Donald Bohn Sr., auto dealer, dies at 93
Donald B. Bohn Sr., who spent four decades in the automobile dealership business his father founded, died Friday (March 17) at his Metairie home. He was 93.
A native New Orleanian, Mr. Bohn started out at Bohn Motor Co., which his father, George Bohn Sr., had founded in the 1920s on South Broad Street near Washington Avenue.
From there, he moved to Dick Bohn Ford in Gretna; he and his brother Dick were co-owners. His last stop was a dealership bearing his name, Don Bohn Ford, in Harvey, where he worked with his sons. They bought the dealership when he retired in 1988, Donald Bohn Jr. said.
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The next generation of Bohns moved beyond Fords, running dealerships that sold Toyotas, Audis, Hyundais, Buicks, Pontiacs and GMC trucks, he said.
They don't use the Bohn name on their dealerships, Donald Bohn Jr. said, because they sold that in 2000 to Group 1 Automotive of Houston.
Mr. Bohn, who graduated from Jesuit High School and attended Loyola University, served in the Coast Guard during World War II. He spent six months of that stint in the Pacific theater.
Survivors include his wife, Mary G. Bohn; three sons, Donald Bohn Jr. of Baton Rouge, and Scott and Van Bohn of Metairie; four daughters, Kathleen Baldwin of New Orleans, Priscilla Dalton of Metairie, Donna Marie Patten of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and Theresa Goodman of Santa Fe, New Mexico; four stepchildren; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
PUBLIC FORECAST MARCH 19TH 2017
GENERAL SITUATION: A PRE FRONTAL TROUGH IS MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AS A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE AREA THIS EVENING WHILE A DISSIPATING COLD FRONT LIES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BEACH GOERS AND MARINERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR ROUGH SURF CONDITIONS AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG NORTH COAST BEACHES.
FOR THE TCI
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: NONE.
WINDS: NORTHWEST TO NORTH AT 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 3 TO 5 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 79F 26C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 59F 15C
SUNRISE: 7:15 AM
SUNSET: 7:21 PM
MOONSET: 11:56 AM
MOONRISE: 01:34 AM MON.
HIGH TIDE: 01:22 PM LOW TIDE: 7:31 PM
HIGH TIDE: 01:57 AM MON. LOW TIDE: 8:25 AM. MON.
Uber president Jeff Jones steps down
Uber president Jeff Jones is leaving the company after less than six months.
A source at the taxi booking app told the BBC the resignation was "completely unexpected".
They said Mr Jones was frustrated the company was hiring a new chief operating officer and that he was not among the candidates.
But according to technology news site Recode, Mr Jones left because of Uber's continued struggle with issues around sexism and sexual harassment.
He told the magazine that the "beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber".
Uber said in a statement on Sunday: "We want to thank Jeff for his six months at the company and wish him all the best."
Privately, however, the company has been shocked by his sudden departure, with other executives left disappointed at what they saw as a lack of professional courtesy in informing them of his plans.
His resignation will take effect immediately.
Source-BBC
McDonald's India delivery app 'leaks user data'
McDonald's delivery app in India leaked personal information about 2.2 million users, a security firm has found.
A poorly configured server gave anyone access to the names, emails, home addresses and phone numbers of users, said Fallible.
Sending a simple request to the server produced lots of information about users, it said.
McDonald's India said it had fixed the app and urged users to install the updated version.
McDonald's delivery app in India leaked personal information about 2.2 million users, a security firm has found.
A poorly configured server gave anyone access to the names, emails, home addresses and phone numbers of users, said Fallible.
Sending a simple request to the server produced lots of information about users, it said.
McDonald's India said it had fixed the app and urged users to install the updated version.
The McDelivery app is operated by Westlife Development which oversees McDonald's restaurants in south and west India.
In a statement sent to the Times of India, McDonald's India said the app did not store any "sensitive financial data" such as credit card numbers, passwords or bank account details.
"The website and app have always been safe to use and we update security measures on a regular basis," it told the newspaper.
Fallible said it had checked after the app was updated and found that it was still leaking information, but gave no details about the extent of this leak.
It added that it had told McDonald's about the more recent problem it discovered and was awaiting a second response.
One app user is believed to have already started legal action over the leaky server, reports The Hindu.
Security firm Fallible said that the lack of strong data protection laws in India and the absence of any meaningful penalty for leaking data meant many companies did little to protect user data.
It claimed to have uncovered "more than 50" instances of data leaks at Indian firms.
"We are pleasantly surprised when we find Indian companies without a personal or payment data leak vulnerability," it said.
Source-BBC
Media Reports: US to ban electronics on flights from a dozen countries
Passengers travelling from about a dozen countries will be barred from carrying most electronic devices on US-bound flights, officials tell US media.
Airlines from certain countries in the Middle East and Africa will require passengers heading to the US to check laptops and tablets in the hold.
The directive is reportedly the result of a security threat and could be announced as soon as Tuesday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined to comment on the issue.
"We have no comment on potential security precautions, but will provide an update when appropriate," DHS said in a statement to the BBC.
It is unclear which airlines would fall under the ban.
But Royal Jordanian Airlines tweeted on Monday that it would ban passengers from carrying on most electronics to and from its North American flights, CNN first reported.
The tweet was later deleted.
The Jordan-based carrier said that starting on Tuesday, it will only allow phones and medical devices on its flights. All other electronics would be "strictly prohibited".
The airline said that laptops, tablets, DVD players and electronic games must be checked with baggage.
Source-BBC
Fifa bans Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey for life
Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey has been banned for life by Fifa for what it calls "match manipulation".
The ban results from a penalty he awarded to South Africa in a 2-1 win over Senegal in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in November.
He penalised Kalidou Koulibaly for handball, but replays showed the ball hit his knee.
Football's world governing body says it will give more details "once the decision becomes final and binding".
Lamptey can now appeal to Fifa and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
One of his assistants, David Laryea, also from Ghana, had charges against him dismissed by Fifa's disciplinary committee.
The win for South Africa left them in second place in the four-team group after two matches, with Senegal in third.
Lamptey, who also officiated at the Rio Olympics last year, declined BBC Sport's invitation to comment, saying he would do so later.
The Senegal Football Federation (FSF), who made a complaint to Fifa over Lamptey, is happy with the decision.
"Today there are many reasons to be happy about this decision - a decision that will be remembered as being significant but will also warn everybody that they are being watched," FSF vice-president Abdoulaye Sow told our affiliated partner BBC Sports.
"All cheating and stealing will be punished according to its gravity.
"Fifa has clearly struck a big blow and has promised in its decision to talk again about the match when the decision is final and binding."
Bill Gates tops Forbes' rich list
Microsoft founder Bill Gates again tops Forbes' list of the world's richest people, in a year when the number of billionaires rose 13% to 2,043.
According to the magazine's annual rich list, Mr Gates' fortune rose to $86bn, from $75bn, followed by investor Warren Buffett, up $14.8bn to $75.6bn.
It was bad news for US President Donald Trump, who slipped 220 spots to 544 and must now rub along on just $3.5bn.
Forbes said the $1bn fall in his wealth was due to the slow US property market.
There were 183 tech billionaires on the Forbes list, with a combined $1tn in wealth. The list is dominated by US billionaires.
Others in the top 10 included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who moved up to number three with the biggest gain of any person on the planet, a $27.6bn rise in his fortune of $72.8bn.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was number five and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison was number seven.
The global population of billionaires, now put at a record 2,043, marks the biggest annual increase in the 31 years since the magazine began compiling the list.
The number of US billionaires on the list was 565, which Forbes attributed to the recent stock market surge since Mr Trump's November 2016 election.
China was second with 319 billionaires, and Germany was third with 114.
Forbes' top ten:
Bill Gates (Microsoft co-founder): $86bn
Warren Buffett (US investor): $75.6bn
Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder): $72.8bn
Amancio Ortega (Inditex founder): $71.3bn
Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder): $56bn
Carlos Slim (Mexican magnate): $54.5bn
Larry Ellison (Oracle co-founder): $52.2bn
Charles Koch (US businessman): $48.3bn
David Koch (US businessman): $48.3bn
Michael Bloomberg (Bloomberg founder): $47.5bn
The number of women on the list rose to 227 from 202, giving them a collective net worth of $852.8bn. For the second year running France's Liliane Bettencourt, the L'Oreal cosmetics heiress, was the world's wealthiest woman with a $39.5bn net worth.
Ben Stiller Leads Online Somalia Aid Campaign
A group of celebrities led by Hollywood actor Ben Stiller has joined a social media campaign to send food and water to Somalia through Turkish Airlines.
Last weekend, the group raised more than $1 million online in less than 24 hours. Stiller said in a Twitter message posted Monday that the money has been used to purchase 60 tons of food that the airline will fly to Somalia next week.
Somali diaspora youth groups have been spearheading a similar movement online, following warnings from the U.N. that more than six million Somalis are at risk of severe malnourishment and starvation because of drought.
Celebrities got involved at the urging of French Snapchat star Jerome Jarre, who launched a movement called Love Army for Somalia last Wednesday.
After the group began raising donations online, they convinced Turkish Airlines to help deliver one immediate aid shipment to Somalia's most vulnerable people, prompting the airline to create a Twitter hashtag, #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia.
Celebrities who have made donations include American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick, NBA player Wilson Chandler, YouTube star Casey Niestat and Scottish record producer Calvin Harris.
"And Jerome wants to keep this thing going, because he believes we can raise a lot more money and do a lot more good and really make a dent in what's going on over there," Stiller said Monday.
Total donations had risen to more than $1.8 million as of Monday, according to the "Love Army for Somalia" site on GoFundMe, a social fundraising platform.
"For the first flight, we will buy the food in Istanbul, as a thank you to our Turkish friends that support the movement!" said a message on the page. "Later on, we are hoping to learn how to buy food directly from local businesses in Somalia. We want to support the Somalian economy."
Turkish Airlines was the first carrier outside East Africa to establish regular service to the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Turkey has become one of the most prominent donors in Somalia, eclipsing many traditional donors both in quantity and quality of its assistance.
Likewise, Ankara has become a major trading partner with Somalia, particularly in the construction, transportation and service sectors, according to a report by Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, a Mogadishu-based research group.
Source-VOA
Children Suffer Under Threat of Deportation
The four children of undocumented farm worker Lucia de la Cruz dive into the bushes on their way home from school when they see anybody who might be an immigration agent.
"They live in fear," De la Cruz said, afraid they will be deported on the way to or from school in Homestead, Florida. Her children no longer want to attend classes.
"It's like a ghost that can separate us. I'm the only one left because their father was already deported," De la Cruz said.
She wants her children to grow up in the U.S., and not in her homeland of Guatemala where she fears the armed gangs that are there.
But "imagine if I am deported; it is just like a death sentence. There is not much justice there," De la Cruz said.
Reports of recent crackdowns on illegal immigration have sparked alarm among advocates, citizens and immigrants in the United States, who worry about the effects on the children of undocumented parents.
Witnessing a loved one being arrested and deported may have significant effects on the mental health of children, says Lawrence Palinkas, a professor of social policy and health at the University of Southern California.
"The most common impact is anxiety and depression. Anxiety over the lack of stability and security in the family unit," Palinkas said. "Certainly, children tend to observe very closely the behavior of parents."
The long-term impacts can vary, he added, from experiencing elevated levels of anxiety and fear to being more likely to report depressive symptoms during adulthood.
Source-VOA
Uruguay Pulling Troops out of UN Mission in Haiti
Uruguay will soon pull its soldiers out of a United Nations stabilization mission in Haiti that began operations in 2004 and is facing sharp cutbacks, the leader of the South American country announced Monday.
President Tabare Vazquez said at a public event that his country's troop contributions to the Haiti mission will end this month and the roughly 250 Uruguayan peacekeepers will return home in early April. The country had as many as 1,000 forces deployed in Haiti at the height of the mission.
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq in New York expressed appreciation for Uruguay's contribution and said, "If their rotation is going to be ending now and they'll be moving out, what we're going to try to do is make sure that they can be quickly replaced so that there's no security void in the country."
The announcement by the Uruguayan leader comes days after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the world body's Security Council that he believed that "the military component should undergo a staggered but complete withdrawal of the 2,370 personnel" in Haiti. The soldiers come from 19 countries.
In a March 16 report, Guterres called for the military component of the Haiti mission to be wrapped up six months after its current mandate expires in April.
He also wrote that the number of U.N. police officers should be cut from 1,001 to 295 to continue efforts to strengthen the Haitian National Police and ensure "a progressive testing" of their capacity to assume full security responsibilities.
The U.N. Security Council is due to debate Guterres' recommendations and vote on the future of Haiti operations in mid-April.
The U.S. administration of President Donald Trump has pushed for cutbacks in an operation that costs $346 million a year. Washington, the Haiti mission's main check-writer, is reviewing all 16 U.N. peacekeeping missions.
Col. Luis Antonio Ferreira Marques Ramos, deputy commander of the Brazilian peacekeeper contingent in Haiti, recently told The Associated Press that "the important thing is to leave in a good way."
The U.N.'s first-ever "stabilization" mission came to Haiti in 2004 following a rebellion that ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and had the chronically troubled country on the brink of collapse.
Source-VOA