Films to watch this summer
If you like giant robots, costumed crime-fighters or computer-generated simians, this summer's cinematic offerings are unlikely to disappoint.
Blockbusters, though, aren't for everybody. So what is out there if you don't want to watch Transformers: The Last Knight, Spider-Man: Homecoming or War for the Planet of the Apes?
Well, we have animated sequel Cars 3, animated threequel Despicable Me 3 and Christopher Nolan's war epic Dunkirk. But whichever way you slice it, they're really just blockbusters of a different cloth.
So what's left? More than you might think. Here are a few films you might want to check out if you're after something a little bit different.
Baby Driver (28 June)
Director Edgar Wright is known for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz - films that combined gross-out comedy with sly spins on familiar genre conventions.
His latest film is a relatively straight crime thriller about a baby-faced getaway driver whose skills behind the wheel ensure he's always in demand.
Equipped with a great cast, a cool soundtrack and plenty of tyre-squealing mayhem, it's a slick piece of Tarantino-esque car-nage with a little bit more substance that your average Fast and the Furious.
With the exception of Downton Abbey's Lily James, it is something of an all-male affair though.
All Eyez On Me (30 June)
The first in a number of upcoming films about Tupac Shakur is a straightforward chronicle of the rapper's short life and career.
Yet that hasn't stopped it irking some of his friends and associates, among them fellow rapper 50 Cent and actress Jada Pinkett Smith.
However, there has been praise for Demetrius Shipp Jr's performance as Shakur, the Harlem-born performer who was shot and killed in September 1996.
The film, by the way, shares its title with the last Tupac album to be released during his lifetime.
It Comes At Night (7 July)
A psychological thriller steeped in suspense and dread, this tale of two families sharing a cabin in the woods looks like it might be better released at Halloween.
Given the recent success of Get Out, though, it's perhaps not surprising It Comes At Night - another film to blend genre scares with social commentary - has been given a prominent summer berth.
Joel Edgerton stars as a father who has constructed a refuge from a deadly epidemic that is believed to have wiped out much of the human population.
Said refuge, alas, is not safe from fear and paranoia in a film that currently has an 87% rating on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
The Beguiled (14 July)
Sofia Coppola's latest, her first theatrical feature since 2013's The Bling Ring, is a starry affair that won her a best director prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Set in Virginia during the American Civil War, it tells of a girls' school that is thrown out of whack when it takes in a wounded Union soldier.
The soldier, played by Colin Farrell, upsets the equilibrium of this all-female enclave, drawing out tensions and resentments that had lain out of view.
Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning swell the cast of drama whose source material previously spawned a Clint Eastwood movie in 1971.
The Big Sick (28 July)
The winner of the year's least appealing title is actually a charming romantic comedy about a Muslim comedian from Pakistan who begins a relationship with a white American woman.
It's the ultimate culture clash, made even more complicated when Emily (Zoe Kazan) falls ill and her beau (Kumail Nanjiani) is called upon to offer comfort to her parents.
Inspired by Nanjiani's own romantic life, The Big Sick was a big hit at this year's Sundance Film Festival and was snapped up by Amazon for $12m (£9.5m).
Witty, heartfelt and unexpectedly sophisticated, it also comes with some highly amusing insights into Pakistan's fascination with cricket.
Source-BBC
Children call TV shots on Netflex
Netflix is launching two interactive children's TV shows that let audiences determine the on-screen action.
The animated programmes ask youngsters to choose between two options at several points in their plots.
The firm says the nature of its online streaming platform has allowed it to experiment with "branching narrative" tech in a way that would not be possible for traditional broadcasters.
But it acknowledges that such shows are more costly to make than normal.
"It was actually a little bit more than twice as much animation as a typical episode," explained Doug Langdale, executive producer of the Puss in Book series, which was made in conjunction with Dreamworks Studios.
"It was about 50 minutes [of footage] where it would normally be 22. Especially with computer animation, that's tremendously more expensive.
"It's not easy or cheap. But it's the next thing, and we've got to try it."
Netflix reported that it had about 100 million subscribers in April.
The programmes can be watched and controlled via smart TVs, games consoles and iOS devices - but cannot be downloaded and viewed offline.
Barclays charged with fraud in Qatar
Barclays and four former executives have been charged with fraud over their actions in the 2008 financial crisis.
The Serious Fraud Office case relates to the way the bank raised billions of pounds from Qatari investors enabling it to avoid a government bailout.
Former chief executive John Varley is one of the four ex-staff who will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 3 July.
Barclays says it is considering its position and awaiting further details.
"The charges arise in the context of Barclays' capital raisings in June and November 2008. Barclays awaits further details of the charges from the SFO," the bank said in a statement.
It is the first time criminal charges related to the financial crisis have been brought against a bank in the UK.
Mr Varley, former senior investment banker Roger Jenkins, Thomas Kalaris, a former chief executive of Barclays' wealth division, and Richard Boath, the ex-European head of financial institutions, have all been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud in the June 2008 capital raising.
In addition, Mr Varley and Mr Jenkins have also been charged with the same offence in relation to the October 2008 capital raising and with providing unlawful financial assistance.
Mr Jenkins will "vigorously defend" himself against the charges, his lawyer has told Reuters.
"As one might expect in the challenging circumstances of 2008, Mr Jenkins sought and received both internal and external legal advice on each and every topic covered by the SFO's accusations," said Brad Kaufman from American firm Greenberg Traurig.
Mr Boath, who last year took Barclays to an employment tribunal on the grounds of wrongful dismissal, also pledged to defend himself.
He said in a statement: "The SFO's decision to charge me is based on a false understanding of my role and the facts. I was not a decision-maker and had no control over what the bank did in 2008."
Source-BBC
Andy Murray stunned by Jordan Thompson in tennis
Defending champion Andy Murray was knocked out of the Aegon Championships in the first round by world number 90 Jordan Thompson on a day of shocks.
The world number one lost 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 to Thompson, a late replacement for the injured Aljaz Bedene.
It is the first time since 2012 that Britain's Murray has lost his opening match at Queen's Club.
Second seed Stan Wawrinka and third seed Milos Raonic also lost their first-round matches.
However, it was Murray's straight-set defeat that left the crowd packed into the new 10,000-capacity Centre Court stunned.
"It's a big blow, for sure," said Murray.
"It has happened in the past where guys haven't done well here and gone on to do well at Wimbledon.
"There is no guarantee that I won't do well at Wimbledon, but it certainly would have helped to have had more matches.
"He played better than me. I didn't create loads of chances. I didn't return particularly well. He served big. He served well."
Source-BBC
Explosion rocks Brussels train station
An explosion rocked the central train station in Brussels on Tuesday and a man was shot by security as scenes of terror returned to the European capital.
A suspect shouted out "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest) before causing the blast, a witness said. Belgium's national crisis centre said the suspect had been "neutralised" and the situation was under control.
The confrontation in Belgium comes a day after a man mowed down Muslims near a mosque in London, and a radical Islamist on a terror watch-list rammed a car laden with weapons into a police vehicle in Paris.
The incident happened just before 1900 GMT, causing Brussel's Gare Centrale to be evacuated. The nearby Grand Place, a major tourist destination, was also evacuated.
"There was man and a small explosion took place near him. Soldiers neutralised him with gunfire. No one (else) was injured," federal police spokesman Peter De Waele said by phone to AFP. Social media images showed an intense yet contained ball of fire in the station's underground arrival hall.
"I went down to the mezzanine level, someone was shouting. Then he cried 'Allahu Akbar', and he blew up a trolley," Nicolas Van Herrewegen, a railway sorting agent, told reporters.
"I was behind a wall when it exploded. I went down and alerted my colleagues to evacuate everyone. He (the suspect) was still around but after that we didn't see him."
Van Herrewegen added: "It wasn't exactly a big explosion but the impact was pretty big. People were running away."
He described the suspect as well-built and tanned with short hair, wearing a white shirt and jeans.
"I saw that he had something on him because I could see wires emerging, so it may have been a suicide vest," Van Herrewegen said.
About an hour after the events, the situation was "under control", the federal crisis centre said in a tweet.
Gare Centrale is largely underground, located in the heart of Brussels, a few blocks from the Grand Place and the Manneken Pis statue.
It appeared that the suspect was neutralised by soldiers who have been deployed at railway stations and government buildings in Brussels since the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks when a link to Belgium was first established.
Firefighters were called to the scene after the report of the small explosion, RTBF broadcaster reported.
Source-AFP
Tropical Storm Cindy threatens Gulf Coast; Bret in Caribbean
Tropical Storm Cindy formed Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico, hovering south of Louisiana as it churned tides and spun bands of heavy, potentially flooding rain onto the central and eastern Gulf Coast.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency because of the threat of torrential rains and other severe weather, including dangerous high tides and rip currents. Double red flags snapped in the wind on the public beach at Gulf Shores in her state, warning visitors to stay out of the pounding surf.
Workers on Grand Isle, a barrier island community south of New Orleans, worked to reinforce a rock levee protecting the island's vulnerable west side. Officials there decided against calling an evacuation but said in a statement that anyone who wanted to head for the mainland should do so as early as possible because water might eventually cover low-lying parts of the only route off the island.
The Louisiana National Guard dispatched high water vehicles and helicopters into flood-prone areas. The state said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was moving 125,000 meals and 200,000 litres of water into Louisiana.
Governor John Bel Edwards said the advance notice of the storm gave officials time to put emergency plans in place. Louisiana was slammed with major flooding last summer from an unnamed storm that heavily damaged the Baton Rouge and Lafayette regions.
The third tropical storm of 2017, Cindy was stationary Tuesday afternoon but to resume moving and reach the northern Gulf Coast late Wednesday and rumble inland Thursday over western Louisiana and eastern Texas. Forecasters warned 6 to 9 inches (15-22 cm) of rain and up to 12 inches (30 cm) in spots was the biggest threat in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle.
Already some flooding was reported on Alabama's Dauphin Island and flood control locks and gates were being closed along Louisiana's bayou-marbled coast. Authorities in various coastal Louisiana and Mississippi communities handed out sandbags for areas along rivers and bayous.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Cindy was, on Tuesday afternoon, about 280 miles (450 kilometres) south of Morgan City, Louisiana — or about 360 miles (575 kilometres) southeast of Galveston, Texas. It had top sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph).
A tropical storm warning was in effect from San Luis Pass, Texas, to the Pearl River's mouth along the Louisiana-Mississippi line.
At a news conference in New Orleans, Mayor Mitch Landrieu urged vigilance as bands of rain from the system swept over the city. Forecasts said the system could dump from a few inches to more than 12 inches (a few centimetres to more than 25 cm), depending on Cindy's development and path.
At worst, the storm could flood neighbourhoods outside the city's levee system and cause flash flooding even in protected areas.
"This is going to be a very serious event," Landrieu said.
In coastal Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish, Kim Chauvin said the shrimp processing businesses she and her husband run helped put out the word Monday that shrimpers should return to port and unload their catch before flood control structures closed.
"We call them, we text them, we Facebook them, we Twitter, them. Any way we can get to them," she said.
Earl Eues, an emergency official in Terrebonne, said the closing of locks and floodgates began Monday and would be completed Tuesday evening.
Parishes along the coast made sandbags — or sand and bags — available to people who wanted to protect homes and businesses.
At the Escatawpa Hollow Campground in Alabama, near the Mississippi State line, owner Larry Godfrey was prepared for flooding that would add to the woes of a rainy spring.
"We've had so much rain, we haven't done any business in about eight weeks because of the rain," said Godfrey, whose campground typically hosts swimmers and boaters. He said the Escatawpa River, at 15 feet (4.5 metres), would typically be lower than 3 feet (1 metre) at this time of year.
While the northern Gulf Coast braced for Cindy, the southern Caribbean region was dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bret, which unleashed heavy flooding, knocked out power and ripped off several roofs in some areas of Trinidad &Tobago. Bret had degenerated into a tropical wave by Tuesday afternoon.
All airports in Trinidad & Tobago reopened later Tuesday, though public schools and many businesses remain closed.
Source-AP
Ministry of Border Control and Employment Confirms Recent Intelligence on Sloop Activity
The Ministry of Border Control and Employment confirms that on Tuesday 13th June 2017, intelligence was received that nine sloops had departed Haiti and headed north in the direction of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Joint operations and collaboration with other regional border patrol and security agencies resulted in the course of the vessels being disrupted and up to the time of this release, no reports of sloops being in the vicinity of the Turks and Caicos were received.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government is grateful for the intervention of the US coastguard in successfully diverting what would have otherwise been an extremely challenging event for us here.
The Turks and Caicos Islands remains an active member of OPBAT, Operations Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, which is a combined Coast Guard, DEA and Government of the Bahamas partnership to combat illegal migration, drug and other contraband smuggling to and from the Bahamas and as a part of this organization, the TCI continues to enjoy the success of operations such as that which deterred the nine sloops earlier this week.
We continue to caution our own residents that harboring illegal migrants is a crime and such persons can now face a fine of $20,000 on summary conviction or to a term of imprisonment of four years, or to both. In addition, persons acquiring status other than by birth that are convicted of such an offense, face the possibility of having their status in the Islands revoked, thereby making them liable to deportation.
14 Youths learn basic swimming skills on World Ocean Day
14 Youths had the thrilling opportunity to learn basic swimming skills as part of the World Ocean Day observance.
World Oceans Day is a global day of ocean celebration and collaboration for a better future.
The oceans cover about two-thirds of the surface of the Earth and are the very foundations of life.
They generate most of the oxygen we breathe, absorb a large share of carbon dioxide emissions, provide food and nutrients and regulate climate.
They are important economically for countries like the Turks and Caicos Islands that rely on tourism, fishing and other marine resources for income and serve as the backbone of international trade.
Unfortunately, human pressures, including overexploitation, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, destructive fishing, as well as unsustainable aquaculture practices, marine pollution, habitat destruction, alien species, climate change and ocean acidification are taking a significant toll on the world's oceans and seas.
In this vein the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) coined a swimming and beach clean-up initiative to bring awareness to the day`s significance.
The training equipped students with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to enjoy swimming in both the pool and at sea.
The third annual 'Learn to Swim' initiative was hosted by the DECR, and assisted by the Turks & Caicos Swimming Federation and the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre on Thursday 8 June.
Director at the Youth Centre Roxann Wake-Forbes speaking on the initiative said: "To be a part of this year's World Ocean's Day is a real privilege.
"Members of the centre were able to take advantage of this great opportunity and had an amazing time whilst being educated on the importance of World Oceans Day.
"Huge thanks to Amy Avenant, DECR and TCI Swim Federation and all of the instructors for taking the time to do this program."
Meantime DECR`s Deputy Director, Ethan Griesbach commenting on the event said: "It was really exciting to celebrate World Oceans Day and to see the overwhelming support from the public and local businesses. We look forward to continuing these partnerships, in order to keep the Ocean and shoreline free of waste."
Meanwhile, In Grand Turk World Oceans Day was observed by giving back to the ocean through a beach and in-water clean-up.
Over 40 participants from the public and private organizations took to Governor's beach area to assist the DECR staff in the clean-up, during which 109 garbage bags were filled and disposed of.
The DECR provided garbage bags and gloves while participants took to the beach to ensure that no trash was left behind.
The DECR representatives expressed gratitude to the volunteers from the TCI Swimming Federation and the Department of Culture and all individuals that participated.
Lowering the cost of living is high on Government`s agenda- Premier
UNDER pressure from multiple sections of the society burdened by rising prices of essential commodities, the Government is holding steadfast to its promise of reviewing the high cost of living in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
For years the average man has bemoaned the exorbitant cost of living in the TCI, especially for food and other basic necessities, many have expressed that their cries have fallen on deaf ears.
However, Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson in a recent interview on Radio Turks and Caicos said her Government will deliver on its promise to the people; to conduct a comprehensive review of the cost of living and the cost of doing business.
She said: "What we have to do as a country is see how we can expand the economy, in order to grow the public service, we`d have to expand what we`re taking in because that is based on the amount of revenue.
"Also we have to look at how we address the cost of living generally, we know that has to do with fuel , we know that has to do with electricity and all the way down to goods ,but it is fueled by fuel and the cost of electricity ,it is fueled by the cost of Provo Stevedoring.
"We have to isolate these factors and tackle them one by one.
"So there many ways that we can look at it and all of these factors we have to take into account."
Coupled with the high cost of living, sections of the population have repeatedly called on the Government to implement effective price control mechanisms.
She said: "We did have consumer protection legislation passed in the House of Assembly under the former administration but there are no regulations in place, no standards and that has to be further developed now going forward.
"We supported its passage; we thought it was an important piece of legislation for Honorable Misick to have brought, we support it but we have to work out the regulations and make sure that there are standards because that is something we thought should have come along with the bill but it is going to come.
The Premier pointed out that consumers too have a role to play and are not powerless to incite change.
She explained: "Persons are calling for price control, I know in Barbados where they actually have a consumer protection agency that actually tells you what goods are and what drives a country is the consumers.
"If this is too expensive, you go to the next one and through your power help to drive down the cost.
"So it is not as simple as we would like to think but it is a comprehensive approach that has to be taken."
She also underscored the importance of having measures in place to ensure consumers experience the trickledown effect of lowered costs on commodities.
"What we have to do for example when we look at goods on the shelf we have to make sure that when these savings come that the merchants actually pass them on to the consumers, that is important.
Several local economists have reasoned that if the government were to implement lower import duties, the suppliers in turn could pass on cheaper prices to the consumers and still make a profit.
The PDM Government on its campaign trail pledged to tackle the economy and the taxation issues in an effort to alleviate the burden on consumers.
Biometrics legislation to come on stream soon
GOVERNMENT is working to introduce biometric surveillance legislation that will aid the Police in solving crimes throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands.
This was revealed by Premier Sharlene Cartwright –Robinson on Monday June 5 during a radio interview.
Biometrics are unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, that can be used for automated recognition.
According to the Premier the Biometric system will see the entire populace being entered into the database.
"We will have legislation in place for that, it would be absolutely nonsensical to just do part of the population, we must finger print everyone.
She explained: "When I first raised it under the consultative forum, they had persons talking about human rights issues, when we go to America and every time we have to place our fingers to print on whatever that machine is ,I mean they also look into the camera and all these things we don't complain.
"The fact is, if we`re not going to have persons who are going to be coming forward to help the police solve offences then we have to look at all crime fighting initiatives that will help and that is one of the things we have to do.
"It's necessary for Turks and Caicos and I'm going to guided by the Attorney General`s chambers, but at the end of the day we must have a database because unless you have committed an offence your records are not in the system for the police and that can`t help."
The People's Democratic Movement (PDM) party while in opposition introduced a motion in the House of Assembly in May 2014 that would allow the use of biometrics by law enforcement authorities as a crime fighting tool.
The motion was aimed at addressing the escalating crime rate in the country.
At that time shadow minister for Home Affairs Goldray Ewing stated that the opposition had asked the government about "fingerprinting laws and surveillance laws and they said that they had no appetite for that at the time.
"But after the police commissioner came out with crime statistics the party decided that we wouldn't leave it up to the government or to the police to determine what type of tools they need to fight crime."
As a result, the PDM has long maintained the position to introduce legislation that will allow the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police to determine whether or not they wish to utilize biometrics in the course of their investigations.
The law will also determine the legality of using the technology in the financial sector.
The national police force already utilizes forensic technologies such as DNA and fingerprint identification during the course of criminal investigations.
In information technology, biometrics refers to technologies that measure and analyse human body characteristics, such as DNA, fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, voice patterns, facial patterns and hand measurements for authentication purposes.
Authentication by biometric verification is becoming increasingly common in corporate and public security systems, consumer electronics and point of sale (POS) applications.
In addition to security, the driving force behind biometric verification has been convenience.