Goldman Sachs to pay $215m in sex discrimination case
Goldman Sachs will pay $215m (£170.5m) to settle claims that it discriminated against women, offering female staff lower pay and fewer opportunities.
The agreement comes a month before the long-running class-action lawsuit was due to come to trial.
It resolves claims from about 2,800 female staff who worked at the bank in the US.
Goldman will work with outside experts to analyze its pay patterns and methods of promotion as part of the deal.
"I have been proud to support this case without hesitation over the last nearly 13 years and believe this settlement will help the women I had in mind when I filed the case," said Shanna Orlich, one of the women who first filed the legal complaint.
The deal resolves a legal matter that has dogged the bank since 2010 when women stepped forward to accuse the Wall Street giant of a "boys club" work culture that hindered their advancement.
The fight provided a glimpse of the inner workings of the bank, which was accused of paying female vice presidents 20% less than their male peers while tolerating incidents of sexual harassment.
Goldman has said it wants to increase the number of women among its more senior ranks, aiming to have women account for 40% of vice presidents by 2025.
About 29% of Goldman's partners and managing directors are currently women.
"After more than a decade of vigorous litigation, both parties have agreed to resolve this matter," said Jacqueline Arthur, Goldman Sachs' global head of human capital management.
She said the bank was committed "to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace for all our people".
Kelly Dermody, one of the lawyers who represented the women, called the settlement figure "substantial".
Women who worked for the bank's investment banking, investment management, or securities divisions in the US as far back as 2002 may be eligible to receive some of the money.
Allegations of pay discrimination against women have been rife, especially in industries such as finance and tech.
In the UK, where Goldman is required to report on pay by gender to the government, the typical man at the firm out-earned the typical woman by at least 20% - far higher than the 9.4% gap found across the country. Those figures do not account for differences in position or rank.
Google last year paid $118m to resolve claims brought by 15,000 women, while video game company Riot Games in 2021 agreed to a $100m settlement in a suit involving about 2,300 women.
Source- BBC
GUIDELINES FOR THE FILING OF DECLARATIONS FOR SPECIFIED PERSONS IN PUBLIC LIFE
The Integrity Commission wishes to inform the public and, in particular, to remind the Specified Persons in Public Life (Declarants), as set out below and in Schedule 1, that they must file their Declarations of Income, Assets, and Liabilities, as required by Section 39 of the TCI Integrity Commission Ordinance.
The filing of declarations will take place, on an ongoing basis, during the months of May and June 2023.
All Declarants are required to deliver their completed Declaration forms, along with the relevant supporting documents, in person, at an office of the Commission, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
Declarants will be contacted individually, with a specific date, time, and location, for delivery of declaration forms.
Specified Persons in Public Life include the following:
· All Specified Persons in Public Life who made their last filing on or before 30th June 2021.
· All persons who are appointed to Statutory Boards, effective 1st April 2023, or thereafter.
· All Specified Persons in Public Life who are appointed, within the TCIG Government, effective 1st April 2023, or thereafter.
· All persons who are no longer sitting members of Statutory Boards, as of 31st March 2023.
· All persons who have resigned from their posts, or whose contracts have not been renewed, within the TCIG Government, are required to file within 90 days of the end of their tenure.
· All other persons who are considered Specified Persons in Public Life, but who would not have been aware of their obligation to file, under section 39 of the Integrity Commission Ordinance.
Declaration Forms are available on the Commission’s website at: www.integritycommission.tc.
For any inquiries about an appointment, please call 946-1941 or 941-7847 or send an email to info@integritycommission.tc
For those declarants who fail to attend their scheduled appointment, please be mindful of the following:
A failure, without reasonable cause, to file a Declaration is a criminal offense, punishable with imprisonment for 1 year, a fine of $15,000, or both. In addition, the Commission is, among other things, obligated to publish the fact of such failure in the Gazette.
All Declarations are confidential documents. Please DO NOT submit your completed Declaration form through a third party, or via electronic or surface mail.
Persons who have filed a Declaration during the calendar year 2022 and, were required to do so at that time as per the regular filing cycle, will NOT be required to file in 2023.
Schedule 1 below details all Specified Persons in Public Life (Declarants) who are required to file a declaration.
SCHEDULE 1
(Section 2)
SPECIFIED PERSONS IN PUBLIC LIFE
1. Members of the House of Assembly
2. Members of the Cabinet
3. Deputy Governor
4. Permanent Secretaries
5. Under Secretaries/Deputies Secretaries (or post of equivalent rank)
6. Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the House of Assembly
7. Chief Financial Officer
8. Chief Auditor
9. Accountant General
10. Complaints Commissioner
11. Chief Economist
12. Chief Statistician
13. Chief Medical Officer
14. Heads of Department
15. Director and Deputy Director of Planning
16. Director and Deputy Director of Surveys and Mapping
17. Registrar and Deputy Registrar of Deeds
18. Registrar and Deputy Registrar of Lands
19. Director and Deputy Director of Education
20. Director and Deputy Director of Immigration
21. Collector and Deputy Collector of Customs
22. Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Lands
23. Chief and Deputy Chief Valuation Officer
24. Deputy Heads of Departments, where the Head of Department is not called a Director
25. Deputy Attorney General
26. Crown Counsel
27. Clerk of Courts
28. Registrar and Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court
29. Supervisor of Elections
30. Members of the Public Service Commission
31. Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner, and Officers at or above the rank of Superintendent
32. Special Advisers (Inserted by L.N. 64/2012)
33. Members and Staff Members of the Integrity Commission
34. Chairman, Executive Officers, Directors, Deputy Directors, and Members of anybody referred to in paragraph (d) of the definition of “public body” in the Ordinance
35. Any person who has a statutory duty to record the minutes of meetings of a commission, statutory board, public authority, or other body referred to in item 34 who signs the entity’s books and is involved in its business and affairs
36. Any person who acts in an office referred to in this Schedule for a continuous period of six months or more.
(Amended by Ord. 1 of 2009 and 15 of 2010, L.Ns. 7/2012, 29/2012, and 64/2012 and s. 6(1) Turks and Caicos Constitution Order 2011)
Premier Holds Productive U.K. Meetings
Premier Honourable Charles Washington Misick and Acting Governor Her Excellency Anya Williams attended the Coronation and met with His Majesty The King and senior members of the Royal Family and of the UK Cabinet.
The Premier and Lord Goldsmith (Minister for the Overseas Territories) held a bilateral meeting on 9th May in advance of the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council to discuss the partnership between the United Kingdom (UK) and the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).
The Premier has met a range of senior UK Ministers during his time in London including the Foreign Secretary, Home Office Ministers, and a range of other UK departments.
They agreed on the need to step up support to counter irregular migration to the TCI and welcomed the imminent UK Government tender for a maritime surveillance aircraft for the TCI, alongside support to strengthen border security, tackle crime associated with this, and improve asylum processes.
The Premier raised the need to reform the TCI’s constitution and Lord Goldsmith agreed to advance discussions on the cross-party proposals for reform.
Lord Goldsmith welcomed the TCI’s recent accession to the Blue Belt program, and they discussed the need to tackle illegal fishing and to progress maritime border negotiations.
Lord Goldsmith said:
I am grateful to the Premier for his leadership during his prior tenure as President of the UK Overseas Territories Association. The Turks and Caicos Islands are a valued member of the British family, in a partnership based on respect and shared values. We recognize that the Turks and Caicos Islands have continued to strengthen their institutions and good governance, and it is right that we recognize this in our approach to the constitution.
Premier Misick said:
My government is pleased with the United Kingdom’s commitment to advance discussions on the constitutional reform proposals set forth by myself and the Leader of the Opposition.
I am also pleased with the Minister’s commitment to assist with the ongoing threat of illegal migration and border security of our islands as this is vital to the future and success of our islands.
In my bilateral with Lord Goldsmith, a frank update was provided, and, with the Minister’s commitment, my government will do everything in its power to ensure action is taken; the United Kingdom’s promise is delivered, and our border remains protected.
Additionally, matters concerning the redevelopment of the Howard Hamilton International Airport were also discussed and Lord Goldsmith was provided with the official business case for review.
Our relationship with the United Kingdom remains strong and we will continue to build on the lessons learned together along with the reflection of the many successes.
Gov't to spend additional $1B on water projects to combat drought - PM
The government will be allocating an additional $1 billion in the next budget to support the development of small community/municipal-based water projects.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement on Tuesday in a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives where he addressed the worsening meteorological drought facing the country.
He explained that the money will be spent to rehabilitate community tanks, construct catchment areas and install small pumps, mostly in rural areas.
“The work for these small projects will begin now,” he said.
Noting that it was incumbent on the authorities to “catch up” with the water supply situation, Holness reminded that $7 billion in investment in the country’s water network is slated for the current fiscal year.
He also noted that the impact of the drought in the Corporate Area was not as bad as before despite it being one of the worst ever, because of the more than $3 billion spent to install a pipeline from Ferry, St Catherine to Eastern Kingston and Port Royal.
The prime minister also pleaded with all Jamaicans to conserve water.
“All Jamaicans should now be aware that the climate is indeed changing and that our weather patterns are shifting. We can expect longer periods of intense drought and indeed periods of intense rainfall,” he said.
He lamented that recent rainfall has been insufficient to break the drought in parts of the country and said the extended drought is severely affecting the country’s water storage systems and distribution facilities.
“With this particular drought, we’re seeing significant impacts on our water storage and distribution systems. In particular, we’re seeing the effects on some of our rivers and especially on some of our groundwater facilities”.
Holness said of particular concern is the fact that the rivers in the east of the country have been noticeably low in terms of their normal flows.
He said despite the efforts of the state-run National Water Commission to implement various operating strategies to minimize the negative effects of the reduction in rainfall, some customers are already experiencing low water pressure or interruptions in their piped water supply.
Among the impacted systems are the Hermitage Dam and Mona Reservoir which are both at approximately 40 percent of their capacity.
The prime minister said St James is particularly affected as the dry spell has been compounded by significant mechanical failure in recent weeks, made worse by breaks along the main supply lines.
“The government is conscious of the issues facing St James and indeed the entire North Coast,” he stated while pointing out that major hotel and other developments were taking place in this part of the country, particularly in St James, Trelawny, and into Hanover where several thousand hotel rooms are slated to come on stream in the next five years.
Source- Jamaica Observer
New York Jury concluded that Donald Trump sexually abused E Jean Carrol
A New York jury has concluded that it is more likely than not that Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed E Jean Carroll. The verdict may be a harbinger of political and legal damage to come.
While the ruling may not make a dent in Mr. Trump's base within the Republican Party, where his supporters view the US legal system with skepticism and have stood by him through all manners of adversity, it could have a lasting sting.
The response of two Republican senators highlights the risk this moment poses to his 2024 bid to regain the White House.
"It has a cumulative effect," said Senator John Thune of South Dakota. "People are going to have to decide if they want to deal with all the drama."
"I don't think he can get elected," warned John Cornyn of Texas. "You can't win a general election with just your base."
In the end, Mr. Trump may have been his own worst enemy in this case.
Central to Ms. Carroll's lawsuit was the former president's deposition testimony, in which he seemed both demeaning and defensive. He explained away his infamous Access Hollywood tape boasts about grabbing women by their genitals as reflecting a historical truth about the power of celebrities - "unfortunately or fortunately".
Fortunately?
He said that both Ms. Carroll and another woman who testified that Mr. Trump sexually assaulted her were not his types - a description he also applied, voluntarily, to the female attorney conducting the deposition itself.
For a jury weighing whether Mr. Trump was the kind of person capable of sexual assault - or, at least, whether he was more credible than his accuser - it was exactly the wrong attitude to present.
He also mistakenly identified a photograph of Ms. Carroll as being of his former wife, Marla Maples, directly undercutting that "not his type" assertion.
In the 2020 presidential election, suburban voters, particularly women, recoiled from Mr. Trump's brand of brash politics. The jury's ruling, in this case, can only push those kinds of voters farther away from him.
The former president was defiant on his social media platform, calling the verdict a disgrace and insisting he had no idea who "this woman" was. Outside court, his lawyer told reporters Mr Trump would appeal.
Up until now, the former president has run a fairly disciplined campaign to regain the White House in 2024. His team has methodically built up grass-roots support in key primary states across the country.
His focused attacks on his rival Ron DeSantis appear to be drawing blood. He has managed to turn his New York indictment into a badge of honor among his base.
The sexual abuse and defamation ruling could give his Republican opponents an avenue for attack, however. If they can rattle him the way Ms. Carroll's lawyer did, forcing him off message and into a defensive crouch, it could knock a candidate seemingly in control of his party into committing more unforced errors.
At the very least, it is another historic first for a former president who already faces one criminal indictment and has possibly others to come.
Up until now, Mr. Trump has shrugged off such legal concerns. But the New York jury's decision lands a blow against Mr. Trump in a way that mere "investigations" do not. A jury of everyday Americans has considered the evidence and found that Mr Trump did wrong.
None of it bodes well for those other legal headaches, including special counsel Jack Smith's inquiry into the former president's involvement in the attack on the US Capitol and his handling of classified documents after he left the White House, as well as Georgia's investigations of Mr. Trump's attempt to reverse that state's 2020 presidential election results.
While it's unlikely in the extreme that Mr. Trump would ever take the stand if those investigations turn into indictments - or will testify in the current New York indictment - prosecutors may look for ways to use the former president's statements or previous testimony against him as effectively as Ms. Carroll's lawyer did.
Source- BBC
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 soars to #1 at the box office with $114 million debut
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. opened the weekend with an estimated $114 million domestic gross -- a few million below expectations, but still good enough to knock The Super Mario Bros. Movie down a notch. Globally, the film -- starring Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, and Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket Racoon -- pulled in $282 million.
That gives Pratt the week's two top films, as The Super Mario Bros Movie, slips to second place with an estimated $18.6 million weekend. It’s the highest-grossing film of the year so far with a total of $518 million in North America and $1.15 billion globally.
Supernatural horror sequel The Evil Dead Rise dropped to third place, delivering an estimated $5.7 million. Its three-week domestic tally to $54 million and $110 million globally.
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, the adaptation of Judy Bloom's beloved book, took fourth place with an estimated $3.38 million in its second week of release. That brings its current gross to $12.6 million against a budget of $30 million.
Rounding out the top five was the Priyanka Chopra Jonas-led rom-com, Love Again, earning an estimated $2.4 million.
Source- ABC
King and Queen say thanks for 'glorious occasion'
King Charles and Queen Camilla, crowned in a lavish, historic ceremony on Saturday, were "deeply touched" by the day's events, Buckingham Palace said.
The royal couple were "profoundly grateful" to all who helped to make it "such a glorious occasion" and the "very many" who turned out to show their support, the palace said.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise trip to Windsor.
Crowds cheered as the couple chatted with people taking part in the Big Lunch.
A day earlier at Westminster Abbey, more than 2,000 guests including world leaders, fellow kings and queens, celebrities, and community champions packed the pews to witness the crowning of a king.
Outside, thousands lined the Mall despite the rain to cheer the king as his horse-drawn carriage passed from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
Later, the couple, still in their crowns, appeared on the palace balcony to wave to the rain-soaked public, keen to be part of a moment in Britain's history.
Millions around the world watched the Coronation, the first in 70 years.
In the UK alone, at least 18 million viewers tuned in, provisional figures suggest.
Celebrations are continuing on Sunday with thousands of street parties and lunches ahead of a star-studded concert.
In Windsor, the Prince and Princess of Wales, William, and Catherine chatted and shook hands with people picnicking along The Long Walk which leads to Windsor Castle. Many will be gearing up for Sunday night's Coronation Concert.
The lunchtime crowds shouted "hip hip hooray" as the royals sipped a homemade gin cocktail, christened Purple Reign, from union jack paper cups while talking to a group of women in foam crowns.
Catherine, dressed in a pale blue blazer, smiled for a selfie with one woman and crouched down to console a tearful little girl who was overwhelmed by the occasion.
Speaking to another wellwisher, William revealed that his eldest son Prince George - one of the King's pages of honor at the Coronation - is a fan of classical rock music.
Caroline Mulvihill, from the Rock Choir in Windsor and Maidenhead, said: "Will was telling us in their household they have a very diverse music taste and George is very much into AC/DC and Led Zeppelin."
Another choir member, Sam Leckenby, said the royal couple had revealed they were "quite pleased" Saturday's ceremony had been shortened and was not the traditional five hours long.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh joined a Coronation Big Lunch in Cranleigh, Surrey, while the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were at a community street party in Swindon.
The Duke of York's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were attending a lunch in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire.
At Downing Street, the prime minister and his wife hosted their own lunch for community figures, Ukrainian families, youth groups - and US First Lady Jill Biden, who represented President Biden at Saturday's Coronation ceremony.
In all, some 50,000 Coronation lunches are expected to take place in the UK and across the world.
The King and Queen said they hoped the events would be "truly enjoyable", in a message posted on the Royal Family's official Instagram account.
Later at 20:00 BST, the Coronation Concert takes place at Windsor Castle and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio 2.
Big names include Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, who were at Saturday's Coronation, as well as Take That, Olly Murs, and Paloma Faith.
There will also be musical favorites from a world-class orchestra and a joint performance from The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal College of Music, and The Royal College of Art.
Source- BBC
Man gets abusive after seeing a hickey on his babymother's neck
A man accused of physically assaulting the mother of his child after noticing a hickey on her neck was directed to seek counselling following his appearance in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.
Josiah Johnson is charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.
Court documents revealed that on April 12, the complainant went to pick up their child from Johnson. However, when she got there, he noticed a hickey on her neck, which did not sit well with him.
As a result, he grabbed and punched the complainant before pushing her into the bushes. He then proceeded to damage her mobile phone.
Following the reading of the allegations, presiding parish judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley asked the couple if they would be open to counselling, and they agreed.
The judge then ordered the pair to attend counselling at the probation office and rescheduled the case for July 7.
Johnson's bail was extended.
Source- Jamaica Observer
Janet Yellen warns of debt ceiling 'catastrophe'
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned a failure to raise the US debt ceiling could have dire consequences.
Without an agreement to increase what the federal government can borrow, it could run out of money by early June.
At that point, the federal government might not be able to make wages, welfare, and other payments.
"It's Congress's job to do this. If they fail to do it, we will have an economic and financial catastrophe that will be of our own making," she said.
In an interview with ABC News on Sunday Ms Yellen said debt ceiling negotiations should not take place "with a gun to the head of the American people."
But time is running out for an agreement.
On Tuesday, President Biden will meet Republican leaders to ask them to agree to raise the current $31.4tn (£25.12tn) limit.
Congress typically ties approval of a higher debt ceiling to stipulations on budget and spending measures.
Last month the House of Representatives passed a bill to raise the ceiling, currently roughly equal to 120% of the country's annual economic output, but included in the bill sweeping spending cuts over the next decade.
President Biden wants Congress to agree to raise the debt ceiling, with no conditions. President Biden has said he will not negotiate over the increase and will discuss budget cuts after the issue is resolved.
Failure to find cross-party agreement on the issue could result in a "constitutional crisis" Ms Yellen said.
The Biden administration is considering whether there is scope within the constitution for the president to continue issuing new debt without the approval of Congress, but will this week strive to avoid that scenario.
"We should not get to the point where we need to consider whether the president can go on issuing debt. This would be a constitutional crisis," Ms Yellen told ABC.
The debt ceiling has been raised, extended, or revised 78 times since 1960, often with negotiations going down to the wire.
In the end, the threat of a default on government payments including debt obligations has always led to compromise. The US has never defaulted, an event that would upend global financial markets and have far-reaching economic impacts.
But delaying a resolution also had negative consequences, Ms. Yellen said in a letter to Congress last week.
"We have learned from past debt limit impasses that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise short-term borrowing costs for taxpayers, and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States," she wrote.
Source- BBC
James Harden stars as Philadelphia 76ers level series with Boston Celtics
James Harden scored 42 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics in overtime to level their playoff series at 2-2.
Harden scored to send the game into overtime then made the decisive three-pointer to clinch a 116-115 win.
Philadelphia led for much of the game before a late Boston surge helped them move into the lead.
The Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 129-124 to ensure their series is also level going into game five.
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant scored 36 points apiece while Landry Shamet was a surprise hero off the bench, scoring 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter.
Booker shot 14-for-18 and registered 12 assists while Durant added 11 rebounds and six assists as fourth-seeded Phoenix won their second straight game.
A career-best 53-point display by Nikola Jokic, who was succeeded as the league's Most Valuable Player this season by 76ers star Joel Embiid, came in vain for top-seeded Denver.
Jokic was given an unsportsmanlike technical foul just before half-time after an incident involving Mat Ishbia, who became the Sun's owner in February.
The ball went out of bounds and ended up in the hands of Ishbia, sitting in the front row. As Jokic tried to get the ball back, Ishbia held onto it and after it came loose, the Serb pushed Ishbia with the outside of his forearm, sending the 43-year-old back into his seat.
"The fan put their hand on me first," said Jokic, 28. "I thought the league was supposed to protect us."
Nuggets coach Michael Malone added: "Some fan is holding onto the ball who wants be a part of the game. Just give the ball up, man."
For the third-seeded 76ers, Embiid supported Harden with 34 points while Jayson Tatum (24), Jaylen Brown (23), and Marcus Smart (21) helped to keep the Celtics in the game until the dying seconds.
Smart thought he had won it for Boston, the second seed in the Eastern Conference, but his last-ditch three-pointer came after the buzzer.
"I put the work in and it was all about being aggressive. Tonight it was really do or die," Harden said.
Game five in their best-of-seven series is on Tuesday in Boston, while the Suns and Nuggets meet again in Denver on Tuesday.
So far the home team has won each game in their Western Conference semi-final series.
Source- BBC