Halle Berry receives Celebration of Black Cinema and Television Career Achievement Award
Halle Berry received the Career Achievement award Monday night at the Celebration of Black Cinema and Television in Los Angeles, and the 55-year-old actress was honored to be surrounded by accomplished Black professionals at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel.
“To be in this room with so many of my peers and so many beautiful people of color just fills me up,” Berry said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “When I started 30 years ago there weren’t rooms like this where I could go and feel affirmed, esteemed. I was often alone; I was one of only a few Black people in the room searching to find my value and searching for my worth.”
Other winners included Ava DuVernay - Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award; Anthony Anderson - Producers Award; Barry Jenkins - Director Award for Television, and Danielle Brooks - Actress Award for Television.
In other news, Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson announced he’s formed a production company, Artists for Artists, and his first project is with Mike Tyson, Deadline reports. The famed boxer, his wife Kiki Tyson, and his brother-in-law Azim Spicer, will produce Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth Part 2, a live stage tour, written by Kiki, that is a follow up to Tyson's 2013 one-man show and HBO special.
Finally, Kandi Burruss and Kelly Price have joined the cast of the dating dramedy, A La Carte, which will debut in spring 2022 on AllBlk, according to Deadline.
Jamaica's Thompson-Herah up for another sports award
Jamaican Olympic triple gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah is going up against an American football legend, an international tennis, a contender for a Formula 1 championship and a female Irish jockey who created history for the BBC’s World Sport Star of the Year 2021 award.
Fresh on the heels of being named Female World Athlete of the Year, she was announced as one of the six nominees for the award that goes to the world sport star whose sporting achievements have most captured the public’s imagination during 2021.st
The other contenders are: American football legend Tom Brady who this year extended his record of Super Bowl wins to seven; Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic who sealed victories at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year; Red Bull Racing Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen who is seeking his first World Championship in a tight competition with his Mercedes rival, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton; Rachael Blackmore who became the first female rider to win the Grand National at Aintree and the first woman to be leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival; and Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, who became the first undisputed super-middleweight champion of all time just last month.
Thompson-Herah made history as the first woman to complete the Olympic sprint ‘double-double’ and became the second-fastest ever woman in both events, behind only Florence Griffith-Joyner, as she took gold in the 100m and 200m.
The 29-year-old sprinter successfully defended her Rio titles despite being hampered by an Achilles tendon injury for several seasons.
Voting for the BBC’s World Sport Star of the Year 2021 is open until December 14, and the award will be presented during the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show live on December 19.
Source-CMC
Dominica, Montserrat latest OECS countries to roll out DCash digital wallet
Dominica and Montserrat have become the latest countries to launch the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) backed DCash pilot programme as a payment system in the sub-region.
Digital Economy Minister, Cassani Laville, said as payment systems continue to develop and expand, Dominica will do all it can to “foster the use of online payments that safeguards the consumers from online predators”.
The ECCB in March rolled out the digital version of the EC dollar in four of the eight-member Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) member states, namely Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia and in August did so in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
With the launch on Tuesday in Dominica and Montserrat, the ECCB said that the remaining member country where DCash will be launched is Anguilla.
“The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank truly believes that the payment system should work for all, except for illicit actors,” said ECCB Governor, Timothy N.J. Antoine said, addressing the justification for creating the DCash Central Bank digital currency.
“That means it must work for small states and small businesses,” he said, while noting that “payments are too slow and too expensive”.
The free DCash app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store enables users to send and receive money from their family members, friends or customers who live in the same country or in any other Eastern Caribbean country where DCash has been launched. DCash transactions are processed in real time, with no transfer fees during the pilot project.
DCash, which can be used with or without a bank account, is aimed at achieving three policy goals: payments system efficiency, financial inclusion of the unbanked and under banked populations, and increased resilience and competitiveness in the ECCU.
Laville said Dominica is embarking upon comprehensive cybercrime security programmes to include policy legislation and regulation through the digital transformation project.
“Additionally we will invest in the infrastructure and capacity to mitigate cyber threats, to address cyber emergencies and restore information technology operations in the event of natural or man-made destruction as quickly as possible.”
Laville said Dominic “wholeheartedly embraces the launch of DCash and I encourage merchants, consumers, especially in Dominica, in Montserrat and other participating countries to sign on and use this service”.
He described the app as being ‘quite friendly’ emphasising also the need for continued education for consumers of the use of technology used in the banking sector.
Antoine said that “DCash is an important instrument in what is really the bigger conversation about the buildout of a digital economy for our currency union.
“Our single largest asset as a Central Bank is trust, and therefore we believe we have an obligation to leverage that trust to help build out the digital economy – and we locate DCash as an important advance in the ultimate digitalisation of our economy and society.”
Source-CMC
Bermuda buys new fleet of electric buses from China
Transport Minister Lawrence Scott announced Wednesday that the island’s first electric buses from China are expected to be on the roads by next spring.
“I am very excited to announce that the project has progressed despite global supply chain issues. We anticipate that the buses will be arriving on three shipments over the next few weeks,” Scott said, without disclosing the price tag for the 30 buses.
He said commissioning the new buses and training staff meant they would be expected to go into service next spring.
“The Department of Transportation is recruiting additional bus operators which will ensure that we have the resources required to provide a reliable and consistent bus service,” he said.
The buses were manufactured by the Golden Dragon Bus Company in China. The company has completed pre-delivery inspections and is preparing the buses to be shipped from Shanghai to Bermuda.
“The initial request for proposal for the new electric buses envisioned transitioning the entire bus fleet to electric over 10 years,” Scott said.
Bermuda’s bus service has also been hit by an ageing fleet plagued with breakdowns and delays to repairs because of overstretched maintenance crews resulting in daily cancellations of scores of routes across the island.
Source-CMC
WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, to face Dillian Whyte in title defence
Tyson Fury has been ordered to defend his heavyweight title against British rival Dillian Whyte.
The World Boxing Council has named Whyte as Fury's mandatory challenger and the two parties have 30 days to agree a deal.
Fury retained his title with an 11th-round stoppage of Deontay Wilder in their third fight on 9 October.
Fury-Whyte is likely to take place in February or March next year, with Cardiff or Manchester potential venues.
After beating Wilder in Las Vegas, Fury had a 30-day window to set up an clash for the undisputed title with Oleksandr Usyk, who beat Anthony Joshua in September to take the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts.
However, Joshua triggered a rematch clause with the Ukrainian, leading to Whyte being called as Fury's mandatory challenger.
Source - BBC
Nick Cannon's youngest son passed away
In a very emotional announcement, Nick Cannon revealed Tuesday on his television show that his five-month-old son Zen Scott Cannon passed away over the weekend.
Zen died Sunday from brain cancer. Nick explained that he took Zen to the ocean to enjoy the sunrise, and he described "holding his son for the last time."
"I have so much faith in God," the talk show host said before a live audience. "He puts the heaviest weight on His strongest soldiers. So I am here. I'm gonna make it through."
Nick left his family in California to fly to New York City for his television program.
"This is a special show dedicated to my beautiful son," he proclaimed as tears welled in his eyes.
The 41-year-old entertainer told the audience that his son developed fluid in his head, and doctors discovered that he had a malignant tumor, which led to brain surgery.
"I embraced every moment," Cannon said of his short time with Zen. "I am so grateful to my family for coming together during this time."
Zen, whose mother was model Alyssa Scott, was the youngest of Nick's seven children.
Source - ABC
Bitcoin inventor won a court case allowing him to keep his 1m Crypto cache
A computer scientist who claims he invented Bitcoin has won a court case allowing him to keep a cache of the cryptocurrency worth billions of dollars.
A jury rejected claims that Craig Wright's former business partner was due half of the assets.
As a result Mr Wright will retain 1.1m Bitcoin, worth $54bn (£40bn).
However he will pay $100m to the family of Dave Kleiman for intellectual property infringement.
The family of Mr Kleiman, a computer security expert who died in 2013, said that the two men had worked together to create and mine the first Bitcoin in existence, and that Mr Wright had stolen it.
The invention of the cryptocurrency in 2008 was described in a white paper published under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.
Since 2016, Mr Wright has claimed that he is Nakamoto, though that claim has been disputed.
The Miami jury in the civil lawsuit cleared Mr Wright on nearly all issues brought by the family of Mr Kleiman.
In a statement, lawyers for W&K and Kleiman's estate said they were "immensely gratified" that the jury awarded the $100m in intellectual property rights, and help give the Kleimans "their fair share of what Dave helped create."
Mr Wright said the legal ruling confirmed he was the creator of the revolutionary digital asset.
"The jury has obviously found that I am because there would have been no award otherwise," he said.
"This has been a remarkable good outcome and I feel completely vindicated," Mr Wright said.
Source - BBC
Several Complaints have piled up against Tesla causing US authorities to act
US authorities are investigating Tesla over an alleged failure to disclose fire risks with its solar panels, according to reports.
A complaint from a whistleblower prompted the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate.
Steven Henkes, a former field quality manager for Tesla, alleges the company failed to properly notify shareholders and the public about the risks.
Tesla solar systems have been known to catch fire in a small number of cases.
Mr Henkes's complaint, filed more than a year ago, alleged Tesla had failed to properly disclose defects with some electrical connectors could cause fires and instead told customers it had had to carry out maintenance to prevent a problem shutting down the solar-panel systems.
"We have confirmed with Division of Enforcement staff that the investigation from which you seek records is still active and ongoing," the SEC told Mr Henkes, in a letter the Reuters news agency said it had independently verified.
The SEC made clear in its letter the investigation should not be taken as confirmation there had been any legal violations.
Mr Henkes was fired from Tesla and sued the company over his dismissal.
Shares in the company fell by more than 6% shortly after news of the SEC's investigation was published, though they have since risen again slightly.
Alleged fire safety issues with Tesla's solar panels have been reported before.
In 2019, US retailer Walmart sued Tesla over fires at seven outlets where the panels had been installed.
The legal action was later dropped, following a settlement agreement.
Tesla abolished its public-relations department in 2020, so could not be contacted for comment.
Source - BBC
Biden warns Putin of 'strong measures' amid Ukraine invasion fears
The US says it is preparing "robust responses" over fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, after Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin spoke on Tuesday.
In a video link, President Biden voiced deep concerns over Russian troop build-ups and threatened "strong economic and other measures", Washington said.
Russia says it will not attack Ukraine.
President Putin accused Ukraine of provocation, and sought guarantees against eastward Nato expansion and deployment of weapons close to Russia.
The talks began at 10:07 US Eastern time (15:07 GMT; 18:07 Moscow time), the White House said.
They were held on a secure video link set up under previous administrations but never used before, Russian news agency Tass said.
Video footage of the opening moments showed friendly greetings between the US and Russian leaders. The talks then continued behind closed doors, lasting about two hours.
Mr Putin held the talks from his residence in the southern resort of Sochi, according to Tass.
After Tuesday's video call, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told journalists Washington was preparing specific robust responses in the weeks ahead if they were required.
"Things we did not do in 2014 we are prepared to do now," he said, referring to Western responses to Russia's annexation of Crimea.
"There was a lot of give and take, there was no finger-wagging, but the president was crystal clear where the United States stands on all of these issues," he added.
The measures included economic sanctions and other actions such as additional troop deployments to Nato allies in the region and defence materiel for Ukraine.
He refused to be drawn on what the economic measures might be, saying the US would prefer to communicate them directly to the Russians.
But he said that Nord Stream 2, a new pipeline to Germany which is not yet in operation, provided "leverage" for the US and its allies.
"If Vladimir Putin wants to see gas flow through that pipeline, he may not want to take the risk of invading Ukraine," he said.
Earlier reports said US officials had reached agreement with Germany to shut down the pipeline in the event of an invasion.
Other possible measures include restrictions on Russia's banks converting roubles into foreign currencies, or even disconnecting Russia from the Swift global financial payment system, reports say.
Source - BBC
Guyana Government denies ill treatment of indigenous people
The Guyana government Tuesday said that it will “always respect the views of our Indigenous peoples” as it disagreed with statements made by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lennox Shuman, that the Irfaan Ali administration was not consulting with indigenous leaders.
“I must share my profound disappointment at the position taken by Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly,,” Prime Minister retired Brigadier Mark Phillips said in a statement, saying that in his letter published in the local media that Shuman, who is also the leader of the he Liberty and Justice Party, “departs from facts to unfairly and erroneously suggest” that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government “is not open to dialogue with regard to the development of the Indigenous peoples of Guyana”.
Shuman’s latest criticism of the government stems from an agreement that it signed with a Canadian-based gold company for prospecting work to be done in Murudi, in the deep South Rupununi region.
Residents and Community leaders have complained about not being consulted about the project and being left out completely in the decision-making.
In a statement, Shuman criticised the government for not facilitating any meaningful dialogue with Indigenous Peoples on the Marudi Mountain gold mining agreement.
He wants the agreement revoked and for discussions to be held with the villagers and community leaders.
“It is my informed view that the Government of Guyana under the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) has zero inclination to meaningfully consult the Indigenous Peoples on any matter. It is also my informed view that they intend to throw money at the problems the Indigenous Peoples face instead of genuinely trying to find comprehensive solutions to address them. By addressing the issues comprehensively, it empowers Indigenous Peoples which poses a problem to the PPP and that is far removed from the MO and intent of the PPP,” Shuman said.
But Phillips said that “not only is this position inconsistent with the well-established track record of the PPP/C when it comes to Amerindian development throughout its tenure in office, but it runs counter to the goodwill and good faith he and I shared in our most recent engagement”.
Phillips recalled that on October 25, he and Shuman “cordially discussed several matters related to indigenous peoples’ development and the Government’s approach to bridging the digital divide and eliminating the disparity in quality of life between our hinterland and coastland.
“In his own words, after that interaction, Mr. Shuman publicly declared on Facebook: “The Prime Minister iterated his government’s commitment to taking steps to ensure Indigenous Peoples are part of the development of Guyana under the One Guyana framework and that the infrastructural needs are critical to such future plans along with ICT access among others. He was also very receptive to ideas put forth on advancing initiatives that will enhance IP’s [Indigenous Peoples] presence and participation in Guyana”.
“It is now an enigma that only a few weeks later, Mr. Shuman has taken a position in absolute contrast and contradiction to the facts when even in his published letter to the editor, he admits to being consulted on numerous occasions and his suggestions considered”.
Phillips said that “our Indigenous brothers and sisters form a significant part of our country’s history and will most certainly be a part of its future and development through a considerate and consultative mechanism, as has been consistently demonstrated by successive PPP/C Governments.
“The PPP/C Government will always respect the views of our Indigenous peoples,” he added.
Shuman, who is also an Aviation Advisor to the government recently claimed that his job as Aviation Advisor was under threat because of his criticisms of the government.
Source - Cananewsonline