12 shot, 2 killed, in two incidents around second line in New Orleans
Officers with the New Orleans Police Department are investigating after multiple people were shot in the St. Roch area on Sunday, according to ABC News affiliate WGNO.
The NOPD reported that at least 12 victims were identified in two separate shootings.
Officials said the first shooting happened during a second line, where officers found eight people who had been shot.
A ninth victim arrived at a hospital in a private car for treatment.
About 45 minutes later in a separate location, police found three people shot. Two of them died.
Source-ABC
CAL wins APEX award
The chief executive officer of the state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL), Garvin Medera, Tuesday said that the award of the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) award reflects the confidence passengers having in the airline.
“Whilst we are expanding, we remain focused on providing the best and consistent customer experience for each journey. To be recognized once again with an APEX Four Star rating is both a reward and a motivation for us to keep raising the bar in our service to the Caribbean and beyond,” he said, adding “we thank our customers for this independent vote of confidence.”
“This marks the second year that Caribbean Airlines has achieved this distinction, underscoring the airline’s commitment to delivering a high-quality, consistent experience for its customers,” CAL said.
“The APEX awards are unique as they are based entirely on neutral, third-party passenger feedback, independently certified and gathered through APEX’s partnership with TripIt from Concur, the world’s most widely used travel-organised app.
CAL said for the 2024 awards, nearly one million flights were rated by passengers across nearly 600 airlines worldwide, with only eight per cent of airlines achieving the Four-Star rating.
“Our team works with commitment and passion, and this award is also testament to their hard work. We also recognize and appreciate the support of our industry partners and stakeholders who play an integral role in our success,” Medera said.
Source-CMC
Jamaica pleased with performance of tourism sector
Jamaica has welcomed over one million cruise passengers this year, contributing more than US$200 million to the local economy.
“Jamaica’s cruise activities have stood [their] ground,” said Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett noting the economic significance of cruise tourism to the country.
He said cruise tourism has the highest level of convertibility of the dollar, providing immediate economic benefits to local vendors and small business owners.
“While in other areas of tourism, you have months, sometimes, to wait [on the dollar], with cruise tourism, it is instant convertibility,” Bartlett said, adding “the dollar gets into their pockets immediately and the little man in Ocho Rios has an opportunity to go and pay his bills immediately after the cruise ship leaves in any day,”.
Bartlett underscored the transformative power of cruise tourism for towns like Ocho Rios, which now accounts for nearly one-third of all cruise passengers arriving in Jamaica.
He praised the efforts of global cruise partners and urged them to continue their support for Jamaica’s tourism industry.
Meantime, Bartlett said Jamaica is positioning itself as a global leader in health and wellness tourism, combining its rich cultural heritage and natural resources to attract travelers seeking transformative experiences.
“Today’s travelers seek more than leisure; they are searching for experiences that enhance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being,” said Bartlett, who delivered the keynote address virtually at the sixth Annual Jamaica Health and Wellness Tourism Conference.
The tourism sector’s impact continues to grow, with 4.3 million visitors expected in 2024 and projected revenue of US$4.5 billion.
“This isn’t just about statistics; it’s about creating a sustainable future for our communities,” Bartlett said, outlining six global trends that Jamaica intends to capitalize on personalized wellness experiences, technology integration, nature-based health tourism, luxury medical tourism, sustainable wellness practices, and cultural immersion.
Source-CMC
TNT Government defends extending waiver on tax amnesty
Finance Minister Colm Imbert Monday night said he was calling the “bluff” of opposition legislators as Parliament gave the green light for a waiver until December 31 this year for penalties and interest on sums owed under the Registration of Clubs Act, National Insurance Act, Income Tax Act, Value Added Tax Act, Stamp Duty Act, and the Property Tax Act.
Imbert had during his contribution to the debate accused the opposition legislators of “bluff, old talk and a torrent of political hypocrisy,” daring them to vote against the Finance Bill 2024, indicating that in this current amnesty, the government expects to collect TT$1.5 billion (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cent) in outstanding taxes.
The opposition spokesman on finance, Davendranath Tancoo, had complained that the government’s amnesty was seemingly rewarding wrongdoers and that those companies owing the government value-added tax (VAT) should have made the payments after having collected the taxes from the sales to customers.
Tancoo called on the government to state how many state agencies owed monies to the National Insurance Board (NIB), while Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar strenuously objected to the bill giving Imbert the power to renew the amnesty.
Imbert told legislators that the decision to have a tax amnesty until the end of the year is related to the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and that many businesses had to prioritize what they spent on.
He said small businesses, in particular, may have avoided paying taxes in a bid to stay open, having experienced significant cash flow challenges, he explained.
“This is influenced by the recovery from COVID-19, during which companies not only fell behind in terms of payment of their taxes, but also in their payment of National Insurance Scheme commitments.
“The National Insurance Board is quite aggressive in terms of trying to recover National Insurance payments and quite aggressive in terms of trying to recover penalties and interest even from state entities,’ said Imbert, who noted that the NIB had received TT$124 million from the last amnesty.
“I also want to make it clear that the amnesty does not in any way, create a situation where the tax liability is waivered, so the taxes are still owed but what is being waived is the penalties and interest on the overdue taxes,” said Imbert.
“As in all previous tax amnesties, if the individual or the corporation fails to take advantage of the amnesty period, fails to make the tax payments that are due, owed and payable, the associated interest and penalties are restored upon the expiry of the amnesty period.”
Imbert told Parliament that under the previous amnesties, the government had recouped significant amounts of money, with the 2011 amnesty yielding TT$1.6 billion, $776 million in 2016, TT#2.3 billion in 2019, TT$1.1 billion in 2021 and in 2013, a total of TT$1.5 billion.
Source-CMC
West Indies Select XI batters falter against Bangladesh
Left-arm spinner Hasan Murad bagged a hat-trick as Bangladesh completely dominated the second and final day of their warmup match against a West Indies Select XI, which predictably ended in a draw here on Monday.
Resuming the day on five for one, only 25 overs were possible on the second and final day due to persistent showers at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Only three Select XI batsmen made it into double figures as they ended the day on 87 for nine from 27 overs in reply to Bangladesh’s opening day score of 253 for seven declared.
With the match meandering to a draw, Murad sparked wild celebrations when he dismissed Daniel Beckford, Navin Bidaisee and Chaim Holder with the final three deliveries of the match.
Beckford had provided resistance, scoring 19 runs from 49 balls before he was trapped lbw by Murad to leave the score 87 for seven.
Murad then bowled Bidaisee for a duck and he finished off the match in style by having Holder adjudged lbw with his next ball.
Earlier, only Kimani Melius, who top scored with 23, the in-form Justin Greaves (20), and Beckford, scored more than 10 runs in a lackluster batting effort by the Select XI.
Murad ended with spectacular figures of 3-1, while Hasan Mahmud and Taskin Ahmed took two wickets apiece.
Source-CMC
Concacaf Nations League tournament
Results from selected matches in the Concacaf Nations League tournament on Monday.
LEAGUE A
At City Park:
USA beat JAMAICA 4-2
USA: Christian Pulisic (14′), Di’Shon Bernard (33′, OG), Ricardo Pepi (42′), Tim Weah (56′).
JAM: Demarai Gray (53′, 68′).
At the Estadio Rommel Fernandez:
PANAMA and COSTA RICA drew 2-2
PAN: Cesar Blackman (14′), Jose Rodriguez (45’+3).
CRC: Alejandro Bran (24′), Adrian Martinez (73′).
LEAGUE B
At the Centroamericano de Mayaguez:
HAITI beat PUERTO RICO 3-0
HAI: Attys Christopher (29′), Don Louicius (53′), Frantzdy Pierrot (70′).
SINT MAARTEN beat ARUBA 1-0
SMA: T-Shawn Illidge (90’+1).
At the Ergilio Hato Stadium:
CURACAO beat ST LUCIA 4-1
CUR: Gervane Kastaneer (27′, 30′), Juninho Bacuna (73′, 79′).
LUC: Ryan Charles (29′).
SAINT MARTIN beat GRENADA 3-0
SMN: Rahim Denis (39′), Keelan Lebon (87′, 90’+3).
At the Estadio Antonio Maceo:
CUBA beat ST KITTS & NEVIS 4-0
CUB: Onel Hernandez (40′), Yosel Piedra (45’+3), Luis Paradela (50′), Maykel Reyes (87′)
Cardi B pushes back release of sophomore album
Cardi B fans have to wait a little bit longer for her sophomore album to come out. Taking to Instagram Sunday, the rapper revealed she'll be pushing her release date back.
"I’ve been feeling so emotional lately because I know next year is going to be my year. This has been the weirdest year I have ever experienced," she said. "I don’t know what happened this year, I can’t even tell you."
She mentioned the end of her relationship with her husband Offset, explaining, "[I] fell in love. Then fell out of love, then got a divorce. ... I don’t know what is going on."
"I’m going through a very different transition in my life and life is moving a little bit too fast. I don’t want to crash. I have to get myself together," she said.
Though Cardi didn't reveal what she's working on, she says her album and other ventures will finally come out next year.
Cardi's debut album, Invasion of Privacy, dropped in 2018.
Source-ABC
Soul legend Al Green covers R.E.M.’s 'Everybody Hurts'
Legendary soul singer Al Green is back with a new song, dropping a cover of the R.E.M. classic “Everybody Hurts.”
“While we were in the studio recording ‘Everybody Hurts,’ I could really feel the heaviness of the song and I wanted to inject a little touch of hope and light into it,” the 78-year-old Green shares. “There’s always a presence of light that can break through those times of darkness.”
And the cover has already gotten the attention of R.E.M.
“Speaking on behalf of the entire band—we could not be more honored, more flattered, more humbled,” frontman Michael Stipe shares. “This is an epic moment for us.”
Green's cover of "Everybody Hurts" is available now via digital outlets.
The tune is the first song released by Green since sharing a cover of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” back in 2023.
"Everybody Hurts" appeared on R.E.M.'s eighth studio album, Automatic For The People, and was a top-40 hit for the band.
Source- ABC
PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST
Elon Musk adds Microsoft to lawsuit against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI
Elon Musk has stepped up his ongoing feud with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI with a revived lawsuit against the firm, adding Microsoft as a defendant.
Mr Musk, a co-founder of the artificial intelligence (AI) company, accused it and the tech giant of operating a monopoly in an amended legal complaint on Thursday.
It follows previous lawsuits accusing the firm of breaching the principles he agreed to when he helped found it in 2015.
Microsoft declined to comment on the lawsuit.
An OpenAI spokesperson said Mr Musk's refreshed complaint was "baseless".
"Elon’s third attempt in less than a year to reframe his claims is even more baseless and overreaching than the previous ones," they told the BBC.
They added that previous emails sent by Mr Musk, which it shared publicly in response to his original lawsuit, "speak for themselves".
Thursday's legal filing amends a lawsuit filed in a California court in August, and also includes LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman being added as a defendant.
The BBC has approached Mr Hoffman for a response.
The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of having transformed from a "tax-exempt charity to a $157bn (£124bn) for-profit, market-paralysing gorgon".
It also claims Microsoft and OpenAI used a monopoly to eliminate competitors in the AI sector - including Mr Musk's own company, xAI.
"As a result of their unlawful actions, defendants have been unjustly enriched to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars in value, while Mr Musk has been conned along with the public," it says.
Source-BBC