MIAMI BUILDING COLLAPSE: At Least One Dead, 99 Unaccounted For
At least one person has died and dozens are unaccounted for after the collapse overnight of a 12-storey residential building north of Miami, Florida, officials say. The number of those not yet located has risen from 51 to 99, Miami-Dade police say, with 53 now accounted for. It is unclear how many people were in the building at the time.
The complex in the town of Surfside was built in 1980. Out of 130 units, about half were affected by the collapse. A number of Latin American migrants have been reported missing by their consulates. Rescuers pulled 35 people from the wreckage, officials said. Ten were assessed and treated, of whom two were sent to hospital.
A community centre in Surfside has been turned into a family reunification centre and an information point for concerned relatives. President Joe Biden said he was waiting for Mr DeSantis to declare an emergency and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) were already at the scene.
“I say to the people of Florida, whatever help you want, what the federal government can provide, we’re waiting, just ask us. We’ll be there,” Mr Biden said.
EU must aid poorer countries on climate change: UN
The European Parliament on Thursday approved a landmark law to make the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions targets legally binding, paving the way for a policy overhaul to cut planet-warming pollution faster.
Negotiators from the Parliament and the EU’s 27 member countries reached a deal in April on the climate law, which puts tougher emissions-cutting targets at the heart of EU policymaking. Guterres said the zero-emission target was “gaining momentum”, and called on countries and private sectors to make this target their “new normal”.
US economy grows 6.4% in Q1, and it’s likely just the start
The U.S. economy grew at a solid 6.4% rate in the first three months of the year, setting the stage for what economists believe may be the strongest year for the economy in about seven decades. Growth in the gross domestic product, the country’s total output of goods and services, was unchanged from two previous estimates, the Commerce Department said Thursday, an acceleration from the 4.3% pace of the fourth quarter.
Economists believe that economic growth has continued to accelerate in the current quarter, which ends this month, as vaccinations become widespread and Americans eager to get outside are being welcomed by newly re-opened businesses. Surging activity from consumers is being fueled in part by nearly $3 trillion in financial support that the government has approved since December. Additional economic data that emerged Thursday also points to a nation that has regained its footing quickly after being thwacked by a global pandemic, though jobless claims remain stubbornly above 400,000.
The data released Thursday was government’s third and final look at first-quarter GDP, and arrived along side a separate report from the Commerce Department that showed May orders from U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods rose for the 12th time in the last 13 months. Orders for durable goods — meant to last at least three years — climbed 2.3% in May, reversing a 0.8% drop in April. That heated activity is taking place despite a backlogged supply chain and a shortage of workers.Orders for aircraft shot up 27.4% last month after climbing 31.5% in April, the Commerce Department said. Excluding transportation orders — which can bounce wildly from month to month — durable goods orders rose 0.3% last month.
Jobless claims fell just 7,000 from the previous week to 411,000, the Labor Department said. While that is far from the rush to work that has been anticipated for some time now, weekly claims have fallen steadily this year from about 900,000 in January. The first-quarter spending gain reflected increases in goods purchases, led by auto sales, and gains in spending on services, led by food services and travel accommodations, two areas that have benefited from the re-opening of the economy as vaccinations have increased. Business investment grew at a strong 11.7% rate, better than the previous estimate of 10.8% growth, while government spending increased at a 5.7% rate, slightly below last month’s estimate of a 5.8% gain. The trade deficit grew in the first quarter, subtracting 1.5 percentage points from growth. (AP)
Major General Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa visits British naval support facility
National Security Advisor, Royal Guard Commander, Major General HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, paid a visit today to the British naval support facility at Mina Salman where he was received by Maritime Component Commander, Commodore Edward Ahlgren.
Major General HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa toured the facility and got updated on its advanced systems and equipment. He also listened to a briefing on the facility’s duties which contribute to promoting global stability, protecting international passages and securing maritime navigation.
The National Security Advisor, Royal Guard Commander lauded distinguished and deep-rooted relations of friendship between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom. He also praised growing bilateral cooperation mainly in the military field.
Audit office owner fined BD 20,000 for violating anti-money laundering procedures
The Lower Criminal Court convicted today the owner of an audit office and fined him BD 20,000 for violating the edicts of the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism 173 of 2017 and 108 of 2018 regarding procedures to combat money laundering and funding terrorism in the activities of persons registered in the commercial registry and the auditors’ registry in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution received a notification from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism on violations committed by the owner of the audit office when contracting and dealing with a number of companies. The owner faced charges of failing to apply the customer due diligence (CDD) and the risk-based approach, keep records and documents and submit reports on suspicious operations, in violation of the two ministerial edicts.
The Public Prosecution launched an investigation and listened to the Head of the Anti-Money Laundering Operations Department at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. Evidences confirmed the violations perpetrated by the defendant, which constitute a crime punishable by the law.
Questioning the defendant, he admitted to the charges levelled at him and was referred to the competent criminal court which issued its afore-mentioned ruling.
Nearly 4,000 convicts benefited from Alternative Penalties and Procedures Law
About 4,000 individuals, including men, women and youngsters aged between 16 and 21, have their jail terms commuted into alternative penalties since the beginning of the implementation of the Alternative Penalties and Procedures Law, and until last month, Head of the Execution Prosecution at the Public Prosecution, Mohammed Al-Musallam, has revealed.
Addressing a virtual panel discussion organised on Thursday by the Shura Council’s Secretariat-General, in cooperation with the Public Prosecution, Al-Musallam stressed that the Alternative Penalties and Procedures Law has proven successful and contributed to the rehabilitation and reformation of the convicts who serve alternative penalties, noting that the majority of the beneficiaries have adhered to the law.
Al-Musallam pointed out that many governmental and private institutions and agencies have contributed to the success of the law, by responding to requests to integrate the convicts into their community service programmes, praising their great role in increasing the number of beneficiaries. He indicated that the majority of the beneficiaries have not committed any problems or crimes in the entities and institutions in which they implemented the alternative punishments, noting that there are 300 people had their alternative punishments removed because they committed crimes outside the places of institutions and entities where the punishments were implemented or because of their failure to implement the alternative punishment. He added that the Public Prosecution receives requests to replace jail terms by alternative penalties on a daily basis, noting that the requests are studies, and the type of alternative punishment is determined according to the applicant’s age and conditions.
The Head of the Execution Prosecution indicated that the General Directorate of Reformation and Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Interior is exerting tremendous efforts and is keen to provide capabilities and programmes that contribute to the rehabilitation of convicts and inmates who do not meet the requirements.
He asserted that the Alternative Penalties and Procedures Law aims to achieve several goals, including reformation, rehabilitation and social reintegration of convicts, giving a role to the family and society in reforming the conduct of some behaviorally-deviant individuals, in addition to the keenness of not jailing some groups in prisons, such as first-time offenders and the short-term convicts.
Salon closed for flouting precautionary measures
The Inspection Directorate at the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry, in coordination with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) and the Capital Police Directorate, spotted a man’s barbershop delivering services to customers in a Capital Governorate hotel.
The salon violated edicts 68 and 71 of 2021 issued by the Industry Minister on losing industrial and commercial outlets as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
Upon receiving notification about the violation, the Inspection Directorate visited the salon and found customers receiving services there. The official reports were prepared, and the violators were referred to the Public Prosecution to take legal action against them.
The Inspection Directorate called on companies and institutions to fully comply with the decisions issued by government entities through commitment to closing the facilities that are not authorised to carry out their businesses and receive customers in order not to be held accountable for flouting measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.
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