Travis Kelce earns Kansas City Chiefs win over Los Angeles Chargers
Travis Kelce's touchdown in overtime gave the Kansas City Chiefs their seventh consecutive win, as they beat the Los Angeles Chargers 34-28.
The teams both scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, with a Chiefs' two-point conversion taking it to overtime.
Kelce recorded a career-best 191 yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions.
The Chiefs are the first team in the AFC to reach 10 wins for the season and now lead the AFC West by two games from the Chargers, who fall to 8-6.
The game was played at SoFi Stadium in California, which will stage Super Bowl 56 in February with the Chiefs aiming to reach the NFL showpiece for the third consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Chargers tight end Donald Parham Jr was in a stable condition in hospital after falling on his head trying to score a touchdown in the first quarter.
It was billed in advance as a contest between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Chargers counterpart Justin Herbert, who was named the AFC player of the week for each of his previous two games.
Mahomes finished with 31 of 47 completions for 410 yards, with three touchdowns and one pick, while Herbert threw for 236 yards, going 22 of 38 with two touchdowns.
Source-BBC
Omicron will become the dominant variant in the US, says Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Thursday that the newly discovered omicron variant will become the dominant strain in the U.S. "very soon." He told Good Morning America, "It has an extraordinary ability to transmit efficiently and spread...Very soon it's going to be the dominant variant."
"We've seen that in South Africa, we're seeing it in the U.K. and I'm absolutely certain that's what we're going to be seeing here relatively soon," he added. Dr. Fauci is urging Americans to "absolutely" get vaccinated against COVID-19 and/or receive a booster if they are eligible.
Because of the new variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its new projections for next month and predict that the U.S. could reach a total of 845,000 deaths by January 8. The CDC says current models suggest weekly death totals and hospital admissions will rise over the next four weeks.
At the present, the U.S. is recording 118,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, which is a rise by 45 percent since November. Hospital admissions stemming from COVID complications have also increased by 46 percent in the same time span.
More than 50.4 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 and the U.S.'s death toll currently stands at over 803,000 people -- which is more than the entire population of North Dakota -- reports Johns Hopkins University.
Source-ABC
Mariah Carey reveals how Prince inspired her to "reach out" and offer support to Britney Spears
Mariah Carey said she couldn't sit back when Britney Spears' conservatorship drama came to a head this year.
Speaking to NME, the Grammy winner touched upon her own struggles with her family and the music industry, but hinted her experiences are not the same as Britney's.
"I'm not sure it's an affinity," Mariah began. "I think everybody on this planet deserves to be free and what they did to her, what I saw, was horrific." The "Fantasy" singer said she was compelled to give Britney her support and "reached out to her through a mutual friend because I wanted her to know: 'Guess what? You’re not alone.'"
"I just felt like it was the right thing to do," she added.
Mariah then revealed how another music giant showed her the same kindness when she was dealing with her own public struggles in 2001.
"I remember when I was going through a lot of stuff years ago, Prince reached out to me and gave me a Bible and he talked to me for hours. He’s an amazing person and he cared about the music business and the industry being so screwed up -- which it is," the singer explained.
Prince's gesture helped influence Mariah's own outlook on life. "You’ve got to be a giving person," she emphasized. "It doesn't matter whether they’re my best friend or whatever."
Source-ABC
RELOCATION OF THE FISHERIES DEPARTMENT
The general public is hereby informed that the Fisheries Department, on the island of Providenciales have been relocated from DECR Building on Lower Bight Road to new location in South Dock (see address below).
#176 Philip Handfield Building
South Dock Road
Providenciales
The Department wishes to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. The hours of operation remain unchanged.
For further information, please contact the department at 338-4171 or 338-4179.
Barbados to benefit from multi-million dollar IMF drawdown
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is making available to Barbados US$24 million after indicating that the island continues its strong implementation of the comprehensive Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) plan aimed at restoring fiscal sustainability, increasing reserves, and unlocking growth potential through structural reforms.
The Washington-based financial institution has just conclude the Article IV consultation with Barbados as well as its sixth review of Barbados’ economic reform programme supported by an arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
“The completion of the review allows the authorities to draw the equivalent of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 17 million, about US$24 million), bringing total disbursements to the equivalent of SDR 305 million (about US$425 million),” the IMF said, recalling that the four-year extended arrangement under the EFF is for an amount equivalent of SDR 322 million or about US$465 million.
The IMF said that the prolonged global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, along with the twin natural disaster shocks of volcanic ashfalls from neighbouring St. Vincent in April and category 1 hurricane Elsa in July, poses a major challenge for the tourism dependent economy.
It said reform efforts include enhancing adaptation measures towards increasing vulnerabilities emanating from climate change and natural disasters.
IMF deputy managing director, Bo Li, said given the outlook remains uncertain, the authorities in Barbados need to maintain sound policies and their strong reform momentum to safeguard macroeconomic stability and boost potential growth.
He said a temporary relaxation of the primary balance target for fiscal year 2021/22 is appropriate given the lingering impact of the pandemic and unexpected spending needs to address the impact of Hurricane Elsa and ashfalls from nearby volcanic eruptions.
“The authorities will have to compensate this short-term fiscal accommodation with higher primary surpluses in the medium term to safeguard debt sustainability.”
The IMF official said that medium-term fiscal adjustment will be supported by reforms to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and to create fiscal space for investment in physical and human capital, transfers to SOEs need to decline by strengthening oversight of SOEs, revenue enhancement, cost reduction, as well as mergers and divestment.
He said the authorities’ plans to reform the pension system and introduce a fiscal rule will also support fiscal sustainability.
Li said the Barbadian authorities took an appropriate monetary and financial policy response to the pandemic and that they plan to recapitalize the central bank gradually.
“Carefully unwinding pandemic related credit support measures, as conditions allow, will be critical to contain financial sector risks,” he said.
The Central Bank of Barbados plans to join the Network for Greening the Financial System and intends to gradually integrate climate change risks into its financial stability assessments.
“Going forward, the authorities should also work, in close cooperation with the Financial Action Task Force, to further strengthen the AML/CFT framework.”
Li said that medium-term growth prospects depend on accelerating structural reforms to improve the business climate, diversify the economy, and facilitate green and digital transformations.
He said strengthening resilience to natural disasters and climate change, combined with an accelerated transition to renewable energy, is key to achieve more sustainable economic growth and reduce vulnerability to international oil price volatility. I
“In this regard, the authorities’ ambitious target of reaching 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 is commendable.”
Source- CMC
UN urges no school closures despite rise in Omicron cases
The Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Henrietta Fore, Friday said that despite the rise of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, “nationwide school closures should be avoided whenever possible.”
“When COVID-19 community transmission increases and stringent public health measures become a necessity, schools must be the last places to close and the first to re-open,” she said.
Caribbean countries are reporting cases of the Omicron variant that public health experts and scientists are working hard to understand and assess.
Amid rising uncertainty, many governments, including those in the Caribbean, are weighing whether to keep schools open. But Fore said that one thing is certain is that “another wave of widespread school closures would be disastrous for children”.
Several schools in the Caribbean are now gradually re-opening after being closed for many months as the authorities put in place measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus that has killed and infected thousands in the region. Schools are due to re-open in January following the Christmas break.
“The evidence is clear” and further prolonged, nationwide school closures, resulting in limited resources for students, teachers and parents – and lack of access to remote learning – would have serious consequences.
“(These closures) have wiped out decades of progress in education and rendered childhood unrecognizable. A shadow pandemic of child labour, child marriage and mental health issues has taken hold,” Fore added.
Beyond lost learning, the UNICEF chief said, children have also become less safe by being excluded from a school environment, missing out on daily in-person interactions with friends, access to healthcare, and, too often, their only nutritious meal of the day.
According to the UN agency, this generation of schoolchildren could collectively lose $17 trillion in potential lifetime earnings.
Addressing how to solve this challenge, Fore said that “mitigation measures in schools are effective” and authorities “must use this knowledge to do everything” to keep schools open.
She said member states “must also increase investments in digital connectivity to make sure that no child is left behind,” adding that “2022 cannot be yet another year of disrupted learning.
“It needs to be the year that education, and the best interests of children, take precedence”, she said.
Source-CMC
Whitney Houston NFT sells for nearly one million dollars
A Whitney Houston NFT was auctioned this week for $999,999, setting a record for the highest-selling NFT on the Tezos blockchain.
From The Whitney Houston Collection, the NFT is an early, never-before heard, full length song demo that the six-time Grammy winner recorded at just 17 years old, along with a digital video created by 17-year-old artist Diana Sinclair.
“This initial NFT drop is one of many Whitney Houston collections as we continue to tell her story, going behind the scenes and using never-before-seen content from the estate’s archives to celebrate her career, music, and talent in new and creative ways,” Rob Dippold, partner & president of Digital Strategy for Primary Wave Music, said in a statement.
Whitney E. Houston Estate President and CEO Pat Houston loved having Sinclair involved in the project.
“Being able to work with someone as young as Diana, she’s 17 years old. Whitney was 17 years old when she recorded the song. Both come from Newark, both have the same middle name. Whitney had the desire to always help others help themselves, especially young people,” Pat Houston said
“She established the Whitney E. Houston Foundation in 1989 and she had events each year centered around young people, so it was a no brainer when we were introduced to Diana,” Pat continued. “We want to continue Whitney’s legacy, and this is a new art form for her music to be displayed. What better way than to do it with Diana and through the NFT.”
A portion of the proceeds of the auction will go directly to the Whitney E. Houston Foundation, a non-profit that continues the work of the late star of The Bodyguard to empower, support, and inspire young people.
Source - ABC
After fatal crash Paris's largest taxi firm suspends Tesla cars
Paris' largest taxi firm, G7, has suspended the use of Tesla Model 3 cars in its fleet, after one was involved in a fatal accident over the weekend.
One person was killed and another 20 injured, after a driver lost control of the vehicle.
Tesla has denied any technical problem with the car, which has self-driving features such as automatic steering.
Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into charges of manslaughter and unintentional injury.
On Wednesday, France's Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari also said there was no suggestion, at this stage, that the accident was linked to a technical problem.
Tesla Europe's chief executive told the minister there had been no safety alerts about the model when they spoke on Tuesday night.
The accident involved an off-duty taxi driver who had been taking his family to a restaurant, reports say.
French media said the vehicle struck two pedestrians, a traffic light and a van.
Tesla's assistive technology allows its vehicles to automatically steer, accelerate and brake.
But the firm has been accused of being misleading, since the technology does not automatically drive the car, and drivers are required to maintain control and attention at all times.
Tesla has marketed the feature as an "Autopilot" and promised "full self-driving", which is now available to some users in a beta version.
Users have abused the system frequently in the past, with examples ranging from using their phones while the car drives unattended to switching car seats and leaving no driver at the wheel.
Earlier this year, US authorities opened an official investigation into Autopilot system, following 11 Tesla crashes since 2018 involving emergency vehicles.
Source - BBC
Federal Reserve to withdraw stimulus more quickly
The Federal Reserve will cut back its stimulus programme more quickly than planned, as it ratchets up its response to rising inflation.
The US central bank had already announced it was tapering off the monthly support, introduced to bolster the economy during the pandemic.
But on Wednesday officials said the process would be speeded up, suggesting the stimulus will end by March.
The move opens the door to an interest rate rise in the first half of 2022.
"Economic activity is on track to expand at a robust pace this year, reflecting progress on vaccinations and the reopening of the economy," said Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell.
"In my view, we are making rapid progress toward maximum employment," he said.
Demand remained "very strong", although the arrival of the Omicron variant posed a risk to the recovery, he added.
Officials forecast that inflation will run higher next year than they had previously projected and that unemployment, the other measure targeted by the Federal Reserve, would fall to 3.5%.
As a result they forecast that benchmark interest rates would need to rise from current near-zero levels to 0.9% by the end of 2022.
The Federal Reserve began winding down its $120bn-a-month bond-buying programme in November, saying it would reduce the stimulus by $15bn a month.
Source - BBC
New UK cases record as Whitty warns worse to come
The UK has recorded the highest number of daily Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 78,610 reported on Wednesday.
The previous record was 68,053 on 8 January - when the UK was in lockdown.
Speaking at a news conference, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty warned that records will be broken a lot in the next few weeks.
He added people should prioritise what matters with regards to social mixing in the run-up to Christmas.
Speaking alongside Prof Whitty, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was "absolutely vital" that everyone gets a booster jab.
He warned that in some areas the doubling rate for cases was now under two days, adding: "I'm afraid we're also seeing the inevitable increase in hospitalisations up by 10% nationally, week-on-week, and up by almost a third in London."
Prof Whitty said the country was experiencing two separate epidemics, one driven by the "very rapidly-growing" Omicron variant and the other by the Delta variant.
"I'm afraid we have to be realistic that records will be broken a lot over the next few weeks as the rates continue to go up," he added.
Asked whether people should be going to Christmas or New Year parties, Prof Whitty: "Don't mix with people you don't have to.
"[You] don't need a medical degree to realise that is a sensible thing to do with an incredibly infectious virus."
He encouraged people to take tests before visiting vulnerable people and to meet in areas of good ventilation or outdoors if possible.
The prime minister said the government was not cancelling Christmas events by restricting gatherings or closing pubs and restaurants, but cautioned people to think carefully about the socialising they did.
He said: "I said many times that I thought that this Christmas will be considerably better than last Christmas, and I stick to that."
Questions about whether restrictions should be introduced are going to grow the more cases rise.
That is understandable. But it is also important to remember restrictions don't stop the epidemic - they just prolong it.
They can be used to buy you time. Last winter the lockdown allowed the rollout of vaccines.
With more than 80% of the most vulnerable boosted the benefits of a lockdown are much lower this time.
The costs, however, are the same, perhaps greater considering what people have endured so far in terms of the harm to jobs, mental health and education.
Source - BBC