FIFA sacks top official over bonuses worth millions
FIFA on Monday sacked deputy general secretary Markus Kattner for financial 'breaches' involving secret bonuses worth millions of dollars, according to sources close to an inquiry by the world body.
Kattner's downfall topples another member of ex-president Sepp Blatter's inner circle at football's world body.
Kattner, a 45-year-old German-Swiss national, had been acting general secretary after previous general secretary Jerome Valcke was also dismissed for irregularities.
"Kattner has been dismissed from his position effective immediately," the world body said in a statement.
Andy Murray beats Radek Stepanek in five sets at the French Open
Andy Murray finally beat 37-year-old qualifier Radek Stepanek to avoid a shock French Open first-round defeat.
The British world number two, trailed two sets to one when play was suspended on Monday because of bad light.
Murray, 29, won the fourth set but was pushed hard by his Czech opponent before winning the deciding set to clinch a 3-6 3-6 6-0 6-2 7-5 victory after three hours and 41 minutes.
The last time Murray lost in the first round of a Grand Slam was in 2008.
Murray joins compatriots Aljaz Bedene, Kyle Edmund and Heather Watson in the second round, while Johanna Konta and Laura Robson play their first-round matches later.
He will face French wildcard Mathias Bourgue, who is ranked 164 in the world, in the next round.
Significant damage to Syrian airbase by Russian forces
New satellite imagery appears to reveal extensive damage to a strategically significant airbase in central Syria used by Russian forces after an attack by so-called Islamic State (IS).
Four helicopters and 20 lorries were destroyed in a series of fires inside the T4 base last week, the images from intelligence company Stratfor suggest.
The cause of the fires is unconfirmed.
A pro-Kremlin website said the helicopters had been used by "used by both Russian and Syrian air forces".
Russia has not officially commented on the incident.
A Russian opposition website quoted Syrian sources as saying "a large fire in the Syrian part of the T4 airbase spread to the fleet of vehicles, and after a fuel tank exploded four Russian helicopters nearby went up in flames".
"The cause of the fire is being established," it added.
Google's Paris HQ raided in tax probe
French finance officials have raided the Paris offices of US internet giant Google as part of a tax fraud investigation.
Reports say about 100 tax officials entered Google's offices in central Paris early in the morning.
Police sources confirmed the raid, but Google itself has so far made no comment.
Google is accused of owing the French state US$1.8bn in unpaid taxes.
The tax arrangements of international companies have come under close scrutiny recently.
Several have been accused of using legal methods to minimise their tax bills.
In Google's case, its tax structure allows it to pay tax in the Republic of Ireland, even when sales appear to relate to the UK.
Bank Linked to 1MDB Scandal Probed in Singapore, Switzerland
Singapore is ordering Swiss bank BSI, which has been linked to a money-laundering scandal at Malaysia's state fund 1MDB, to shut down its local branch.
The Singapore central bank said it is the first time in 32 years it's withdrawing a license from a merchant bank.
Separately, the Swiss attorney general's office has opened a probe into the bank, saying it "suspects deficiencies in the internal organization" of BSI.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) says BSI was guilty of "serious breaches of anti-money laundering requirements, poor management oversight of the bank's operations, and gross misconduct by some of the bank's staff."
MAS said it has asked prosecutors to investigate six senior officials of BSI bank. Two Singaporean BSI executives have already been charged.
Investigations into Malaysia’s state investment company, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), allege that more than $4 billion dollars has been misappropriated from development funds. 1MDB came under more suspicion last year when media reports raised allegations that millions of dollars had been deposited into the private bank account of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
At Least 12 Dead, 50 Injured in Jade Mining Landslide in Myanmar
A landslide in northern Myanmar's jade mining region Tuesday killed at least 12 people and injured about 50 others, witnesses and officials said.
Volunteer rescuer Naw Li told The Associated Press by telephone that 12 bodies have been recovered “but we don't know how many are buried.” He said 15 of the injured people have been sent to a hospital.
The landslide occurred on a mountain of waste from jade mines in Hpakant region, the epicenter of the money-spinning industry in Kachin state. Massive chunks of the precious stone are mined with heavy machines, but small pieces get left behind in the waste, which is then piled up in huge mountains outside the mines.
Villagers routinely scavenge through these unstable piles of dirt and rocks to look for the small pieces, but often become victims of landslides.
Police officer Tun Tun Lin confirmed the landslide in Waikha village but had no information about casualties. Hpakant is 950 kilometers (600 miles) north of Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city.
US citizen pleads guilty in stock, money-laundering scheme
Federal prosecutors in New York say a Belize resident has pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy for helping clients profit off illegal stock trades and then laundering more than $250 million.
US attorney Robert L Capers announced the plea Monday by Robert Bandfield of IPC Corp.
Capers says Bandfield, a US citizen, incorporated more than 5,000 shell companies in Belize and the West Indies for securities and tax fraud schemes.
Money was laundered through pre-paid debit cards
He faces up to 20 years in prison. He's agreed to forfeit US$1 million.
North caicos Recital
In an aim to push arts throughout the schools, one school is creating musical notes that they hope will ride the waves.
The Raymond Gardiner High school is hosting their 1st musical recital to be held on Saturday May 28th.
Music teacher from the school Mr. Benjamin Lewis who also lectures at the other two schools on North Caicos added that students from the High School band will be taking part in the event.
DC for North Caicos, Cynclair Musgrove told RTC News that the students could be heard practising for the event and will be displaying their talents in song, while others will be featured using instruments such as the sax and piano.
The school is conducting this recital in aid of purchasing more instruments for the schools music room.
Lime has successfully merged with Columbus Networks and Cable & Wireless Communications
Lime has successfully merged with Columbus Networks and Cable & Wireless Communications to form C&W Business, the leading business solutions provider in our region.
Manager for the Turks & caicos Branch, Dellarice Hall added that ‘We’ve been recognized and have received numerous awards for our market leading ICT solutions from leading firms such as Gartner, Frost and Sullivan and 451 Research to name a few. We’ve also made significant investments expanding our fabric of data centers, as well as expanding our network portfolio and customer experience organization across the region. Today we are excited to inform you of additional changes to our organization. We have successfully completed the proposed acquisition of our parent company, Cable & Wireless Communications plc. (CWC) by Liberty Global plc.”
Liberty Global is the world’s largest international cable television company, with nearly 27 million customers receiving over 57 million distinct services and generating approximately $18 billion of annual revenues. Liberty Global offers a wide range of advanced broadband Internet, voice, and video services to its customers, including B2B services, as we also do. By joining forces we combine our complementary high growth assets in the Caribbean and Latin America, with the scale and complementary skills of a truly World Class global player, materially improving our ability to offer leading products and services to our customers in the region we serve. To learn more about Liberty Global, please see the attached.
The increased operational, financial, and geographic scale of the proposed combined company will enable C&W to continue to invest in developing and delivering a comprehensive offering of solutions across the full breadth of the information, communications and technology (ICT) and consumer entertainment value chain.
The 1st female director of that company added that with combined resources, we will be able to provide solutions at the device level (smartphone, tablet, desktop and mobile), across networks (mobile and fixed line, local and wide area), as well as through an impressive fabric of data centers; ultimately, powering your applications and safeguarding your data.
We believe that continued investments in technology and people are critical catalysts for economic and social development in the TCI markets in which we operate. We are better positioned to pursue an ambitious innovation agenda in e-health, digital government, and e-learning, as well as be receptive to public-private partnership models added Dellarice Hall.
Star Studded Stop in Dallas for #TeamTCI
TCI General Manager of the Palms Resort, Karen Whitt has ensured that TeamTCI had lots of travel agents to talk to in Dallas earlier today.
The GM assisted in turning on the thrills when she invited the Mayor of Dallas, a Celebrity Chef of Dallas and two members of the Dallas Cowboys football team to be at the reception on stop two of the Premier's Road Show. Dallas Mayor, Mike Rawlings raved of his TCI family vacation, which came after one of the road shows; he said the TCI is top class.
Doug Free an offensive lineman with the Dallas Cowboys as well as Zack Martin an offensive guard with the Dallas Cowboys – both said after the video presentation, that they must come to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Both men also presented Premier Ewing with a signed Dallas Cowboys helmet; which the Premier could not wait to try on.
Dean Fearing the celebrity chef of Dallas promises to also visit the TCI and this is easier explained, the Premier said with increased flights from Dallas to three times weekly to the Providenciales International Airport; dubbed the gateway to paradise by Airports Authority Chairman, Gordon Burton.
When the Tourism Minister, Hon Porsha Smith addressed the agents and potential investors, she continued her message of luxury diving; a few days of it in Provo, a few more days of it in South Caicos with East Bay resort and even more diving with a dash into Grand Turk which appealed to the divers.
Today the contingent heads to Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.