Antigua-Barbuda PM wants all ministers to disclose their assets
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said he plans to discuss with his ministers the possibility of disclosing details of their assets for public scrutiny.
Browne told listeners on local radio that he wants members of his government to do as he has done and tell the public what they own on an annual basis.
Currently, only certain categories of public officials must file reports of their assets with the Integrity in Public Office Commission.
“The question is whether we should not go further to have full public disclosure, so that we publish publicly all our assets and income on an annual basis,” Browne said.
“I have gone as far as declaring my income and the amount paid in taxes,” the prime minister said, while acknowledging that “there is no legal requirement for anyone to fully disclose their assets in public.”
“The reason for that is to ensure that we can monitor the assets of politicians in particular,” Browne said.
The Antigua and Barbuda leader also called for whistleblower legislation to protect people who reveal wrongdoing in government.
The TCIFA 2018 Congress held at the Regent Village
The TCIFA 2018 Congress was held at the Regent Village Conference Center, yesterday. The annual event consisted of the review and approval of past and upcoming football activities in the Turks & Caicos Islands, the revised TCIFA constitution, financial matters, and other matters arising.
In addition to these were the election of TCIFA President, 2nd Director, and three Executive Committee Members for a term-period of 4 years. President Sonia Fulford and 2nd Director Paula Garland remained uncontested throughout the nomination process. Indrani Saunders, Tamara Hall and Benneth Williams retained their seats as TCIFA members casted their votes of confidence.
The 2018 TCIFA Executive Committee:
President - Sonia Fulford
1st Vice President - Paul Slattery
2nd Vice President- Candace Hanchell
Director of Finance - Ryan Blain
Director 1- Steve Kendrew
Director 2- Paula Garland
Director 3- Patrice Senior
Exec. Member- Indrani Saunders
Exec. Member- Tamara Hall
Exec. Member - Benneth Williams
Ritz crackers recalled over potential salmonella risk
The manufacturers of Ritz crackers - first introduced in 1934 - has announced it is recalling some of its products over a potential risk of salmonella.
Mondelez Global said it was voluntarily calling back 16 versions of its Ritz Cracker Sandwiches and Ritz Bits products in the US.
The Hanover, New Jersey-based company said the products contained whey powder, which its supplier had recalled due to the potential presence of salmonella.
The Associated Press said Mondelez said no illnesses had been reported yet. Symptoms of salmonella include fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. It can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in the young, elderly or those with weakened immune systems, it said.
The company said that consumers who have these products should not eat them, and should discard them.
The recall affects Ritz Bits Cheese, Ritz Cheese Cracker Sandwiches, Ritz Bacon Cracker Sandwiches with Cheese, Ritz Whole Wheat Cracker Sandwiches with White Cheddar Cheese, Ritz Everything Cracker Sandwiches with Cream Cheese, and Mixed Cookie variety.
The products have expiration dates of January 14 2019 to April 13 2019.
Salmonella worries prompt Goldfish Crackers recall!!!
Salmonella fears have prompted a mass recall of the cheese-flavoured snack Goldfish Crackers in the US.
Pepperidge Farms, owner of the brand, announced the recall of about 3.3 million units of the product on Monday.
One of its suppliers warned that the whey powder used as seasoning may contain the bacteria, which can cause illness and in some cases may be fatal.
Food giants Mondelez and Kelloggs have also recently recalled products over salmonella concerns.
In a press release,Pepperidge Farms revealed the four varieties of Goldfish Crackers affected, along with the sell by dates of the units to be recalled.
There have been no reports of illness from customers, a spokesperson said.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also currently investigating an outbreak of salmonella linked to sliced melon. As of 19 June, 70 people across 7 states had been infected, the FDA said.
The company has posted a chart with the product codes on its website.
Bahamian Miller-Uibo breaks record in Monaco Friday
Shaunae Miller-Uibo ran a world-leading time of 48.97 seconds to win the 400 meters (m) at the IAAF Diamond League in Monaco today.
Miller-Uibo, the first Bahamian woman to run under 49 seconds, lowered the national record of 49.07s set by Tonique Williams in 2004.
New National Record
New Meet Record
New Diamond League Record
New World Lead
New Personal Best
Toronto shooting rampage leaves 2 dead, 12 wounded and a city baffled
A second victim has died after a gunman opened fire in a popular Toronto neighborhood late Sunday night.
Now, as a dozen wounded victims try to recover from their injuries, police are trying to understand what prompted the deadly shootings.
Witness Jody Steinhauer was dining with her family at a Greek restaurant called Christina's when she heard what she thought was the sound of firecrackers. Then she was told to run to the back of the restaurant.
"We started to hear people scream out front," Steinhauer said.
The crime scene stretched over a distance, the police chief said. Witnesses were taken by buses to multiple offices to speak with investigators. Police asked witnesses or anyone with information to contact authorities.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said he was "outraged that someone has unleashed such a terrible attack on our city and people innocently enjoying a Sunday evening."
Police said the second victim died Monday morning. Neither that victim nor the one who died overnight have been publicly identified. The gunman is also dead, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said. It was not immediately clear whether the assailant died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or from police gunfire.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his condolences to all those affected by the catastrophe in Greektown.
Tour de France 2018: Team Sky's Gianni Moscon disqualified after hitting rider
Team Sky's Gianni Moscon has been disqualified from the Tour de France for hitting another rider.
Team Fortuneo-Samsic said Moscon had punched their rider Elie Gesbert after 800 metres of Sunday's stage, which was won by Astana's Magnus Cort.
Last year, the 24-year-old was suspended by Team Sky for six weeks after racially abusing a rival.
Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford said that they "support and accept" the decision made by race organisers.
"Gianni is desperately disappointed in his behaviour and knows that he has let himself, the team and the race down," he said.
"I would like to offer my sincere apologies to both Elie Gesbert and Team Fortuneo Samsic for this unacceptable incident."
The Italian was also disqualified from last year's world championship road race after hanging onto a team car.
Ebola: How a killer disease was stopped in its tracks
One of the world's deadliest viruses, Ebola kills up to half of those it infects. But despite appearing to have all the hallmarks of a potential epidemic, the latest outbreak developed in a very different way.
It was the ninth Ebola outbreak to hit the Democratic Republic of Congo in a decade, killing 29 people and leaving at least 60 children orphaned.
While one death is too many, the West Africa epidemic of 2014-16 claimed more than 11,000 lives and it is hoped that later this week the most recent outbreak will be declared officially over by the World Health Organization.
The relatively small number of deaths follows the use of an experimental vaccine, which may have saved hundreds, or even thousands of lives.
Although the outbreak began in a remote area, there was a real danger that large numbers could be infected.
The vaccine used, known as rVSV-ZEBOV was already in development during the 2014-16 epidemic. But by the time its effectiveness had been proven, the outbreak was already waning.
When the virus returned in 2018, it could be quickly deployed, once the DRC government had approved its experimental use. This vaccine is designed for use against the Zaire strain of Ebola, which caused both this outbreak and the previous one.
The 13-year-old who built a best-selling lemonade brand
Mikaila Ulmer's lemonade is now stocked in more than 500 stores across the US, but unfortunately she has slipped to a "C" in her maths class.
Running a successful business is very much a full-time job, but Mikaila - the founder and boss of Me & The Bees Lemonade - also has to make time for her school work. Just 13 years old, one day she will be in class, the next she could be speaking at an entrepreneurship conference.
"Sometimes I have to miss classes to do an interview, or travel for a TV show. Or I'll miss a big show or presentation because I have a large project or test at school."
Now selling 360,000 bottles of her lemonade a year, with stockists including upmarket supermarket chain Whole Foods Market, Mikaila is one of the youngest business owners in the US.
With the continuing help of her parents, Mikaila first started selling her lemonade in 2009. That year she set up a table in front of the family home, and began selling lemonade based on a 1940s recipe from her great-grandmother.
The recipe contains honey, and around the same time Mikaila got stung by two bees in two weeks. Her mother and father advised her that rather than freaking out at the sight of every bee, she should do some research to better understand them, and the crucial role they play in pollination, and the wider ecosystem.
This inspired Mikaila to give some of the money she raised from the sale of the lemonade to organisations that protect honey bees.
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are driving 25,000 miles every day
Waymo, the former Google self-driving project that spun out to become a business under Alphabet, has driven 8 million miles on public roads using its autonomous vehicles.
Waymo CEO John Krafcik shared the company's milestone Friday while onstage with Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval at the National Governor's Association conference in Santa Fe, N.M. The figure is notable when compared to where Waymo was less than a year ago. In November, the company announced it had reached 4 million miles, meaning the company has been able to double the number of autonomous miles driven on public roads in just eight months.
Waymo's fleet of self-driving vehicles is now logging 25,000 miles every day on public roads, Krafcik said. He later tweeted out the stats along with a graphic. Waymo has 600 self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans on the road in 25 cities. It's also adding 20,000 Jaguars I-Pace crossovers and has plans for another 62, 000 Pacificas.
The company also relies on simulation as it works to build an AI-based self-driving system that performs better than a human. In the past nine years, Waymo has "driven" more than 5 billion miles in its simulation, according to the company. That's the equivalent to 25,000 virtual cars driving all day, everyday, the company says.
This newly shared goal signals Waymo is getting closer to launching a commercial driverless transportation service later this year. More than 400 residents in Phoenix have been trialing Waymo's technology by using an app to hail self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans.
The company says it plans to launch its service later this year.