"I said counsel Kanye, not cancel him": Trevor Noah seemingly responds to Grammys banning 'Ye performance
On Twitter, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah seemingly responded to the Grammy Awards' decision to remove Kanye West from its list of performers for the April 3 show.
"I said counsel Kanye not cancel Kanye," said the comedian, who returns as host this year.
West's rep confirmed to People that the awards show banned the Donda rapper over his "concerning online behavior," despite his five nominations this year.
The defense of West from Noah is significant, not only because he's hosting again this year, but because at least one example of Ye's "concerning online behavior" targeted Noah. Last Wednesday, Kanye was suspended from Instagram for 24 hours for violating the platform's policies on hate speech and bullying and harassment for posting an apparently racist dig at Noah, after he voiced concern on The Daily Show about West's constant posts about his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her relationship with Pete Davidson.
Noah, who grew up with an abusive father, said in part on his show,"What Kim is going through is terrifying to watch, and it shines a spotlight on what so many women go through when they choose to leave."
The Daily Show host later said in an Instagram story that Kanye's recent behavior "breaks my heart," adding, "I don't care if you support Trump and I don't care if you roast Pete. I do however care when I see you on a path that's dangerously close to peril and pain."
Noah said West remains an "indelible" part of his life, but commented, "I've woken up too many times and read headlines about men who've killed their exes, their kids and then themselves. I never want to read that headline about you."
Incidentally, West may have deleted all of his Instagram content: His feed showed zero posts as of Monday morning.
Source- ABC
Moscow stock market reopens for some bond trading
The Moscow stock exchange has partially reopened after a nearly month-long suspension over the war in Ukraine.
Only bonds issued by the Russian government can be traded as part of a phased re-opening of the market.
The exchange closed hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine on 24 February.
Andrei Braginsky, a spokesman for the Moscow Exchange, said he hoped that trading in stocks would be able to start again soon.
"Technically everything is ready, and we are hoping this will resume in the near future," he said.
The market reopened at 13:00 (10:00 GMT) but only for OFZ bonds - the Russian acronym for Federal Loan Obligations.
In pre-market trading, yields on those government bonds rose by almost 20% - the highest on record. A higher yield means the government will have to pay more to borrow and indicates the investment is more risky. The yield later settled close to 13% after trading began.
Central Bank governor Elvira Nabiullina said on Friday the bank would maintain its key interest rate at 20% and would purchase government bonds to limit volatility.
Meanwhile, oil prices jumped more than $3 on Monday, with Brent crude climbing above $111 a barrel.
Prices moved higher after reports that the EU was considering whether to join the US in imposing an oil embargo on Russia. The European Commission said earlier this month it aimed to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels "well before 2030".
The invasion of Ukraine, and sanctions imposed by western governments, are taking a toll on the Russian economy.
The Russian rouble was steady against the dollar on Monday, trading at 104.83 RUB. However, it is down by about a quarter since the start of the invasion.
Some supermarkets are rationing sales of basic goods such as salt and cooking oil.
Thee central bank more than doubled interest rates to 20% four days after the start of Moscow's military action in Ukraine. The continuation of the conflict and ratcheting up of sanctions have undermined confidence further.
There have been concerns about Russia defaulting on its debt, but it paid $117 million in interest on two dollar-denominated bonds last week.
Source - BBC
Putin's precise demand for the end of this crisis
Turkey has positioned itself with great care to be the go-between with Russia and Ukraine - and this seems to be paying off.
On Thursday afternoon, President Vladimir Putin rang the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and told him what Russia's precise demands were for a peace deal with Ukraine.
Within half an hour of the ending of the phone call, I interviewed Mr Erdogan's leading adviser and spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin. Mr Kalin was part of the small group of officials who had listened in on the call.
The Russian demands fall into two categories.
The first four demands are, according to Mr Kalin, not too difficult for Ukraine to meet. Chief among them is an acceptance by Ukraine that it should be neutral and should not apply to join Nato. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has already conceded this.
There are other demands in this category which mostly seem to be face-saving elements for the Russian side. Ukraine would have to undergo a disarmament process to ensure it wasn't a threat to Russia. There would have to be protection for the Russian language in Ukraine. And there is something called de-Nazification.
This is deeply offensive to Mr Zelensky, who is himself Jewish and some of whose relatives died in the Holocaust, but the Turkish side believes it will be easy enough for Mr Zelensky to accept. Perhaps it will be enough for Ukraine to condemn all forms of neo-Nazism and promise to clamp down on them.
The second category is where the difficulty will lie, and in his phone call, Mr Putin said that it would need face-to-face negotiations between him and President Zelensky before agreement could be reached on these points. Mr Zelensky has already said he's prepared to meet the Russian president and negotiate with him one-to-one.
Mr Kalin was much less specific about these issues, saying simply that they involved the status of Donbas, in eastern Ukraine, parts of which have already broken away from Ukraine and stressed their Russianness, and the status of Crimea.
Although Mr Kalin didn't go into detail, the assumption is that Russia will demand that the Ukrainian government should give up territory in eastern Ukraine. That will be deeply contentious.
The other assumption is that Russia will demand that Ukraine should formally accept that Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, does indeed now belong to Russia. If this is the case, it will be a bitter pill for Ukraine to swallow.
Nevertheless, it is a fait accompli, even though Russia has no legal right to own Crimea and actually signed an international treaty, after the fall of Communism but before Vladimir Putin came to power, accepting that Crimea was part of Ukraine.
Still, President Putin's demands are not as harsh as some people feared and they scarcely seem to be worth all the violence, bloodshed and destruction which Russia has visited on Ukraine.
Given his heavy-handed control over the Russian media, it shouldn't be too hard for him and his acolytes to present all this as a major victory.
For Ukraine, though, there are going to be serious anxieties.
If the fine details of any agreement aren't sorted out with immense care, President Putin or his successors could always use them as an excuse to invade Ukraine again.
A peace deal could take a long time to sort out, even if a ceasefire stops the bloodshed in the meantime. Ukraine has suffered appallingly over the past few weeks, and rebuilding the towns and cities which Russia has damaged and destroyed will take a long time. So will rehousing the millions of refugees who have fled their homes.
What about Vladimir Putin himself? There have been suggestions that he is ill, or possibly even mentally unbalanced. Did Mr Kalin detect anything strange about him in the phone call? Not at all, he said. Mr Putin had apparently been clear and concise in everything he said.
Yet even if he does manage to present an agreement with Ukraine as a glorious victory over neo-Nazism, his position at home must be weakened.
More and more people will realise that he overreached himself badly, and stories of the soldiers who have been killed or captured are already spreading fast.
Source - BBC
Fatal Family Feud
A 28-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in Supreme Court where he admitted stabbing his father, a former football team manager, to death.
The deceased, Amon Brown.
Tyshaun Brown was joined by his family, who were close to tears as he confessed to the manslaughter of his 52-year-old father Amon Brown.
Detective Sergeant Jason Smith said after Wednesday’s hearing: “There are no winners in this case. The family is distraught, understandably, and at least today there is some satisfaction that justice has been served.”
“This is, as you can appreciate, a very emotional time for the family.
There’s a lot of grief and pain. The family is coping and we do wish them well,” he added.
Smith said that the guilty plea to manslaughter was “certainly the right decision to make, given the circumstance”.
He added: “It certainly helps to alleviate some of that frustration and sense of fear among the family, so we’re happy for that decision.”
Brown, a former player and manager of the Boulevard Community Club football team, known as the Blazers, suffered around 25 stab wounds in July 2020 during an incident in Warwick parish.
Puisne Judge Subair Williams, remanding the defendant in custody, said she will announce his sentencing date later.
Source - CMC
TURKS AND CAICOS NOMINATED FOR EIGHT DISTINGUISHED AWARDS
Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands (March 16th, 2022) – The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, the exclusive tourism authority for the Turks and Caicos Islands, is pleased to announce that the destination has been nominated for eight (8) distinguished World Travel Awards™.
World Travel Awards™, celebrates its 29th anniversary year this year, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. The World Travel Awards™ brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.
Over the years, the Turks and Caicos have won numerous World Travel Awards and, it is with hope, that the destination will win the awards in the various coveted categories.
The categories are as follows:
1) Caribbean's Leading Beach Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
2) Caribbean's Leading Cruise Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
3) Caribbean's Leading Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
4) Caribbean's Leading Dive Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
5) Caribbean's Leading Honeymoon Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
6) Caribbean's Leading Luxury Island Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
7) Caribbean's Leading Tourist Board 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board
8) Caribbean's Most Romantic Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
The international voting window for our Caribbean and North America regions opened on Tuesday, 15th March (see link here) and runs until midnight Tuesday, 3rd May. Votes can be cast by travel professionals, media and tourism consumers, with the nominee gaining the most votes in each category announced as the 2022 World Travel Awards™ winner.
Director of Tourism, Miss Pamela Ewing stated that: “to be nominated for not just one, but eight awards is truly momentous! This gives credence to the work that we in the Turks and Caicos have been doing over the past year and will continue to do. It is indeed an honour that we were nominated for so many and I am truly proud of the work the team have put in to market the destination.”
Hon. Josephine Connolly, Minister of Tourism stated that: “To be nominated for such distinguished awards speaks to the world-class, exceptional quality of our tourism product. This is a true testament of our Government, Stakeholders and Turks and Caicos Islanders dedication and commitment to the tourism industry. For this, I thank you! I would encourage everyone to vote for the Turks and Caicos Islands as these accolades are well deserved.”
After the close of voting, the winners of each category in this year's programme will be invited to attend the red carpet World Travel Awards Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony – the region's premier VIP tourism gathering – which will take place on 14 June 2022 at Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica.
About the Turks and Caicos Islands
Home to the Best Beach in the World, breathtaking hues from inviting waters, and legendary diving, snorkeling and fishing, the Turks and Caicos Islands beckon you to an undiscovered Caribbean. The Turks and Caicos Islands consist of 40 islands and cays, nine of which are inhabited. World class hotels, spas, and restaurants await; as do our famous stretches of uncrowded beaches and vibrant coral reefs. On land or below the water, you’ll relax in the unique serenity, hospitality and beauty of our islands. For more information call 1-(800) 241-0824 or visit www.turksandcaicostourism.com. Follow the Turks and Caicos Islands on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Tom Cruise will be honored at Cannes Film Festival before premiere of Top Gun: Maverick
It was previously reported that Top Gun: Maverick will finally land at the Cannes Film Festival, but now Deadline is reporting the star himself, Tom Cruise, will be the focus of a retrospective about his career before the movie screens.
The event will take place May 18.
The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival runs from May 17 to May 28 in France. Incidentally, Cruise's honor comes 30 years after his first trip to the event, the trade points out, when he was promoting the Ron Howard-directed film Far and Away.
Top Gun: Maverick has been delayed multiple times: The movie, which was initially scheduled to premiere back in 2019, will now fly into theaters on May 27.
The follow-up to the 1986 blockbuster also stars Top Gun veteran Val Kilmer, Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Jon Hamm, Monica Barbero and Miles Teller.
Source - ABC
Delta warns oil increases mean higher ticket prices
Higher oil prices are set to lead to a 10% increase in air fares, according to the boss of one of the world's biggest airlines.
Delta Air Lines head Ed Bastian told the BBC the final impact "really depends where fuel prices settle".
Oil prices have reached 14-year highs after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Emirates, Japan Airlines and AirAsia are among the big carriers to introduce surcharges on their tickets recently to cover the higher cost of jet fuel.
Before the pandemic, in 2019, 200 million customers flew on Delta, making it the world's second biggest airline by passenger numbers.
Mr Bastian said that on a domestic US flight the rise in fuel prices "is probably about $25 on a ticket, that could be anywhere between 5% to 10% at these high levels of oil... and international [flights] will be a bit higher than that".
Delta is planning to introduce fuel surcharges on the international flights which account for about 35% of its business, and increase US ticket prices.
Jet fuel is one of the biggest costs for airlines. Michael O'Leary, the boss of Europe's biggest carrier Ryanair, said recently that the surge in oil prices would lead to "materially higher" airfares this summer.
Many airlines try to protect themselves from these changes by buying fuel in advance. Easyjet and British Airways both said recently that they had done so for 60% of their fuel needs this year.
This year has seen big fluctuations. At the start of January, Brent crude - the international benchmark for oil - was under $80 a barrel, but it recently reached as high as almost $130 as the US and UK said they would end their use of oil from the world's biggest exporter, Russia.
More price swings are likely in the short-term according to the executive director of the International Energy Agency, Dr Fatih Birol. He told the BBC: "I think the $100 [oil] we are experiencing today may not be the highest level of prices we'll be seeing in the next weeks".
He warns that will be felt across all areas of the global economy, because as well as higher transport costs it will lead to more expensive heating and electricity. That would exacerbate the cost of living crisis many countries are facing.
Reports from India suggest it is considering tackling high prices at the petrol pumps by buying discounted Russian oil. Many won't purchase it because of western sanctions, and Dr Birol warned: "One shouldn't forget that every single dollar for oil going to [the] Russian economy will go back as a tank or as a bullet to Ukrainian people. One shouldn't forget this moral aspect in my view".
Instead he wants Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia to increase oil production. The latest IEA forecast says three million barrels a day of Russian oil could be removed from the market. However, that drop in supply could be offset by a fall in demand from China where Covid has led to new lockdowns.
All this unpredictability means Delta does not try to buy its fuel in advance, Mr Bastian said. "Sometimes you win, and often you lose."
Instead Delta has the protection of owning its oil refinery in Pennsylvania, although it has been unsuccessful in recent efforts to try to sell it.
"We're thrilled that we have it right now" says Mr Bastian.
The Delta chief is also looking to a future where initiatives to tackle climate change by cutting aviation's carbon emissions mean oil prices are less of a concern.
"The existing fossil fuel and jet fuel technology needs to go, and we need to make those investments for the future towards a sustainable future."
This means moving towards sustainable fuels such as biofuels or synthetic alternatives made through chemical processes.
Mr Bastian says that cost is the big impediment, with the production of such substitutes costing "three to five times what's in the marketplace today".
The difference will need to be made by governments investing in scaling up production. "Scale will bring costs down over time, and will bring more capital from private sources into exploration and looking for new technology. This next five years is critical that to make sure we get government support, not just in the US but around the world."
Returning to profitability after the losses of the pandemic will also help fund the development of new technologies. According to the International Air Transport Association the industry lost more than $51bn last year with global demand 58.4% down on 2019 levels.
As Covid restrictions continue to ease, Delta had two record days of sales last week, leading Mr Bastian to be hopeful about the outlook.
"The world is returning to travel and governments have decided that Covid is done."
"We're seeing some of our largest bookings we've ever had in our history. And it's not just in the US, it's internationally as well." However, he adds that Asia is lagging behind other regions.
Crucially demand for lucrative business class fares is also returning. It is currently at about 60% of pre-pandemic levels, but Mr Bastian expects this to rise to 70% by the summer.
He concedes "there's forms of business travel that will never return, that are more efficient to handle over video technology", but adds that leisure travellers are now showing more willingness to splash out on premium services.
Last year Delta recorded a pre-tax loss of $3.4bn and the disruption caused by coronavirus at the start of this year means Mr Bastian thinks that will be added to at the start of this year.
"We will lose some money primarily because of Omicron, it's not fuel prices. But I do expect starting in the second quarter and beyond that we'll be profitable."
Source - BBC
Meta allowing parents to limit teen's virtual exploration
New tools will allow parents to stop teenagers accessing inappropriate games and experiences via Meta's virtual reality (VR) headset.
Questions have been raised about whether it was doing enough to protect children from inappropriate content.
Meta-owned Instagram has also rolled out further parental controls, the plans for which were revealed last year.
It comes as the UK government legislates to protect children online.
The Quest headset's terms of service say users should be over 13.
"Providing age-appropriate and safe experiences for teens while also empowering them to explore in VR is a balancing act", Oculus, the Meta-owned company that makes the Quest, blogged.
BBC News has previously reported a researcher posing as a teenager was able to access virtual strip clubs in a popular VR app - not made by Meta- using a Quest headset.
Now, Oculus is rolling out tools to allow parents to lock specific apps directly from VR to stop teenagers accessing them, block teenagers from downloading or purchasing age-inappropriate apps in the Quest Store, release a "Parent Dashboard", accessible from the Oculus mobile app, to - if both adult and teenager agree - allow parents to link to their child's account.
Using the dashboard, parents will be able to view all the apps their child owns, be notified when their child makes a purchase in VR, know how much time their child is spending in VR and view their child's list of Oculus Friends.
The new controls in Instagram and VR are part of what Meta calls its "Family Center".
Launching in the US, and then globally in the coming months, these will let parents see how much time their teenager spends on Instagram, set the hours during which their child can use the app and receive updates on what accounts they follow and are followed by.
Initially, teenagers themselves will have to initiate these controls.
Later, parents will be able to do so - with their child's consent.
Source - BBC
Tesla restarts Shanghai plant after two-day COVID halt
Tesla Inc. resumed production at its Shanghai plant Friday after a two-day suspension, people familiar with the matter said, as movement controls imposed on its workers as part of the city's efforts to curb the latest COVID-19 outbreak eased.
The Shanghai factory restarted its two-shift production at 7 a.m. local time to run around the clock, said the people. Enough workers have returned to their positions after being cordoned off in nearby residential compounds for 48 hours where they were required to be tested for COVID-19, according to the people who declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak with media.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters reported Wednesday that the U.S. electric vehicle maker had suspended production at its Shanghai factory for two days, according to a notice sent internally and to suppliers, as China tightens measures to curb its largest outbreak in two years. Read full story
Tesla said Thursday it was doing its best to keep production going at its Shanghai factory while it cooperates with China's COVID-19 prevention measures. It did not provide details.
Source - Automotive News
Protester arrested for tying himself to the goalpost
A man has been arrested after Everton's game against Newcastle was delayed by a protester tying himself to a goal post.
The second half of the Premier League fixture at Goodison Park was stopped for about eight minutes on Thursday night due to the incident.
The man, who was wearing a "Just Stop Oil" T-shirt, was led away by police before the game could resume.
Merseyside Police said a 21-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of pitch encroachment.
A second man, aged 39, was also arrested on suspicion of assault and pitch encroachment.
Alex Iwobi's 99th-minute goal earned Everton a massive victory in their fight against relegation as they held on to beat Newcastle despite being reduced to 10 men.
It led to celebrations at Goodison Park as Everton earned only their second win in 13 Premier League games to put three points between them and the relegation zone.
Source - BBC