Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch up for sale
Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch has gone up for sale with a price tag of $100m (£65m), reports the Wall Street Journal.
The Santa Barbara development was once home to a zoo, an amusement park and its own fire station.
Much of this has gone but there is still a floral clock and a railway.
Jackson bought the house in 1987 for $19.5m but struggled to pay for it, until an investment company stepped in to help him save it from auction.
The property is now called Sycamore Valley Ranch and has undergone extensive redevelopment since Jackson's death in 2009.
The 2,800 acre (1,100 hectare) site, at 5225 Figueroa Mountain Road, is now being sold jointly by Sotheby's and Hilton & Hyland.
The estate agents have warned off fans hoping to get a glimpse inside the piece of Jackson history, telling the Wall Street Journal anyone wanting to view the property would be subject to "extensive prequalification".
"We're not going to be giving tours," said Suzanne Perkins of Sotheby's International Realty.
Jackson bought Neverland in 1987 intending to create a fantasy land for children, and moved in the following year.
It was named after an island in the story Peter Pan, where children never grow up.
After he bought it, Jackson built a zoo and fairground but it was closed to the public in 2006 after he failed to pay his staff or maintain proper insurance.
Source-BBC
US economy shrank in first quarter
The US economy shrank 0.7% in the first three months of 2015, compared to the same period last year.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis significantly revised down its earlier economic growth estimate of 0.2%.
The previous calculation underestimated the rise in the volume of imported goods and overestimated capital investment by companies, it said.
The US economy last contracted in the first quarter of 2014, when it shrank by 2.1%.
As was the case last year, a harsh winter may have been partly to blame for falling goods and services production in the US.
Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of economic activity, slowed to 1.8% growth in the first quarter, slightly below the 1.9% growth initially estimated.
The Bureau also highlighted the impact of weak exports and government spending.
The strong US dollar has pushed up imports and lowered exports. At current dollar prices, GDP slipped further from 0.1% growth to a 0.9% contraction.
The revision in GDP prompted investors to shift to traditionally safer assets, such as bonds. This is why yields on US Treasuries have fallen as their price has risen.
GDP figures are closely watched by investors, as the Federal Reserve makes decisions based on the health of the economy.
"From a policy perspective, the first quarter lull is already history; it's the extent of the rebound that will be critical in determining the timing of the Fed's first move on interest rates," says Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit.
"Survey evidence is already pointing to a second quarter pick-up," he added.
Greek bank deposits fall to decade low
Greek bank deposits have fallen to their lowest level in more than 10 years, as concerns persist over the country's debt burden and possible exit from the euro.
Deposits stood at €139.4bn (£100bn) in April, a 3.9% decline on the previous month, according to the European Central Bank.
The data include all deposits by households and companies in Greece.
Its banks have struggled to hold on to deposits during the debt negotiations.
Greece's falling reserves have prompted calls for capital controls from some experts and an opposition MP.
However, government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis on Monday rejected the idea.
The Greek government, European Union (EU) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been locked in negotiations for four months over economic reforms the IMF and EU say must be implemented before the latest €7.2bn tranche of the country's bailout fund is released.
Greece has to make a payment of €1.5bn (£1.09bn) to the IMF on 5 June.
Mr Sakellaridis said that Greece would maintain repayments to its EU-IMF creditors for as long as possible.
Nevertheless, if Greece fails to come to a deal with its eurozone partners there is a real chance it could default on its loans.
That could push the Greek government towards leaving the single currency, otherwise known as "Grexit".
In an interview with a German newspaper on Thursday, IMF chief Christine Lagarde is quoted as saying that "a Greek exit is a possibility".
Source-BBC
Finance Minister's Statement and its context by Devon Williams
In the spirit of political maturity, I will try a critique of the government of the day and before and see what happens.
The statements made by Former Chief Minister Washington Misick in Parliament is one that is in my view, xenophobic and hypocritical and must be taken in the context that it is in. A xenophobe is person who is fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or of people from different countries or cultures.
This fear has no place in a modern society and should not be motivated or promoted by modern day political figures. The parliamentary statement is even hypocritical because it does not in any way reflect the views of the party on whose platform the same minister was elected. The Progressive National Party, PNP is known for being one of the most progressive and culturally tolerant political parties in the history of the TCI and for a PNP minister to be on a national stage spewing this level of xenophobia is in my view extremely hypocritical.
The TCI Constitution protects the rights of persons to freely associate. In other words you can gather with anyone you want to gather with and celebrate whatever you want to celebrate as long as you do so within the confines of the laws. Now before I go too deeply into this, allow me to also add that the idea of the Minister implying that other nationals should be subjected to celebrating TCI culture is also primitive and actually crazy.
Very few people in the TCI celebrate what is known and sold as TCI culture. This is because culture is at best a bit of history reenactments that date back only about 40 to 50 years. The mean problem with TCI Culture as it has been presented by the Goverment in modern years, is that it plastic and appears to be fabricated. Truth is the TCI as a nation lacks the basics for the formation of the level of self-pride that is needed to build a true and lasting cultural heritage.
The TCI is one of few countries in the region that has never had to unite and overcome any obstacles as a nation. Many will lash back and quip, JAGs McCartney and the Junkanoo Club incident, the Blackpower Movement. The Blackpower Movement of the 1970’s was a remains on record as the most “half-hearted” struggle against British rule ever in the history of men. Allow me to explain why self pride could not be built on it. Basically the British record reads like this - JAGS and his friends resented the idea of the governor recruiting foreign police offices, they booed the officers and made some “rookery” the police responded by firing some shots in the air, JAGs and his boys barricaded themselves in a rum bar, and made demands, and held hostages. Happy hostages I might add, because in actuality, those hostages may not have even known they were hostages, the story is that they were given unlimited liquor during the whole ordeal and the only tough choice they faced was choosing between rum and monkey bag.
Now for the life of me, do you expect a christian society to build their self-pride on a movement fueled by rum? The only demand of the Junkanoo Club incident was that a commission be setup to investigate the Junkanoo Club incident. The whole struggle lasted a single night, and no animals were armed during the operation.
Now as we get back the the statement, everyone who knows Hon. Washington Misick knows that his in not very xenophobic, in fact I don’t think he is in the least bit xenophobic. This man has a multitude of friend from Europe and Asia and North American and primarily spends his leisure times with them. The real problem is that this government of the day so busy on the unimportance that the important issues are going unnoticed.
Since the minister is finding so much time in Parliament to bash other nations for celebrating the fruits of their struggle, I would seize this opportunity to present a few struggles that are dear to the hearts of TCIslanders that should be on his tongue in parliament: 37.5% Import duties on goods, 72.5% import duties on cars, CPF, Payroll Tax, Property Tax, $500 fee to register a Belonger child, the invisibility of elected officials, government officials frequent flyer policy, bad roads, horrible internet and on and on and on.
The bottom line is that the TCI has been built on help and assistance from other nations and if the TCI does not represent anything else it represents an opportunity for advancement and an fertile ground for ideas to take root and grow into something good. The jealousy of the crowds that other nations attract and the unity they display cannot pale the fact that this is where many people have decided to call home. The difference is that the celebrations are based on love, love for country, love for unity and love for a proud identity. No nation, pride, love nor culture can ever be built on hate.
American Express president dies on flight
American Express said its president, Ed Gilligan, died after becoming ill on a flight to New York.
Mr Gilligan started his career at the company as an intern 35 years ago and became vice chairman in 2007 and president in 2013, it said in a statement.
The company did not describe the nature of his illness.
American Express chief executive Ken Chenault said Mr Gilligan's death was "devastating news" in a statement.
The company said he is survived by his wife Lisa, and their four children.
TCI Observes World No Tobacco Day May 31, 2015
The Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence in the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services joins the World Health Organization (WHO) and participating countries around the world in celebrating World No Tobacco Day, Sunday, May 31, 2015.
Every year since 1987, this day, May 31st. is set aside for this observance, the primary focus of which is to bring awareness to the fact that the use of tobacco and tobacco products has resulted in a world-wide health epidemic that is impacting most, if not all modern day societies.
The latest Report from WHO reveals the startling statistics that approximately 6 million preventable deaths occur around the world annually from smoking and the use of tobacco products and from exposure to second-hand smoke of tobacco products. The majority of these preventable deaths are caused by cancer of the lungs, throat and mouth, emphysema and other respiratory, diseases all attributable to the smoking and other uses of tobacco products.
Being cognizant of this, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services has initiated a number of bold initiatives to ensure that the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands are properly protected from tobacco smoke, including the drafting of a national policy to affect 100% smoke-free environments in all public places throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands, and a comprehensive tobacco draft legislation that will provide for stringent guidelines for the sale, promotion, advertising and sponsorship of tobacco and tobacco products.
On World No Tobacco Day this year, Sunday, May 31, 2015, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence will launch a three month public awareness campaign to educate the public about the dangers of second hand smoking. Also on this day, the Department along with the Ministry of Health, is asking the public to join with us in observing a SMOKE-FREE DAY. Everyone is being urged to abstain from all forms of smoking and other uses of tobacco products and breathe the wonderful fresh air of our beautiful by nature Turks & Caicos Islands.
Further, we are challenging wholesale and retail distributors of tobacco products to abstain from selling any tobacco products on Sunday, May 31st, World No Tobacco Day.
For those persons who are desirous of overcoming their smoking habit, feel free to contact any of the offices of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence. In Grand Turk, the location is the Old Clinic, telephone number 338-3613, in Providenciales the location is Sam’s Building Downtown, telephone 338-4737, in South Caicos, the Old Disabled Center building, telephone 338-3601.
Remember this, if you can quit for a day, you can quit for life.
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS GOVERNMENT FISHERIES REGULATIONS POSTPONED FOR CONSULTATION
The Turks and Caicos Islands Fisheries (Protection) Regulations 2015 has been postponed to September 1, 2015.
The Regulations, previously scheduled to come into operation on June 1, 2015 has been delayed in order to facilitate further focus group consultation on a number of provisions within the new regulation.
Premier, Dr. the Hon. Rufus Ewing stated; “As a Government, we understand the importance of the regulations governing our waters and its protection, and we also understand and take seriously our role in hearing the voice of the people.
It is expected that this extended period of consultation will result in amendments to some provisions of the new Fisheries Regulations and will address many of the concerns submitted by members of the public.”
RTC news will have more on this developing story.
US Takes Cuba Off Terrorism List
The United States on Friday dropped Cuba from a blacklist designating the communist country as a state sponsor of terrorism in another step toward the resumption of diplomatic links between the two nations after a five-decade standoff.
Shortly after meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro in April, U.S. President Barack Obama announced his intention to remove Cuba from the list as the two countries head toward opening diplomatic missions in Washington and Havana.
The U.S. Congress had a 45-day window to object, but did not.
Still, the White House said there is no timetable for establishing the embassies in the two countries. White House spokesman Josh Earnest "there continue to be issues that need to be worked out."
Cuba is balking at U.S. demands for democracy programs and that American diplomats be allowed to travel throughout the country and meet freely with dissidents.
With that review period ending Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry formally removed Cuba from the list.
The U.S. said it still has "significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba's policies and actions."
The State Department, however, said the U.S. island neighbor had not supported international terrorism in the last six months and had assured the United States that it wouldn't do so in the future – the criteria for removing Cuba from the list.
Its removal could give Cuba more access to global financial markets and loans from organizations such as the World Bank.
U.S. and Cuban diplomats have been holding discussions about improving trade, educational and travel ties between the two countries.
The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations after Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, but late last year, the two countries announced a thaw in their icy relations.
One likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, attacked Friday's concession to Cuba.
"Today's news is further evidence that President Obama seems more interested in capitulating to our adversaries than in confronting them," Bush said. "Iran's leaders are surely taking note."
The leader of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner, said Obama "has handed the Castro regime a significant political win in return for nothing."
Three countries remain on the State Department list as state sponsors of terrorism: Iran, Sudan and Syria.
FIFA Re-elects Blatter Amid Corruption Scandal
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has been re-elected to another four year term, days after football's governing body was shaken by widespread corruption allegations.
Blatter was seven votes short of the required 140 majority in the first round of voting, but his opponent, Prince Ali bin al Hussein of Jordan, withdrew before a second round could take place.
Addressing the 65th FIFA annual congress in Zurich, Switzerland, Blatter thanked his challenger and praised him for his integrity and commitment to reform FIFA. Blatter promised to elevate FIFA from its current critical state of affairs.
Addressing the congress earlier, Blatter said he will "shoulder responsibility for the current storm" of corruption allegations. "FIFA needs to recover its good name starting tomorrow," he said.
The U.S. Soccer [football] Association expressed disappointment in the result of the election, but congratulated Blatter.
“We will continue to push for meaningful change within FIFA,” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. "It is our hope he [Blatter] will make reform his number one property to ensure the integrity of the sport across the world.”
Gulati added that the goal for the governance of FIFA is to "be responsible, accountable, transparent and focused solely on the best interests of the game.”
The FIFA leadership vote came after a U.S. indictment this week led to the arrest of seven top football officials in Zurich.
Blatter said this week's events have "unleashed a storm," but he said he is "appealing for unity and the team spirit" so FIFA can move forward.
Unlike one day earlier when he said that he could not control everyone’s actions, Blatter said that he was “willing to accept that the FIFA president is accountable for everything.”
Blatter also said Friday "I don't think we would have these problems today" if Russia and Qatar were not awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. The U.S. was one of the losing bidders for the 2022 tournament.
A U.S. indictment issued this week charges 14 people with offenses that include racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering. A separate Swiss investigation is looking into allegations of mismanagement and money laundering connected to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Qatar on Friday insisted its World Cup bid was conducted with "integrity."
In Berlin after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron said that Blatter must resign, adding that it was “unthinkable” that he was the right person to head the world football federation after this week's corruption charges. “Frankly, what we have seen is the ugly side of the beautiful game,” he said.
Germany's Justice Minister Heiko Maas told the German daily Bild in an interview Friday FIFA's decision to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar can't stand if it turns out that votes were bought.
The U.S. investigation stretches back to 1991 with allegations that include sports media executives paying or agreeing to pay $150 million in bribes in exchange for marketing rights to tournaments, as well as corruption related to the 2011 FIFA presidential election and the sponsorship of Brazil's soccer federation by a U.S. sportswear company.
Lenovo phone features virtual keyboard
Chinese electronics giant Lenovo has unveiled a phone with a built-in laser projector that can be used to display a virtual keyboard or display.
The interactive display can replicate the phone's touch screen, a full-size computer keyboard or even piano keys.
The laser projector can also be used to beam images and videos onto walls.
The Smart Cast phone was unveiled at the company's Tech World conference in Beijing, where the firm also unveiled a new type of smartwatch.
The laser projector measures just 34mm by 26mm by 5mm and, said Lenovo, does not need focussing to project sharp images onto walls or other flat surfaces.
A video showing the Smart Cast in action shows how twisting the mounting for the device's lens turns it from a standard wall projector into "surface mode" that beams the display on to a table top.
A kickstand mounted on the back of the phone keeps the device upright while the virtual keyboard is in use.
At Tech World, Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang used the virtual keyboard to play a version of The Entertainer.
Mike Lowe, reviews editor at gadget site Pocket-lint, who has tried out the phone said there was far less delay using the virtual keyboard with the Smart Cast than was apparent on other devices with similar input systems.
"The history of the projector phone is hardly rosy," he said. "Samsung launched the Galaxy Beam in 2012 and that bombed. It's not been a booming industry for any other manufacturer since."
Mr Lowe said his experience with the phone did not convince him that the Smart Cast would break that cycle.
"It's fun, but ultimately a gimmick," he said. "It's hard to be accurate with the increased scale of the keys for starters, plus the demo was in a dimly-lit room."
In a separate demonstration, he added, Lenovo showed ways to use the interactive projected display to play games.
"It's fun, it's headline-grabbing, but it's also impractical, not coming to the UK and well, just isn't a product anyone is likely to genuinely need," he said.
Tech World also saw Lenovo show off a smart watch, called Magic View, that has two screens.
The device has a standard "public" screen viewable by anyone and a second "private" projected screen only visible when the watch is held close to the face and at a specific angle.
Source-BBC