Serena Williams suffers worst defeat of her career
Serena Williams is usually the one who inflicts heavy defeats on others, but the former world No.1 suffered the most one-sided loss of her illustrious career Tuesday when she was knocked out of the first round of the Silicon Valley Classic after a 6-1 6-0 defeat.
During a 53-minute rout, British No.1 Johanna Konta, ranked 48th in the world, won 12 games in a row -- including two service games to love in the second set -- to progress to the second round in San Jose.
Senators: Trump 'not paying attention' to Russian threats in 2018
Two leading senators are asserting that President Donald Trump has not focused on the clear threat the Kremlin poses in the 2018 elections, with one Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee contending that Russian hackers may have already targeted most -- if not all -- sitting US senators.
Ratcheting up the push for a more robust US response to Russian interference in the midterms and 2020 elections, Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are now slated to get a committee vote this month on a bipartisan bill is aimed at shoring up the nation's election system. But the two senators said their plan has run into hurdles for months -- and say the Russian threat is real headed into the midterms.
In a joint interview as the primary season wraps up and with the November midterms less than 100 days away, the senators told CNN Wednesday that there is far more that has to be done -- from the White House on down to the states.
"The intelligence community has been very active on this, the Department of Homeland Security has been active on this," Lankford said. "While the President has been inconsistent in his tweets, and some of the messaging that he's put on it, he's the only one in the government that hasn't been paying attention to this."
Klobuchar added: "There were clearly delays based on things the President was saying that weren't really directing their people to coordinate, they've admitted that under oath. But from the very beginning, Director (Dan) Coats made it clear that Russia has been emboldened and they're getting bolder."
he senators revealed that one of the Russian targets appear to be themselves. Asked about a Daily Beast Report that Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill has been targeted by Russian hackers, Lankford acknowledged that virtually every senator has faced a similar threat, calling it a "pretty regular thing around here."
"I would be shocked if there's a senator that hasn't been targeted, quite frankly," said Lankford, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee. "Because this a common issue for people trying to get in to get access to your information. And if they can get access into one office, they can get access into multiple offices. So they can look for any spot they were able to get into."
The comments come as Congress is moving to toughen the US response to Russian aggression in the elections amid growing bipartisan angst that the administration is not moving swiftly enough. After Trump's handling of last month's summit with Vladimir Putin was widely panned, Senate Republicans have called for more sanctions on the Kremlin -- and more lawmakers are calling for new legislation to force the federal government and states to take more significant action.
Australia senator sues opponent over 'sexist slurs'
Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young has filed a lawsuit against a political opponent who made "sexist slurs" towards her.
The Greens senator, 36, is the first Australian sitting politician to sue another for defamation.
She alleges Senator David Leyonhjelm made "defamatory statements" about her personal life in parliament and in the Australian media.
Mr Leyonhjelm, 66, has said he will strenuously defend himself.
The Liberal Democrat senator widely criticised in June after he told Ms Hanson-Young to "stop shagging men" during a debate in the Senate about curbing violence against women.
After Ms Hanson-Young spoke out about the remarks, he repeated similar comments in television and radio interviews.
Ms Hanson-Young said Mr Leyonhjelm's comments were an attack on her character and had caused considerable harm to her family.
"I'm calling this out because it is wrong," she said in a statement on Thursday.
"No woman, whether she be working behind a bar, in an office or in the Parliament, deserves to be treated this way, and it needs to stop."
The feud between the two senators has prompted renewed public discussion about sexism in Australian politics. Women make up less than third of parliament
Google in China: Internet giant 'plans censored search engine'
Google is developing a version of its search engine that will conform to China's censorship laws, reports say.
The company shut down the engine in 2010, complaining that free speech was being limited.
But online news site The Intercept says Google has being working on a project code-named Dragonfly that will block terms like human rights and religion, a move sure to anger activists.
One state-owned newspaper in China, Securities Daily, dismissed the report.
When questioned about the claim, a spokeswoman for Google provided a brief statement.
"We provide a number of mobile apps in China, such as Google Translate and Files Go, help Chinese developers, and have made significant investments in Chinese companies like JD.com," it said.
French rappers Booba and Kaaris brawl at Paris airport
Two French rappers have been arrested after fighting broke out at a Paris airport that caused flight delays and the closure of part of the building.
Booba and Kaaris were detained along with members of their entourages following scuffles at a departure lounge at Orly airport on Wednesday.
Police say 11 people were arrested in relation to the incident.
The clashes, which took place at a duty-free shop at the airport, were witnessed by dozens of tourists.
Footage posted on social media showed the men fighting between the shelves of the shop and chasing and kicking one another around the departure lounge.
The two rappers had been on their way to a concert in Barcelona. However, the reason behind the altercation is not yet clear.
For Better or Worse, the Nissan Juke Is No More
According to a report by Nissan's ever-polarizing Juke subcompact crossover is—in the U.S. at least—discontinued. Dead. Donezo. Finito.
The report explicitly blames its demise on weak U.S. sales brought on by the Juke's, er, divisive styling. In 2017, Nissan reportedly sold just 10,157 Jukes in this country, 48 percent less than the year before.
The small crossover has, however, found decent success in the European market where Juke sales totaled approximately 95,000 in 2017. In fact, the company's plant in Sunderland, U.K. just celebrated building its millionth Juke two weeks ago. Europeans apparently love this crossover so much, they went and built a million of 'em. Yeah, I was surprised too.
On American soil, however, the Juke will soon be replaced by the Kicks, a new subcompact crossover from Nissan with an equally silly name but styling that's quite a bit less outlandish. Starting at $18,965, the Kicks will undercut the car it replaces by more than $1,000.
Automotive News reported the Juke was originally built as a "sports car crossover" aimed at single, young males who would then trade up to a 370Z rather than a Rogue or Pathfinder. We'll leave it up to you to decide how successful the Juke was in garnering a cool-guy, sporty-car image but the sales figures don't lie. Perhaps the wild-looking Nissan was just too cool, too edgy for most American buyers.
Tokyo Medical University 'changed female exam scores'
Reports that one of Japan's most prestigious medical universities tampered with female applicants' entrance exam scores have sparked an outcry on social media. Tokyo Medical University began altering results in 2011 to ensure under 30% of successful applicants would be women.
Users online took aim at the Japanese government over the scandal. Critics suggested the allegations were ironic given Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's stated commitment to boost female participation in the workforce.
An unnamed source said officials adopted a "silent understanding" to reduce the number of female entrants over concerns female graduates were not going on to practice medicine in employment. "Many female students who graduate end up leaving the actual medical practice to give birth and raise children," the source told the newspaper. In 2010, before the measure was allegedly introduced, female student participation was about 40%.
The newspaper reports that after the two-round application process earlier this year, only 30 female applicants were accepted to study, versus 141 men.
Mexico plane crash: Investigators find 'black box' flight recorders
Investigators have found the flight recorders from an Aeroméxico flight, which crashed in Mexico's northern Durango state on Tuesday.
All 103 passengers and crew on board survived, but 97 were injured - two seriously.
At present, it is unclear exactly what downed flight AM2431.
The plane had taken off during stormy weather, and fell to earth near the runway just moments later. All those aboard managed to escape before it caught fire.
"The impact was very strong. We wanted to think it was a lightning strike," Chicago resident and passenger Lorenzo Nunez told Reuters news agency. "It was terrible, absolutely terrible."
Airline Aeroméxico tweeted on Wednesday that 64 people had been released from hospital.
One of those seriously injured was a young girl who sustained burns. The other was the plane's pilot, who needed an operation on his spine but is reportedly in a stable condition.
Ms. Chandra Craigg Receives UK 2018 Chevening Scholarship
The Governor’s Office is pleased to announce that Ms. Chandra Craigg has been awarded a prestigious Chevening Scholarship for the 2018/19 academic year.
Ms. Craigg will be studying an MSc in Marketing and Digital strategy at Leeds Beckett University in the UK starting 17th September 2018.
The award was presented by His Excellency the Governor, Dr. John Freeman in his office on the 31st July 2018.
Chevening Scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding individuals with leadership potential who wish to contribute to the development of the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Ms. Chandra Craigg is a native to the island of Grand Turk. She completed her studies in the field of Advertising at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. After graduating university she immediately returned home to the Turks and Caicos first working at Radio Turks and Caicos, but soon after left to work in the Marketing Department of Islandcom Wireless. Since the closing of the company, Ms Craigg has partnered in local advertising consultancy – Outside the Box Advertising – and also began a career in the field of real estate.
Commenting on the award Chandra said:
“I’m truly honoured and grateful to the Foreign and Common Wealth Office for selecting me to represent the Turks and Caicos Islands as the 2018 Chevening Scholar. It’s been a goal of mine to further my education and advance myself in my career goals and as an advertiser. I thank my family and friends for their support, and all those who helped me push along the way. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
HE the Governor commented:
‘It was a pleasure to meet Chandra Craigg and to congratulate her on the award of a Chevening Scholarship. Chandra follows in a distinguished line of Chevening Scholars from TCI. I hope many more will apply for one of these very prestigious and valuable scholarships. Meanwhile I am sure that Chandra will carry the TCI flag proudly in the city of Leeds where she will study for her Master’s degree. I wish her all the very best.’
The Applications season for this year’s 2019/20 scholarship opens on the 6th August and closes on the 6th November 2018 and we encourage all eligible persons to apply.
IN ORDER TO SUMBIT AN ELIGIBLE CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS MUST:
- Be a Citizen of TCI, and return to TCI for a minimum of two years after completing their scholarship.
- Have completed an undergraduate degree
- Have at least two years work experience
- Be able to receive an unconditional offer from a UK university
Chevening Scholarship offers a monthly stipend, travel to and from TCI, a thesis or dissertation grant and tuition fees.
Applicants should read the online guidance and be able to demonstrate how they meet the Chevening selection criteria before submitting an application. Further details of closing dates and priority subject’s areas are available at
For more Information Contact the Chevening Officer- Mr Neville Misick
Email: Neville.misick@fco.gov.uk
Telephone: +1649 -946-2308/9
Applications open 6th August 2018 – 6th November 2018
Meet the Department of Registration and Citizenship
The Department of Registration and Citizenship in the Ministry of Border Control and Employment is delighted to serve the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands and we are pleased to introduce our team to you.
Our mandate is to create and manage the vital records of all residents, register all life events, and provide secure identity documents in accordance with the legal frameworks that govern us.
We provide you with the identity and status documents that you will require throughout your life span. Our products includes Birth, Death and Marriage certificates, British Overseas Territories Citizen Passports, Emergency Passports and Travel Documents, Permanent Residence Certificates, Naturalization and Registration as BOTC Citizens, TCI Status and Islander Status Cards and Apostilles.
Our strategic goals for this year is the establishment of agreed service delivery timelines for each of our products, the introduction of secured identity documents and the digitization and preservation of our vital records.
As we continue to improve our processes including the way we work, we invite you to engage with us and assist us in serving you better by ensuring that current contact numbers and email addresses are submitted with every application.
All other queries and any additional change in information can be made by calling us on 649-232-7533 or emailing us on infobordercontrol@gov.tc
Our offices are located at the Three Degrees Office Complex in Grand Turk and upstairs the Sammy Been Plaza in Providenciales.