Six hurt in huge blaze at a railway in the UK
Six people were injured and several buildings evacuated after a fire caused a huge plume of smoke to billow into the sky above south London.
About 100 firefighters battled the blaze at some railway arches near Elephant and Castle station.
Fire crews were called shortly before 13:45 BST and local residents reported hearing a number of explosions.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said three commercial units were alight along with six cars and a telephone box.
London Ambulance Service said it had treated six people at the scene, with one of those taken to hospital.
A police officer was among those who needed treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation, according to the mayor of London.
People living in the area were warned to keep doors and windows closed and trains are not expected to run through Elephant and Castle for the rest of the day.
Fifteen fire engines were called to the scene, with the fire thought to have started in some garages close to the railway station.
Five people had escaped before fire crews arrived, LFB said.
Anthony King told the BBC he was about to catch his train home when he saw smoke coming out of a car mechanics and "after about five to six minutes, canisters went up".
The 51-year-old said the fire then spread to the adjoining arches and "there was acrid smoke going up as high as the new towers".
The blaze was under control shortly after 15:30 but LFB said firefighters would remain at the scene for a few hours to dampen down the scene.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
The Met said that "significant road closures" were put in place and people were advised to avoid the area.
London mayor Sadiq Khan praised the emergency services, who he said had acted quickly to ensure both local residents and passengers at Elephant and Castle station were safely evacuated.
Source-BBC
Three Persons Convicted for Various Immigration Offences
On 27th May 2021, Immigration Enforcement Unit officers conducted an operation on a construction site in the Turtle Tail area where they arrested Dominican nationals Juan Quezada De La Rosa and Louis Diaz Jimenez after they failed to show proof of status in the Islands.
An investigation conducted by the Immigration Department identified Seferina Cooper as Mr. Rosa’s employer.
Ms. Cooper was charged with Employing a Prohibited Person while Mr. Rosa and Mr. Jiminez were charged for Remaining in the Islands Beyond the Permitted Time and Unlawfully Engaging in Gainful Occupation.
On Tuesday, 8th June 2021, the accused appeared in the Magistrate’s Court to answer to the charges, where Ms. Cooper plead guilty and was fined $4500. Mr. Jiminez plead guilty to both charges and was fined $1800, while Mr. Rosa plead guilty to both charges and was sentenced to 100 days imprisonment.
The Immigration Department would like to remind the public that under the Immigration Ordinance, it is an offence to work in the islands without proper authorization, and it is an offence to employ persons who don’t have proper authorization to work in the islands.
Both offences are punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and/or two (2) years imprisonment.
CDEMA introduces 2021 Model National Recovery Framework for its Participating States
CDEMA recently met with its Participating States to present and discuss the updated Model National Recovery Framework (MNRF) under the UNDP
Enabling Gender Responsive Recovery, Climate and Environment in the Caribbean (EnGenDerProject).
The framework focuses on gender responsive recovery before a disaster and was well received by representatives from 15 of CDEMA’s 19 Participating States.
Project Manager of the UNDP EnGenDer project, Massimiliano Tozzi said, “This tool is a key piece in the EnGenDER efforts to support the construction of a more resilient Caribbean as it provides guidance to countries on how to plan and implement comprehensive and gender responsive recovery processes. While our Project focuses on 9 countries, the tools that are being developed by CDEMA under EnGenDER will eventually be available for application to all
participating states in the near future.”
Executive Director (ag) of CDEMA, Elizabeth Riley, told participants that since the surge of hazards from 2015, CDEMA embarked on its Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy 2014-2024 to support the region’s capacity to Build Back Better and Bounce Forward.
“The updated MNRF is a framework that draws on lessons learnt to strengthen governance and enhance disaster recovery resilience in Caribbean States. Another important aspect of the updated framework is the focus on gender responsiveness and greater attention to the inclusion
of vulnerable groups, gender equality and human rights-based approaches to Disaster Reduction.” Riley explained.
It appears Windows 11 is the beginning of the end for Skype
Microsoft has officially announced Windows 11, its new operating system which will replace the current version over the next few years.
Among all the new features are two seemingly small but related things that jumped out.
First - Microsoft Teams, the video-calling app which saw a boom during 2020's pandemic, will be integrated into Windows 11 by default.
And second - Skype will not be, for the first time in years.
That seems to suggest that Teams is the new favourite child, and many pundits think this is the beginning of the end for what was once the king of calling apps.
"Looks like Microsoft is killing off Skype," wrote the Irish & Sunday Independent tech editor Adrian Weckler. "Bye bye Skype," added Future Publishing's content director Jeremy Kaplan. "RIP Skype," was the immediate reaction from The Verge's Tom Warren.
Microsoft bought Skype 10 years ago for $8.5bn (£6.1bn). At the time, it was the tech giant's biggest-ever acquisition, and there were questions over whether it was over-paying.
But Microsoft was buying into an app that had been downloaded one billion times and had hundreds of millions of users.
"Together we will create the future of real-time communications," Microsoft chief Steve Balmer projected.
It seemed to work - the app came bundled with every new computer, and user numbers were strong.
But by the middle of the decade, internet forums were full of posts asking "why is Skype so bad?" and complaining about updates. Many pointed to poor performance and questionable design choices.
At the same time, mobile messaging apps - such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger - were exploding in popularity and started to introduce video calls, one of Skype's main attractions.
The first version of Skype was launched in 2003, and despite frequent updates, it was starting to show its age.
Meanwhile, Microsoft was cooking up its business chat app, Teams, based on more modern tech, which launched in 2017.
"Microsoft has been moving beyond Skype for several years now, with Teams being its strategic voice and video technology for the new era," explained Angela Ashenden, an analyst at CCS Insight.
Teams is likely to evolve to make things simpler for personal users -particularly on mobile devices, she added.
But Skype is not being killed off entirely - it will continue to be offered as a download in the Microsoft Store for those who want it in Windows 11.
It won't be alone.
Alongside the announcement of Skype's relegation to the store, Microsoft also announced that some other much-maligned apps were being downplayed or removed.
Its ill-fated Cortana virtual assistant will no longer be pinned to the taskbar; Internet Explorer is disabled by default in favour of the more modern Edge browser; and tools such as OneNote, Paint 3D, and Windows' 3D viewer app are getting the Skype treatment and becoming optional store downloads.
Source-BBC
Financial watchdog FCA bans cryptocurrency Binance
Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, has been banned by the UK's financial regulator.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has ruled that the firm cannot conduct any "regulated activity" in the UK.
It also issued a consumer warning about Binance.com, advising people to be wary of adverts promising high returns on cryptoasset investments.
Binance said the FCA notice would have no "direct impact" on the services it provides from its website Binance.com.
Binance's existing crypto exchange is not UK-based so despite the FCA ruling, there will be no impact on UK residents who use the website to purchase and sell cryptocurrencies.
The FCA does not regulate cryptocurrencies, but requires exchanges to register with them. Binance has not registered with the FCA and therefore is not allowed to operate an exchange in the UK.
The FCA move comes amid pushback from regulators around the world against cryptocurrency platforms.
Binance.com is an online centralised exchange that offers users a range of financial products and services, including purchasing and trading a wide range of digital currencies, as well as digital wallets, futures, securities, savings accounts and even lending.
Binance Group is currently based in the Cayman Islands, while Binance Markets Limited is an affiliate firm based in London. The firm has multiple entities dotted around the world and Binance Group was previously based in Malta.
The FCA said that Binance Markets Limited (BML), which is owned by Binance Group, is not currently permitted to undertake any regulated activities without the prior written consent of the FCA. It has until Wednesday to comply with the ruling.
Covid Outbreaks emerge across Austraila
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has met national leaders for emergency talks on how to tackle a spike in Covid-19 infections.
An outbreak in Sydney linked to the highly contagious Delta variant has grown to 128 cases.
Cases have also been recorded in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia.
Officials say it is a "critical time". Australia has kept case numbers low with border closures and lockdowns.
Reports say the emergency meeting considered measures such as mandatory vaccinations for care home workers and new quarantine rules.
This is the first time in months that cases have emerged in multiple parts of the country at the same time.
"I think we're entering a new phase of this pandemic, with the more contagious Delta strain," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told ABC News ahead of the meeting of the Covid-19 response committee.
The escalation in Covid infections has prompted lockdowns in the cities of Sydney and Darwin, as well as restrictions across four states.
Many businesses and venues have been ordered shut.
On Monday NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reported 18 new cases, down from the 30 reported the previous day. Nearly 59,000 people had been tested in the previous 24 hours.
Source-BBC
The Bucks heads forward over the Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks' playoff star sprained his right ankle in a freak encounter with an official's foot late in the third quarter of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.
Young was able to return for much of the fourth quarter, but he didn't have the sort of explosiveness that has made him the breakout leader of Atlanta's stunning playoff run.
''It's sore right now.,'' he said, rubbing his forehead. ''It's hurting. It's frustrating.''
Young will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of the sprain. He'll also be getting extensive treatment over the next 48 hours in an attempt to make sure he's as healthy as possible going into Game 4.
''I don't know how bad it is, but he was definitely limping,'' teammate Danilo Gallinari said. ''I'm guessing he was not feeling very good.''
Even though Young finished with 35 points, the Hawks bogged down offensively in the closing minutes, allowing the Bucks to rally for a 113-102 victory that gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.
It's hard to envision the Hawks advancing to the NBA Finals if Young is not at least some semblance of himself the rest of the series.
''Of course, he's our best player,'' Gallinari said. ''If we had to play without him, it's tough.''
Young was injured after he threw a pass that was deflected by Jrue Holiday. The Hawks guard turned to run back on defense, only to step on the foot of ref Sean Wright, who was standing just out of bounds.
It was simply an accident, but that didn't make it any less painful for Young.
''I didn't see him,'' he said. ''I guess I've got to have eyes in the back of my head now to see who's behind me.''
Young remained down on the court until the next whistle. He hobbled first to the bench and then to the locker room to be examined. The Atlanta crowd roared when Young returned to the sideline early in the fourth quarter, having been cleared to go back in the game.
But he was limping noticeably and grimacing when he came up the court. Young made only one of four shots in the fourth period, ruining what had been a bounce-back performance from a tough outing in a 34-point rout by the Bucks in Game 2.
Young acknowledged that he didn't have the speed to blow by defenders the way he normally does.
''That's a big part of my game,'' he said.
Coach Nate McMillan took Young out with just under a minute remaining and saw no reason to put him back in.
Now, the focus is on getting him ready for Game 4.
Usain Bolt welcomes newborn twin sons Thunder and Saint Leo
Sprinter Usain Bolt has had twin boys, named Thunder Bolt and Saint Leo Bolt.
Bolt, 34, announced the news on Instagram on Father's Day, with a lightning bolt emoji next to each of his children's names.
The Olympic champion posted a photo of him and partner Kasi Bennett, with their twin boys and one-year-old daughter Olympia Lightning.
The couple did not say when exactly the twins were born.
Bennett also posted a photo with the babies, saying Bolt was "the rock of this family and the greatest daddy to our little ones".
Olympia Lightning was born in May 2020, and her name was announced publicly two months later.
Before her birth, Bolt had kept followers updated of Bennett's pregnancy on his social media. However, neither he nor Bennett had posted about her pregnancy with the twins.
Bolt, a Jamaican sprinting icon, retired from athletics in 2017 and still holds the 100m and 200m world records, making him the fastest man in history.
He is also the only man to have won three 100m Olympic titles and 23 major gold medals during his career.
After leaving athletics he tried to play professional football, but then announced he was leaving sports entirely in 2019.
Bolt is not the first celebrity to use a play on words when naming children.
In 2013 Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian West, who are currently separated, made headlines when they named their child North West.
Hollywood Series F9: The Fast Saga races to pandemic record $70 million debut
F9: The Fast Saga turned out to be the summer blockbuster for which theaters had been hoping. The latest installment in the Fast & Furious saga's estimated $70 million debut not only left A Quiet Place Part II's previous pandemic era record of $47.5 million in the dust, but it also marked the biggest North American opening since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The movie, which once again stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster and Sung Kanged, along with Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron and newcomer John Cena, has topped the $300 million mark overseas, where it premiered earlier, bringing its worldwide total to $404.9 million. The series has grossed $6.3 billion over the course of its 10 chapters, including spinoffs, making it the fifth highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
The aforementioned A Quiet Place Part II held on to second place in its fifth week, delivering an estimated $6.2 million. Its stateside total now stands at $136.4 million. Combined with the film's overseas haul of $112 million, its global total now stands at $248.5 million.
Last week's box office champ, The Hitman's Bodyguard's Wife, dropped to third place with an estimated $4.9 million. That brings its total here in the states to $25.9 million and its worldwide gross to $31.4 million.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway grabbed fourth place with a little under $4.9 million in its third week of release.
Rounding out the top five was Disney's Cruella, earning and estimated $3.7 million in its fifth week of release. The movie, also available on Disney+ for a $30 charge, has collected $71.3 million here in the states to go with an international total of $112.5 million. That raises its worldwide total to $183.8 million.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
Here are the top 10 movies Friday through Sunday, with estimated domestic box office earnings:
1. F9: The Fast Saga, $70 million
2. A Quiet Place Part II, $6.2 million
3. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, $4.875 million
4. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, $4.850 million
5. Cruella, $4 million
6. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, $3 million
7. In the Heights, $2.2 million
8. Spirit Untamed, $1 million
9. 12 Might Orphans, $600,000
10. Nobody, $600,000
Surfside building collapse latest: Death toll climbs to 10 as search for 151 survivors goes on
The death toll has climbed to nine from the partial collapse of a 12-story condominium building in Surfside, Florida, as a massive search and rescue mission continued into its fourth day on Sunday, officials said.
Four more bodies were recovered overnight from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South condominium that buckled and gave way into a pancaking catastrophe around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday as many residents were asleep, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference Sunday. More than 150 people remain unaccounted for.
Cava said additional human remains have also been recovered and DNA testing will be required to identify those remains.
Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said rescuers are still hoping to find survivors waiting to be saved in crevices and voids in the pile of concrete, twisted metal and personal belongings.
No survivors have been discovered in the wreckage of the building since early Thursday morning when Stacie Fang, 54, and her 15-year-old son were pulled from the debris alive, Cava said. Fang later died at a hospital.
About 130 residents of the 40-year-old building have been accounted for.
Cava also said emergency teams have cut a 125-foot long, 20-foot wide and 40-foot deep trench through the rubble to help enhance the search.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said the Israeli Homefront Command Team and a rescue unit from Mexico have also joined the search.
Source-ABC