FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY AND WARM WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET
Google reveals AI updates as it vies with Microsoft
Google has announced it is rolling out generative artificial intelligence (AI) to its core search engine.
The move comes after Microsoft incorporated GPT-4 into its Bing search engine earlier this year.
Search Generative Experience - which will be part of Google - will craft responses to open-ended queries, the company said.
However, the system will only be available to a limited number of users and is still in the "experimental" phase.
"We are reimagining all of our core products, including search," said Sundar Pichai, the boss of Google's parent company Alphabet.
Additionally, the company announced a new feature on Google's Android system that will proactively warn users about unknown AirTags, tiny devices developed to track personal items like keys and wallets.
The technology giant said the "unknown tracker alerts" would go live this summer.
The announcement came after Apple and Google said last week they were working together to address the problem.
Last year two women sued Apple over AirTag stalking.
Women who have been tracked using the devices told the BBC last year that not enough was being done to prevent misuse.
Google made the announcement at its annual developer conference, where leaders of the company touted their latest advancements in artificial intelligence and new hardware offerings, including a $1,799 (£1,425) phone that opens and closes like a book.
The company said it was removing the waitlist for "Bard", its experimental, conversational, chat service, which will be rolled out in English in 180 countries and territories.
It also said the chatbot would soon be able to respond to prompts with images as well as text.
Google has been under pressure to burnish its artificial intelligence offerings, after the runaway success of rival chatbot ChatGPT, which is funded by Microsoft.
A previous attempt to show off its credentials in the field, in February, ended in embarrassment, after it emerged that - in an advert intended to illustrate its capabilities - Bard had answered a question incorrectly.
The incident wiped $100bn (£82bn) off parent company Alphabet's share value - an indication of how keenly investors are watching how the tech giants' AI ventures play out.
Microsoft is deploying ChatGPT technology into its search engine Bing, after investing heavily in the company that developed it, OpenAI.
Chinese tech giant Baidu also has a chatbot, called Ernie.
Chirag Dekate, an analyst at Gartner, said Google remained an industry leader and was well poised to benefit in the interest in AI.
"Google has the tools to dominate the AI battles, the perennial question is - will they?" he said.
Source- BBC
Stephen Curry led with 27 points as the 3-2 series continues
Stephen Curry led with 27 points as the Golden State Warriors kept their hopes of reaching the Western Conference finals alive with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in San Francisco.
The defending NBA champions won 121-106 to narrow their deficit in the best-of-seven semi-finals to 3-2.
Andrew Green added 25 points for the Warriors with Draymond Green making 20.
The Lakers, seeded seventh, have another opportunity to progress to the conference finals on Friday in LA.
However, they could be without star center Anthony Davis after he was accidentally struck on the head by Golden State's Kevon Looney and immediately taken off the court.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 25 points and matched Davis with a team-high nine rebounds against the Warriors, who are seeking a 20th successive playoff series win against the western competition.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the New York Knicks also held off elimination with a 112-103 win over the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden.
Like Golden State, they trail their series 3-2 as they bid to reach the first conference finals since 2000.
Jalen Brunson led with a game-high 38 points, while he and Quentin Grimes became the first Knicks players since 1972 to play all 48 minutes of a playoff game.
The Knicks led by 19 points in the third quarter and, while the Heat narrowed the gap to just two late in the fourth, Isaiah Hartenstein answered with a dunk, and his New York side held on.
"You've got to give them credit, that's a hard team to play," Brunson told TNT. "But we just came out to fight."
Game six is in Miami on Friday.
Source- BBC
Ludacris to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Ludacris is skipping the May 18 stop of Janet Jackson's Together Again tour for a very special occasion: He'll be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The rapper, who's acted in the Fast & Furious franchise, New Year’s Eve, No Strings Attached, Crash, and Hustle & Flow, will receive the 2,656th star in the Motion Picture category.
“Ludacris has been a pop culture staple for many years,” says Hollywood Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez. “As both a rapper and actor, he has created some of our favorite music and film moments and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our historic landmark."
The unveiling of Ludacris' star will take place May 18 at 11:30 a.m. PT on 6426 Hollywood Blvd., with a live stream available at walkoffame.com. Ellen K will serve as emcee for the event, which will also feature appearances from Luda's friends Vin Diesel and LL Cool J.
While absent from the tour, Lil' Kim will replace him as Janet's special guest.
Source- ABC
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