EDUCATION MINISTER SENDS CONDOLENCE TO FAMILY OF SHAMIKO PENN
The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports & Library Service is saddened by the death of Shamiko Penn, a final year student of the Clement Howell High School which occurred on Monday, 2nd February 2015.
The Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services, Hon. Akierra Missick received the news on Monday during the third meeting of Cabinet and gave pause to offer her personal intersession for him. Hon. Missick commented, “Shamiko’s death is unfortunate and my thoughts and prayers are with Shamiko’s family, and the staff and students of the Clement Howell High School.”
The Ministry, through the Guidance Department of the School and in collaboration with the school’s Chaplain, the Department for Social Development and the Mental Health Department, has arranged for Pastors and Counsellors to be at the school to provide grief counselling for teachers and students today. This service will also be available during the week for anyone who may require it.
This is an emotionally difficult time for the staff and students of the school as they try to make sense of Shamiko’s death. Your thoughts and prayers will help them to get through this time of grief and sadness.
Toyota, Honda, Fiat Chrysler must do 'follow up' recalls of 2.12 million vehicles
American Honda, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. and Fiat Chrysler will do "follow up" recalls of about 2.12 million vehicles with defective electronic control units that can cause airbags to inadvertently deploy, U.S. auto safety regulators said Saturday.
The recall affects about 1 million vehicles from Toyota, 374,177 from American Honda and 753,176 from Fiat Chrysler.
The affected vehicles are:
• 2002-03 Jeep Liberty and 2002-04 Jeep Grand Cherokees
• 2003-04 Honda Odyssey and 2003 Acura MDX (about 370,000 vehicles)
• 2003-04 Pontiac Vibe (made by Toyota); Dodge Viper; and Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix and Toyota Avalon.
The vehicles were recalled for the issue from 2012 to 2014, but automakers have found some cases of inadvertent deployment in vehicles that were fixed and the initial remedy was not fully effective, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
Inadvertent deployments
NHTSA says about 400 inadvertent airbag deployments, but no deaths, have occurred in the affected vehicles. That includes 39 deployments that were fixed under the initial recall, which involved installing filters or wire harnesses to protect a key circuit from electrical damage, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a conference call.
The new remedy involves replacing the entire electronic control module, including the circuit involved in the inadvertent deployments, which is supplied by TRW. Rosekind said the agency is seeking additional information about the defect from TRW.
"TRW is supporting its customers in these recalls fully, and will cooperate with NHTSA and provide information to the Agency if requested," TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. said in a statement released late Saturday. The safety products supplier is in the process of being acquired by Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen AG in a deal valued at $13.5 billion. It is expected to close this spring.
Rosekind said the replacement modules won’t be fully available until the end of 2015, but the agency wants consumers who have not yet repaired their vehicles under the initial remedy to do so, and then return to their dealer a second time for the replacement module when they are available.
'Very complicated'
“This is going to be complicated for consumers because all of these vehicles were previously recalled to fix the inadvertent deployment problem. That fix does significantly decrease the chance of an inadvertent deployment but the remedy from those previous recalls is not fully effective,” Rosekind said.
“We’re urging vehicle owners who have not yet gone into their dealer to do so for the remedy, even if this means that they’re going to have to make another trip later for a more effective fix.”
The agency issued a safety advisory urging consumers to take their vehicles to dealerships for repairs. The advisory included FAQs for owners of the recalled vehicles.
Takata issues
Airbags have been directly or indirectly related to several million U.S. recalls in the past year. General Motors for much of 2014 dealt with a faulty ignition switch in small cars that would result in airbags failing to deploy in accidents.
And more than 24 million vehicles equipped with Takata airbags have been recalled globally since 2008, according to Reuters estimates. At least six deaths have been linked to faulty airbag inflators made by Takata.
NHTSA said that of the vehicles affected by today's recall, about 1 million are also covered by recalls for Takata airbags that could explode upon deployment, NHTSA said.
Rosekind said nine of the inadvertent airbag deployments also involved a ruptured Takata airbag inflator, and three of those instances resulted in injury, including one eye injury.
“This makes it especially important for consumers to take action to prevent the inadvertent deployments that could cause serious injuries,” Rosekind said.
In a statement, Honda confirmed 374,000 of its vehicles are included in the U.S. recall: "Honda has received a small number of complaints of inadvertent airbag deployment in these vehicles after the original recall repair was completed. No crashes have been reported to Honda related to this issue."
Chrysler, in its statement, said its recall would also include nearly 50,000 vehicles in Canada, about 22,000 in Mexico and more than 103,633 outside of North America.
None of Chrysler’s recalled vehicle were equipped with Takata airbags, the automaker said.
Chrysler response
Chrysler issued a recall for the problem in 2012, and “a small number of vehicles affected by the initial campaign (approximately 0.003 percent of the total) were subject to post-repair inadvertent air-bag deployments,” Fiat Chrysler said in its statement.
“Some vehicle occupants suffered minor injuries from contact with the air bags; FCA US is aware of a single related accident.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, in a statement, said: "We expect the manufacturers to get this remedy right to prevent injury to drivers and their families."
Sources-Reuters and Bloomberg contributed to this report.
Mercedes, Red Bull & Williams unveil cars at testing
The first day of pre-season testing for the new Formula 1 season has started at Spain's Jerez track with three leading teams unveiling their cars.
World champions Mercedes, runners-up Red Bull and third-placed Williams showed off their new designs in the pit lane before beginning preparation work.
Eight teams are in Jerez discovering whether the months of design work on revising their machines has paid off.
Force India have missed the test because their 2015 car is late.
The big secret was the Red Bull, as Mercedes and Williams had already released pictures or images of their challengers.
It was launched in a temporary camouflage livery, similar to those used by road-car manufacturers when they are testing new models.
What could be seen, however, was that the car features a nose design that combines elements of last year's Ferrari with the "bump" on the tip featured on the new Williams.
"There are some changes that affect the shape of the front of the car but beyond that most of the changes are under the skin," Red Bull chief engineering officer Rob Marshall said.
"There won't be a lot that's visible to the naked eye but a lot of hard work has gone into the bits that are hidden."
The Mercedes, like the other cars, is an evolution of last year's dominant machine, but it features notable differences, including a narrower and longer nose and narrower rear bodywork.
"The key factor from our perspective is avoiding complacency. Expectations are now high and a lot of assumptions are being made about our potential this season," Mercedes executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe said.
"Internally, however, we are fully aware that you can never afford to stand still in any sport - particularly F1.
"We have been pushing harder than ever to find areas for performance gains. But at the same time, we must ensure we are moving in the correct direction.
"Some changes will be more visually obvious, of course, but the devil is in the detail. Beneath the covers there have been a raft of developments on both chassis and power-unit - all aimed at creating a car that is safer, more efficient, more reliable and ultimately faster."
Sir Frank Williams said his team's target, after leaping from ninth to third last season, was "to continue their move back towards the front of the grid".
The new FW37 bears a strong resemblance to its predecessor, but has an unusual nose design to meet the new rules aimed at increasing safety, with a bump protruding from a square section at the front.
Elsewhere, Sebastian Vettel was the first man out of the pit lane as he began work for his new team, Ferrari.
And McLaren had a delayed start as they begin their much-anticipated era with new engine partner Honda. Fernando Alonso will drive on Sunday before alternating with Jenson Button for the rest of the test.
Button wrote on his Twitter account: "Don't expect too much from us this test as it'll be mostly systems checks", adding that McLaren-Honda faced a "long road" but had "massive potential".
Source-Formula 1
Contributor: Andrew Benson
Office puts chips under staff's skin
Want to gain entry to your office, get on a bus, or perhaps buy a sandwich? We're all getting used to swiping a card to do all these things. But at Epicenter, a new hi-tech office block in Sweden, they are trying a different approach - a chip under the skin.
Felicio de Costa, whose company is one of the tenants, arrives at the front door and holds his hand against it to gain entry. Inside he does the same thing to get into the office space he rents, and he can also wave his hand to operate the photocopier.
That's all because he has a tiny RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip, about the size of a grain of rice, implanted in his hand. Soon, others among the 700 people expected to occupy the complex will also be offered the chance to be chipped. Along with access to doors and photocopiers, they're promised further services in the longer run, including the ability to pay in the cafe with a touch of a hand.
On the day of the building's official opening, the developer's chief executive was, himself, chipped live on stage. And I decided that if was to get to grips with this technology, I had to bite the bullet - and get chipped too.
The whole process is being organised by a Swedish bio-hacking group which was profiled by my colleague Jane Wakefield recently. One of its members, a rather fearsome looking tattooist, inserted my chip.
First, he massaged the skin between my thumb and index finger and rubbed in some disinfectant. The he told me to take a deep breath while he inserted the chip. There was a moment of pain - not much worse than any injection - and then he stuck a plaster over my hand.
Before trying my chip out, I wanted to know more about the thinking behind it. Hannes Sjoblad, whose electronic business card is on his own chip and can be accessed with a swipe of a smartphone, has the title chief disruption officer at the development. I asked him whether people really wanted to get this intimate with technology.
"We already interact with technology all the time," he told me. "Today it's a bit messy - we need pin codes and passwords. Wouldn't it be easy to just touch with your hand? That's really intuitive."
When I tested my chip, I found that it was not all that intuitive - I had to twist my hand into an unnatural position to make the photocopier work. And while some of the people around the building were looking forward to being chipped, others were distinctly dubious. "Absolutely not," said one young man when I asked him if he'd sign up. An older woman was more positive about the potential of the technology but saw little point in being chipped just to get through a door.
But Hannes Sjoblad says he and the Swedish Biohacking Group have another objective - preparing us all for the day when others want to chip us. "We want to be able to understand this technology before big corporates and big government come to us and say everyone should get chipped - the tax authority chip, the Google or Facebook chip." Then, he says, we'll all be able to question the way the technology is implemented from a position of much greater knowledge.
I've returned to Britain with a slightly sore hand - and a chip still under my skin which has my contact details on it. Not that useful, but no doubt more sophisticated chips will soon replace wearable technology like fitness bands or payment devices, and we will get used to being augmented. All sorts of things are possible - whether it becomes culturally acceptable to insert technology beneath our skin is another matter.
BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones, Technology correspondent
Google agrees privacy policy changes with data watchdog
Google has agreed to rewrite its privacy policy after pressure from the UK Information Commissioner's Office.
The firm must make it easier for users to find out how their data is collected and what it is used for and submit to a two-year review.
The deal follows an investigation by the regulator. Similar reviews are continuing elsewhere in Europe.
It is understood that Google will seek to strike a similar deal with other European regulators.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that Google was "too vague when describing how it uses personal data gathered from its web services and products".
The regulator - along with its continental counterparts - began looking into the Mountain View firm after its controversial privacy policy update in March 2012, which combined 70 existing documents.
It was joined by other data regulators, which form the European Article 29 Data Protection Working Party.
Google has agreed to rewrite its privacy policy after pressure from the UK Information Commissioner's Office.
The firm must make it easier for users to find out how their data is collected and what it is used for and submit to a two-year review.
The deal follows an investigation by the regulator. Similar reviews are continuing elsewhere in Europe.
It is understood that Google will seek to strike a similar deal with other European regulators.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that Google was "too vague when describing how it uses personal data gathered from its web services and products".
The regulator - along with its continental counterparts - began looking into the Mountain View firm after its controversial privacy policy update in March 2012, which combined 70 existing documents.
It was joined by other data regulators, which form the European Article 29 Data Protection Working Party.
Among other clarifications, Google will have to include information about who may collect "anonymous identifiers" - which are similar to cookies - and the purposes to which they put that data.
It will also be made to ensure that "passive users are better informed about the processing of their data". The ICO defines passive users as people who use Google, but who are not signed in.
Google has until 30 June 2015 to implement the changes and it is believed it will roll out a single policy across the European Union in order to satisfy each of the regulators that opened investigations.
It has also dropped appeals related to investigations being undertaken by the French and Spanish watchdogs.
Source-BBC
Obama plans tax on US firms overseas to fix roads at home
US President Barack Obama plans to close a tax loophole that allows US firms to avoid paying taxes on overseas profits, the White House says.
His 2016 budget will impose a one-off 14% tax on US profits stashed overseas, as well as a 19% tax on any future profits as they are earned.
The $238bn (£158bn) raised will be used to fund road projects in the US.
The proposal is one of the main components of Mr Obama's latest budget, due to be presented on Monday.
The spending plan, including the proposal on overseas profits, would require approval from the Republican-controlled Congress to be made law, something seen as unlikely.
Research firm Audit Analytics calculated last April that US firms in total have $2.1 trillion-worth of profits stashed abroad.
It found US conglomerate General Electric had the most profit stored overseas at $110bn. Tech giants Microsoft and Apple and drugs companies Pfizer and Merck all featured in the top five.
No tax is currently due on foreign profits as long as they are not brought into the United States.
As a result some companies put their earnings in low tax jurisdictions and simply leave them there.
The White House said its plans for an immediate 14% tax would raise $238bn, which would be used to fund a wider $478bn public works programme of road, bridge and public transport upgrades.
"This transition tax would mean that companies have to pay US tax right now on the $2 trillion they already have overseas, rather than being able to delay paying any US tax indefinitely," a White House official said.
The official said that after this one-off tax, the 19% permanent tax firms would have to pay on overseas profits "would level the playing field, and encourage firms to create jobs here at home."
The tax rate is far lower than the current US top corporate tax rate of 35%.
Source-BBC
Greece Finance Minister Varoufakis says, 'Europe comes first'
The economist-turned-finance minister seeking to renegotiate Greece's huge debt obligations says his priority is the well-being of all Europeans and has ruled out accepting more bailout cash.
After talks with his French counterpart, Yanis Varoufakis said a new debt deal was needed within months.
Michel Sapin said France was ready to help Greece settle with its creditors.
Greece's leftist anti-austerity Syriza party won last Sunday's election with a pledge to write off half the debt.
Greece still has a debt of €315bn - about 175% of gross domestic product - despite some creditors writing down debts in a renegotiation in 2012.
Beginning his first swing around European capitals and finance hubs in Paris, Mr Varoufakis is to travel next to London and Rome for more talks.
His comments follows remarks on Saturday by new Greek PM Alexis Tsipras, who said he was confident Greece could reach a deal with creditors.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out debt cancellation, saying creditors had already made concessions.
Source-BBC
North Sea oil summit to hear pleas for action
Industry body Oil and Gas UK is to call for "meaningful action" from government in order to tackle major challenges facing North Sea operators.
Chief executive Malcolm Webb will tell an oil and gas summit in Aberdeen on Monday that "an unpredictable and harmful business environment" has put the sector "at great risk".
The body wants urgent tax cuts amid falling oil prices and rising costs.
It also wants a new oil and gas regulator in place as soon as possible.
The UK Treasury said it was working with industry leaders "as a matter of priority" to address the challenges the industry faces.
The summit, which has been organised by Aberdeen City Council, will be attended by local and national politicians as well as industry and union representatives.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the UK government's Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael will be among the participants.
The summit was called amid warnings the industry was in crisis.
A barrel of Brent crude has more than halved in price since its peak of $115 last summer. On Friday it was standing at less than $53 a barrel.
Last month, the chairman of the independent explorers' association Brindex told the BBC the industry was "close to collapse".
Robin Allan claimed almost no new projects in the North Sea were profitable with oil below $60 a barrel.
However, Sir Ian Wood, another leading industry figure, said Mr Allan's warning was "well over-the-top and far too dramatic".
Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing, who is a Labour councillor, said the summit was aimed at coming up with "meaningful" responses to the oil price slump, and other challenges facing the industry.
In recent weeks hundreds of North Sea jobs have been cut by oil firms, including BP and Talisman Sinopec.
Both industry leaders and the Scottish government are calling for taxes to be cut further as a matter of urgency to help the sector deal with falling oil prices and higher costs.
Unions have also raised safety concerns over the number of job cuts being made in the industry.
Source-BBC
WEATHER FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT SUNDAY 01ST FEBRUARY, 2015
FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT SUNDAY 01ST FEBRUARY, 2015
WARNINGS: MARINERS AND BEACH GOERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE STRONG POSSIBILITY OF RIP CURRENTS ESPECIALLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
GENERAL SITUATION: A STATIONARY FRONT IN THE VICINITY OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS CONTINUES TO DISSIPATE AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ITS WAKE.
FOR NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY, BREEZY AND WARM TODAY, CHILLY AND BREEZY TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 7 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
FOR THE TCI AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY WITH THE CHANCE OF A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS MAINLY IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. BOATERS SHOULD ALSO BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMP.: 77°F 25°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMP.: 63°F 17°C
SUNRISE: 06:53AM SUN. SUNSET: 05:55PM SUN.
MOONRISE: 04:12PM SUN. MOONSET: 05:41AM MON.
HIGH TIDE: 05:59AM SUN. LOW TIDE: 12:26PM SUN. HIGH TIDE: 06:16PM SUN.
EXTENDED FORECAST: ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS MONDAY NIGHT BEFORE RACING THROUGH THE REMAINING ISLANDS ON TUESDAY.
FORECAST FOR MONDAY:
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS IN THE NW BAHAMAS AND SOUTHEASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 7 FEET IN THE TCI & SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
Delano Williams beats Usain Bolt's record
Delano Williams opened his 2015 season with a record run to beat one of many records held by track and field legend, Usain Bolt.
Williams, running under Great Britain, the country he represented at the last 2013 Moscow World Championships, won the men's 400m in 46.20 at Saturday's (Jan 31) Queens/Grace Jackson Track Meet at the National Stadium in Kingston.
The mark by Williams beat the previous record of 46.94, which Bolt ran to win the event in 2008.
Jowayne Hibbert of University of West Indies Mona Campus finished second in 47.20 while third went to Jonia McDonald of University of Technology (UTech) 47.38.