Liverpool signs Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson from Roma for $84 million
Brazil international Alisson has joined Liverpool from Roma in an $84 million transfer -- a world record deal for a goalkeeper.
"In terms of my life and my career, it's a huge step for me being part of this club and this family," the 25-year-old Alisson told the Liverpool website after signing a reported six-year contract. "You can be certain that I'll give my all."
The transfer makes the Brazilian the most expensive goalkeeper in history, his fee eclipsing the $62 million Juventus paid to Parma in 2001 for Gianluigi Buffon and the $46 million Ederson cost Manchester City from Benfica last summer.
"He's a very calm person," added Klopp. "It's not his price, it's not the price we want to pay, it's only the price the market demands. That's how it is, no problem with that.
Olympic figure skater stabbed to death
Tributes are being paid to Denis Ten, Kazakhstan's Olympic medal-winning figure skater, who died Thursday at the age of 25 after being stabbed.
Ten, who became the first Kazakh figure skater to win an Olympic medal when he secured bronze at Sochi 2014, was stabbed as two men attempted to steal his car mirrors, according to news agency Kazinform.
The former world silver medalist was taken to the hospital after the attack in Almaty, the country's largest city, but died later of his injuries.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said: "Denis Ten was a great athlete and a great ambassador for his sport. A warm personality and a charming man. Such a tragedy to lose him at such a young age."
24% of Tesla Model 3 orders have been canceled, analyst says
Tesla is finally making enough Model 3s -- but an analyst says many customers are growing too impatient to wait any longer for them.
Cancellations for Model 3 orders have picked up in recent weeks. Refunds now outpace deposits for Tesla's new mass-market electric car, according to Needham & Co. analyst Rajvindra Gill. Tesla disputes that.
In an analyst note delivered to clients Thursday, Gill cited extended wait times for the car, the expiration of a $7,500 tax credit, and the fact that Tesla has not yet made the $35,000 base model of the car available for purchase yet.
About one in every four Model 3 orders is canceled, Gill said, double the rate from a year ago. Customers have to put down a refundable $1,000 deposit to reserve a Model 3, then pay another $2,500 to choose their specific version. They pay the rest when the car is delivered.
The wait time for a Model 3 is about 4 months to a year, and base model customers could wait until 2020, Gill said.
A Tesla spokesperson denied that Model 3 cancellations exceed new orders. The spokesperson also said the wait times that Gill cites are outdated. Tesla's website currently lists wait times from 1 month to 9 months.
Ford agrees to $299M settlement as part of Takata airbag inflator scandal
Even though experts figured out the hows and whys of the Takata airbag scandal months ago, the fallout continues to settle.
Ford agreed this week to a $299.1 million economic loss settlement related to the Takata scandal, citing documents filed in federal court on Monday. Ford is the seventh automaker to agree to such a settlement -- BMW, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaruand Toyota have already agreed to a combined $1.2 billion in settlements. Ford's settlement still requires approval from a federal judge before it can proceed.
The settlement isn't a traditional one you might expect, one that pays out to victims of faulty Takata airbag inflators. Instead, an economic-loss settlement covers economic damages. Example reasons for claims include buyers alleging they overpaid for cars with faulty equipment or that they were forced to pay out-of-pocket costs related to the recalls, which can cover lost wages and child care costs.
Over 100 million airbag inflators comprise the largest safety recall in the history of the automotive industry. Takata, the company that supplied the parts responsible for ensuring the airbag properly inflates, decided to use a cheaper material that was subject to failing after exposure to humidity. Some airbags, instead of inflating like usual in a crash, instead exploded in a cloud of shrapnel. 21 deaths and more than 290 injuries have been linked to the faulty parts, which are found in vehicles from 19 different automakers.
Takata subsequently filed for bankruptcy and sold most of its assets to Key Safety Systems, another supplier. It also pleaded guilty to felony wire fraud charges and accepted a $1 billion settlement. Finding this many replacement airbag inflators has been difficult. Whether due to parts shortages or lazy owners, some 30 million faulty inflators have not yet been repaired in the US -- a depressing number, considering that comprises about two-thirds of all the faulty Takata inflators in the country.
Lewis Hamilton agrees two-year contract extension at Mercedes
Reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a two-year contract extension at Mercedes and will remain with the team until the end of 2020.
The deal is reported to be worth $52 million per year, further enhancing the 33-year-old's status as Britain's highest-paid sportsperson.
As far as Hamilton was concerned, the extension had been "a formality" ever since he sat down with Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff "during the winter."
Aston Martin unveils sports car for the skies
Luxury carmaker Aston Martin has unveiled plans for a personal aircraft dubbed a "sports car for the skies".
The company has teamed up with jet engine maker Rolls-Royce and engineering boffins at Cranfield University on the futuristic project.
A concept aircraft was unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow, but the consortium hopes to have a flying version ready for the next show in two years.
The three-seat hybrid-electric vehicle will be vertical take-off and landing.
Aston Martin, so associated with James Bond, dismissed suggestions it was a gimmick more likely to appear in 007 films than be seen flying commercially.
"Personalised and electric air transport is a fast-developing area and we need to start getting into it," said James Stephens, the company's director of global government.
A number of aviation and technology firms are hoping to make electric-powered small aircraft and air-taxis a reality, including Airbus, ride-sharing firm Uber, and a Google-backed firm called Kitty Hawk. Earlier this week, Rolls-Royce announced plans to develop a flying taxi engine, although the project with Aston Martin is separate.
Mr Stephens said Aston Martin wants to corner the market in next-generation luxury flying vehicles for the rich and famous. The aircraft would, he said, "be a sports car for the skies".
But it won't come cheap. The working price guide for the vehicle is put at between £3-5m
"We, in the UK, have the ability to develop this," Mr Stephens said. "The challenge is time, money and regulation. But the market will be there eventually."
SOURCE - BBC
Trini Woman Jailed in UK for Defrauding Charity of US$1 Million
A Trinidadian-born woman has been jailed in the United Kingdom for defrauding a charity she worked for of just over US$1 million.
Nadia Deone Chase Ali, 35 was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of fraud by abuse of position, theft and removing money from England and Wales.
Ali was employed as a financial officer with Carnival Village Trust (CVT). She then went on to work freelance for the organisation, holding a position of trust in which she was expected to safeguard the financial interests of the charity.
Over the course of two years, Chase Ali made 530 separate payments totalling £784,262.56 (US$ 1.02 million) from CVT and TW11’s bank accounts into four of her own accounts. She disguised those transactions as payments to legitimate suppliers, service providers and government organisations, prosecutors said.
Investigators said Ali provided no explanation in an interview for the fraud or documents found at her home. She was charged seven months after arrest, and on day two of her trial which began on June 11 in the Isleworth Crown Court, she changed her plea for two counts – fraud by abuse of position and removal of criminal property out of England and Wales. She continued to plead not guilty to theft of the financial documents from the Tabernacle.
Europe fines Google $5 billion for abusing its Android dominance
The company was ordered by the European Commission on Wednesday to pay €4.34 billion ($5 billion) for unfairly pushing its apps on smartphone users and thwarting competitors.
"Google has used Android as a vehicle to cement the dominance of its search engine," Margrethe Vestager, Europe's top antitrust official, said in a statement.
"They have denied European consumers the benefits of effective competition in the important mobile sphere," she added.
The Commission said that Google broke the law by requiring manufacturers to install its Google Search and Chrome apps as a condition for licensing Google's app store.
It said that Google paid some large smartphone makers and network operators to install apps on phones before they were sold. It also prevented manufacturers from selling devices running on alternative versions of its Android operating system.
Vestager told reporters that the fine, the largest ever imposed by the European Commission, reflects the "seriousness and sustained nature" of the violations.
Google has been ordered to stop the practices within 90 days, or face additional penalties
EU regulators have taken a much more adversarial approach to big tech companies than their US counterparts, especially when it comes to competition, data protection and tax issues.
SOURCE- BBC
CLOSING OF 2018 CONCH SEASON!
Please be advised that the 2018 Conch Season is now closed as of Sunday, 15 July 2018.
The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that export of conch meat is be prohibited during the period of July 15 – October 14, 2018.
Only the following exports of conch products will be allowed:
- Conch pearls;
- Conch shells (size restriction of a minimum of 7 inches; export of 4 or more shells requires a CITES permit applied for through the DECR); and
- Conch shell products.
The DECR therefore suggests that all persons make provisions to accommodate the closure of the export season.
While consumption of conch within the TCI is permitted year-round, the DECR appeals particularly to Hotel owners/managers that all efforts should be made to educate/inform their guest on the particulars of exporting conch products.
Please contact the department for clarifications pertaining to the above matter at Tel. 338-4170 or email environment@gov.tc
Integrity Commission Press Release
The Integrity Commission of the Turks and Caicos Islands is currently undertaking several investigations and, in this regard, subjects may be interviewed, and/or arrested for questioning, and/or charged.
This morning, in a joint operation by the Integrity Commission and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, a former Commissioner of Labour of the Turks and Caicos Islands was arrested for questioning on suspicion of corruption.
It is anticipated that the former Commissioner will be bailed pending further investigations by the Integrity Commission.
As these are live investigations, the Integrity Commission will not comment any further on this matter at this time.
Further press releases may follow.