Sloop arrives undetected into South Caicos
The Ministry of Immigration, Citizenship, Labour and Employment Services and the Immigration Department of the Turks and Caicos Islands, advised RTC News that during the early morning hours of 12th April 2021, an illegal Haitian vessel made landfall on the Island of South Caicos.
The vessel which was found abandoned, was located on the beach area in close proximity to Sail Rock Resort.
It has not been determined on the number of persons that might have been aboard, however, the search is ongoing. These searches are being done by the Police and Immigration with the assistance of partners, DECR and Environmental Health
Officers are also monitoring both the sea and airport, as a precaution.
Minister, Hon. Arlington Musgrove in commenting on this incident stated, "Maritime smuggling operations are dangerous and too frequently end in tragedy and death at sea. There are many different reasons that migrants attempt such unsafe voyages at sea, but none of them are worth the risk of life. The landing on South Caicos is a further indication of the abuse of our borders by persons and this is something that we will not entertain".
The public is reminded that it is an offence to harbour or assist illegal persons and that persons found guilty engaging in such activities are liable to a fine of US$20,000 or a term of imprisonment of four years, or both in accordance with the Immigration Ordinance 2018 Revised or any law.
As such, the public is also requested to provide the Police with tips or any information related to this or any other illegal landing. We encourage the public to submit information or tips anonymously in English, French or Spanish either to www.crimestoppers.tc or on Facebook as a fan of Crime Stoppers Turks & Caicos. Crime Stoppers tips are received in the USA the Minister added.
Alibaba accepts China's fine and vows to change
Chinese tech giant Alibaba said on Monday that it accepted a record penalty imposed by the country's anti-monopoly regulator.
Regulators slapped a $2.8bn fine after a probe determined that it had abused its market position for years.
The fine amounts to about 4% of the company's 2019 domestic revenue.
Alibaba Group's executive vice chairman Joe Tsai indicated that regulators have taken an interest in platforms like Alibaba as they grow in importance.
"We're happy to get the matter behind us, but the tendency is that regulators will be keen to look at some of the areas where you might have unfair competition," he told an investor call on Monday.
The company added that it was not aware of any further anti-monopoly investigations by Chinese regulators, though it signalled that Alibaba and its competitors would remain under review in China over mergers and acquisitions.
The main issue for regulators was that Alibaba restricted merchants from doing business or running promotions on rival platforms.
The company said it would introduce measures to lower entry barriers and business costs faced by merchants on e-commerce platforms.
"With this penalty decision we've received good guidance on some of the specific issues under the anti-monopoly law," Mr Tsai said.
The group does not expect any material impact on its business from the change of exclusivity arrangements imposed by regulators.
The penalty is the latest in a chain of events targeting the company that kicked off last October, after its co-founder Jack Ma criticised regulators, suggesting they were stifling innovation.
Shortly after the speech, Chinese regulators scuppered the share market launch of Ant Group, which is Alibaba's sister company and China's biggest electronic payments provider.
However, some commentators noted that regulators had legitimate concerns about Ant Group's consumer finance arm.
Ant Group was expected to be last year's biggest share market launch on the Hong Kong exchange.
But Alibaba isn't the only Chinese company to come under scrutiny by China's increasingly assertive regulators.
Last month, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said it had fined 12 companies over 10 deals that violated anti-monopoly rules.
The companies included Tencent, Baidu and Didi Chuxing - which are among China's largest tech companies.
Source-BBC
Microsoft makes $20bn bet on speech AI firm Nuance
Microsoft Corp plans to buy a tech firm known for helping to develop Apple's Siri speech recognition software in a deal valued at $19.7bn (£13.3bn).
The purchase of Nuance Communications is the second largest in Microsoft's history, after its acquisition of networking site LinkedIn in 2016.
Microsoft said it would bolster its software and artificial intelligence expertise for healthcare companies.
So-called "telehealth" and remote doctor visits have boomed in lockdown.
This growth is forecast to continue after the pandemic.
"Nuance provides the AI layer at the healthcare point of delivery," Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said in a statement. "AI is technology's most important priority, and healthcare is its most urgent application."
Nuance executives said joining forces with Microsoft would help deepen its cloud-based offerings and allow it to tap into Microsoft's existing global customer base.
The acquisition builds on a partnership the two companies formed in 2019 to automate clinical administrative work such as documentation.
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said the deal was "a strategic no brainer in our opinion for [Microsoft] and fits like a glove into its healthcare endeavours at a time in which hospitals and doctors are embracing next generation AI capabilities from thought leaders such as Nuance".
"Clearly, [Microsoft] is on the "offensive" around M&A with the company in a clear position of strength to capitalize on its entrenched position in the cloud going forward," he added, calling Nuance "another feather in its cap".
Microsoft is to pay $56 per share to bring the firm under its own roof. That price is about 23% higher than where Nuance shares were trading on Friday.
Shares in Microsoft were flat following the announcement, while Nuance gained more than 16%. The boards of both companies have approved the transaction.
Source-BBC
Conor McGregor tells Dustin Poirier trilogy fight is 'off'
Conor McGregor has told Dustin Poirier their trilogy fight scheduled for 10 July is "off" in an expletive-laden Twitter exchange.
The dialogue began when Poirier responded to McGregor's Instagram post, in which the Irishman predicted he would win the bout in the fourth round.
"The fight is off btw [by the way]. I'm going to fight someone else on the 10th," McGregor tweeted on Monday.
Poirier claimed victory when the pair met at UFC 257 in January.
The contest in Abu Dhabi was noted for its amicable build-up, during which McGregor was decidedly less confrontational than he had been before previous high-profile fights.
The former two-weight world champion has not won a UFC contest since January 2020 and came out of retirement to face Poirier again after winning the first meeting in September 2014.
The trilogy fight is due to take place at UFC 264, with the organisation's president Dana White reportedly keen to stage the event in Las Vegas.
Source-BBC
St. Vincent covered in ash as volcano activity continues
Much of St. Vincent remains covered in ash following eruptions Friday at the island's La Soufriere volcano.
The volcano has been inactive for nearly 42 years.
The ash plume reached as high as 6 miles into the air, with wind taking it as far as 25,000 feet east of St. Vincent, according to official estimates.
Volcano activity continued into the weekend, with Vincentians reporting that rumblings could be heard coming from La Soufriere at night.
On Sunday, the country's national disaster management agency, NEMO, described the day as "dreary" and said everything looked like a "battle zone."
The volcano set off tremors over the weekend, with some lasting as long as 20 minutes, according to the UWI Seismic Research Center.
Explosions and accompanying ashfall are likely to continue over the next few days, the research center said.
The government of Barbados is advising residents to use dust masks, wear long protective clothing that helps prevent direct contact with ash and avoid using air conditioning so that indoor air quality is not compromised.
Pfizer aims to expand vaccine efforts to include kids as young as 12
With a little over one in five Americans completely vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, efforts are underway to ensure every U.S. citizen is vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.
Pfizer, the maker behind one of three vaccines being distributed around the country, is asking federal regulators to authorize its vaccine to be used on children as young as 12. Pfizer says recent clinical trials find that children in that age group had no serious side effects to the virus; ruling it safe and effective.
The push comes as new data out of Michigan and Minnesota, two states struggling with a surge of COVID-19 cases, finds that youth sports are driving up numbers of newly infected patients.
Despite children having a less likely chance of developing more serious side effects of COVID-19, they are still capable of transmitting the virus to unvaccinated adults.
In light of the new findings, Michigan has called for a two-week suspension of high school and youth sports to help contain the surge. Michigan's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, also is pushing residents to stop indoor dining until the rate of cases can be controlled.
To date, the U.S. is reporting roughly 65,000 new cases each day, with Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, attributing the rise to the COVID-19 variant discovered in the United Kingdom, which is more transmissible.
"What is happening in Michigan and Minnesota is similar to what we are seeing across the country – increasing reports of cases associated with youth sports," she said Friday during a White House press briefing.
In light of this, vaccine makers are looking at expanding distribution to include young Americans, which is considered a critical step in curbing community spread.
Currently, Pfizer is the only vaccine maker authorized for 16 and 17-year-olds. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna are still undergoing clinical studies to see how younger teens react to their vaccine.
Pfizer claims its vaccine usage on kids as young as 12 is "100 percent efficacy and robust antibody response after vaccination with the COVID-19 Vaccine." The data now heads to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review.
To date, the pandemic has killed over 562,000 Americans, reports Johns Hopkins University -- currently, over 31 million Americans have contracted the virus.
Source-ABC
Bruno Mars hits number one with new musical project, Silk Sonic
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak have walked through the door to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with their debut single.
The two men, recording as Silk Sonic, have scored their first number-one hit with "Leave the Door Open," the first release from the duo project. The two gave the throwback soul song a memorable premiere at the Grammy Awards last month.
This is Anderson's first and Bruno's eighth Hot 100 number one. But the song has made the quickest trip to the top out of all of Bruno's previous hits, hitting the pinnacle in just five weeks. Previously, his record was eight weeks, with "Uptown Funk!"
Bruno previously reached the top with “That’s What I Like,” “Just The Way You Are,” “Grenade,” “Locked Out Of Heaven,” “When I Was Your Man,” “Nothin’ On You" with B.o.B, and “Uptown Funk!" with Mark Ronson.
Fun fact: As Billboard notes, "Leave the Door Open" is the first song in the history of the Hot 100 to have the word "door" in its title. The closest any other song previously came was number two: 1970's "Lookin' Out My Back Door" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Source-ABC
Legendary rapper and Ruff Ryder alum DMX dies at age 50
DMX has died at age 50 after suffering a heart attack. His family, who was by his side when he passed, confirmed the news in a statement.
The rapper, born Earl Simmons, had been hospitalized in White Plains, New York in "grave condition," his attorney Murray Richman confirmed to ABC New York affiliate WABC-TV on April 3. He was placed on life support and never recovered.
"Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end," the family said in a statement. "He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time."
The family asked for privacy at they "grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX," adding that information about his memorial service will be announced once details are finalized.
DMX had battled substance abuse and legal troubles over the years and spent multiple stints in rehab. He last completed a stay in rehab in 2019, after serving a 12-month sentence for tax evasion.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in Yonkers, New York, DMX spent the early years of his childhood in and out of juvenile detention centers and group homes. While he maintained a close relationship with his grandmother and other family members, music was his escape from the troubles of his thoughts and his environment.
The Ruff Ryders emcee launched his career in the ‘90s, releasing his debut album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, in 1998. It featured the hit song "Ruff Ryder's Anthem." As a Def Jam signee, he was a crucial member of the Ruff Ryders Dynasty, which spawned trailblazing artists such as Swizz Beatz, Eve, The Lox, and more.
A year later, in 1999, X released his best-selling album, ... And Then There Was X, featuring the hit single "Party Up (Up in Here)." The triple-platinum album received two Grammy nominations for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album. X's third Grammy nomination came for his 2001 single, "Who We Be."
Other notable singles include "Stop Being Greedy," "X Gon' Give It to Ya," "What's My Name," and "What They Really Want" featuring Sisqo.
X released seven albums over the course of his career, including Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, and four others that topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart. He's also worked with a number of artists including Aaliyah, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, LL Cool J, Method Man, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Faith Evans and more.
On the acting side, X appeared in numerous films, including Belly, Exit Wounds, Romeo Must Die, Cradle 2 the Grave, and Last Hour.
In July 2020, he faced off with Snoop Dogg in a Verzuz battle, breaking the all-time Apple Music live stream record with over 600,000 concurrent viewers.
A month later, he revealed he was working on a new studio album to follow up the release of 2015's Redemption Of The Beast under Seven Arts Entertainment.
During an episode of N.O.R.E's Drink Champs podcast last February, X stated the project would feature past and present generations of artists including Benny The Butcher, Conway the Machine, Usher, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, U2's Bono, as well as a posthumous track with the late Pop Smoke.
DMX is survived by his 15 children and his fiancée Desiree Lindstrom, the mother of his five-year-old son Exodus.
Prince Philip has died aged 99
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Buckingham Palace said: "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
"His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."
Boris Johnson said he "inspired the lives of countless young people".
Speaking at Downing Street, the prime minister added: "He helped to steer the Royal Family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life."
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was "saddened" by the death of the Duke.
She tweeted: "I send my personal and deepest condolences - and those of scotgov and the people of Scotland - to Her Majesty The Queen and her family."
The prince married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became Queen, and was the longest-serving royal consort in British history.
In March, the Duke of Edinburgh left hospital after a month-long stay for treatment.
He underwent a procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at another London hospital - St Bartholomew's.
Prince Philip and the Queen had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Their first son, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, followed by his sister, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in 1950, the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, in 1960 and the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, in 1964.
Prince Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu on 10 June 1921.
His father was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, a younger son of King George I of the Hellenes.
His mother, Princess Alice, was a daughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
Source-BBC
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence celebrate the 26th anniversary of Bad Boys
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence transformed into their Detective Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett characters to celebrate the 26th anniversary of their classic film, Bad Boys.
In a video shared on Instagram Wednesday, 52-year-old Will dons his signature sunglasses as 55-year-old Martin put on his police badge, mirroring the film's poster.
"When we say FOR LIFE we mean it. Bad Boys came out 26 years ago today! @martinlawrence," Smith wrote in the caption.
Sharing the video on his Instagram page, Martin Lawrence wrote, "...And we still riding strong. Bad Boys for life. #teammartymar."
The original Bad Boys action movie came out in 1995. Smith and Lawrence reprised their roles in 2003's Bad Boys II as Miami narcotics detectives on the hunt for a dangerous Cuban drug smuggler. Last year's box office smash, Bad Boys for Life, won Outstanding Motion Picture at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards in March. During their acceptance speech, Smith and Lawrence hinted they're developing a fourth and final installment in the franchise.
Source-ABC