Amazon accused of tricking Prime customers
The US has accused Amazon of tricking customers into signing up for automatically renewing Prime subscriptions and making it difficult to cancel.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the country's consumer rights watchdog, made the claims in a lawsuit.
It cited allegedly "manipulative" website designs.
Amazon rejected the charges, calling them "false on the facts and the law".
More than 200 million people subscribe to Prime globally. The service, which offers shipping perks, access to streaming movies, and more, costs $139 a year or $14.99 monthly in the US and £95 per year in the UK.
The FTC said Amazon used website designs that pushed customers into agreeing to enroll in Prime and have the subscription automatically renewed as they were making purchases.
The company attempted to make it difficult for users to opt out of auto-enrolment because "those changes would also negatively affect Amazon's bottom line", the agency alleged in the complaint, filed in federal court in Seattle.
It also said Amazon put customers seeking to cancel through a cumbersome "four-page, six-click, fifteen option" process, which the FTC said was known internally as "Iliad" in a nod to the Greek epic about the "long, arduous Trojan War".
Though Amazon altered the cancellation process shortly before the lawsuit was filed, the FTC said the company's tactics broke laws aimed at protecting shoppers.
"Amazon tricked and trapped people into recurring subscriptions without their consent, not only frustrating users but also costing them significant money," FTC Chair Lina Khan said.
The FTC is seeking a court order to force Amazon to change its practices, as well as financial penalties of an unspecified amount.
Amazon said it had been in the middle of discussing the issues with the agency when the lawsuit was filed without notice.
"The truth is that customers love Prime, and by design, we make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up for or cancel their Prime membership," the company said.
The FTC has repeatedly warned online firms against using "dark patterns" to manipulate shoppers.
It had been investigating Amazon's Prime program since 2021.
It said the company had attempted to delay the probe on multiple occasions, including by refusing to deliver documents in a timely manner.
Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, a senior analyst at Insider Intelligence analyst said the FTC was "making an example of Amazon".
"It's quite common for companies to make it more difficult to cancel an account than it is to create one," she said.
Source- BBC
Tesla wins as Texas requires state-backed charging stations to include its plug
Tesla Inc. scored a series of victories for its charging technology on Tuesday, capped by Texas saying it would require EV charging companies to include both Tesla's standard as well as the nationally recognized CCS if they want to be part of a state program to electrify highways using federal dollars.
Reuters was the first to report both that electric pickup truck maker Rivian was backing Tesla and that charger maker BTC Power would support the standard. Those announcements follow decisions by General Motors and Ford Motor Co. to add Tesla charging technology, shunning efforts by the Biden administration to make the Combined Charging System (CCS) the dominant charging standard in the United States.
Texas - home to Tesla's headquarters and a new car factory complex - is the first state that will mandate Tesla's charging technology, giving a boost to CEO Elon Musk's hope of making it the national charging standard.
"The decision by Ford, GM, and now Rivian to adopt NACS changed requirements for Phase 1" of the rollout, the Texas Department of Transportation said in an email to Reuters on Tuesday, adding that it would require direct current fast chargers to have one CCS and one North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector.
Texas's decision will put a ton of pressure on other states to adopt Tesla's NACS, said Lew Cox, director of business development at MD7, which helps companies deploy chargers.
"It’ll effectively make a NACS the new charging standard," Cox said.
The U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this year said that charging companies must provide the CCS to be eligible for up to $7.5 billion in federal funding to build new, high-speed chargers on 7,500 miles (12,070 km) of the nation's busiest highways.
The Federal Highway Administration on Tuesday acknowledged the industry was rapidly evolving. The growth of the nation's EV industry is a sign that public investments are paying dividends, but the policy is always under review, said a Federal Highway Administration spokesperson.
"Our technical experts are having active conversations with automakers, charger manufacturers, and standards-setting bodies to ensure federal investment continues to support a reliable, convenient, and user-friendly charging experience for all drivers," the spokesperson said.
The federal dollars are flowing through the states, which are empowered to tailor their own guidelines as long as they meet minimum federal standards. States are expected to award the first round of funding through the remainder of the year.
Since the Ford and GM announcements, top U.S. charging companies like ChargePoint and EVgo said they would look to add the same standard to their U.S. chargers.
Other states like California, Iowa, and Michigan are reviewing the shifting charging market. And at least one other state is considering giving applicants bonus points on applications if they include the Tesla charging ports.
Tesla shares rose 1.2 percent in extended trade, after closing up 5.3 percent on Tuesday.
Tesla said in the U.S. there are approximately 2,000 Supercharger locations and more than 21,000 Supercharger stalls, which represents approximately 60 percent of the fast-charging plugs operational in the country.
Source- Automotive News
TURKS AND CAICOS WEATHER FORECAST FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
WEATHER: CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND PARTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BECOMING EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
SEAS:2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
FORECAST FOR FRIDAY
WEATHER: VARIABLY CLOUDY, HOT, AND BREEZY IN THE NORTHWEST AND WINDY IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ISLANDS, WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
WINDS: SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BECOMING EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND 5 TO 7 FEET IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
Building Integrity among Senior Leaders 2023
Captain Francis Glinton of the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment reflects on his experience while attending a course titled “Building Integrity among Senior leaders “ held at the United Kingdom Defence Academy, Leadership Center, Bekkent House:
“This Training Course was very informative and insightful. Indeed, I wish to extend profound thanks the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom for such a privilege, being invited to the Defence Leadership Center in BEKKENT HOUSE.
Since registering for the Building Integrity among Senior Leaders Course, and engaging with the content around the topics discussed on policing, military risks, interface and leadership in addressing corruption, it has equipped me with the relevant information and resources to be effective in excuting my duties.
Additionally, it was beneficial to receive informal training on Public Finance Management, Fraud, Risks and Audit, Corruption Risks in Procurement, including Corruption Risks in Security Complex Environments and Media Strategic Communications.
I envision that these key components will prove resourceful for the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment as we continue building platforms in our infancy stage especially throughout the leadership core.
Finally, I must continue to express my gratitude for the opportunity to attend this Course, not only as I a representative of the TCI Regiment, but also as an ambassador for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The shared knowledge and guidance I have received from Senior Law Enforcement Leaders of 18 different countries will surely remain with me throughout the years.”
Suspected murder along Millennium Highway
Detectives from the Serious Crime Unit of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are currently at the scene of a suspected murder along the Millennium Highway.
Though details remain limited at this time, preliminary information received stated a call was placed to the Police Control Room today (June 19th) at around 6:58 a.m. indicating that the lifeless body of a male was laying on the roadside.
RTCIPF officers arrived at the location and found the bleeding body with what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
The victim’s identity is yet to be determined, and investigations are ongoing.
This release will be updated as more information becomes available.
UPDATED STATEMENT ON MURDER
Detectives from the Serious Crime Unit of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are currently investigating a murder following the discovery of a body off the shoulder of the road on Millennium Highway, Providenciales, this morning (June 19th).
The unidentified male is 5’ 08” ft tall, slim built, about 150 - 160 pounds, and appears to be between the ages of 18 – 25. The body was clad only in black shorts with white stripes on one side.
The male victim was barefooted and had distinctive scars on his upper chest and a short haircut.
The RTCIPF is seeking the assistance of the public in positively identifying the male victim.
Based on preliminary information a call was placed to the Police Control Room today at around 6:58 a.m. indicating that the lifeless body of a male was laying on the roadside.
RTCIPF officers arrived at the location and found the bleeding body with what appeared to be a wound to the head.
An autopsy is expected to be performed today to determine the cause of death.
South Korea crypto-crash king, Do Kwon, jailed
Do Kwon, the cryptocurrency boss behind the $40bn (£31.3bn) collapse of the terraced and Luna tokens, has been sentenced to four months of jail in Montenegro.
Mr. Kwon was found guilty of forging official documents.
He was arrested in March as he tried to board a flight to Dubai at Podgorica Airport, in the country's capital.
Mr. Kwon also faces charges in the US and South Korea over the collapse of the two digital tokens last year.
The former finance officer of Mr. Kwon's company Terraform Labs, Han Chang-Joon, was also sentenced to four months in prison after being found guilty of the same charges.
Mr. Kwon and Mr. Han pleaded not guilty at their first court hearing in May.
The sentences will include the time that Mr. Kwon and Mr. Han have already spent in detention after being arrested in March, the court said in a statement.
They will also be able to appeal the verdict within eight days of receiving written notification from the court.
In February, US regulators charged Mr. Kwon and his company Terraform Labs with "orchestrating a multi-billion dollar crypto asset securities fraud".
"We allege that Terraform and Do Kwon failed to provide the public with full, fair, and truthful disclosure as required for a host of crypto asset securities, most notably for Luna and TerraUSD," US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Gary Gensler said in a statement.
Last year, a South Korean court issued arrest warrants for Mr. Kwon and five other individuals connected to the case.
Prosecutors said they believed that Terraform Labs, which is registered in Singapore, had violated capital market rules.
Montenegro does not have extradition treaties with the US or South Korea.
The collapse of the terraUSD stablecoin and the associated Luna token rocked cryptocurrency markets in May 2022.
Source- BBC
Amazon, Hilton and Pepsi to hire thousands of refugees in Europe
Amazon has pledged to hire 5,000 Ukrainian and other refugees in Europe as part of a wider drive to help people fleeing persecution.
Hilton Hotels, Adecco, and Microsoft are also among the firms promising to offer work or career support.
It comes as the global number of people forcibly displaced from their countries stands at a record 110 million.
Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, said far too many refugees could not find work.
"This is despite our endemic skills shortages, their high levels of education, desire to earn a living, and legal right to work [in the EU] through the Temporary Protection Directive," she said.
"This unprecedented show of support from businesses across the continent will be critical to enabling tens of thousands of Ukrainians to provide for themselves and their loved ones back in Ukraine."
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the number of Ukrainian refugees living in Europe stands at more than 5.9 million, including 1.3 million living in Russia and Belarus.
Millions of others have fled conflicts and persecution in regions such as Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
The Tent Partnership for Refugees charity, which is coordinating the efforts, said most of the Ukrainian refugees in Europe were women and faced particular hurdles when finding jobs.
These ranged from not knowing the local language to having to juggle childcare responsibilities.
Under its initiative, big firms including Amazon, Hilton, and Marriott have committed to hiring 13,680 Ukrainians and other refugees for their workforce over the next three years.
In addition, staffing agencies such as Adecco will help 150,000 find work, while the likes of Accenture and Microsoft will help train more than 86,000.
Amazon has already committed to hiring at least 5,000 refugees in the US by the end of 2024 under its Welcome Door program.
It said it also provided financial support for immigration-related processes, access to self-help guides on settling into a new community, and mentorship and training.
The firm, which employs 200,000 across Europe, said most of the new roles for refugees would be in areas such as fulfillment and distribution.
However, J Ofori Agboka, a vice president at the e-commerce giant, said workers would be eligible "to move into jobs that are in different levels of the organization that are commensurate with their skills and abilities".
Source- BBC
Kylian Mbappe scored a retaken penalty as France beat Greece
Kylian Mbappe scored a retaken penalty as France beat Greece to maintain their perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying.
The hosts were awarded a spot-kick after Konstantinos Mavropanos' awful challenge saw him kick the head of a jumping Antoine Griezmann.
Odysseas Vlachodimos saved Mbappe's first effort, but some Greek defenders entered the penalty area with Mbappe scoring the second chance.
Mavropanos was later sent off for bringing down Randal Kolo Muani.
The victory means France has won all four of their qualifying matches and has not conceded. They are top of Group B and six points clear of Greece, who have played a game fewer.
Mavropanos' challenge on Griezmann left the striker bleeding, with the Atletico Madrid player needing a bandage around his head for the rest of the match.
There were 14 minutes of injury time played at the end of the second half, but Greece could not find an equalizer.
Elsewhere in Group B, the Republic of Ireland gained their first points with a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Gibraltar.
Source- BBC
Bebe Rexha rushed off stage after a phone hits her in the face
Pop star Bebe Rexha was rushed off stage during a concert on Sunday after being hit in the head by a phone thrown by a fan.
The star, who was performing in New York, collapsed to her knees when the projectile struck the side of her head.
She was later escorted from the venue, apparently still in pain, with her hands pressed to her face.
A video posted online showed a man being removed from the crowd by security as fans shouted "That's assault".
New York Police later confirmed that a 27-year-old concertgoer had been charged with assault.
The singer, whose hits include I'm Good (Blue) and Meant To Be, posted photos showing her injuries to Instagram on Monday.
They showed bruising around her left eye and a cut on her eyebrow. However, she captioned the pictures, "I'm good", and gave the camera a thumbs-up.
Gossip website Pop Base quoted her mother as saying the star received medical treatment and needed three stitches.
The BBC has contacted Rexha's team for further comment.
The star was at the end of her set at Pier 17 in New York when the incident occurred.
She had previously invited a tearful fan from El Salvador onto the stage to sing I'm Gonna Show You Crazy; and played an impromptu version of Seasons after a request from the audience.
Fans who attended the show expressed their disbelief at how the show ended.
"I'm still in shock two hours later," wrote one on Twitter. "I saw something fly and hit her. I thought it was a CD or a paper until I saw he[r] drop."
"People really dressed up and were in a good mood that they were going to a concert but this old man ruined everything," added another.
"Super unsettling ending to an otherwise great show," commented a third. "I hope she's okay."
Rexha is next due to perform on Tuesday 20 June at The Fillmore in Philadelphia.
She will bring the tour to London on 28 July when she plays the Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Source- BBC