Missing MH370 Plane Possibly Found
Part of the aircraft wing found on Reunion Island is from the missing MH370 plane, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has confirmed. Mr Najib said international experts examining the debris in France had "conclusively confirmed" it was from the aircraft. The Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 239 people veered off course from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. The debris was examined at an aeronautical test centre near Toulouse. It was found on the remote French Indian Ocean island of Reunion a week ago.
In a statement, Mr Najib said the "the burden and uncertainty faced by the families" in the 515 days since the aircraft disappeared had been "unspeakable". "We now have physical evidence that flight MH370 tragically ended in the southern Indian Ocean," he added. French prosecutor Serge Mackowiak later confirmed the wing fragment, known as a flaperon, was from a Boeing 777 - the same make and model as the missing Malaysian airliner. He said the results of initial tests showed there were "very strong indications" the flaperon was from flight MH370. He said confirmation would come after further tests on the fragment, which would begin on today.
Brosnan Tries To Carry Knife Through Security
Pierce Brosnan has been stopped by airport security officials for trying to board a US flight carrying a knife.
The former 007 star was prevented by Transportation Security Administration agents at Burlington International Airport in Vermont with the 10in (25cm) hunting knife in his hand luggage. The local police department said Brosnan was allowed to continue his journey after the issue was resolved.
The Irish-American's James Bond films include GoldenEye and Die Another Day. Brosnan, 62, was reportedly embarrassed and angry when the knife was taken away by agents. TSA rules state that sharp objects such as knives, box cutters and scissors longer than 4 inches must be stored in checked baggage.
Lieutenant Shawn Burke, from the Burlington Police Department, said airport authorities told him about Brosnan's encounter with Transportation Security Administration officials. He said the Irish actor "was encountered by TSA at one of their checkpoints" and was allowed to continue his journey after the issue was resolved.
The actor has not commented on the incident.
Jackson Diagnosed With A Stroke
Jackson, was was in Brazil to celebrate his 87th birthday, was diagnosed with a stroke associated with cardiac arrhythmia, the hospital said. His health had improved enough to warrant his release on yesterday, the Albert Einstein hospital added.
Jackson managed his sons' musical group in the early 1960s. He first worked with his three eldest sons, Jackie, Tito and Jermaine and then younger sons Marlon and Michael, forming the Jackson 5.
Although they would go on to achieve huge commercial success, it was reported that he was often abusive towards his family. In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson said that during his childhood, he would sometimes get sick or vomit with nerves upon seeing his father.
In a 2003 interview with Louis Theroux, Jackson admitted whipping his pop singer son as a child. "I whipped him with a switch and a belt. I never beat him. You beat someone with a stick," he said.
Michael, who went on to become a phenomenally successful pop star, died from an overdose of sedatives on 25 June, 2009 at the age of 50.
Drugs Now Available As 3D-Printed Pills
In a world first, the US Food and Drug Administration has given the go-ahead for a 3D-printed pill to be produced. The FDA has previously approved medical devices - including prosthetics - that have been 3D printed. The new drug, dubbed Spritam, was developed by Aprecia Pharmaceuticals to control seizures brought on by epilepsy.
The company said that it planned to develop other medications using its 3D platform. Printing the drugs allows layers of medication to be packaged more tightly in precise dosages. A separate technology developed by the firm, known as ZipDose, makes high-dose medications easier to swallow.
Printing the drug meant it could package up to 1,000 milligrams into individual tablets. The 3D-printed pill dissolves in the same manner as other oral medicines.
Source: BBC
Missick and Jean Competes at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
A Team comprising of two Athletes, Courtney Missick and Wadly Jean, along with Coach Darian Forbes left the island of Providenciales Wednesday for Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for The Pan Americian Junior Athletics Championships.
The Games will take place from July 31 to August 2, 2015. Courtney will be participating in the 100m and 200m, and Wadly will also participate in the 200m as well as the 400m.
Both Courtney and Wadly ran well, but unfortunately they didn't beat their personal best.
Trinidadians feel 4.6 magnitude earthquake as it shakes parts of the country
The seismic activity in the region continued this week, with Trinidad and Tobago experiencing a 4.6 magnitude quake Sunday afternoon.
Residents in the north and northwestern parts of the island, including Port of Spain, Petit Valley and Diego Martin, and communities in central Trinidad reported feeling the tremor which occurred 96 km west of the capital, 105 km west northwest of San Fernando and 96 km east of Carúpano, Venezuela around 2:57 p.m.
The UWI Seismic Research Centre said an initial depth of 97 km was recorded. There were no reports of damage or injuries.
The region has experienced several earthquakes in recent weeks, with dozens of events being recorded northeast of Barbados last month, several of them a few hours and even minutes apart.
EMANCIPATION DAY
Crowds congregated at the Methodist Church in Grand Turk on Sunday, August 2nd for the Ecumenical Service commemorating Emancipation Day – and event organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Culture & Heritage.
Minister responsible for that ministry Hon Portia Stubbs Smith in her remarks, announces that the Ecumenical Service commemorating Emancipation Day will be held at the Methodist Church in Grand Turk on Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 at 3:30pm. Officiating will be Rev. Julia Williams, Guest Speaker, Rev. Derek Hamilton of Bethany Baptist Church in Providenciales.
The Hon. Premier, Dr. Rufus Ewing and Hon. Portia Stubbs-Smith, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Culture & Heritage will be bringing remarks with performances by the All Male's Choir, Ms. Dixie Smith, Mr. Dudley Been and Ms. Ludwina Fulford.
The celebration continues on yesterday, August 3rd, 2014 at the Governor's Beach where an Emancipation Day, Family Fun Day will take place at 2:00pm. Come and bring the family to enjoy and participate in the cultural games and be entertained. Vendors will also be on hand to provide food and refreshments.
The entire community of Grand Turk is invited to attend these momentous occasions as we celebrate our history and freedom.
TCIG Makes New Senior Promotions
As a part of its 2015/2016 recruitment drive, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government today announced and congratulated several civil servants on their new senior promotions within Government.
Mr. Amin McCartney has been promoted from the post of Head of Secretariat within the Ministry of Home Affairs to Deputy Secretary within the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture. Amin has been a civil servant for 15 years and has a background in statistics, having attained certification in Social and Economic Statistics and Demography, as well as a Bachelors in Finance.
Mrs. Althea Malcolm-Been has been promoted from the post of Senior Press and Protocol Officer within the Office of the Premier to the post of Director within that office. Althea joined the civil service in August 2013 after having spent sixteen years with Lime Turks and Caicos where she held the post of Vice President of Retail Sales and Services.
Mrs. Tiffany Thomas-Brown has been promoted from Deputy Director to the role of Director in the Social Development Department. Tiffany holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Wilberforce University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Florida International University and has been a member of the civil service since 1999, where she joined as a Clerical Officer and Welfare Assistant.
"Profound congratulations are extended to these three individuals on their new senior promotions. Having gone through a rigorous testing and interview exercise, they have emerged as the top candidates from a wide field of applicants and are most worthy of these new appointments" said Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service, Mrs. Anya Williams, Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service.
"I extend best wishes to them and look forward to positive results from their various portfolios," Deputy Governor Williams added.
Wire transfers of drug profits earned in US went directly to Panama banks
As more details emerge in Miami-Dade County, regarding a discredited undercover law enforcement operation that directly wired more than $70 million in narco-profits overseas, yet failed to arrest a single person, Panama's banks were the preferred destination of the traffickers involved.
A scandal involving officers of the Bal Harbour, Florida, Police Department, who have failed to account for large sums allegedly spent without any records or receipts, has revealed the specifics of the cash received by the undercover operation and promptly wired out to tax haven jurisdictions, zeroes in on Panama.
Of the 180 international wire transfers, 110 were sent to Panamanian financial institutions. This confirms that Panama remains a major, if not the principal gateway for narcotics profits earned in North America. There have been no prosecutions of financial institutions for money laundering for several years, let alone convictions or bank charter revocations. That is one of the reasons why Panama is the destination of choice.
In the year since the new reformist government came to office in Panama, no financial institutions have been charged, notwithstanding the massive Financial Pacific/Petaquilla Mining and PAN scandals, and widespread arrests for official corruption. It still appears to be business as usual for Panama's money laundering financial institutions.
Photo Journalist Ruben Espinosa's Murder Leaves Mexico In An Outrage
Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera has expressed his outrage over the murder of photo journalist Ruben Espinosa and four women in the city last week. Their bodies were found in Mr Espinosa's flat on Friday. They all had bullet wounds to the head.
Mr Espinosa, 31, worked for the investigative magazine Proceso. He had recently moved to Mexico City from the eastern state of Veracruz where he said he had been threatened and harassed. The photojournalist covered social movements in the city of Xalapa in Veracruz.He left the state for Mexico City after telling friends he had been followed and intimidated.
Veracruz is considered one of the most dangerous Mexican states for journalists - 17 have been killed there since 2000, rights group Article 19 says. Mayor Mancera said that there would be "no impunity in this matter". "No line of investigation will be discarded,'" he told reporters at a news conference on yesterday.