New Bailout in Marathon Debate For Greece
The Greek parliament has backed a new bailout deal after an all-night debate, despite a rebellion by many MPs in the governing Syriza party. The deal requires tax rises and more tough spending cuts in return for an EU bailout of about €85bn (£61bn, $95bn) - Greece's third in five years.
Eurozone finance ministers are meeting to vote on the plan in Brussels.A deal is needed to keep Greece in the eurozone and avert bankruptcy. But it is risky for Greek PM Alexis Tsipras. More than 40 MPs from his left-wing Syriza party voted against him on Friday.
Reports in Greece suggest he will seek a vote of confidence in parliament next week, bringing the prospect of snap elections closer.
Black Died From Head Injury
Singer Cilla Black died from a traumatic head injury during a fall at her home in Spain, a coroner has ruled.
During a 15-minute hearing at Liverpool Coroner's Court, Andre Rebello recorded a verdict of accidental death. Black died at her villa in Estepona on the Costa del Sol on 1 August.
The 72-year-old entertainer's funeral will take place next Thursday at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Liverpool.Addressing the hearing, attended by Black's three sons, Mr Rebello referred to her by her real name Priscilla Maria Veronica Willis.
"She was a daughter of Liverpool and was celebrated and loved by all in Liverpool," he said.
Samsung Unveils Two New Large High-end Android Handsets
Samsung has announced two new large high-end Android handsets: the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5. Both phones have 5.7in (14.5cm) screens and are going on sale earlier in the year than their previous generations. The launches follow five successive falls in Samsung Electronics' quarterly profits.
Analysts say the popularity of mid-range phones from Chinese rivals, and Apple's shift to bigger iPhones, have dented demand for Samsung's devices. However, the firm remains the world leader in terms of overall smartphone shipmentsThe company also revealed that its smart wallet service, Samsung Pay - which allows the phones to trigger payment card transactions - would go live in South Korea on 20 August.
DIGICEL GROUP JOINS MITEL GLOBAL NETWORK OF PARTNERS
Digicel Group today announced that it has become an authorised partner of Mitel, a leading provider of cloud and premise-based unified communications and collaboration software solutions. The partnership means that, as a total communications and entertainment provider, Digicel is now able to provide Mitel’s advanced unified communications solutions to customers across the Caribbean, Central America and South Pacific.
“Organisations today are looking for advanced communications solutions that address their business needs and deliver measurable cost benefits and improved business performance. Mitel’s ability to deliver this value to customers is based on our strong network of partners,” said Philip Keenan, Mitel’s vice-president, U.S. partner business. “We welcome Digicel Group, a leading communications provider in its regions, and look forward to working together to provide customers with the options they need to build their business.”
Mitel authorised partners must meet a series of stringent requirements in order to sell and support Mitel products in the marketplace. These include ongoing training for sales and technical services; processes and benchmarks to provide quality customer service; and a high degree of expertise in voice communications, data networking and applicable applications such as virtualisation, conferencing, collaboration, contact centres and mobility.
Martin Carroll, Chief Operating Officer for Business Solutions at Digicel Group, comments; “With the addition of Mitel’s world class portfolio of advanced cloud and premise-based communication solutions to our existing offerings, we are confident that we can provide customers of any size with solutions that are tailored to meet their specific needs and deliver exceptional business value. We continue to expand our portfolio of fixed mobile convergence (FMC) products and services in line with growing customer demand for mobility in the workplace. The Digicel Business portfolio of cloud hosted voice and data solutions is the widest available across the Caribbean enabling improved mobility and business efficiency in organisations both large and small.”
PDM DEPUTY LEADER RESPONDS TO DELAY IN LONG BAY HILLS HIGH SCHOOL SEPTEMBER OPENING
“No surprise there. The Minister should have been honest all along.” PDM’s Deputy Leader, Hon Sean Astwood and Member of Parliament for one of the six constituencies in Providenciales today responded to the Ministry of Education’s Press Release advising of the delay in the opening of the Long Bay Hills High School.
The Hon Sean Astwood stated that, “Like many other right thinking citizens, the PDM wants to see the overcrowding addressed at the CHHS. While we did not think and still do not think the PNP Government’s vision fully addresses the overcrowding at CHHS , we too looked forward to the ease at the CHHS. However with our naked eye we knew that the School could not be ready for a September 7th start. The PDM raised this issue over and over giving the Minister ample time to be forthright with the people of this country. Our Party Leader Hon Sharlene Cartwright Robinson posed a question in the House of Assembly, which was on the Agenda of the House of Assembly for July 22nd, 2015 sitting, which was not answered by Hon Akierra Missick until the Meeting of July 29th, 2015, a mere two weeks ago. The Minister told the people of these Islands, from the Halls of Parliament, that the Long Bay Hills High School would be opened as scheduled. Our Party Leader on that occasion stated that it would be a “miracle” and the Minister stood her ground. While neither of us are contractors, any observant person could see the glaring fact that the amount of work left to be done could not be finished and completed with furnishings in the remaining 6 weeks to the start of the new School Year.
No contractor’s report was necessary to confirm what was blatantly obvious to the naked and untrained eye. As a result of this eleventh hour admission of the Minister of Education, the 180 students will now be subjected to attending CHHS in another school’s uniform, which could potentially isolate them from the rest of the student body. A student body that still will have to deal with overcrowding conditions and buildings that needs serious modernization. Once again the actions and decision making process of this government when called into question has been justified. Unfortunately it is we the people who end up paying for these costly mistakes. When it comes to our children’s education, we the PDM, expected better from the Minister of Education and this Rufus Ewing led Administration.
Bolt headlines Jamaica's 53-member squad for World Champs
Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce headline a list of 53 athletes named to represent Jamaica at the 15th staging of the IAAF World Championship in Beijing, China, between August 22-30.
Both Bolt and Fraser-Pryce won the identical 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold medals and are expected to once again lead Jamaica’s charge in the Chinese capital.
The team comprises of 27 males and 26 females and will include for the first time in Jamaica’s history, three male discus throwers in Fredrick Dacres, Jason Morgan and Chad Wright. There will also be two female triple jumpers in Shanieka Thomas and Kimberley Williams.
Newcomer Aisha Praught will compete in the steeplechase, while Sal-cia Slack is down for the heptathlon.
Interestingly, Rasheed Dwyer who finished fifth at the Jamaican championship in the 200m was included, having recorded the second fastest time this year of 19.80 seconds after the championship.
Two weeks to go to the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015
There are just two weeks to go to the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 which takes place between 22-30 August.
Many of the IAAF’s 214 Member Federations have already named their teams for the most important sporting event on this year’s calendar but with the final entry deadline at midnight (Central European Time) on Monday 10 August, this weekend offers the last chance for athletes to qualify and for Member Federations to complete their squad selections.
Approximately 2000 athletes from over 200 nations are expected to compete in the Chinese capital later this month.
The USA and Jamaica have yet to formally name their teams but it is already known that global champions like Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, David Oliver, Christian Taylor, Ashton Eaton, Jenn Suhr and Brittney Reese have booked their places on the planes to Beijing.
Russia named their 71-strong team in the wake of their national championships earlier this week.
Other European nations to have named their teams include Czech Republic, France, Germany and Great Britain.
Distance running power houses Kenya and Ethiopia have also named their teams early and can expect to feature prominently on the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 medal podiums.
The famous Bird’s Nest stadium, the centrepiece of the 2008 Olympic Games, will have a 50,000 capacity for the championships and the IAAF and Local Organising Committee have been very happy to announce recently that it will be full for each evening session, ensuring the world’s top athletics exponents get the audience they deserve.
The IAAF website has a special section devoted to the championships.
Coverage of the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 will include live results, previews, reports, features, a live blog and extensive coverage on the IAAF social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook.
Results, timetable details and the live blog will also be available in Chinese on the IAAF website and coverage will be available on Chinese social media
Trinidad police confirm report of death threat on Opposition Leader’s life
Less than 24 hours after saying he knew nothing about a death threat against Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley, National Security Minister Brigadier Carl Alfonso has confirmed that police are investigating such a threat.
Local media reports today quoted Alfonso as saying that Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenn Hackett on Monday morning officially informed him that lawmen had received a report that Rowley’s life was in danger, and that security for the People’s National Movement (PNM) leader had been beefed up as a result.
Alfonso said he does not know the source of the report, or who reported it to him, but clearly, he must be concerned, and is dealing with it, declining to say anything more because of the ongoing investigation.
Speaking at a political meeting on Sunday, Rowley said the government had hired people to kill him. Senior PNM member Faris Al-Rawi further alleged that a TT$15 million (US$2.3 million) hit, had been put on Rowley.
Alfonso told the Trinidad Express on Sunday that he had not been informed of any threat on Rowley’s life.
“Maybe the Police Commissioner may have received that information and probably he has dealt with it, but it has not come any further. It has not come to any member of government, certainly not to my good self. If the Police Commissioner thinks it’s serious enough to inform me, he will,” the minister told the newspaper at the time.
Before Alfonso reported that he had been brought up to speed on this matter, Communications Minister Vasant Bharath had dismissed Rowley’s claims, charging that if the threat was real, it would have been reported to police.
“To make such allegations on a public platform is not only irresponsible and deliberately contrived to create panic, it is also a demonstration of using public platforms to incite the population rather than to articulate clear plans for the future,” he said in a statement.
Grand Turk Lighthouse redevelopment to be more expensive
One of the land marks in the nation’s capital Grand Turk, has come in for some rave reviews, having been ranked as #5 of nine must see sights in the island, home to the mega Grand Turk Cruise Centre, with an impressive 4.5 rating.
And what many see as a nuisance mainly because they rummage through homeowners garbage bins and make a mess of their surroundings, if allowed to get in; or in many instances roaming the streets, could become a threat to motorists, the wild donkeys seem to catch the attention of many tourists.
“Just visited the Grand Turk Lighthouse. The view of the ocean is stunning but the wild donkeys are the real attraction. They seem to know that thrusts will be at the lighthouse and that they will get fed. Bring some chips or anything else you can get and you will make friends with the donkeys real fast,” is how one tourist described his visit to the nation’s capital.
In addition to residents here, students who attend the TCI Community College, next to the Lighthouse, thousands of tourists also traverse the main road to the Lighthouse where zip lining is fast becoming the perfect added attraction, complimenting the spectacular view of the waves breaking the shoreline.
And because it is such a wonderful attraction, TCIG has often come in for criticism for not paying more attention to the Lighthouse Road.
However, a recent Cabinet decision will see an increase the redevelopment fund by $30,000, subject to Carnival Cruise Lines approval as a part of the Infrastructure Fund. A post cabinet release explained that the money would be needed to facilitate the implementation of the consultancy to provide design and technical documentation, suitable to tender for the reconstruction and upgrading of Lighthouse Road in Grand Turk.
DO NOT GET TAKEN BY WIRE TRANSFER SCAMS
The Financial Crimes Unit of the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force has sounded a warning to residents here in the TCI, not be tricked by scammers as they have detected a recent increase in scam victims here in the TCI.
The FCU warns that using a bank or a money transfer company to "wire" funds electronically is an easy and convenient way to send cash to someone, noting that when consumers wire money to people they know, the transaction typically takes place without a problem. However, wiring money to strangers in another country they say is risky because often these persons could be scam artists.
“Crooks like their victims to use wire transfers because the money moves fast and they can take the money and run before the victim discovers the truth. Con artists also know that the transaction is difficult to reverse, and the money is difficult to get back. That's why they will use any tactic to convince people to wire money to a complete stranger," the FCU said.
“Never wire money to people you don't know, regardless of how convincing or enticing their story may be. Scammers often win their victims' confidence with some "bait," such as a work-at-home offer, a great deal on a product for sale, or news that you have won some kind of lottery. Be especially careful with transactions over the Internet, where the other person's true identity can remain anonymous. A stranger asking you to wire money is a huge red flag that it is a scam. Don't fall for it,” the FCU warns.
The Financial Crimes Unit suggests, even if you get a request to send a wire transfer and it's supposedly from someone you do know, to confirm that is the case some other way, such as through a separate phone call.
“If you are being pressed to make a decision or send money fast, it's probably a sign of a scam. For example, crooks might frighten you with a phone call that a loved one is in trouble and needs cash sent to the caller immediately. Thieves may try to divert you away from using a more traditional means of money transfer, such as a credit card or check. To do this, they often stress the 'urgency' of the transaction to get the victim to act without thinking,” the FCU added.
Always remember that wiring money is like sending cash, and because you voluntarily sent the money, you have fewer protections in terms of getting it back. Never give out your bank account or credit card numbers in response to an advertisement or an unsolicited call, text message or e-mail. That information could enable someone to steal money out of your account by a wire transfer, before you have time to realize that the interaction was fabricated by a swindler,” the Financial Crimes Unit warned.