Guyana records over 100 road fatalities for 2023
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill is urging Guyanese to be cautious on the roadway as the country has witnessed a surge in fatal vehicular accidents.
Edghill said data from the Guyana Police Force showed from January 1 to August 28, 2023, a total of 109 persons lost their lives in 91 accidents. For the same period in 2022, there were 62 fatal accidents, which resulted in 68 deaths.
The minister noted that speed and reckless driving contributed to most of the fatal accidents.
“Speed racing belongs on the circuit. In the last few weeks, persons younger and older, males and females, have lost their lives on the roads due to accidents reportedly caused by speeding, coupled with alcohol consumption in some instances,” he said.
“There is a level of irresponsibility that is practiced by many drivers today, and one has to wonder if this is the cost of development. The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works, wishes to make clear that while the country’s road infrastructural program is extensive, you, the citizens, are the country’s greatest assets. Therefore, all of us have a responsibility to ensure that roadways are safe through correct and lawful use. We must practice safety first”.
Edghill said the government’s road expansion is to accommodate growth and not for drivers to speed.
“I plead with you to avoid the temptation of speed chasing and drag racing on the roads. Yes, laws will be enforced, but the responsibility of practicing what is lawful lies with all of us,” he said.
Additionally, the minister stated drivers who destroy public property such as walls and street signs will be made to replace them.
Edghill said he is joining the president and minister of home affairs in urging the police to launch an expansive road safety campaign throughout Guyana to tackle the root causes of reckless driving.
Source- Loop Caribbean News
Kourtney Kardashian thanks doctors for 'saving baby's life' after foetal surgery
Kourtney Kardashian has revealed she is recovering from urgent fetal surgery as she praised doctors for "saving" her baby's life.
The news comes after her husband Travis Barker's band, Blink-182, announced they were postponing concerts in the UK and Ireland as the singer returned home due to an "urgent family matter".
On Instagram on Wednesday, reality TV star Kardashian, 44, wrote: "I will be forever grateful to my incredible doctors for saving our baby's life.
"I am eternally grateful to my husband who rushed to my side from tour to be with me in the hospital and take care of me afterward, my rock. And to my mom, thank you for holding my hand through this.
"As someone who has had three really easy pregnancies in the past, I wasn't prepared for the fear of rushing into urgent fetal surgery.
"I don't think anyone who hasn't been through a similar situation can begin to understand that feeling of fear. I have a whole new understanding and respect for the mamas who have had to fight for their babies while pregnant."
Kardashian, who is expecting her first child with Barker, concluded: "Praise be to God. Walking out of the hospital with my baby boy in my tummy and safe was the truest blessing."
Blink-182 postponed shows in Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin due to what the band said at the time was an "urgent family matter", which meant he "had to return home" to the US.
The band also wrote on social media last Friday morning: "More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available."
Blink-182 had been scheduled to play Glasgow's OVO Hydro Arena last Friday and Saturday before moving to Belfast's SSE Arena on Monday this week and Dublin's 3 Arena yesterday.
Barker, 47, also shared photos from what appeared to be an airport prayer room in his Instagram story.
In June, Kardashian posted an Instagram video showing her holding up a sign at a Blink-182 concert saying: "Travis I'm pregnant."
The couple held marriage ceremonies in May this year in California and then in Portofino, Italy, after holding a "practice" wedding in Las Vegas a month earlier.
Barker has been married twice previously, first briefly to Melissa Kennedy and then to actress and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, with whom he has two children.
Kardashian also has three children with US media personality Scott Disick, with whom she was in an on-off relationship for almost 10 years.
Source- Sky News
Air Canada kicks off passengers who refused vomit-smeared seats
Air Canada has apologized after kicking two passengers off a flight for refusing to sit in vomit-smeared seats.
Susan Benson, who was on the Las Vegas-Montreal service, said the pilot warned the passengers they would be put on a no-fly list if they kept complaining.
She added that staff had tried to cover "a bit of a foul smell" with perfume and coffee grounds.
Air Canada said the passengers "clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled to".
"We didn't know at first what the problem was," Ms Benson posted on Facebook of the flight late last month.
"Apparently, on the previous flight, someone had vomited. The flight attendant was very apologetic, but explained that the flight was full."
She said staff "placed coffee grinds in the seat pouch and sprayed perfume", but that the seat and seatbelt were "wet and there was still visible vomit residue".
Ms. Benson said the pilot came out of the cockpit after several minutes of "back-and-forth".
The passengers were told, "they could leave the plane… and organize flights on their own dime, or they would be escorted off by security and placed on a no-fly list!"
They were then escorted off by security.
Ms. Benson said the row made her "ashamed to be a Canadian and ashamed of Air Canada".
Air Canada said it was "reviewing this serious matter" and that "operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance".
Source- BBC
Messi and Bonmati lead list of Ballon d’Or nominees
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is back in contention for the prestigious award a year after being omitted from the nomination list, which this time doesn't include longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in December, was named on Wednesday to the 30-man list of nominees along with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé for the prestigious award.
Ronaldo, a five-time winner who now plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, didn't make the cut for the first time since 2003.
The winner will be announced in Paris on October 30.
France Football magazine has given out the award to men every year since 1956 and to women each year since 2018 — when Ada Hegerberg became the first female winner — though both were canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Aitana Bonmati, who last week was named the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, is one of six female nominees from Spain, most of whom played for the team that won the Women’s World Cup.
Haaland is one of seven Manchester City players on the men's list. Last year's winner, Karim Benzema, was also nominated.
Two-time winner Alexia Putellas didn't make the women's list after missing much of last year with an ACL injury.
Source- Loop News
UK to rejoin EU Horizon programme through 'bespoke new agreement'
The UK will rejoin the European Union's flagship Horizon science programme after two years of absence post-Brexit, the government has confirmed.
Number 10 said the move would happen "through a bespoke new agreement with the EU".
A spokesperson added Prime Minister Rishi Sunak secured "improved financial terms of association that are right for the UK and protect the taxpayer".
Mr Sunak said: "We have worked with our EU partners to make sure that this is the right deal for the UK, unlocking unparalleled research opportunities, and also the right deal for British taxpayers."
Scientists called the announcement "tremendous news".
Horizon is a collaboration involving Europe's leading research institutes and technology companies which sees EU member states contribute funds that are then allocated to individuals or organisations on merit.
The UK was negotiating a deal to remain in the €95.5bn programme, but talks stalled over Brexit-related disagreements such as Northern Ireland.
In the two years since the UK was removed, Downing Street has stepped in to match EU grant money lost.
However, scientists warned that UK researchers have been missing out on collaboration with colleagues in Europe.
Professor Paul Stewart, from the Academy of Medical Sciences, said the return "marks a pivotal moment for UK science".
"After a hiatus, the scientific community is celebrating the tremendous news that we are once more part of the EU's flagship funding programme," he said.
"Health research is an international endeavour, it relies on supporting the best ideas, but also on creating cross-border networks which is good news for the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
"Association sends a very strong message that the UK is open for business and remains a prime destination to work on health research and innovation to improve lives."
The government said UK researchers can apply for grants and bid to take part in projects under the Horizon programme from today.
As well as Horizon the UK will join the EU's space programme, Copernicus, but it will not take part in the bloc's nuclear technology scheme, Euratom.
The breakthrough comes after months of talks between London and Brussels.
It had been hoped that a British return to Horizon would follow in the wake of the Windsor Framework deal, agreed in February and designed to address concerns over post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland.
Whitehall sources said in July a draft deal was with the prime minister - but Downing Street said a UK-based alternative known as Pioneer also remained an option because Mr Sunak was concerned about "value for money".
Michelle Donelan, the secretary of state for science, denied the move was "mission creep back into the EU".
She told Sky News: "This is fantastic news, not just for British scientists and researchers but also for the British taxpayer.
"What we're announcing today is a great deal, a deal that many said we won't be able to get."
Under the terms of the deal, the UK will not need to pay into the scheme for the two years it was absent with costs under the programme beginning again in January 2024.
The government also pointed to the inclusion of a so-called "clawback" mechanism, which will mean that the UK will be compensated if British scientists receive significantly less money than the UK puts into the programme.
Ms Donelan said the deal also includes an overperformance indicator, which means the UK won't be penalised for overperforming "so we can really back our British scientists to achieve".
Newly-appointed shadow science secretary Peter Kyle told broadcasters that ministers now need to "get on with it".
"What we're missing out on is two years' worth of innovation," the Labour MP said.
"Two years of global companies looking around the world for where to base their research centres and choosing other countries than Britain, because we are not part of Horizon... This is two years of wasted opportunity for us as a country."
Source- Sky News
BMW will not charge extra to activate existing functions in cars
BMW will expand its offering of paid-for on-demand services and functions with future models – but its sales boss has said the firm is not considering charging customers to activate hardware-based functions in the future.
As with many car firms, the Munich company is using the increasing connectivity of cars to offer over-the-air updates, which can include the ability to add new functions. BMW created controversy last year after offering a monthly subscription to activate heated seats in some models.
Asked how BMW will ensure customers don’t feel they’re being made to pay extra for functions they would previously have expected as standard, Pieter Nota, the firm’s board member for sales and marketing, said: “We have some experience with that, and testing how the customer responds is part of that process.
“We actually are now focusing with those ‘functions on demand’ on software and service-related products, like driving assistance and parking assistance, which you can add later after purchasing the car, or for certain functions that require data transmission that customers are used to paying for in other areas.
“What we don’t do anymore – and that is a very well-known example – is offer seat heating by this way. It’s either in or out. We offer it by the factory and you either have it or you don’t have it.
“We thought that we would provide an extra service to the customer by offering the chance to activate that later, but the user acceptance isn’t that high. People feel that they paid double – which was actually not true, but perception is reality, I always say. So that was the reason we stopped that.”
Asked which services the firm could charge for, Nota said: “What we find is software-based services, like downloading a parking assist product, is very well accepted. People know it’s a certain piece of software they can download that costs money. It’s the same as downloading a film or an extra feature on an app. That is accepted and we do that increasingly successfully.”
Source- Auto Car
PRESS RELEASE
JOINT STATEMENT FROM HER EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR AND THE
HONOURABLE PREMIER ON OPERATIONAL RESPONSE MEASURES
The National Security Council (NSC) met on 1 and 5 September. We want to keep you
informed of the measures we are taking to support the multi-agency response to tackle
the threats to the safety of our islands.
The RTCIPF is spearheading Operation Reclaim III with continued enhanced
patrols and active investigations. Officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force
arrived yesterday for active deployment in support of the RTCIPF’s operations
to disrupt and dismantle gang-related crime.
The Turks and Caicos Islands is continuing to collaborate with international
partners such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the US Customs and
Border Protection (CBP). In supporting marine domain awareness, CBP assets
are providing important aerial surveillance to help safeguard our waters. This
assistance is partly funded by the UK.
The National Security Council, through a multi-agency approach, will be
undertaking a medium to long-term strategic assessment of threats and
required measures to tackle the challenges of transnational crime and gang-related activity affecting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Strengthened multi-
agency cooperation is showing success. A joint operation involving RTCIPF
Marine Unit officers, the Customs Department, and the TCI Regiment resulted
in the seizure of marijuana (found on board an illegal migrant vessel) with an
estimated street value of $500,000.
The Informal Settlement Unit (ISU) is at an advanced stage in its assessment
of Informal Settlements across the TCI. To date, forty-five (45) informal
settlements have been identified, comprising over 500 acres and 700 parcels
of crown and private land, primarily on Providenciales and Grand Turk. The ISU
is developing a 90-day operational plan to commence with the issuance of
notices and several reclamation activities. The ISU will be partnering with and
supporting private landowners in this initiative.
The Ministry of Immigration and Border Force, as part of multi-agency efforts,
continues with their enforcement activity of irregular migrant interceptions,
repatriations, and prosecutions. Members of Immigration and Customs are
currently undergoing enhanced training as part of wider efforts to strengthen
border security.
The National Security Council will continue to assess threats and keep you informed
of our efforts to ensure the safety and security of our communities. To assist our police
investigations, we kindly ask for your cooperation. If you possess any information,
regardless of its significance, please speak to someone you trust or contact TCI Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-8477 to provide information anonymously and with confidence, for
the safety of all.
6PM NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE LEE WEDNESDAY
NEWS ITEMS ON HURRICANE LEE ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6:00 PM EDT, WEDNESDAY 06TH, SEPTEMBER 2023
...LEE STRENGTHENS INTO A HURRICANE...
...LIKELY TO INTENSIFY INTO AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MAJOR HURRICANE BY EARLY SATURDAY...
AT 5:00 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LEE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.9° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 46.4° WESTOR ABOUT 1130 EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.
LEE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AT 14 MILES PER HOUR. THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. CONTINUED STEADY TO RAPID STRENGTHENING IS
FORECAST, AND LEE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE IN A DAY OR TWO.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6:00 AM THURSDAY.
X, formerly Twitter, to collect biometric and employment data
X, formerly known as Twitter, will collect biometric data on its users, such as a photograph of their face, in an update to its privacy policy.
People signed up for its subscription service, X Premium, can choose to provide a selfie and photo ID for verification.
The policy also states X may collect employment and educational history.
This would be to "recommend potential jobs for you, to share with potential employers when you apply for a job".
There has been speculation that X may want to offer recruitment services.
In May, X Corp acquired a tech recruiting service called Laskie, according to reports. It was the first takeover of a company since Elon Musk bought Twitter, as it was then known, last year for $44bn (£34.7bn)
The new privacy policy will come into force on 29 September.
It states: "We may collect and use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on) to recommend potential jobs for you, to share with potential employers when you apply for a job, to enable employers to find potential candidates, and to show you more relevant advertising."
Liberty Vittert, professor of the practice of data science at Washington University in St. Louis, said the move is in line with X's attempt to establish "more targeted and individual experiences for users" and rival platforms such as LinkedIn.
But she said the shift was one user "should absolutely be wary of", warning it could be misused by employers in ways such as using tweets, retweets or accounts followed to make decisions about a job.
Dr Stephanie Hare, tech ethics researcher says the data collection "is a massive data grab, though with your consent" and as this is not compulsory for users she doesn't believe the move is upsetting from a civil liberties standpoint.
According to X, the collection of biometric data - a term that covers data relating to a person's physical attributes such as a facial scan or fingerprint - is for X Premium users.
The company told the BBC: "X will give the option to provide their government ID, combined with a selfie, to add a verification layer.
"Biometric data may be extracted from both the government ID and the selfie image for matching purposes. This will additionally help us tie, for those who choose, an account to a real person by processing their government-issued ID. This will also help X fight impersonation attempts and make the platform more secure."
Mr Musk has also reiterated X's plans to give users the option to make video and audio calls. He said the feature "works on iOS, Android, Mac & PC" and that no phone number would be needed.
"X is the effective global address book", he claimed.
However, there was no date given for when the new calling feature would be available.
TikTok already collects biometric data in the United States.
"We may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information as defined under U.S. laws, such as faceprints and voiceprints," the company says in its privacy policy.
However, last year in a Senate hearing, TikTok's then-chief operating officer, Vanessa Pappas, said the company did not use "any sort of facial, voice or audio, or body recognition that would identify an individual."
Mr. Musk has an ambition to turn X into an "everything app", a one-stop-shop for various services, as part of that the addition of extra features, and extra updates to the privacy policy to enable them, may well continue.
Source- BBC
Police clash with Eritrean asylum seekers
Dozens of people have been injured, including some from live gunfire, during clashes between Eritrean asylum seekers and Israeli police in Tel Aviv.
Stun grenades, tear gas, and sponge-tipped bullets were used against hundreds of protesters.
The unrest was sparked after activists opposed to the Eritrean government said they asked Israeli authorities to cancel an embassy event on Saturday.
But protesters also clashed with supporters of the Eritrean regime.
The divisions within Eritrea over the rule of President Isaias Afwerki have spilled over into the diaspora, and this is the latest outbreak of violence in recent weeks.
According to Israeli news reports, the demonstrators marched towards a venue where the event was due to take place. They were initially held back by police barricades but later managed to break through them.
Residents said the streets of central Tel Aviv sounded like a war zone as police helicopters buzzed overhead and Israeli officers fired live rounds into the air.
Protesters fought with police, damaged cars, and smashed the windows of nearby businesses.
A statement by Israeli police said that officers used their guns as they felt their lives were in danger.
Photos from inside the hall that had been hired by Eritrean diplomats for the event showed tables and chairs overturned after angry demonstrators broke in.
Videos shared on social media also showed street battles between Eritreans who support the regime in their home country and those who oppose it. Israeli police said they tried to separate the two sides.
In a message put out on X, previously known as Twitter, the police asked uninvolved members of the public to stay away from the scene.
Eritrea country profile
Earlier this week, police said at a news conference that different Eritrean factions had agreed to rally in two locations this Saturday.
Supporters of the government in Asmara were supposed to meet close to the embassy venue. Opponents were due to protest at the old central bus station, which is a short distance away.
However, the two sides did not stick to their commitments, police said.
The Haaretz newspaper quoted an unnamed senior police source as saying: "We were astonished by the level of violence, scenes you only see in the West Bank."
Hundreds of officers have since been deployed in the area, according to the police.
In the middle of the afternoon, the Magen David Adom emergency medical service said it had treated 114 wounded people. Most had minor injuries, including 30 police officers - most of whom were badly bruised. Eight were in a serious condition and 13 were in a moderate condition.
There have been previous cases of violence between different factions of Eritrean asylum seekers.
In 2019, one asylum seeker who was a regime supporter was fatally stabbed in south Tel Aviv amid a turf war - between those for and against the Eritrean government - in poorer neighborhoods where many people from the community live.
It is estimated that there are about 18,000 asylum seekers from Eritrea in Israel, most of whom arrived illegally years ago by crossing Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. They said they fled danger, persecution, and compulsory military conscription in one of the world's most repressive countries.
Although Eritreans supporting the regime would not appear to be in need of international protection as refugees, the authorities in Israel have not made differentiations between asylum seekers based on their political affiliations, according to local media.
As Eritrea marks 30 years of independence from Ethiopia, festivals have been held by its diaspora.
But as well as Israel, some in Europe and North America have been marred by protests and outbreaks of violence - last month a three-day Eritrean cultural festival in Toronto, Canada was canceled after supporters and opponents of Eritrea's regime clashed.
Source- BBC