Islandcom Celebrates its 4th Anniversary with another Battle of the Bands Competition
June of 2009 marked the rebirth of Islandcom Telecommunications as Islandcom Wireless. The company revamped its entire network and upgraded its service to a robust 3G network, a first in the TCI. Since then, the company has done further upgrades; increasing its network capability to 4G speeds. During the past four years, Islandcom has brought new services and products to the country such as its portable hotspot- the mifi. Business customers can now use a mobile payment application for credit card transactions on the go. Recently the company was one of two carriers awarded an LTE frequency license by the Turks and Caicos government. “Our accomplishments thus far are only the beginning of things planned for the Turks and Caicos,” says CEO Niamh Blake. “Our plan is to always take technology to the next level. In the year to come you will see a lot more from us.”
To mark their 4th year as Islandcom Wireless, Islandcom will once again host its annual benefit concert- the Battle of the Bands Competition. The competition is composed of numerous local bands vying for prizes and the title of Best Band in the Turks and Caicos. This year’s event will take place Saturday, June 22nd at the Turtle Cove Marina. Gates will open at 6pm and the show will start 7pm SHARP. A fantastic assortment of talented bands will participate in this year’s event. On the list of bands slated to perform are Band Boys, Kew Band Links, Sea Breeze, Island Boys, Outcast, and Island Vibes. The bands will compete for prizes such as first place $4,000.00, second place $2,000.00, and third place prize $1,000.00. Along with cash prizes, the winners will also receive phone service from Islandcom, phone prizes from sponsors Blackberry, and gift certificates from sponsors The Wine Cellar. There will be delights for the crowd as Islandcom raffles off phones and other prizes. This year there will be a special guest performance from new artist TESS.
This year Islandcom has chosen the Providenciales Children’s Home and the TCI Heart Foundation as its benefactors. Event entry is free however there will be concert t-shirts, beads, masks, promotional items, drink tickets, and a raffle to raise money for the charities.
Islandcom has chosen Mardi Gras as the theme for this year’s event. We anticipate it to be as colourful and exciting as a New Orleans Mardi Gras while adding our own local twist and flavour! The décor will feature masks and beads as well as a remake of Bourbon Street along with the local food, music, and a Junaknoo performance. Hosts for this year’s event are David Bowen and Deandrea Hamilton.
The winning bands will be selected by votes from the crowd and a panel of judges. Come cheer on your favorite band at Islandcom’s Battle of the Bands Party Gras. Islandcom will also provide a live stream of the event on their website and Facebook page. This is an event you do not want to miss!
Miley Cyrus' Parents Divorcing After 19 Years
Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus are heading to splitville, two years after he filed for divorce from his wife but then changed his mind.
This time around, it's Miley Cyrus' mother who filed divorce papers in L.A. Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason of the separation.
"This is a personal matter and we are working to find a resolution that is in the best interest of our family," the couple, who has been married for 19 years, says in a statement. "We ask that you respect our privacy at this time."
According to the document obtained by TMZ, Tish is asking for full physical and legal custody of their minor child, 13-year-old Noah Cyrus, with visitation to Billy Ray. She is also asking for spousal support and wants the country singer to cover her attorney's fees. Their date of separation is listed as "to be determined."
Billy Ray and Tish tied the knot in 1993. They have three children together, Miley, Braison and Noah, and are parents to Tish's kids from a previous marriage, Trace and Brandi, whom Billy Ray adopted. He also has a son, Christopher, from a previous relationship.
Billy Ray previously filed for divorce from Tish in October 2010 in Tennessee. Attempting "to put my family back together," he withdrew his petition in March 2011. Tish said of their reconciliation at the time, "Our family weathered a huge storm and I feel we are stronger than we have ever been."
Source-Ace.Show
Rupert Murdoch files for divorce from Wendi Deng
News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng because their marriage has "irretrievably broken down", his spokesman says.
The divorce papers were filed at the New York State Supreme Court.
The couple, married in 1999 aboard a private yacht in New York, have two daughters together, Grace and Chloe.
In 2011, Ms Deng famously leapt to her husband's defence to slap a protester who threw a pie at him as British MPs quizzed him over phone-hacking.
Mr Murdoch, 82, met his Chinese-born third wife in 1997 at a cocktail party in Hong Kong. They were married two years later, weeks after his second divorce.
Ms Deng, 44, is 38 years younger than the Australian-born media mogul, who is said by Forbes to be worth $9.4bn (£6bn).
Ms Deng, 44, is 38 years younger than the Australian-born media mogul, who is said by Forbes to be worth $9.4bn (£6bn).
"I can confirm for the record that Rupert filed in New York State Supreme Court this morning for divorce," Murdoch spokesman Steven Rubenstein told AFP news agency on Thursday.
The BBC's Robert Peston says the couple had a pre-nuptial agreement and have held shares in trust for their children.
So our business editor believes the divorce is not likely to lessen the magnate's grip on his media empire.
Mr Murdoch, now a US citizen, reportedly paid $1.7bn in his divorce settlement from his last wife.
Ms Deng, said to be the daughter of a factory director, was born in 1968 and grew up in the eastern Chinese city of Xuzhou before leaving for the US at 19 to study.
She worked in a Chinese restaurant in California before going on to graduate from Yale University in 1996.
Ms Deng was later employed by Star TV, News Corp's Asian satellite-television operation in Hong Kong, where she met Mr Murdoch during one of his visits.
The divorce filing comes two days before News Corp is to be split into two companies, one for its entertainment assets and the other for its publishing business. Mr Murdoch is to be chairman of both firms.
His global media portfolio includes the Wall Street Journal, television channels such as Fox News and Sky, and the 20th Century Fox movie studio.
Two years ago, his UK newspaper division became embroiled in a phone-hacking scandal, which led Mr Murdoch to close one of the titles, the News of the World.
In July 2011, Ms Deng jumped from her seat during a UK parliamentary hearing to slap a prankster who tried to shove a shaving-cream pie into Mr Murdoch's face.
Source-BBC
Reggae Sumfest in the black
Despite operating in a struggling economy for most of its 20 years, promoters of Reggae Sumfest say the annual event consistently returns a profit.
Johnny Gourzong of Summerfest Productions, organisers of the show, told the Jamaica Observer last week that strong attendances over the last decade have earned them money on their investment.
"We are not losing money, we are definitely keeping our head above water," said Gourzong. "We turned the corner some years ago and hopefully we'll continue to be in the black."
Gourzong did not give figures, but credits the strong performance of International and Dancehall nights for Sumfest's financial viability. Both showcase high-profile pop and local acts which attract hordes of young fans.
Since 1998, Summerfest Productions have courted top artistes like Boyz II Men, Joe, Wyclef Jean, Destiny's Child, Usher, Chris Brown and R Kelly. Each drew outstanding crowds to the banner International Night.
A fragile economy and weak Jamaican currency have made it tough for even high-profile events to survive. In 2010, the economic crunch forced promoters of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and Calabash International Literary Festival to seek financial assistance from government.
Gourzong says Summerfest Productions have considered alternative ways to earn revenue, including licensing Sumfest footage to leading North American cable channels. However, discussions with those companies fell flat.
"There have been a number of talks with companies whose names I won't disclose, but to tell the truth they don't pay a lot of money," he said. "We also have to be careful the product does not get into the wrong hands."
Reggae Sumfest was first held in 1993 at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay. It replaced Reggae Sunsplash as the tourist city's lone major music festival until the emergence of the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival three years later.
This year, the US$2 million festival takes place from July 21-27, with its main events again at Catherine Hall. The beach party, its traditional pipe-opener, will be held at Aquasol Beach Park in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Source-JA.Observer
Steven Spielberg predicts 'meltdown' of film industry
Directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are warning that the film industry is in danger of "meltdown".
They say it will become increasingly difficult for them to get smaller films into theatres because Hollywood is relying on big budget releases.
In a speech reported by the Hollywood Reporter, Spielberg said Lincoln was nearly made for TV network HBO because of struggles getting it in cinemas.
"The pathway to get into theatres is getting smaller and smaller," he said.
"You're gonna have to pay $25 (£16) for the next Iron Man, you're probably only going to have to pay $7 (£4.50) to see Lincoln."
George Lucas added that he could see a model similar to theatre pricing, where fewer films were released, they stayed longer in the cinema (up to a year) and ticket prices increased depending on the film.
In an interview with Newsbeat, the president of the Film Distributors' Association, which represents the UK distribution arms of Hollywood studios, Lord David Puttnam, agreed that change was needed.
He said: "Every film has its own marketing challenge and to try to pretend that one size fits all, in any aspect of marketing, be it the poster, be it the media buy and be it the window, is flying in the face of reality."
Lord Puttnam says the film industry should "not place artificial barriers between a film and its audience" and said some of the current methods were "not sustainable".
He added: "The film industry shouldn't have rules which by their very nature disadvantage individual product in individual movies.
"I just want every film to be judged on its merits.
"The whole point is to optimize the revenue of that particular movie and to somehow allow film X to suffer because films Y and Z have got a particular window just doesn't make a lot of sense.
"Our job is to satisfy the customers. I think a perfectly legitimate requirement is that they can see the film that they want to see and where they want to see it."
Source-BBC Newsbeat
Queen's portrait defaced with spray paint in Westminster Abbey
A portrait of the Queen in Westminster Abbey has been defaced with spray paint, an abbey spokesman has said.
A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after being detained by security guards at the abbey, Scotland Yard said.
Campaign group Fathers 4 Justice said it thought a member was responsible but the protest was not official.
The oil on canvas by Ralph Heimans went on display in Chapter House in May and depicts the Queen in state dress.
It was completed last year for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The incident comes nine days after the monarch and other members of the royal family attended a service at the abbey marking the 60th anniversary of her Coronation.
A spokesman for the abbey said: "In an incident at lunchtime today, a visitor to the abbey sprayed paint on the Ralph Heimans portrait of the Queen presently on display in the Chapter House.Until work can be done to remedy the damage it will, very regrettably, not be possible to have the painting on public view."
Buckingham Palace said it would not making any comment on the incident.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the abbey at about 12:30 BST and the arrested man is in custody at central London police station.
In a statement, Fathers 4 Justice said: "This was not an official Fathers for Justice protest but it was carried out by one of our members.
"It's Father's Day on Sunday - it's a very emotional time and this protest was a desperate plea for help." The group has run a high-profile campaign for more than a decade for improved rights for men who say they have been denied access to their children.
In 2004 and 2005 members were involved in several high-profile protests, including hurling packages of flour at the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in the Commons and climbing buildings including Buckingham Palace and the Foreign Office dressed as superheroes.
The picture was painted by London-based Australian-born artist Heimans after a sitting with the Queen at Buckingham Palace in March last year.
The work entitled The Coronation Theatre, Westminster Abbey: A Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II measures 9ft by 11ft and depicts the Queen in the Sacrarium - the area near the altar - of Westminster Abbey.
Airbus A350 set for maiden flight
The newest aircraft from European planemaker Airbus is due to take off on its maiden flight later.
The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
It is seen as vital to the future of Airbus, which competes with Boeing to supply the majority of the world's airlines with new planes.
It is due to take off from the French city of Toulouse, where the A350 is assembled, on Friday morning.
The Dreamliner has proved popular since its first flight in 2009, despite recently being grounded by regulators over safety fears relating to its batteries.
Major milestone
Airlines are being squeezed by high fuel costs and falling passenger numbers, and are looking for more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Like the Dreamliner, the A350 is made largely of advanced materials, particularly carbon composites, in order to save weight.
Airbus has already taken more than 600 orders for the new plane. But that still puts it behind the Dreamliner, which has 890 orders so far.
The company hopes to start delivering the first A350s to customers by the end of 2014.
Analysts say a successful test flight would be a major milestone for Airbus in the A350 project, with major aircraft manufacturing projects frequently beset by delays.
"All recent programmes before it, both by Airbus, Boeing and others, have had reasonably horrendous technical problems and delays," said Nick Cunningham, an aviation analyst at the London-based Agency Partners, speaking to French agency AFP.
"So every time you hit a milestone (such as a test flight), it's good news because it means that you've missed an opportunity to have another big delay."
Source-BBC
Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed defends libel action
Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia has defended his decision to sue the business magazine Forbes.
The billionaire is seeking damages over what he claims were "seriously defamatory comments" made about him.
In March, Forbes calculated Prince Alwaleed's fortune to be $20bn (£12.7bn), placing him 26th on the magazine's Rich List.
He disputed the methodology used and said Forbes had "insulted" the business community in Saudi Arabia.
Prince Alwaleed has previously said that the magazine underestimated his fortune by $9.6bn (£6.1bn).
However, in a statement, Prince Alwaleed's investment vehicle, Kingdom Holding Company, said the libel action was not about his ranking on the Forbes Rich List, but about "correcting the seriously defamatory comments that have been made about HRH Prince Alwaleed as an individual and Kingdom Holding Company".
The case has been filed in a London court.
'Insulting and inaccurate'
Kingdom Holding Company owns stakes in Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and London's Savoy Hotel.
Prince Alwaleed also accused Forbes of publishing a "deliberately insulting and inaccurate description of the business community in Saudi Arabia and specifically, Forbes' denigration of the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul), which is one of the most regulated in the world".
In the Forbes article, a former executive with Alwaleed's company is quoted as describing the Saudi Stock Exchange as a place of gambling.
In calculating his wealth, Forbes said it valued the underlying investments of Kingdom Holding Company, rather than the shares listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange.
This, according to Prince Alwaleed, was an "irrational and deeply flawed valuation methodology, which is ultimately subjective and discriminatory".
In a statement, Forbes said it is "bemused by Prince Alwaleed's ego-driven PR stunt".
American, US Airways name top execs
The new American Airlines will have more top executives from smaller but more successful US Airways than from the current American.
Five US Airways executives will follow their current CEO, Doug Parker, when he takes control after the airlines complete their proposed merger. Three executives from American parent AMR Corp. were named to the new company's leadership team.
AMR and US Airways Group hope to complete their proposed merger this summer. The deal still needs approval by US antitrust regulators and AMR's bankruptcy creditors.
Although AMR creditors and shareholders will own 72 per cent of the new company, and it will still be based in Fort Worth, Texas, the makeup of the executive team underscores that it was Parker who drove the merger and convinced AMR's unions and creditors to support him.
US Airways veterans will hold the most important management jobs including president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer. The new company's 12-member board will have four holdovers from US Airways and three from AMR.
AMR filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011. For many months, CEO Tom Horton considered the idea of emerging from bankruptcy as a stand-alone company, not a merger partner, but creditors decided otherwise. Horton will serve briefly as chairman of the new company -- to be called American Airlines Group Inc. -- before exiting next year.
The senior executives joining from US Airways are Scott Kirby, who will keep his title of president, Derek Kerr as chief financial officer, Robert Isom as chief operating officer and Elise Eberwein and Stephen Johnson as executive vice presidents.
From AMR's ranks, Parker and Horton picked Beverly Goulet as chief integration officer, Maya Leibman as chief information officer and William Ris as senior vice president of government affairs.
"Mergers unfortunately result in departures, and there are some on both teams," Parker wrote in a note Monday to employees of both companies.
AMR turned down interview requests for several of the departing executives.
US Airways is only half as big as American in miles flown by passengers, the usual standard by which airlines are measured. At the start of 2013, US Airways had 340 planes while American had 614. It also has fewer than half as many employees.
US Airways, however, has been more successful. Analysts credit Parker for squeezing record profits from an airline that has an inferior route network compared with the larger United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
Last year, US Airways earned US$637 million compared with AMR's bankruptcy loss of US$1.9 billion. In the past five years, including a recession and high fuel prices that battered the industry, US Airways lost US$1.2 billion, but AMR lost US$7.2 billion.
American's unions have long fought with their company's management over pay and other issues, and they were eager to see a shake-up. The Allied Pilots Association praised the future management.
"This shows that a culture change is happening at American," Dennis Tajer, a pilots' union spokesman, said in an interview. "This can only increase employees' enthusiasm and have a positive effect on customer service."
'Tax havens' hit back at G8 pressure
The Isle of Man and Jersey have hit back at accusations that they facilitate tax evasion and avoidance ahead of next week's G8 summit.
The offshore jurisdictions, frequently described as tax havens, suggest recent pressure from world leaders is politically motivated.
They also argue that they are more open about their tax regimes than they are given credit for.
G8 leaders will hold their latest summit in Northern Ireland on Monday.
Ways of combating aggressive tax avoidance and mass tax evasion are expected to be high on the agenda of leaders including UK Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Up to now the focus of the world's media has been on big countries pointing their fingers at small islands - accusing them of helping big corporations and wealthy individuals avoid paying tax.
But now the leaders of some of those offshore financial centres suggest that the world's largest economies should get their own tax house in order first.
"Politicians love scapegoats," said the Isle of Man's Chief Minister Allan Bell. "And the G8 agenda is being politically driven because there's always someone else to point a finger at."
There is no universally accepted definition of a tax haven, but international bodies cite low tax rates and secretive financial systems as the major characteristics.
Foreign-owned companies pay no corporation tax in the Isle of Man, but the island has recently signed tax information sharing agreements with the UK, US and European countries.
Mr Bell said that when it comes to tracing who actually owns some of the world's more secretive bank accounts, the Isle of Man is a decade ahead of other larger countries especially the UK and the US.
He also accused President Obama of double standards, given that the US federal government has no direct control over the tax policies of individual states.
That is especially relevant when it comes to the tiny US state of Delaware which has only 900,000 citizens but over a million registered companies - most of which are "brass plate" entities controlled by very private entities or individuals.
"We just want a level playing field when it comes to tax transparency," said Mr Bell.
"It's totally selfish from the USA because they want to track down their own tax evaders overseas, without looking at Delaware."
The channel island of Jersey also charges zero corporation tax for foreign-owned companies.
Like the Isle of Man it also has a maximum income tax rate of 20%. At any one time it is home to £120bn of cash deposits.
But Jersey's Treasury Minister, Philip Ozouf, rejected the notion that his government is any softer on tax issues than countries like the UK.
He cited the case in the UK where wealthy individuals with "non-dom" status can pay a one-off levy of £30,000 a year to avoid being taxed on their income. "I'm not going criticise the decision of democratically elected governments or parliaments," he said.
"I'm leading the kind of charge against tax evasion here that the UK chancellor is doing to UK residents. We expect our taxpayers to comply with all tax codes just as much as the UK does."
The foreign super-rich can move to Jersey thanks to a tax benefit that requires the payment of a flat rate of up to $185,000 (£118,000) a year.
However some millionaires pay only $5,000 a year thanks to deals signed in the 1970s and 1980s.
While their low tax rates are obvious, both the Isle of Man and Jersey claim to be far more open about who holds money on their islands than any of the G8 countries which are demanding more transparency from them.
One of those key demands to be discussed at the G8 summit will be a call for a central global register of companies showing who owns and controls companies wherever they are based in the world.
This is where some alleged tax havens are reluctant to open up their books.
Jersey and the Isle of Man say they are happy to share details of who banks with them with advanced democracies because they know that that extremely private data will not get passed on to anyone - including criminals or political and business rivals of their customers.
But they argue there are no such guarantees with developing countries without sound tax-gathering authorities.
Offshore financial centres are therefore caught between protecting those who bank with them and helping to share tax details.