Sergio Marchionne, the CEO who saved Fiat and Chrysler, dies at 66
Auto legend Sergio Marchionne, the charismatic executive who turned Fiat and Chrysler around before combining the companies as a profitable business, died Wednesday. He was 66.
Fiat Chrysler had announced Marchionne's abrupt resignation as CEO on Saturday, citing "unexpected complications" while he was recovering from surgery. Marchionne was also chief executive of Ferrari, and both FCA and Ferrari announced successors who took immediate control of the companies.
Over a long career, Marchionne left an indelible mark on the industry. He was the CEO of Fiat when it bought Chrysler out of bankruptcy in 2009 following a US government bailout. The companies merged about four years ago.
He was known for his witty comments, fearless decision making, trademark black sweaters and an aversion to neckties.
In 2009, Fiat made a deal with Chrysler that queued up Fiat to become the primary stakeholder in the American company, and Marchionne was installed as CEO.
Under his leadership, the company eventually emerged as a profitable global automaker.
Pakistan election: Dozens killed as voters go to polls
Violence has erupted as millions head to the polls in Pakistan, with at least 31 dead in the worst attack, a bomb in the city of Quetta.
Elsewhere, minor blasts and clashes between party workers left several injured and two dead.
Opinion polls suggest the election battle will be between the parties of ex-cricket star Imran Khan and the disgraced former PM Nawaz Sharif.
But the campaign has been overshadowed by concerns of fraud and violence.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says there have been "blatant" attempts to manipulate the polls.
Mr Khan has vowed to tackle corruption but his rivals accuse him of benefiting from alleged meddling by the military, which has ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its history.
Mr Sharif, who won the last election, has been jailed for corruption after a scandal stemming from the Panama Papers leak.
InterCaribbean Flights Added To Curaçao, Aruba
InterCaribbean Airways is introducing new routes from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Aruba and between Curaçao and Kingston, Jamaica. These new services add to the airline’s nonstop flights to Tortola, St. Maarten and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.The announcement came from InterCaribbean’s Chairman and Founder Lyndon Gardiner, and the airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director Trevor Sadler.
“At interCaribbean Airways, we know that the Dominican Republic currently leads the region as an economic engine and as a strategic commercial and business point,” said Sadler. “Our intention is to facilitate the opportunity through the introduction of these new routes.”
The new destinations of Aruba and Curaçao will also serve as new routes for the British Virgin Islands with connections to and from Tortola via Santo Domingo. Direct flights from Tortola, InterCaribbean’s second hub, include services to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Maarten, Santo Domingo, St. Lucia and Providenciales with connections to Kingston and Nassau.
The date of the service’s commencement will be confirmed soon, the company said. The carrier, which connects 22 destinations and 14 countries in the Caribbean, will also be adding a larger aircraft to its fleet, increasing its passenger, and nonstop and direct flight capacity.
“The company also said it would be adding a new Embraer 145 jet, a 50-seat aircraft that would soon join the company’s fleet of Twin Otter and Embraer 120 planes.
Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala invest in Team SoloMid's parent company
Golden States Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala invested in multigame esports organization Swift, the parent company of Team SoloMid and its affiliated businesses, the organization and players announced on Tuesday.
Curry and Iguodala are part of a greater $37 million investment round that was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, a San Francisco and Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that contributed $25 million itself to the round. Bessemer recruited both Curry and Iguodala, as well as a number of other investors such as Indiana Pacers ownership heir Steve Simon, NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young and a slew of other tech and sports companies and executives.
With the investment, Curry and Iguodala become the third and fourth current Warriors players to invest in the esports space. In September 2016, forward Jonas Jerebko led a group that acquired Renegades, an esports organization that it subsequently relocated to Detroit; Jerebko moved to the Warriors in July after being waived by the Utah Jazz. Additionally, 2018 NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant is a minority owner in Vision Venture Partners, the parent of Rick Fox backed esports team Echo Fox. The only other active NBA player outside of the Warriors to invest in esports is the Thunder's Paul George, who is an owner of Endemic Esports.
Bryant told ESPN that Curry's investment was partly motivated by the increasing participation of NBA ownership groups and the league itself in the rapidly growing industry.
Weather Forecast 24th July, 2018
BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS PUBLIC FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
GENERAL SITUATION: A MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH NORTHWEST OF THE BAHAMAS CONTINUE TO CREATE UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER THE AREA WHILE SURFACE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE GENERATE MODERATE TO STRONG BREEZES OVER THE ISLANDS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY IN THE EXTREME NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. BEACHGOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS SHOULD REMAIN ON ALERT FOR THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE EASTERN COASTS.
SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AMD CAICOS ISLANDS.
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, HOT AND HUMID WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. MAINLY FAIR AND WARM WITH AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR TWO TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME HEAVY TO SEVERE AT TIMES.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT.
WINDS: SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 91°F 33°C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE: 77°F 25°C
HEAT INDEX: 101°F 39°C
SUNSET: 07:57PM MOONRISE: 04:48PM HIGH TIDE: 04:57PM
SUNRISE: 06:34AM TUE. MOONSET: 03:53AM TUE.
LOW TIDE: 11:24PM
HIGH TIDE: 05:09AM TUE.
LOW TIDE: 11:16AM TUE.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: THE TROPICS REMAIN QUIET AND TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT FIVE DAYS.
UWI ranked 37th among best universities in Caribbean and Latin America
The University of the West Indies (UWI) has been named among the top third universities in Latin America and the Caribbean by a prestigious UK-based publication, Times Higher Education.
This is the first time that UWI is included among the publication’s world-class universities rankings, coming in at number 37 out of 129 institutions reviewed, from among 10 of the largest and richest countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, such as Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
The 2018 Latin America University Rankings list, which includes the best universities across the region was released last Wednesday by Times Higher Education, the leading provider of higher education data for the world's research-led institutions.
Over the past three years, UWI has intensified its transformation thrust, and this reality of the ranking is testament to its progress. The rankings come on the heels of the regional university’s new outlook and direction guided by its five-year strategic plan, 2017-2022.
Themed the Triple A Strategy, the plan is centred around widening access to quality tertiary education, greater alignment of The UWI with academic-industry partnerships relevant to the region’s needs and agility and alertness in engaging global connections and possibilities.
This year also marks a milestone anniversary for UWI. The regional institution celebrates 70 years of service and leadership as the largest, most longstanding, higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean.
Greece wildfires: 60 dead in holiday area
At least 60 people have died in wildfires in the Attica region around Athens, in Greece's worst fire disaster in more than a decade.
Flames fanned by strong winds devastated the seaside village of Mati, devouring homes and cars.
Rescuers found the bodies of 26 adults and children who had apparently hugged each other as they died, trapped by the inferno just metres from the sea.
Many calls have been made to the rescue services looking for missing persons.
Mati is located in the Rafina region which is popular with local tourists, especially pensioners and children attending holiday camps.
Hundreds of firefighters have been battling the blazes and the authorities are seeking international assistance.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has declared three days of national mourning
Over 460 migrants separated from their children have potentially been deported by U.S.
“These parents urgently need consultations with lawyers, so that they do not mistakenly strand their children in the United States," the ACLU said in the joint court filing on Monday.
The Trump administration may have already deported as many as 463 migrant parents who were separated from their children at the U.S.-Mexico border, and they may have lost their right to reunification, Justice Department lawyers said in a court filing on Monday.
Those parents may not be eligible to be reunified with their children, according to the filing, which grouped parents not in the U.S. as either potentially eligible or not eligible.
The filing also reported that 879 migrant parents have been successfully reunified with their children, up from 364 on Thursday. But 917 parents may not be eligible for reunification at all.
A total of 2,551 children between the ages of 5-17 have been taken from their parents at the border, many of whom were separated under Trump's "zero tolerance" policy that called for the prosecution of all immigrants crossing the border illegally.Migrant parents crossing the border with children now are held in detention with their children and not criminally prosecuted unless they have committed other crimes.
The government has until Thursday to reunify the rest of the children,
Children not reunified with parents will be sent to live with a family member or sponsor while their asylum case plays out, officials have said.
Fraser-Pryce Already Looking Forward To 2019 World Champs After Sub-11 Run
Jamaican sprinting star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was left pleased with her 100m run at the London Anniversary Games on Saturday, as the IAAF Diamond League made its way to the British capital.
Fraser-Pryce, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time individual gold -medal winner at the World Championships, dipped below 11 seconds for the first time since giving birth to her son Zyon last August.
Competing inside the London Olympic Stadium, the 31-year-old first clocked 11.13 seconds in slightly negative win (-0.4) to win her heat, before returning to the track to stop the clock at 10.98 to win the final shortly afterwards.
She prepares to return to championship competition with next year's World Championships in Qatar kicking off the next cycle of major global events, completed by the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the 2021 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The sprinter, who is yet to consistently execute the bullet start that she is so well-known for, added that she is working to put all phases of her race together.
"Being a mother is my first priority and to come back and be flexible with my training is wonderful, and I'm so excited about next year now," she added.
Antidepressant prescriptions for children on the rise
The number of antidepressants prescribed to children in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland has risen over the past three years.In England, there was a 15% rise. Scotland saw a 10% increase. And in Northern Ireland the number rose by 6%.
In total, there were 950,000 prescriptions issued between April 2015 and March 2018. Experts have linked the rise to waits for specialist mental health services.Antidepressants should prescribed to children only under close supervision.
The total number of prescriptions rose from 290,393 in 2015-16 to 330,616 in 2017-18.The steepest increase was seen in the youngest patients, those aged 12 and under, where the number of prescriptions rose on average by 24%, from 14,500 to almost 18,000.
Dr Bernadka Dubicka, who chairs the child and adolescent faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: "Currently only one in four children and young people are treated for their mental health problems.
Marc Bush, chief policy advisor at Young Minds, said: "The government recently suggested that the average waiting time for general access to Camhs is around 12 weeks, which is a long time to be in distress.
In rare cases, antidepressants can trigger thoughts of suicide and self-harm in children.