Omicron triggers TT travel restrictions
The government of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has imposed travel restrictions on travellers from eight countries over concerns of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant.
The nine countries include Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
More on this story as details are revealed.
Source-CMC
Deliveries for the BMW i4 to Begin Three Months Early
The Munich-based automaker held an event over the weekend at BMW Welt in its home city, handing over the first examples of the fully electric BMW i4 to new owners, three months earlier than expected. The battery-electric Gran Coupe entered production just a month ago, with the first examples rolling out of a plant nearing the 100-year mark, and that currently produces the BMW 3-Series sedan and Touring models, the BMW M3 and the BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe.
Aimed at the Tesla Model 3 and the Polestar 2, the BMW i4 will make it stateside early next year in two main flavors at launch: the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive i4 eDrive40 will be the entry model, starting at $56,395, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive i4 M50 will be the sportier performance version with 469 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque on tap, starting at $66,895.
The base model will serve up about 300 miles of range, BMW has indicated, though concrete EPA numbers won't be known until a few weeks before its US launch.
"It is a very special moment for us when we hand over brand new models to customers for the first time," said Bernhard Kuhnt, senior vice president BMW Group Market Germany. "The BMW i4 shows in an emotional way how well fully electric mobility and sporty driving dynamics fit together. For us, it is therefore clear: the BMW i4 will offer our customers a whole new dimension of driving pleasure."
BMW is in slightly uncharted territory here with the i4, and could face an uphill battle against Tesla in its home market where the American sedan has become an unexpected hit, just ahead of the start of production at new Tesla plant outside Berlin. So the first deliveries of the i4 are happening against the kind of backdrop that would have been difficult to imagine even five years ago—German automakers having to catch up to an American import sedan.
The i4 will face an admittedly small cast of competitors at launch, as for now only Tesla and Polestar offer vehicles that could be considered vaguely similar, with BMW's offering landing a bit north of both cars in price even given the recent (of several) price hikes of the Model 3. The Tesla Model 3 currently starts at $46,190 for the base, rear-wheel-drive single-motor version, while the Polestar 2 starts at $47,200 for the long-range, single-motor version.
It will be some time before more midsize premium or luxury electric sedans arrive, as most of the competition has focused on fielding crossovers and SUVs in this particular price range, in addition to luxury sedans priced much higher. This is also the reason why it took so long for competitors to the Model 3 to actually arrive on the market: Automakers saw greener pastures in other segments, and with good cause.
Speaking of those other segments, deliveries of another electric BMW model are not far behind.
"With the BMW i4, we have absolutely struck a chord," Kuhnt added. "You can see this from the very high demand for this car. We are delighted to be expanding our electrified product lineup with this sporty, fully electric Gran Coupé at exactly the right time and to present the first vehicles to our customers today—three months earlier than originally planned. The first delivery of a BMW i4 today, and the first BMW iX in about a week, are further milestones for the BMW Group on the road to electromobility."
Source- Auto Week
Facial recognition firm faces possible £17m privacy fine
An Australian firm which claims to have a database of more than 10 billion facial images is facing a potential £17m fine over its handling of personal data in the UK.
The Information Commissioner's Office said it had significant concerns about Clearview AI, whose facial recognition software is used by police forces.
It has told the firm to stop processing UK personal data and delete any it has.
Clearview said the regulator's claims were "factually and legally incorrect".
The company - which has been invited to make representations - said it was considering an appeal and "further action".
It has already been found to have broken Australian privacy law but is seeking a review of that ruling.
Clearview AI's system allows a user - for example, a police officer seeking to identify a suspect - to upload a photo of a face and find matches in a database of billions of images it has collected from the internet and social media.
The system then provides links to where matching images appeared online.
The firm has promoted its service to police as resembling a "Google search for faces".
But in a statement, the UK's Information Commissioner said that Clearview's database was likely to include "a substantial number of people from the UK" whose data may have been gathered without people's knowledge.
The firm's services are understood to have been trialled by a number of UK law enforcement agencies, but that was discontinued and Clearview AI does not have any UK customers.
The ICO said its "preliminary view" was that the firm appeared to have failed to comply with UK data protection laws by:
Failing to process the information of UK citizens fairly
Failing to have a process in place to stop the data being retained indefinitely
Failing to have a lawful reason for collecting the information
And failing to inform people in the UK about what is happening to their data.
The UK Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, said: "I have significant concerns that personal data was processed in a way that nobody in the UK will have expected.
"UK data protection legislation does not stop the effective use of technology to fight crime. But to enjoy public trust and confidence in their products, technology providers must ensure people's legal protections are respected and complied with."
The decision is provisional and the ICO said any representations by Clearview AI will be carefully considered before a final ruling is made in the middle of next year.
Hoan Ton-That, chief executive of Clearview AI, said: "I am deeply disappointed that the UK Information Commissioner has misinterpreted my technology and intentions.
"My company and I have acted in the best interests of the UK and their people by assisting law enforcement in solving heinous crimes against children, seniors, and other victims of unscrupulous acts.... We collect only public data from the open internet and comply with all standards of privacy and law."
There are some signs that big tech companies are growing wary of face recognition.
Earlier in November, Facebook announced that it would no longer use facial recognition software to identify faces in photographs and videos.
But online tools, and search engines, using facial recognition technology continue to operate, privacy campaigners warn.
Source-BBC
Trey Songz involved in sexual assault investigation in Las Vegas
An alleged sexual assault incident involving Trey Songz is currently being investigated by Las Vegas Metro Police Department.
In a statement to ABC News, LVMPD says that on Sunday they "received a report of a sexual assault incident alleged to have occurred at a hotel in the 3700 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard" involving the 37-year-old singer, who was born Tremaine Neverson.
The incident is currently being investigated by detectives and Songz is "cooperating with the investigation," the statement adds. "At this time, no arrests have been made."
The "Bottoms Up" singer apparently was in Sin City to ring in his 37th birthday at Drai's Nightclub on Saturday night. The party then continued at the Cosmopolitan hotel where a TMZ source said that Songz and his entourage brought back a group of women.
Songz has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Source-ABC
PUBLIC FORECAST 29TH NOVEMBER 2021
GENERAL SITUATION: A WEAK REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA LATER TODAY WHILE HIGH PRESSURE WILL START TO BUILD BEHIND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY
FOR ALL AREAS
WEATHER:VARIABLY CLOUDY AND A BIT BREEZY WITH A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY BECOMING FAIR AND COOL TONIGHT WITH THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS
ADVISORY:A SMALL CRAFT CAUTION WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THIS MORNING…..EXPECT GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WINDS: NORTHWEST TO NORTH AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS THIS MORNING FALLING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS BY THE AFTERNOON IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, NORTHWEST TO NORTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS:4 TO 6 FEET DIMINISHING TO 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
HIGH TEMP TODAY: 79 °F 26°C LOW TEMP TONIGHT: 61°F 16°C
SUN
SUNRISE: 6:37AM SUNSET: 5:18PM
MOON
MOONSET: 2:05 PM MOONRISE: 2:29 AM TUE
TIDES
LOW TIDE: 9:04AM HIGH TIDE: 3:06PM
LOW TIDE: 9:29 PM HIGH TIDE: 3:47 AM TUE
EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO STALL ACROSS THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS BY WEDNESDAY AS IT SLOWLY DISSIPATES WHILE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE ISLANDS AFTER THE FRONT
FORECAST FOR TUESDAY
WEATHER:PARTLY CLOUDY WITH THE CHANCE OF A PASSING SHOWER BECOMING BREEZY AT NIGHT IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WINDS:NORTH TO NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS, INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AT NIGHT
SEAS:2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AT NIGHT
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER:VARIABLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH THE CHANCE OF A PASSING ISOLATED SHOWER
WINDS:NORTHEAST TO EAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OCCASIONALLY FALLING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS
SEAS:4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE OCEAN
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: THE TROPICS REMAIN QUIET AND TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE DAYS. THE 2021 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH 2021.
CLOSE OF NASSAU GROUPER (EPINEPHELUS STRIATUS) SEASON, 01 DECEMBER 2021
The Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management (FMRM) is reminding the public that the 2021 Nassau Grouper Season will be close on Wednesday, December 1st, 2021.
The Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Amendment) Regulation 12(1A) states: “The close season in relation to Nassau grouper shall be from the first day of December 2021 to the twenty-eight day of February 20222(inclusive) in each year or such other dates as may, from time to time, be appointed by the Governor in the Gazette”.
During the closed season, any person who fishes for, purchases or is in possession of a Nassau grouper will be committing an offence that is punishable by a fine of $5,000 or six-months imprisonment or both.
The FMRM is urging all fishers, restaurant owners, private residents and plant owners to ensure that no Nassau grouper remains in their possession as of Wednesday, December 1st, 2021.
Please report any contravention of the Fisheries Protection Ordinance Regulations to the FMRM at 338-4179 or emailed to hwilson@gov.tc.
Survey shows COVID pandemic has severely affected Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries have suffered significantly as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with at least 50 per cent of households not being able to recover the income levels before the pandemic that has also seriously affected, education, health among other sectors.
A survey released by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Monday analysed the current state of the region in six crucial areas, namely labour markets, income and food security, education, gender, health and digital and finance.
The “Phase 2 of the 2021 LAC High-Frequency Phone Survey” described as “An uneven Recovery: taking the pulse of the Latin America and Caribbean following the pandemic,” also included Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Guyana.
Overall, the survey found that in LAC, while the employment situation had been showing signs of recovery over the past two years of the pandemic, the jobs were mainly generated by micro companies and those engaged in self-employment.
“There has been a huge employment as a consequence and one in every four persons across the region has not been to get their jobs back,” said Luis Felipe López-Calva, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP, adding that Colombia, Panama, Honduras and Haiti had been the most severely affected countries in the LAC.
He said women more than men had been more affected by the situation, particularly mothers of very small children and people “in vulnerable ages …and those with less levels of schooling.
“Regionwise, there is still a long way to recover….(and) the quality of employment has degraded across the region in all countries… it has deteriorated significantly”.
He said that the survey had shown that the formal employment “has diminished almost by five per cent region wide (and) …we see people had to resort to self-employment.
According to the data, 50 per cent of households have not been able to recover income levels before the pandemic whether through the labour market or even remittances and emergency transfers, leading to a situation of food security in the region.
The data showed that all countries had recorded a drop in access to food and that the countries that were already facing poverty levels before the pandemic “are the ones suffering the most”.
In the field of education, while countries such as Guyana, Belize had recorded 12 percentage points higher before the pandemic, other countries were now recording as high as 22 per cent of children not being able to attend classes.
“This is one of the big challenges of the pandemic,” said the panellists during a webinar on Monday when the results of the survey was released, with the data showing that virtual learning in some countries was so bad due to the lack of access to the internet, available technology and even children not wanting to participate in the new environment.
World Bank Vice President for Latin America and Caribbean, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, described as “silent crisis” the events brought about by the pandemic in the field of education especially for primary and secondary education.
“Schools have been mostly closed. In some countries they have not re-opened yet, at least not totally, and I think that is something that we said is that the alternatives that have been used are far from ideal.
“I think some countries have used education through the internet, some countries have used more traditional mechanisms such as education through TV and the radio, but the effectiveness of these alternatives is not very positive …and we are worried that there is not a system good enough so that most students can truly have an effective educational experience.
“The World Bank officials said “this is going to leave a very deep scar on this generation and we have to think about how countries can deal with what they have lost in terms of two years of learning.
‘Two years of silent crisis in education,” he added.
The study also found that while vaccination had become available in many LAC countries and would in the future contribute to students returning to their classrooms. In places like Haiti, vaccination is non-existent.
Also it was discovered that in the LAC one-fifth of unvaccinated people do not want to be vaccinated and that situation could be found in rural areas, the elderly and people who just do not believe in vaccines.
The survey found that the pandemic had allowed for an increase in digital and financing with technology making a leap as much as 50 per cent, many homes were now using digital platforms to carry out their tasks such as banking and using mobile wallets.
Jaramillo told the webinar that going forward, LAC must deal with the digital gap, adding “the pandemic has made it clear that this is extremely serious and this has deepen social gaps.
“I think this is also responsible for some of the…inequalities because those who had resources could work from home or go to school through the internet. However those who did not have access through the internet…have been very limited in their possibilities.
“I think the figures we have gained through the survey clearly show this and I think this is an urgent investment and it is not very costly. We need to give access to the internet to the 20 per cent of the poorest population. This is actually not a huge investment for most countries and it is urgent,” Jaramillo added.
Source-CMC
The Phoenix Suns beats the Brooklyn Nets increasing their streak and chance of overcoming their franchise record.
The Phoenix Suns beat the Brooklyn Nets 113-107 to stretch their winning streak to 16 games, one away from their franchise record.
The Suns were led by Devin Booker's 30 points, with Chris Paul adding 22 and registering his 5,000th career rebound.
The Nets' Kevin Durant was the game's top scorer with 39 points, while James Harden made a triple-double.
"Obviously, everybody knows the ultimate goal is to win a championship," said Paul.
"But if you don't enjoy the small victories throughout the regular season, then what the hell are you doing?"
The Suns, last season's beaten finalists, had led by as many as 22 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter and survived a late charge by the Eastern Conference leaders to extend their record to 17-3 for the season.
They can equal their record winning streak when they face the NBA's top team the Golden State Warriors (17-2) on Tuesday.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Booker. "Obviously not a make it or break-it game, not a play-off game, but we know it's going to be high-energy, the two best records in the NBA. It's going to a high-intensity, fun game."
Source - BBC
13 tested positive for the new Covid variant Omicron from South Africa
The new coronavirus variant Omicron has been detected in 13 people who arrived in the Dutch capital Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa. They are among 61 passengers who tested positive for coronavirus.
It comes as tighter restrictions come into force in the Netherlands, amid record Covid cases and concerns over the new variant.
This includes early closing times for hospitality and cultural venues, and limits on home gatherings.
Omicron was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by South Africa on Wednesday, and early evidence suggests it has a higher re-infection risk. It has been categorised by the WHO as a "variant of concern".
But after many countries around the world restrict travel from southern African countries over the variant, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for the bans to be urgently lifted.
In an address to the nation on Sunday he said the moves were unjustified and not based on science.
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health announced the 13 Omicron cases on Sunday, but noted that its investigation had "not yet been completed", meaning the new variant could still be found in more test samples.
Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge made an "urgent request" for people who have returned from southern Africa to get tested for Covid "as soon as possible".
"It is not unthinkable that there are more cases in the Netherlands," he told reporters.
Cases of the heavily mutated variant have now been reported in a number of countries around the world, including several in Europe, such as the UK, Germany and Italy.
The flights by Dutch national carrier KLM from Johannesburg arrived on Friday morning. The 600 passengers on board were held for several hours after arriving while they were tested for the virus.
New York Times correspondent Stephanie Nolen, who was on one of the flights, tweeted that the passengers were not even brought water while they remained on the plane.
Passengers travelling from South Africa to the UK via Amsterdam told the BBC that they were held on the tarmac at Schiphol airport for four hours, before eventually disembarking.
The passengers who were confirmed to have Covid-19 have since been quarantined at a hotel near Schiphol airport.
Those that tested negative have been asked to isolate at home for five days and take further tests. Officials said those in transit would be allowed to continue their journeys, though there were reports on Saturday that some passengers had not received written proof of a negative test and were therefore unable to board onward flights.
Dutch health authorities were also trying to contact and test thousands of other passengers who had travelled from seven southern African countries - South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia or Zimbabwe - since Monday.
The Netherlands is one of many countries around the world to have now imposed travel restrictions on countries in southern Africa in response to the new variant.
Switzerland has ordered that passengers from other countries where the variant has been detected, including the UK and the Netherlands, provide proof of a negative coronavirus test and quarantine for 10 days.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, told the BBC countries could be "panicking unnecessarily" and the symptoms she had seen from the new variant were "extremely mild".
Meanwhile, the Netherlands is one of several European countries struggling to contain record numbers of coronavirus infections.
It has a shortage of intensive care beds, operations are being cancelled and hundreds of people are dying of Covid every week, the BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague says.
Bars, restaurants and shops - whose opening hours have already been restricted for several weeks - are required to close earlier than before, and there is a limit on the number of guests allowed in homes.
People are also being encouraged to work from home where possible, but nurseries, schools and universities across the country remain open.
Thousands of people protested after the measures were announced.
The Netherlands has had nearly 20,000 confirmed Covid-related deaths since the pandemic started.
Source - BBC
Protesters hit Amazon buildings on Black Friday
Protests are being staged at Amazon buildings in the UK, US, and Europe on Black Friday.
The shopping sales day is among Amazon's busiest all year.
An international coalition of unions, equality and environmental groups called "Make Amazon Pay" is staging a day of action.
The movement is demanding Amazon make changes to its business, including improved pay, an end to employee surveillance, and union engagement.
In an unrelated separate protest, the Extinction Rebellion environmental group has blocked the entrances to Amazon distribution centres in the UK.
The group says it has targeted 13 British buildings, including the largest one in Dunfermline.
The Make Amazon Pay coalition is not affiliated with Extinction Rebellion group, but also has environmental groups such as Greenpeace among its members.
"Amazon takes too much and gives back too little," it claims - backed by trade unions, grassroots campaigns and non-profit-making organisations in individual countries.
In the UK, that includes:
the GMB Union
Trades Union Congress
Momentum
War on Want
International Transport Workers' Federation
Labour Behind the Label
No UK Amazon warehouses are unionised, so legally they can't strike.
Many employees will be working on the day, but campaign groups which include Amazon workers are staging protests at Amazon buildings in Coalville, Leicestershire, Coventry, Peterborough and at its London headquarters.
But strikes are being encouraged elsewhere.
In Germany, for example, the union Verdi called on employees at major shipping centres to strike, beginning on Wednesday night. And in France, major union CGT is also calling for workers to down tools.
Worldwide, nearly 50 organisations have signed up to a list of "common demands", published by the Make Amazon Pay coalition, which include:
raising warehouse workers' pay and adding hazard pay and peak time increments
halting worker "surveillance" and strict productivity targets
extending sick leave and improving Covid-19 tracking and reporting
ending casual employment status and "union-busting" activities
paying taxes without using loopholes or tax havens
Owen Espley, from the War on Want campaign group, said: "Amazon is abusing its dominance across online retail, cloud services, and logistics, to create unfair competition that is driving down standards for everyone.
The GMB union also released figures on Friday that it said showed ambulance callouts to Amazon warehouses increased by nearly 50% in the run-up to Black Friday - something it blames on staff rushing to hit "crushing targets".
It filed Freedom of Information requests with four ambulance trusts near "major Amazon sites". It said the data shows that over five years, November had the most ambulance visits.
Amazon said such claims were "using incomplete information that's without context and designed to intentionally mislead".
"We know we're not perfect and are continuing to get better every day, but the fact is that Amazon has 40% fewer injuries on average compared to other transportation and warehousing businesses in the UK," a spokesperson said.
It claimed the "vast majority" of ambulance visits to its buildings were for pre-existing conditions.
Mick Rix, from the GMB Union, said: "This company is a pandemic profiteer that can afford to do better."
"It's time for Amazon sit down with their workers' union GMB and make Amazon a great, safe place to work. "
Amazon reported a tripling of profits earlier this year, attributed to its success during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amazon issued a prepared statement in advance of the protests about the wider Make Amazon Pay movement.
"These groups represent a variety of interests, and while we are not perfect in any area, if you objectively look at what Amazon is doing in each one of these areas you'll see that we do take our role and our impact very seriously," it said.
"We are inventing and investing significantly in all these areas, playing a significant role in addressing climate change with the Climate Pledge commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040, continuing to offer competitive wages and great benefits, and inventing new ways to keep our employees safe and healthy in our operations network, to name just a few."
Source - BBC