Retro computer project directors row
The founders of a crowd-funded project to make a retro computer games console, backed by Spectrum inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, have distanced themselves from the company they used to run.
Retro Computers has received £417,375 ($542,000) from an Indiegogo campaign. But former directors Paul Andrews and Chris Smith said they had been unable to answer backers' concerns and were now "publicly distancing" themselves. The company accused Mr Andrews and Mr Smith of developing a rival product.
'Irreconcilable differences'
A company with a similar name, Retro Games Ltd, has a website registered to Mr Andrews. It has also attempted to crowd-fund a retro computer device - although its is based on the Commodore 64 - but failed to meet its target. Mr Andrews and Mr Smith said in a statement they had had no control of the Spectrum company, Retro Computers, since their resignation in April.
However, the pair do retain a joint 50% shareholding. Mr Andrews and Mr Smith said they had received many emails from the project's backers questioning the production status of the Vega+ handheld console but had not been able to get answers from the company.
In a joint statement, they said: "Andrews and Smith therefore feel they have no choice but to publicly distance themselves from Retro Computers Ltd, and make it very clear that as they have no knowledge, control or say in anything that has happened in the company since they resigned on 8 April 2016, they are unable to answer any questions relating to the company or its projects." Their resignation followed "irreconcilable differences" between the two men and company chairman Dr David Levy.
William Hill rejects Rank and 888's £3.16bn bid
Bookmaker William Hill has rejected a £3.16bn takeover offer from online operator 888 and casino giant Rank. The bid, in shares and cash, was called "highly opportunistic" by Gareth Davis, chairman of William Hill, who said it did not reflect its true value.
The deal would create the UK's third-largest online betting group with revenues of £2.7bn. William Hill shares have risen 22% to 334p since 888 said last month that it was considering a joint bid with Rank.
The bid would mean 888 taking over Rank, with the newly formed company then buying William Hill. Mr Davis said that it would involve some £2.2bn in debt. He said: "It is a very complex three-way combination at a low premium involving substantial risk for William Hill shareholders: execution risk, integration risk and risks of materially increased leverage."
The offer of 364p a share to William Hill shareholders is made up of 199p in cash and 0.725% per share in the new company, BidCo. But Rank and 888 argue that its business plan would increase the company's value to up to 408p a share - or £3.6bn.
888 and Rank said that they see "significant industrial logic in the combination, through consolidation of their complementary online and land-based operations, delivery of substantial revenue and cost synergies, and from the anticipated benefits of economies of scale which will accrue to all shareholders."
Delta cancels 300 more flights after power cut
US airline Delta has cancelled at least 300 more flights after a power cut on Monday that resulted in the cancellation of 1,000 flights and delays for about 2,800 more.
The company has not yet given details about the financial damage. But correspondents say it is likely to amount to millions of dollars. The meltdown exposes vulnerabilities in Delta's computer system, which is over-reliant on IT systems that date from the 1990s, correspondents say.
Although the airline was back online late on Monday, it was still dealing with the knock-on effects a day later.
Led Zeppelin lose fight to recoup legal fees from Stairway trial
The judge overseeing Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven copyright trial has rejected the group's attempts to recoup almost $800,000 (£620,000) in costs.
While the rock legends were found not guilty of plagiarising Spirit's song Taurus in June, Judge R Gary Klausner said the case was not frivolous. He ruled there was no evidence that the estate of Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe "harbored nefarious motives".
For that reason, the estate was not obliged to repay the band's legal fees. The trust for Wolfe, who was better known as Randy California, claimed Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant stole the opening riff for 1971's Stairway to Heaven from Taurus, a short instrumental released three years earlier.
But a jury found that Taurus "was not intrinsically similar" to Stairway's opening. Page and Plant, along with their publishing company Warner/Chappell, sought to recoup $793,000 following the verdict, arguing that their insurance company would not cover the legal fees because the copyright claim was so old.
Their lawyers argued that the case was an attempt to "shake down" the group. The judge acknowledged that the band had succeeded at trial and had shown a right to compensation - but in the end it was up to his discretion, and he sided with Wolfe's trustee.
Wolfe died in 1997. Meanwhile, the lawyer for his estate has promised to appeal the original decision. "The lawsuit was objectively reasonable, and we are confident that any appeal will be successful," Francis Malofiy told Rolling Stone.
Rio Olympics 2016: Usain Bolt calls for faith but questions if rivals are drug free
Usain Bolt has defended athletics at a news conference that featured a dance troupe and a rapping Norwegian. Amid the razzamatazz, the six-time Olympic champion, 29, made a serious point about the future of the sport.
The run-up to the Games was dominated by Russia's doping scandal, while American rivals Justin Gatlin and LaShawn Merritt have served drug bans.
"People should have faith," said Bolt. "We're weeding out the bad ones. We're going in the right direction." But the Jamaican added "nothing is guaranteed" when asked whether the sprint races at the Games, which start on Saturday, would be drug-free.
Bolt, who said in February he would retire from athletics after the 2017 World Championships, confirmed this would be his last Olympics. The sprinter, who holds the 100m and 200m world records, also said he was aiming to become the first man to run under 19 seconds in the 200m.
He could leave Rio with a third successive Olympic treble after winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles in 2008 and 2012. "The 100m is never stressful," Bolt said. "For some reason, when I get to the 200m, I'm always a little bit nervous."
PUBLIC FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT
THIS IS A PUBLIC FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT TUESDAY 09TH AUGUST 2016 ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 6AM
GENERAL SITUATION: AN UPPER LOW NEAR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND A LOW LEVEL TROUGH CONTINUE TO CREATE UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER THE BAHAMAS
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS:
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGH SEAS IN THUNDERSTORMS
WINDS:SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET
SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS :
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY AND WARM WITH FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WINDS:EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 3 TO 5 FEET WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER IN THUNDERSTORMS
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 92°F 33°C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 75°F 24 °C
SUNRISE: 6:41 AM MOONSET: 12:14 AM LOW TIDE: 7:03AM
SUNSET: 7:49PM MOONRISE: 12:33 PM HIGH TIDE: 1:19 PM
EXTENDED FORECAST: THE UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE UNSETTLED WEATHER THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY BEFORE WEAKENING AND MOVING OUT OF THE AREA
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND WARM WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET
FORECAST FOR THUSRDAY
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WINDS: SOUTHEASTERLY AT 15KTS
SEAS : 3 T0 5 FEET
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: TROPICAL STORM FORMATION NOT EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
FORECASTER: N. ARMSTRONG /C.G
The Peoples Democratic Movement is pleased to announce the introduction of its Grand Turk constituency candidates.
On Wednesday, August 10, 2016, Derek Rolle and Hon Edwin Astwood will be officially announced in the Nation’s Capital. The PDM wishes to invite the residents of Grand Turk to join us at 730pm at the Party’s Headquarters for this historic event.
Party Leader, Hon Sharlene Cartwright Robinson says, “I am pleased to have these great men offering themselves for service to the Island of Grand Turk and the Turks and Caicos Islands at large. We welcome them aboard this Movement yet again and are confident that the people of ED 1 and ED 2 will see their value and be a part of the change that is on the horizon. The residents of Grand Turk have been neglected for too long and they deserve more. We will present these men who possess a vision for their native Island on the Island of Grand Turk and we are excited about this.
PEACEFUL PROTESTORS ADVOCATED FOR JUSTICE OVER DISPUTE WITH MANAGEMENT OF PRICECLUB/JSMS LTD.
At approximately 9:30 am this morning, peaceful protestors picketed the grounds in front of the Employment Services Department (Labour Department), Downtown, Providenciales. The protestors held up signs advocating for justice in their dispute with the Management of PriceClub/JSMS.
There were an estimated 8-10 persons protesting and they stayed on the grounds for approximately 2 hours.
The Commissioner of Labour, after receiving all facts associated with the protest, tried to invite the leaders for a meeting, however, they had already dispersed.
The PriceClub/JSMS Ltd is a wholesale supermarket that recently fell into liquidation. As a result their workers were presented with letters of redundancy. After these letters were received, the employees filed disputes with the Employment Services Department and contracted two law firms to represent them.
The first set of meetings were to be held today, 8th August, 2016, but was re-scheduled by one of the attorneys, who had prior commitments. The said conciliation sessions will be held later this week. Each employee’s claim will be dealt with fairly, with the primary aim of securing any entitlements owed to them.
BIOMETRIC ENROLMENT FOR UK CITIZENSHIP NOW AVAILABLE IN TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
The Governor’s Office in Grand Turk is pleased to announce that biometric enrolment services for those applying for British citizenship are now available in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Biometric enrolment, which consists of a facial photograph, fingerprint and electronic signature, is the final step for those seeking registration as a British Citizen.
Before now, local residents applying for registration as a British Citizen had to travel to Barbados or Jamaica to fulfil the biometric enrolment requirement needed to complete their application.
The difficulty and expense of travelling off-island for biometric enrolment was challenging for most citizenship applicants, and, following appeals from the Governor’s Office in Turks and Caicos Islands, as well as by other Overseas Territories, the UK Home Office agreed to set up a biometric enrolment facility in the Governor’s Office, Grand Turk.
Commenting on this development a spokesman for Governor’s Office said, “Our hope is that this new facility will make it easier and cheaper for residents of Turks and Caicos to secure registration as UK citizens, rather than having to arrange travel to Barbados or Jamaica. This brings TCI in line with the options available to potential British citizens in many other countries and is a welcome development.”
Applicants will be contacted by the Governor’s Office once they have been informed by the UK Home Office that biometric enrolment is required and a date for enrolment agreed. Biometrics will be enrolled fortnightly at the Governor’s Office in Grand Turk, by appointment.
For more information, please contact Carmelita Rolle at the Governor’s Office at 946-2308/9
HILTON MIAMI/DADELAND OPENS
HILTON WORLDWIDE TO OPEN HILTON MIAMI/DADELAND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BAPTIST HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA
184-Room New Build Hotel to Feature Rooms for Longer Stays and Wellness Center
MIAMI, FL. – August 8, 2016 – Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) and Baptist Health South Florida today announced the signing of a franchise license agreement to open Hilton Miami/Dadeland, a full service, 184-room hotel, on the Baptist Hospital campus in Miami, Florida. Scheduled to open in late 2018, the hotel will feature 150 guest rooms, 34 rooms tailored to guests staying for longer periods, the largest meeting space in the area, a wellness center, farm-to-table restaurant and more. The hotel will be operated by Interstate Hotels and Resorts.
“We are proud that Hilton Hotels & Resorts will be a part of the Baptist Hospital campus, offering our world-class hospitality to all visitors in the greater Miami area, as well as patients and families who are in particular need of the comfort, convenience and amenities that we offer,” said Matt Wehling, senior vice president, development – North America, Hilton Worldwide. “We thank Baptist Health South Florida for their partnership and collaboration in bringing this property to life.”
Hilton Miami/Dadeland will complement the exceptional patient experience offered at Miami Cancer Institute, a new $430 million clinical and research center which will house South Florida’s first proton therapy center, and the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, a leader in cardiovascular care. CallisonRTKL Inc., the architect for the hotel, has fused best practices from healthcare and hospitality design by incorporating a welcoming, compassionate and uplifting environment for guests. Recognizing the community’s multicultural nature and the hospital campus’ Mediterranean feel, the property will feature special design details, including Cuban tile, pineapple-themed wall art and textiles with abstract lines representative of the fruit’s texture to add a touch of local style. The pineapple, Baptist Health’s iconic logo, symbolizes hospitality and reflects a place of warmth and welcome.
The 150,000-square-foot hotel will be located to the immediate west of the main entrance of Baptist Hospital and conveniently near Dadeland Mall and regional transportation hubs, including Miami International Airport, Miami MetroRail Dadeland North station and Tamiami Executive Airport.
“Hilton Worldwide is recognized globally as a leader in hospitality, and we felt its full-service Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand would be an ideal partner,” said Ana Lopez-Blazquez, executive vice president, Baptist Health South Florida. “In addition, this property will have the largest meeting space in the area to accommodate conferences, events and meetings.”
Hilton Miami/Dadeland will include a 6,200-square-foot ballroom, over 2,000 square feet of state-of-the-art flexible meeting space, a health and wellness center with a fitness room and heated outdoor pool, and a 24-hour business center. In addition to the hotel’s restaurant, Hilton Miami/Dadeland will offer a grab-n-go pantry, a water bar with bottled water from around the world and room service. During digital check-in, guests will be able to request a Digital Key from within the Hilton HHonors mobile app to unlock their rooms, and the hotel’s app will suggest nearby dining and entertainment venues.
“The Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand is beloved among travelers around the world, and Hilton Miami/Dadeland will bring the best of our brand to the local area,” said Shawn McAteer, vice president, global brand management, full service brands, Hilton Worldwide. “This property will offer the signature elements of Hilton Hotels & Resorts – unparalleled amenities, individualized service and beautifully designed rooms – to business and leisure travelers, as well as patients and their families.”
Hilton Miami/Dadeland participates in Hilton HHonors®, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton Worldwide. Hilton HHonors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including an exclusive discount that can’t be found anywhere else, free standard Wi-Fi, digital check-in and Hilton HHonors Points.\
Hilton Miami/Dadeland will be located at 9100 N. Kendall Drive, Miami, FL 33176. For more information about Hilton Hotels & Resorts, visit www.hilton.com or news.hilton.com. For more information about Baptist Health South Florida, visit www.baptisthealth.net.