Twitter engineering boss Foad Dabiri quits day after DeSantis launch glitches
An engineering chief at Twitter says he is leaving the company a day after the launch of Ron DeSantis' US presidential campaign on the platform was hit with technical glitches.
Foad Dabiri tweeted: "After almost four incredible years at Twitter, I decided to leave the nest yesterday."
Mr. DeSantis' entry into the race for the White House was hit by problems as a Twitter livestream malfunctioned.
More than 80% of the firm's workforce has been cut since Mr Musk bought it.
Mr. Dabiri did not specify why he had decided to leave Twitter or whether it was related to the problems with the DeSantis event on the platform.
He did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment. Twitter did not provide a statement on Mr. Dabiri's exit when approached by the BBC.
Mr. Dabiri, who was the engineering lead for Twitter's Growth organization, said in a tweet he had "experienced two distinct eras" at the company, before and after it was acquired by the multi-billionaire last year.
In another post, Mr. Dabiri said the transition into Twitter's "2.0" was "massive and rapid".
He added: "To say it was challenging at the outset would be an understatement."
However, Mr. Dabiri said: "Working with @elonmusk has been highly educational, and it was enlightening to see how his principles and vision are shaping the future of this company."
Issues with a Twitter live stream meant that an event to launch Mr. Desantis' bid for the Republican presidential nomination got underway 20 minutes late.
By the time Wednesday evening's Twitter talk had begun in earnest, hundreds of thousands of Twitter users had left the platform.
The Florida governor is viewed as former President Donald Trump's chief rival to be their party's candidate in the 2024 general election.
Mr. Musk, who also runs car maker Tesla and rocket firm SpaceX, bought Twitter for $44bn (£35.4bn) in October.
Speaking to the BBC last month, he said that cutting the workforce from just under 8,000 people at the time he bought the firm to about 1,500 had not been easy.
Since Mr. Musk took the reins at Twitter, he has laid off thousands of employees, including engineers responsible for the site's operations and technical troubleshooting.
Mr DeSantis' team worked quickly to spin the technical stumbles, writing on Twitter that the announcement had broken "the internet with so much excitement", and posting a link to the campaign website.
His press secretary Bryan Griffin claimed the online event had raised $1m in an hour.
At one point, the Twitter event drew more than 600,000 listeners, according to Reuters news agency figures, but by its conclusion, there were fewer than 300,000.
Once the live stream began, Mr. DeSantis turned the conversation to his conservative credentials and touted his handling of the Covid-19 crisis in his state - an anti-lockdown approach applauded by many Republicans.
Source- BBC
TURKS AND CAICOS WEATHER FORECAST
FORECAST FOR FRIDAY
WEATHER: CLOUDY TO OVERCAST WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET WITH LIGHT NORTHEASTERLY SWELLS
FORECAST FOR SATURDAY
WEATHER: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTH-SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN LIGHT NORTHEASTERLY SWELLS
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: A NON-TROPICAL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO FORM ALONG A FRONTAL BOUNDARY OFFSHORE OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES COAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW 10% CHANCE OF FORMATION THROUGH SEVEN DAYS. RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE THEIR SEASONAL PREPARATIONS BEFORE THE OFFICIAL START OF THE HURRICANE SEASON, WHICH BEGINS JUNE 1 AND ENDS NOVEMBER 30TH.
Court says Hugh Grant's lawsuit alleging illegal snooping by The Sun tabloid can go to trial
A London court on Friday rejected an attempt by the publisher of The Sun tabloid to throw out a lawsuit by actor Hugh Grant alleging that journalists and investigators it hired illegally snooped on him.
Justice Timothy Fancourt said a trial in January will have to determine whether The Sun had carried out unlawful information gathering that included tapping his landline and bugging his car and breaking into his home.
News Group Newspapers, which owns The Sun, had argued that Grant didn't bring his claims within a six-year time limit. The judge dismissed Grant's phone hacking claims on time limitation grounds but said the case could proceed on the other allegations.
“It was only on seeing invoices disclosed ... in 2021 that Mr. Grant believed that private investigators (PIs) had been instructed by The Sun to target him in various ways, particularly in 2011," Fancourt wrote.
The case was argued during a hearing last month that also included phone hacking allegations by Prince Harry against News Group, Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers.
Fancourt's ruling didn't address the Duke of Sussex's case because he wants to hear more about Harry's allegations that he was prevented from bringing his claims much sooner because of a “secret agreement” between Buckingham Palace and Murdoch's papers.
Harry alleged that the royal family had agreed to settle their cases with NGN, publisher of the defunct News of the World, out of court after related litigation died down. He said the deal called for an apology from the newspapers.
In court papers, Harry said that he only brought his lawsuit when efforts to expedite that settlement failed. He said his brother, Prince William, heir to the throne, subsequently received a “huge” settlement over phone hacking allegations against News Group.
NGN has denied there was a “secret agreement.” The palace hasn't responded to messages seeking comment on that or William's alleged settlement.
A spokesperson for News Group issued a statement Friday saying that it was pleased that the court threw out Grant's phone hacking allegations.
“NGN strongly denies the various historical allegations of unlawful information-gathering contained in what remains of Mr. Grant’s claim,” the statement said.
Source- ABC News
Boston Celtics continue comeback against Miami Heat with dominant win
Jaylen Brown said the Boston Celtics "set the tone from start to finish" as they continued their comeback in the Eastern Conference finals with a second straight win over the Miami Heat.
They scored 16 three-pointers in a dominant 110-97 win to cut their deficit in the series to 3-2.
No NBA team has ever previously rallied from 3-0 down to win a best-of-seven playoff series.
"The only thing that can stop us is us," said Brown.
With 21 points, Brown was one of four Boston players to score in double digits with Derrick White top-scoring on 24. Marcus Smart added 23 while Jayson Tatum also made 21.
"Tonight we were the tougher playing team," Brown added. "We set the tone from start to finish."
Duncan Robinson made 18 points for Miami but talisman Jimmy Butler struggled to find his rhythm, contributing only 14 points and sitting out most of the fourth quarter.
Three-time NBA champions Miami need only one more win to reach a seventh NBA Finals and a first since 2020 and will have the opportunity in game six on their home court on Saturday.
"We've just got to play better," said Butler. "Start the game off better, on the starters, make it more difficult for them.
"They are in a rhythm since the beginning of the game. But we are always going to stay positive, knowing that we can and we will win this series. We'll just have to close it out at home."
The Denver Nuggets await the NBA Finals, which are expected to start on 1 June.
Source- BBC
Invest Turks and Caicos’ Business Support Unit partners with the Department of Trade to deliver Export Opportunities for MSMEs Training
On Thursday, May 11th, 2023, Invest Turks and Caicos’ Business Support Unit (BSU); partnered with the Department of Trade, Industry, and Fair Competition to host the Export Opportunities for MSMEs Training. In attendance were nineteen business owners; who participated in the free, interactive training held at Blue Haven Resort from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
The training was facilitated by Ms. Lisandra Colley, Director of Trade, Industry, and Fair Competition. During the training, the participants learned the following:
- Essentials of Accessing the international market
- Basics of exporting and the benefits of exporting for MSMEs
- Export opportunities to access the Canadian and UK markets
- Requirements and procedures for the exportation of goods to Canada and the UK
- Understand how to use Canadian and UK government interactive tools to export
Commenting on the Training, Director of Trade, Lisandra Colley expressed, "Bolstered by its trade-related technical assistance pillar, the Department of Trade, Industry, and Fair Competition (DTIFC) aims to provide capacity building training and seminars to equip businesses across the TCI to fully participate in the domestic and international trading systems. The partnership between the DTIFC and Invest TCI to host the Seminar 'Export Opportunities for MSMEs' epitomizes our shared commitment to empowering micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
Through this collaborative effort, we provided participants with the essential knowledge and tools needed to access international markets and leverage preferential trading arrangements. By understanding the benefits of exporting, identifying potential markets, and grasping the requirements and procedures for a successful export, participants are better equipped to seize opportunities in the Canadian and UK markets and worldwide."
Anissa Adderley, Director of the Business Support Unit, also provided her feedback on the training “To strengthen the awareness of trade opportunities for MSMEs, the BSU will continue its partnership with the Department of Trade. We invite all entrepreneurs and small business owners to participate in our next collaborative training, to be held Thursday, September 12th, 2023, titled Incorporating Product Standards for Sustainable Trade.
Additionally, we welcome all businesses to take advantage of the free services offered by the Business Support Unit, namely Business Planning, Training, Counselling, Administrative Services, and MSME Programme Recipient Support. We provide the support you need to ensure your business is resilient and sustainable. Let us help you take your business to the next level.”
UK GIVES GREENLIGHT TO HOWARD HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
A critical step toward the construction of a new passenger terminal at the Howard Hamilton International Airport (formerly Providenciales International Airport) has occurred with the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (“FCDO”) giving its approval for the redevelopment of the Airport as outlined in a Business Case recently presented by the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (“TCIAA”) requesting permission to proceed with the project through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) program. In addition to constructing a new passenger terminal, the redevelopment project includes expansion works to the airside of the Airport - increasing the current apron, extending the existing runway, and adding a taxiway.
On Tuesday, 23rd May 2023, Paul Chandler, Director of Overseas Territories & Polar Directorate for the FCDO, wrote to the Premier, Hon. Charles Washington Misick, to communicate the UK’s approval of the project. In his letter, Mr. Chandler noted, “It’s clear that a lot of time, effort, and expertise has gone into it for which I commend you and the team…We fully recognize and support the urgency of the project. We are also aware, however, of the risks surrounding major infrastructure projects and want to ensure that these are mitigated as far as possible. To that end, FCDO officials have been liaising with TCIAA since we received your letter on a few outstanding issues, all of which have now been resolved.”
On 4th May 2023, the TCIAA wrote to Lord Zach Goldsmith, Minister of State (Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment to formally request written approval for further consideration and pursuit of the redevelopment of the Howard Hamilton International Airport through a Public Private Partnership (“PPP”) program. A copy of the business case justifying and outlining the proposed project was enclosed. The Hon. Premier, accompanied by Her Excellency Anya Williams, the Governor (Acting), then met with His Lordship on 9th May 2023 in the UK to further discuss the project and formally request approval.
Noting the approval with favor, Premier Misick reiterated his Government’s commitment to redeveloping the Howard Hamilton International Airport with a relevant life cycle of at least 40 years. The Premier commented, “The need for the redevelopment of the Airport has been classified as critical, necessary, and long overdue by the Government. Though the process has been long to get to this point, it was a necessary and responsible one. The TCIAA has spent the past year engaged with international expert consultants conducting the relevant studies, doing the necessary market testing, and developing what, in the end, was a very highly technical, meticulously prepared, and strong business case that the UK has now endorsed. The next step is for the project to be appraised by the House of Assembly to allow the TCIAA to proceed with its planned Pre-Qualification of Interested Bidders Stage. The Government is committed to progressing this quickly.”
Hon. Arlington “Chuck” Musgrove, Minister with responsibility for the Airports Authority, praised the TCIAA for its achievement noting, “Several people fail to understand that the work the TCIAA has been doing over the past year to reach this crucial point in the redevelopment of the Airport is commendable. Many across the region have done similar projects and have responded to the TCIAA’s process with admiration and expressed the sentiment of wishing they had taken a similar approach with its research and stakeholder engagements to establish a project of integrity and with the execution of good governance. Since the decision was made to pursue a PPP in the summer of 2022, on a nearly weekly basis, the Hon. Attorney General and her team, assisted by the UK Firm, Ashurst, along with the Director of Contracts, the Chairman and Legal Counsel for the TCIAA, and a legal team (GIDE) acting for the Consultants and the TCIAA, have been meeting to review and consider the necessary measures to be taken and adjustments needing to be made to not only facilitate the project but to secure good governance.”
“The TCIAA and TCIG want the public to know that the decision to pursue a PPP program for the redevelopment is not premised on a situation where the TCIAA and/TCIG cannot self-fund the project,” said Hon. Musgrove. “The decision to pursue a PPP is premised on a ‘big picture’ understanding and approach to value for money and the benefits which can be achieved for the greater social good of the investment need through a PPP. Together, the TCIAA and TCIG are working to develop a program delivery that improves the infrastructure and service quality and increases capacity in local skills development and business opportunities.”
In the last quarter of 2021, the Government received various unsolicited presentations for the redevelopment of the Airport, all of which varied in size of scope and proposal, making it abundantly clear that a consultancy was required to present the best options for the life of the redevelopment based on TCIG’s goals, preferred funding, and managing mechanism. In May 2022, the TCIAA contracted ALG Transport & Infrastructure Advisors PLC (“ALG”) as feasibility and transaction advisors for the Howard Hamilton International Airport Redevelopment Project. The scope of the engagement includes:
defining an appropriate scope, structure, and risk allocation for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) or Public Finance Initiative (PFI) transaction through the required technical and legal studies to ensure maximum value for the use of public resources for the modernization and operation of the Airport;
developing a comprehensive Invitation to Tender for the tendering process;
conducting a transparent tendering procedure to attract a private investor to finance, design, expand, operate, and maintain the Airport; and
leading in the implementation of the PPP.
Under the proposed program, the TCIAA will retain ownership of the Airport with a maximum 30-year period for the funding/payback arrangement. It is envisioned that through a meticulously designed and executed procurement exercise involving a pre-qualification stage, a renowned international airport operator could be engaged for the operation and maintenance of the Airport, while the construction of the terminal will be via a local investor or a consortium thereof, who would in the process of preparing themselves for construction of the project contract the requisite skills and project experts experienced in the construction of airports within the similar scope contemplated. Another feature of the redevelopment project is that there will be no impact on TCIG’s debt status. TCIG’s remuneration would result from a structured revenue share scheme or dividend repayment policy depending on whether the project is structured as a PPP or developed with Public funding/financing.
Godfrey Smith, CEO of the TCIAA, commented, “With the approval now given by the UK, it is important to know that the Business Case continues to develop. As the project progresses, we will need to continuously assess our data, measuring our risks and opportunities, to procure a contract and development that we can remain proud of and have confidence in a decade from now.” Mr. Smith and the Chairman, accompanied by the Permanent Secretaries for Finance and Border Control, will attend the Global Airport Development (Americas) Conference next week, where the TCIAA will be presenting a session on the TCI, the project, and the significance of airport developments on reflecting and enhancing the Islands’ identity. The following week, other members of the Board and the Management Team members will attend an IATA-sponsored Master Planning Course aimed at improving local skills in the planning and project management of Airport Master Plan development. Developing a Strategic Master Plan covering all of TCI’s airports is a priority project for the TCIAA during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
The TCIAA is committed to a timeline in which it hopes to complete the procurement exercise within the current calendar year. With UK approval now given and local Government approval now imminent, the TCIAA has now shifted its attention to the preparation of data and documents related to the tendering process for the assignment of the concession of the Airport, including Project Information Memorandum, Invitation for Pre-qualification (IFP), Invitation to Tender (ITT), legal/tender evaluation criteria and Draft PPP Contract. With swift approvals as desired, TCIG and TCIAA could commence the procurement stage of the project as early as late June 2023/ early July 2023.
As a further observation of the project, Premier Misick commented: “The current approach to the project is a process aimed at striking a balance between four internationally established principles around what amount to value for money. The process and development must be economical, efficient, effective, and, most importantly, equitable. To this end, the success of the deliverables intended under the redevelopment project will be measured beyond the product output (i.e., the airport terminal). What matters most in the project’s success is its social and economic impact on the people of the TCI and our ability to design a program that effectively monitors and manages it to the advantage of the TCI.”
Information about the Airports Authority
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority Ordinance (“TCIAA”) was established in 2005 under The Airports Authority Ordinance (Ord.11 of 2005) for constructing, controlling, and managing airports, and providing and maintaining runways, taxiways, and terminals for the efficient operation of airports in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is further responsible for providing Border Control facilities (i.e. Customs and Immigration Services) and for Health and Security Checks. Since its establishment, the TCIAA has been instrumental in the development and improvement of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ six (6) public airports:
The Howard Hamilton International Airport/ Providenciales International Airport (MBPV)
The JAGS McCartney International Airport / Grand Turk International Airport (MBGT)
The Norman B Saunders International Airport / South Caicos International Airport (MBSC)
The Clifford Gardiner International Airport/ North Caicos Airport (MBNC)
The Eric Arthur Airport/ Middle Caicos Airport (MBMC)
The Leon Wilson Airport / Salt Cay Airport (MBSY)
The TCIAA continues to operate as a focal point on the national agenda for economic and social development. The TCIAA Board consists of eight (8) members with a broad spectrum of experience in airport management, aviation, security, development, investment, law, and other industries, as well as public policy and government.
The goal of the TCIAA is to provide world-class airport operations through high-standard safety, security, quality, efficiencies, and customer service, recognizing its importance to the overall economic development and strategic growth of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Principal says he is bracing for academic loss
At least one school principal says he is bracing for academic loss amid a strike by public school teachers. The strike, which started in seven parishes Thursday, is expected to last six days.
Principal Paul Grant, of Bellefield High, a shift school in Manchester, told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday said if the strike continues as planned "the school system will be crippled".
He added: "We are bracing for some academic loss that we can't escape. Teachers were required to submit their exam scripts to the heads of departments and to be vetted by their vice-principals for printing for [internal] exams starting in the middle of June," said Grant.
"If this continues into next week then there will be significant academic loss in terms of the final preparations. I suspect that between now and the middle of June some teachers may not complete their unit and curriculum, so the impact Thursday, Friday, and possibly into next week, will have rippling effects in terms of the students and their preparations for their end-of-year results," added Grant.
The Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), led by President La Sonja Harrison, called the strike and urged educators to register their displeasure with the handling of anomalies and discrepancies arising from the Government's compensation review.
Teachers in Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, Kingston, St Andrew, and St Thomas are set to continue industrial action today, Friday, May 26.
Teachers in Hanover, St James, Trelawny, St Ann, St Mary, and Portland are set to take industrial action on May 29 and 30, and an all-island industrial strike is set for May 31 and June 1.
The teachers, however, could be ordered back to work today when a team from the JTA meets with the Ministry of Labour.
"We had to make a decision to send the students home at 9:30 am. There are some students here doing CXC and others are in different areas studying. The teachers supported and then we had to send the students home just to make sure that they are safe," he said.
"It is slated for tomorrow [Friday] but I don't know in terms of Government intervention what will take place. We are listening and awaiting information, but if we don't hear anything by a certain time we would have to get in touch with parents so that they know how to make their decisions," added Graham.
A senior teacher at BB Coke High School in Junction who requested anonymity told the Observer why she supported the industrial action.
"There are teachers who have not gotten their retroactive payments. There are people who are still not sure about their monthly salary. Monies were taken from our salaries in March, and we don't know what it was for. There is no explanation," she said.
Principal of St Elizabeth Technical High School in Santa Cruz Keith Wellington said only half of the 98 teachers there turned up for work on Thursday and just over 600 students showed up for classes.
"Only 50 percent of our teachers are here today and 50 percent of the student population as well. I have excluded the grade 11 and sixth-formers who are only here for exams. Across grades seven to 10, we would have expected regular classes, [but] only 50 percent of the students are here," he said.
Principal of Cross Keys High School Paul Morgan said 33 of 58 teachers turned up for work on Thursday and only 83 students for classes.
"I am impacted. I don't have my full complement of staff and my student population is at a low. I have had to be merging classes," he said.
When asked if he was prepared for the planned continued industrial action, Morgan was reluctant to say.
"I can't speak on that, because as a principal I have nothing to do with strike, that is a matter for teachers and their union," he said.
Source- JamaicaObserver
Congress inches closer to deal before holiday weekend
US President Joe Biden says progress has been made in talks with top Republican Kevin McCarthy over the US debt ceiling - even as Congress breaks up for a holiday weekend.
The pair aim to reach a deal on raising the government borrowing limit for two years so it can keep paying its bills.
A US debt default - with a 1 June deadline looming - would upend the economy and have a global impact.
Mr. Biden spoke of "several productive conversations" with Mr. McCarthy.
The deal being reached could mean both sides can point to wins - Republicans on curbs to spending and Democrats on protecting key domestic programs.
During a White House event on Thursday, the president said his staff remained in conversation with the team of Mr. McCarthy, the House speaker - and that the two sides were "making progress".
He added: "I made clear time and again that defaulting on our nation's debt is not an option." He said Americans deserved certainty over issues such as social security payments.
The debt ceiling is a spending limit set by Congress that determines how much money the government can borrow - an issue on which Democrats and Republicans disagree.
With no deal yet struck, the Treasury has warned that the US will not have enough money to pay all of its bills as soon as 1 June.
Analysts say there could be severe economic consequences if the US fails to honor its obligations.
A US official told Reuters that the White House was considering scaling back an increase of the Internal Revenue Service to hire more auditors, which was intended to target wealthy Americans.
The Times reported negotiators were closing in on a deal that would raise the debt limit for two years while imposing strict caps on spending, with the military and veterans' budgets protected from caps.
Republicans are seeking spending cuts in exchange for raising the $31.4tn (£25tn) cap on government borrowing.
Mr. McCarthy - who leads Republicans in the House and has been the most high-profile public face of the talks for his party - earlier said Democrats and Republicans had worked past midnight on Wednesday and would continue to negotiate.
"There's a couple of issues still hanging out there that we've got to get done," he said. "We're gonna work 24/7 to try to make that happen."
Another key Republican said he believed a deal to raise the nation's debt-ceiling deal was "likely" by Friday afternoon.
"We are inching closer to a deal. I think it's some of the finer points they are working on right now," Rep Kevin Hern told Reuters news agency. "You are likely to see a deal by tomorrow afternoon."
"Neither side is going to get exactly what they want," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were trading higher at midday on Thursday, lifted by positive updates on earnings from some companies, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down about 0.6%.
That followed several days of declines.
Any agreement formed between the two sides will need to be turned into a legislative text to be approved by Congress.
Mr McCarthy has promised to give lawmakers 72 hours to review the bill, and at least 24 hours' notice if they have to return to Washington early. If a deal is reached this week, a vote could happen early next week.
There is little wiggle room for objections to be raised, as the Senate would also have to vote on the bill, which would then go to the White House for signing.
Lawmakers could also temporarily lift the debt cap to give the talks more time.
Source- BBC
Energy bills set to stay high despite price cap cut
Energy bills are set to remain high despite a cut in prices from July, experts have warned.
A typical household will pay £2,074 a year for gas and electricity from July, £426 a year less than currently, after the regulator cut the energy price cap for England, Scotland, and Wales.
Government help in recent months has limited bills to £2,500.
However, prices are not expected to fall much further over the rest of the year and could edge up in winter.
MoneySavingExpert's Martin Lewis said that later on in 2023 bills would be similar to last winter because, although prices are cheaper, households will not get the same £400 discount from the government they previously received.
"People will still be paying double what they used to pay before the energy crisis hit," he added.
Kate Mulvany, from energy analysis firm Cornwall Insight, also said further substantial falls in bills would be unlikely particularly if there was a cold winter across Europe with the UK competing to buy energy with other countries.
"Our forecasts suggest until the end of this decade, higher and more volatile prices are going to be seen, and that includes the impact they're going to have on domestic bills unfortunately," she told the BBC's Today program.
Earlier this week, Qatar's energy minister warned the "worst is yet to come" for gas shortages in Europe, suggesting prices could rise again.
There are hopes that the fall of the price cap below the government's guaranteed level could lead to the return of competition in the market, with people able to shop around for the best deal.
But Mr. Lewis said that he did not expect to see firms publicizing new offers immediately, with energy firms instead offering existing customers bespoke offers, with no new deals across the market.
The boss of energy regulator Ofgem Jonathan Brearley urged people to contact their supplier if they were struggling to pay their bills.
"In the medium term, we're unlikely to see prices return to the levels we saw before the energy crisis," he added.
Michael Houghton says the Emmaus charity in Ipswich helped him apply for grants to pay his soaring energy bill last winter.
He says his gas bill rose to almost £30 per week, forcing him to cut down on food shopping and entertainment.
But Mr. Houghton says that prices remaining high is a concern in the long term. Without more support, he worries he will not be able to afford to pay his energy bills if they remain at a similar price this coming winter.
Since 2019, Ofgem has set a price cap on energy bills. This is the maximum price that suppliers can charge customers per unit of gas and electricity. It applies to households on variable or default tariffs in England, Wales, and Scotland.
After the price cap soared, the government stepped in with the Energy Price Guarantee.
From October, a typical household's annual gas and electricity bill has been £2,500, but this will expire at the end of June. A £400 discount on everyone's energy bills, provided by the government during the winter, came to an end in April.
Under the new cap, the electricity unit rate is 30p per kWh, with a standing charge of 53p a day. The gas unit rate is 8p per kWh and the standing charge is 29p a day.
Most households do not use a typical amount of gas and electricity. Bills are based on how much energy a household actually uses, which depends on the number of people, the type of property, and its energy efficiency.
The calculations for a typical household are based on a direct debit customer using 12,000 kWh (kilowatt hours) of gas and 2,900 kWh of electricity a year. A kilowatt-hour is a unit of energy used to calculate your bill.
About 29 million households will be affected by the change in the cap, but there will be some differences in typical payments from July
- Those who pay via a prepayment meter will pay a similar level to those on direct debits at £2,077 a year.
- Those who pay by cash, cheque, or bank transfer, usually every three months, will have to pay more, with a price cap of £2,211 a year.
- In Northern Ireland, which is regulated separately, bills will be held at £1,950 per year.
Despite the cut to the price cap, the charity National Energy Action said that 6.5 million people would still be in fuel poverty. The typical bill from July will still be much higher than in the winter of 2021 when it stood at £1,277 a year. Charity Citizens Advice described that as "unaffordable for millions of people".
And Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said customers would still be paying roughly the same for their energy as last winter.
"And after months of inflation and the wider cost of living crisis, people are even less able to afford these high energy bills," he said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the cut to the price cap was a "major milestone" in the government's goal to halve inflation.
Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - has been running above 10% for several months, although it fell to 8.7% in April. One of the main factors pushing up the rate was the surge in energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
However, Labour's shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband said energy bills "remain eye-wateringly high, almost double what they were 18 months ago, and families and businesses across the country will continue to struggle to make ends meet".
Source- BBC
ChatGPT-maker warns it might leave EU over planned AI law
The boss of the company behind ChatGPT has said it might consider leaving the EU if it fails to comply with a planned law on artificial intelligence (AI).
The EU's planned legislation could be the first to specifically regulate AI.
And it could require generative AI companies to reveal which copyrighted material had been used to train their systems to create text and images.
"The current draft of the EU AI Act would be over-regulating," OpenAI's Sam Altman said, Reuters reported.
"But we have heard it's going to get pulled back."
Many in the creative industries accuse AI companies of using the work of artists, musicians, and actors to train systems to imitate their work.
But Mr. Altman is worried it would be technically impossible for OpenAI to comply with some of the AI Act's safety and transparency requirements, according to Time magazine.
At an event at University College London, Mr. Altman added he was optimistic AI could create more jobs and reduce inequality.
He also met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the heads of AI companies DeepMind and Anthropic to discuss the technology's risks - from disinformation to national security and even "existential threats" - and the voluntary actions and regulations required to manage them.
Some experts fear super-intelligent AI systems could threaten humanity's existence.
But Mr. Sunak said AI could "positively transform humanity" and "deliver better outcomes for the British public, with emerging opportunities in a range of areas to improve public services".
At the G7 summit in Hiroshima, the leaders of the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Canada agreed to create "trustworthy" AI must be "an international endeavor".
And before any EU legislation comes into effect, the European Commission aims to develop an AI pact with Google's parent company, Alphabet.
International cooperation is vital to regulating AI, according to EU industry chief Thierry Breton, who met with Google chief executive Sundar Pichai in Brussels.
"Sundar and I agreed that we cannot afford to wait until AI regulation actually becomes applicable - and to work together with all AI developers to already develop an AI pact on a voluntary basis ahead of the legal deadline," Mr. Breton said.
Silicon Valley veteran, author, and O'Reilly Media founder Tim O'Reilly said the best start would be mandating transparency and building regulatory institutions to enforce accountability.
"AI fearmongering, when combined with its regulatory complexity, could lead to analysis paralysis," he said.
"Companies creating advanced AI must work together to formulate a comprehensive set of metrics that can be reported regularly and consistently to regulators and the public, as well as a process for updating those metrics as new best practices emerge."
Source- BBC