phone data shows the three accused were together near the motorcycle shop at the time of the rapper's death.
Ms Achille said that Bluetooth data shows the accused were in the SUV used by the shooters at that same time.
Prosecutors presented surveillance video from the motorcycle shop as evidence, as well as cell phone videos that the accused allegedly took hours after the killing showing them flashing handfuls of $100 bills.
XXXTentacion was a platinum-selling rising rap artist, who faced some controversies in his brief career.
His personal life was plagued by allegations of domestic violence. He was facing 15 felony charges at the time of his death, including aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation and witness tampering.
His music explored themes of depression, loneliness, abandonment and suicide.
Many of his tracks climbed up the charts in the UK and the US shortly after his death, and his memorial was attended by thousands of fans.
Source- BBC
Will Insurers deal with EV cars differently?
For many electric vehicles, there is no way to repair or assess even slightly damaged battery packs after accidents, forcing insurance companies to write off cars with few miles -- leading to higher premiums and undercutting gains from going electric.
And now those battery packs are piling up in scrapyards in some countries, a previously unreported and expensive gap in what was supposed to be a "circular economy."
"We are buying electric cars for sustainability reasons," said Matthew Avery, research director at automotive risk intelligence company Thatcham Research. "But an EV isn't very sustainable if you've got to throw the battery away after a minor collision."
Battery packs can cost tens of thousands of dollars and represent up to 50 percent of an EV's price tag, often making it uneconomical to replace them.
While some automakers like Ford Motor and GM said they have made battery packs easier to repair, Tesla has taken the opposite tack with its Model Y, whose new structural battery pack has been described by experts as having "zero repairability."
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
A Reuters search of EV salvage sales in the U.S. and Europe shows a large portion of low-mileage Teslas, but also models from Nissan, Hyundai Motor, Stellantis, BMW, Renault and others.
EVs constitute only a fraction of vehicles on the road, making industry-wide data hard to come by, but the trend of low-mileage zero-emission cars being written off with minor damage is growing. Tesla's decision to make battery packs "structural" -- part of the car's unibody -- has allowed it to cut production costs but risks pushing those costs back to consumers and insurers.
Tesla has not referred to any problems with insurers writing off its vehicles. But in January CEO Elon Musk said premiums from third-party insurance companies "in some cases were unreasonably high."
Unless Tesla and other automakers produce more easily repairable battery packs and provide third-party access to battery cell data, already-high insurance premiums will keep rising as EV sales grow and more low-mileage cars get scrapped after collisions, insurers and industry experts said.
"The number of cases is going to increase, so the handling of batteries is a crucial point," said Christoph Lauterwasser, managing director of the Allianz Center for Technology, a research institute owned by the insurer Allianz.
Lauterwasser noted EV battery production emits far more CO2 than fossil-fuel models, meaning EVs must be driven for thousands of miles before they offset those extra emissions.
"If you throw away the vehicle at an early stage, you've lost pretty much all advantage in terms of CO2 emissions," he said.
Most automakers said their battery packs are repairable, though few seem willing to share access to battery data. Insurers, leasing companies and car repair shops are already fighting with automakers in the EU over access to lucrative connected-car data.
Source-Auto News
Five Cays Shooting leads to a Death
Homicide detectives of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force officers are investigating the shooting death of a Five Cays resident that occurred today (March 19th) .
Based on preliminary reports, at around 9.33 am, the Police Control Room received several calls from residents stating that gunshots were being heard in an area behind Liz Kakery, which is off Five Cays Road.
RTCIPF officers, along with medical practitioners were dispatched to the given location and found the lifeless body of a male, lying face down on the ground, with what appeared to be gunshot wounds about the body.
The deceased has been identified as Jeron Merveille, 33.
Officers are at this time gathering pertinent details to ascertain a motive behind the murder of the Merveille.
Superintendent in charge of Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection Dean Holden said: “We believe the man who was killed was targeted by a number of men who were armed. …
“If you have a family member or a friend or know someone that is involved in illegal activities who has an illegal firearm, do something that will save their life. Report them by contacting Crime Stoppers or the closest police station. Urge them to hand in their guns.”
The public is being advised to notify the closest police station or to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 and give any information of illegal activity anonymously.
Bank of England boss says UK interest rates may rise further
Interest rates may need to go up again to slow the cost of living down, Bank of England boss Andrew Bailey has said.
Mr. Bailey said raising rates higher may be "appropriate" to control inflation but said nothing was decided yet.
Raising interest rates helps to control price rises by making it more expensive to borrow money. People tend to borrow less, spend less, and save more.
The next rate decision is on 23 March and Mr. Bailey said the Bank would assess the latest data before deciding.
"I would caution against suggesting either that we are done with increasing Bank Rate, or that we will inevitably need to do more," Mr. Bailey said at an event hosted by public relations firm Brunswick Group.
"Some further increase in Bank Rate may turn out to be appropriate, but nothing is decided. The incoming data will add to the overall picture of the economy and the outlook for inflation, and that will inform our policy decisions."
In February, the Bank raised rates to 4%, the highest level for 14 years.
Mr. Bailey had previously said inflation - the rate at which prices rise - and wages data since February's rise had been as expected, which some took as a signal rate would not go up in March. He warned that the Bank faces a difficult balancing act. "If we do too little with interest rates now, we will only have to do more later on," he said.
He said the Bank needed to keep a close eye on how the interest rate rises it had already made were working to bring prices down.
Inflation has fallen for three consecutive months to 10.1% after hitting a record high of 11.1% in October.
It is currently more than five times the Bank's inflation target of 2%. The Bank expects the rate of inflation to fall further this year, with energy bills forecast to rise a lot less than they did last year.
The Bank also released its annual survey on the cost of living which found households were changing their buying habits to cope with higher prices. The survey found that people were eating out less, canceling subscription services, and switching to supermarket own-brand foods.
Prices have been going up quickly worldwide, as Covid restrictions eased and consumers spent more.
Many firms are having problems getting enough goods to sell. And with more buyers chasing too few goods, prices have increased. There has also been a very sharp rise in oil and gas costs - a challenge that has been made worse by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Bank has predicted the UK will slide into recession - a period of economic decline - but this will not be as long or as severe as it previously thought.
Source-BBC