50 Cent and Swizz Beatz rip Irv Gotti for drug comments about DMX
As the hip-hop world continues to mourn the passing of DMX, 50 Cent and Swizz Beatz are blasting Irv Gotti for his comments about the Ruff Ryders icon dying from drugs.
"This guy is a idiot, did he just say DMX died from smoking crack and fentanyl! why would he say that?" Fiddy wrote on Instagram, with a clip from Gotti’s recent interview on a Chicago radio station.
The Murder Inc. founder stated during the interview, “They said it was a bad dose of crack and they said some drug fentanyl was mixed in with the crack and that's what made him overdose,"
"Then when he got to the hospital, he got diagnosed with COVID and he couldn't breathe -- you know that COVID messes with your respiratory system," Gotti added. "So that's why he had to get hooked up to the ventilator. They said before he did, they was like, 'His brain died.'"
Swizz, who joined his fellow Ruff Ryders in a moment of silence at the DMX memorial service April 25 in New York City, also expressed his anger about Gotti’s interview. “Bozo moves can’t lie,” he wrote in a comment.
DMX spokesperson Angelo Ellerbee previously stated that DMX did not test positive for COVID-19. The Exit Wounds star passed away April 9 at White Plains Hospital outside of New York City. He was 50 years old. The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.
Source-ABC
Epic Games takes Apple to Court
After months of hype and warring words, Epic Games is about to get its day in court with Apple.
The trial begins on Monday - and is one of the most important in Apple's history.
Apple boss Tim Cook will be giving evidence, the first time he's given testimony at a trial.
At stake is the future of the App Store and the amount it charges developers - a wildly lucrative money spinner for the company.
In August last year, Epic Games laid a trap for Apple.
Its hit game Fortnite implemented its own in-app payment - bypassing Apple's 30% charges.
Apple promptly kicked Epic Games off the App Store.
But Epic Games was waiting for just that.
It slapped Apple with a 65-page lawsuit - and had even prepared a high production video, a spoof of Apple's iconic 1984 advert for the Apple Mac.
Epic Games has for years claimed the charges imposed on it by Apple are extortionate.
Their argument is simple: that Apple's control over the App Store is anti-competitive.
It believes that developers should be able to make apps for smartphones without having to pay large sums to Apple (and to Google for Google Play purchases).
Spotify, Match and Tile are just a few of the many companies that have also claimed Apple's charges are unfair.
Apple is estimated to have made hundreds of millions of dollars from Fortnite alone in charges.
Epic Games' big argument is: if they don't want to pay, then where else do they go to sell their products?
Source-BBC
EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic call for re-opening of skies
Most of Europe should be cleared for take-off under the government's planned easing of air travel restrictions, says EasyJet boss Johan Lundgren.
His call not to delay the resumption of mass travel was echoed by Virgin Atlantic boss Shai Weiss.
He said there is now no reason for the government not to allow the return of US services next month.
Under the UK's roadmap out of lockdown, a list of permitted destinations is expected to be published soon.
In a speech on Friday he cited research that suggests mass travel to many popular holiday destinations would have limited Covid risks.
Mr Lundgren revealed a study commissioned from epidemiologists at Yale University's school of public health that indicated that unrestricted travel to some of the most popular holiday destinations would increase hospital admissions by 4%.
He said the research suggested that much of Europe, including Spain, Portugal and Greece, should be categorised as "green" under a traffic light system being proposed by the government to show which countries can be visited.
It is expected that governments will use a traffic light system to rank countries with high vaccination rates and other data, showing which are suitable for travel.
Mr Lundgren said the government "urgently needs" to publish this, and that most of Europe should be given a "green" light.
"As the rest of the economy emerges from this lockdown with some precautions in place, there is no reason why the same is not possible for travel."
Source-BBC
Mario Rigby kayaks 60km in the TCI
Mario Rigby, TCI's Eco Explorer took on the sporting challenge on Satutday when he kayaked from Salt Cay to Grand Turk and turned around the following day and journeyed 25 miles to into South Caicos with two hours to spare.
The 60km was done in open ocean between Grand Turk, South Caicos & East Caicos.
Rigby after the challenge added that It was such a pleasure going out on the water with his crew for this experience, he added that he was crapped up a few times but it was an easy run for him.
Chev Dixon who accompanied Rigby has a wealth of knoweledge to the history of kayaking in open water and was the paddling partner on the quest.
Rigby added that the duo are raising funds and awareness about initiatives that are close to Rigby's heart.
Delhi faces major oxygen crisis in India
Hospitals in Delhi have started facing shortages of oxygen nearly two weeks ago.
The crisis according to RTC's affiliate the BBC shows few signs of abating.
At least 12 patients, including a doctor, died when a prominent hospital ran out of oxygen on Saturday. Outside the hospitals, families of patients who can't find a bed are struggling to get hold of portable cylinders - sometimes standing in queues for up to 12 hours.
Several big hospitals in Delhi are relying on daily oxygen supplies but they are not getting enough to keep some as backup in case of emergency.
One doctor described the situation as very frightening, explaining: "Once you've used up your main tank, there is nothing to fall back on."
The situation is worse still in small hospitals that don't have storage tanks and have to rely on big cylinders.
And the oxygen crisis comes as coronavirus cases continue to surge.
Delhi alone reported more than 25,000 new infections and 412 deaths on Sunday evening.
India, meanwhile, over the weekend recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll since the pandemic began, and became the first country to register more than 400,000 new cases in a single day.
Source-BBC
Cayman Opposition Leader encourages all to be vaccinated
Leader of the Opposition Roy McTaggart is encouraging everyone across the Cayman Islands who has not yet been vaccinated to do so “as soon as possible”.
In a voice note disseminated via WhatsApp to residents and others beyond the shore, McTaggart stressed: “It is really important to protect the health and wellbeing of all of us, including our loved ones.”
He added that vaccination is essential to ensure the borders can safely reopen in the months to come.
McTaggart warned, “Folks, we cannot stay in a bubble for ever,”
According to numbers issued by the Ministry of Health over the weekend, 65,991 vaccines have been administered in Cayman to date, 35,774 or (55% of the estimated population of 65,000) have received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, while 46% have completed the two-dose course.
The plea from the leader of the Opposition comes after Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Lee, Governor Martyn Roper and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK’s minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth, reiterated similar requests this week, as Cayman’s vaccination rate has begun to drop off from its peak in March.
In a press release issued yesterday, Lord Ahmad stressed that the “supply of vaccines cannot be taken for granted and each batch has a limited shelf life”.
He added: “In Cayman, the expiry date for the remaining vaccines is 30 June. I must therefore implore everyone who can, to take the vaccine, not only for themselves, but to protect their friends and family, and do their part to ensure you can re-open borders and restart that economy.
Source- The Compass
Cuban artist hospitalised on Day 8 of hunger strike
A Cuban dissident artist was taken to hospital Sunday, health officials in Havana said, on the eighth day of a hunger strike to protest against authorities seizing his art.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, 33, is the leader of the San Isidro protest movement (MSI) of artists and intellectuals pressing for free speech and other rights in the communist nation.
The Cuban government has accused Otero Alcantara and other movement members of political revolt funded by the United States.
The Havana public health department said Sunday the artist had been taken to the emergency unit of the General Calixto Garcia university hospital in the capital with symptoms of "voluntary starvation."
A later statement by the health authority claimed an examination showed that "starvation does not correspond with the parameters of the patient," and there "was hydration and food."
Images on state television showed Otero Alcantara arriving at the hospital in an ambulance at dawn, stepping out in a green gown and walking inside supported by medical staff.
Vehicle biometrics launched by SenseTime at Auto Shanghai 2021
SenseTime has unveiled a new, full-stack biometric and AI solution at Auto Shanghai 2021, an international industry exhibition running during April 19 to 28.
Dubbed SenseAuto, the system incorporates a number of the company’s solutions designed to provide smart driver assistance via computer vision and biometric sensors.
These include the Sense Auto Cabin-O Occupant Monitoring System (OMS), the SenseAuto Cabin-D Driver Monitoring System (DMS), and the SenseAuto Cabin-K Keyless Entry, together with the Virtual Companion and multiple in-vehicle infotainments (IVI) functions powered by augmented reality (AR).
SenseAuto was unveiled at the Auto Shanghai event in a WEY Mocha vehicle, a new SUV from Great Wall Motors.
Thanks to the solution’s multiple biometric sensors, the car is capable of triggering timely alerts via gaze tracking when recognizing signs of dangerous driving like drowsiness, distraction, and phone use.
“We are glad that the SenseAuto Cabin solution has achieved great success, which wouldn’t be possible without the solid foundation of our proprietary AI algorithm development,” said Xu Liang, VP of the Smart Cabin Business and Mobile Intelligence Group at SenseTime.
At the exhibition, SenseAuto was also showcased on a Chery Jetour X70 Plus Zhuge Edition. In addition to SenseAuto, the company debuted its Level 2 autonomous driving system Pilot-P at the event, which provides manufacturers with different levels of autonomous driving using cameras, mmWave radar, and LiDAR technologies.
“By empowering our partners’ platforms with our technologies, we help them streamline the R&D process to achieve higher performance,” Liang explained.
SenseTime recently received the Automotive Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (ASPICE) L2 certification from independent safety experts TÜV Rheinland in Germany.
“In the future, we hope to collaborate with our partners to apply AI technologies to more scenarios and bring our users a full-stack, all-scenario smart cabin solution,” Liang concluded.
GARVIN THOMAS APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF TCIG PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
he Office of the Deputy Governor is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Garvin Thomas to the post of Director of the Turks and Caicos Government Public Works Department.
Garvin who was born and raised on the island of South Caicos, holds a Bachelor of Design degree in Architecture as well as a number of other certifications.
He joined the Turks and Caicos Civil Service in 2001 following his service as an Apprentice Architect at Simon and Wood Associates for a period of 4 years and has held numerous positions during his tenure with TCIG including the post of Assistant Architect and Project Coordinator before being promoted to the post of Assistant Director of the Public Works Department in 2014 and to the post of Deputy Director in 2018.
Commenting on his appointment Mr. Thomas said: “I would like to first and foremost give thanks to the almighty God for sparing my life and allowing me to see this day of which I am very proud of. A special thanks to my parents who
instilled in me great moral values and respect towards others in Authority. I am honored, humbled and thankful for the opportunity to continue to serve the Government and people of this great nation the Turks and Caicos Islands now as Director of the Public Works Department.
I am grateful for my team who have and continue to support me beyond my expectations during my tenure and my plan is to continue to advocate for the much-needed manpower and resources to enable the department to function efficiently. I look forward to advancing the Department to meet not only regional, but also international standards and best practices in the near future. My main goal and objective is to be the first to establish an Ordinance for the Public Works Department to regulate its functions and responsibilities as it relates to the construction and maintenance of roads, government buildings and to regulate utility companies in terms of the usage of other infrastructure that falls under the remit of PWD.
I look forward to working in this capacity and am grateful for the confidence placed in me. I Thank you.”
Deputy Governor Her Excellency Anya Williams in congratulating Mr. Thomas on his new appointment said: “It is with great pleasure that I take the opportunity to formally announce and congratulate Mr. Garvin Thomas on his appointment to the post of Director of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government Public Works Department.
Having had the opportunity to work directly with Garvin over the years on a number of projects and also hurricane preparedness and response, I can attest that he is an ardent and committed worker; someone you can always call on whenever there is a challenge. He is forward thinking and is always thinking of ways that he work to improve the output of himself, his department and team.
The Public Works Department plays a critical role in both creating and maintaining infrastructure across the Turks and Caicos Islands to support the sustainable growth and development of the TCI economy. It is therefore important that this department is properly funded, resourced and is led by a manager and team that is able to meet the needs of our ever changing environment.
I wish Garvin well on his promotion and look forward to working with him to continue to deliver on the mandate of the Public Works Department.”
A 'complete collapse' of preventive health: India's 2nd COVID wave explodes
India is caught in the throes of a ferocious second wave of coronavirus, with the nation's health authority reporting 360,960 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday alone, the seventh consecutive day with over 300,000 new infections.
Hospitals are overflowing, oxygen supplies are dwindling and ceaseless fires burn at crematoriums and makeshift funeral pyres, where families have been forced to forgo traditional ceremonies to make space for more bodies to be cremated.
Even the grim official numbers are likely a dramatic underestimation of India's actual infection and death toll. Daily infections, which topped 350,000 last week, combined with a test-positivity rate of more than 20%, "says to me that the true number of infections is maybe three times that," Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, said during a panel discussion on India's second wave on Tuesday.
That lack of preparation extended to vaccinations. Although India is among the world's biggest suppliers of vaccines, it has struggled to ramp up its own vaccination program. As of April 27, less than 2 percent of the population was fully vaccinated against the virus, according to Our World in Data.
In the meantime, if the virus continues to spread unchecked in India, new variants will continue to emerge experts warn, which presents a threat not just to India, but to the world.
Source-ABC