GM to idle eight North American plants amid chip shortage
General Motors will halt output at most of its North American plants in September as the semi-conductor chip shortage continues to hit carmakers.
Four plants in the US, three in Mexico and one in Canada will shut down for up to two weeks, depending on the site.
Ford and Toyota also cut output this month as chip makers in the US and Asia struggle to meet demand from economies reopening following lockdowns.
The shortage has pushed up car prices, driving people to buy second-hand.
GM, which owns brands such as Chevrolet and Cadillac, said the shutdown will affect some of its most profitable vehicles, including its sport-utility vehicles and full- and midsize pickup trucks.
Plants affected include the Fort Wayne site in Indiana, its Silao plant in Mexico and the Cami Assembly factory in Canada.
"These most recent scheduling adjustments are being driven by the continued parts shortages caused by semiconductor supply constraints from international markets experiencing Covid-19-related restrictions," it said in a statement.
New cars often include dozens of microchips - also called semiconductors - but carmakers cancelled orders with chipmakers at the start of the pandemic, fearing a long downturn in sales.
Now as demand recovers, chipmakers are struggling to keep up. Carmakers have also found themselves competing directly with technology companies and the consumer electronics sector for supply.
Earlier this week, Ford said it would cut truck production from 6 September because of the shortage, while Toyota Motor will slash global production for September by 40%.
Source- BBC
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United to wear number seven
Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the number seven shirt for Manchester United, the club has confirmed.
The 36-year-old takes the number, which he wore in his first stint at Old Trafford, from Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani - who moves to number 21.
Ronaldo will begin training with the Reds when he has completed five days isolation.
On Thursday, he was released early from international duty by Portugal because of suspension.
"I wasn't sure if it would be possible to have the number seven shirt again, so I would like to say a huge thank you to Edi [Cavani] for this incredible gesture," Ronaldo said.
"The Portuguese superstar famously wore the legendary shirt number during his first spell at United and we can now confirm that Ronaldo will have it on his back once again," United said on their website.
Ronaldo completed a shock move back to Old Trafford on transfer deadline day and is in line to make his second debut for the Red Devils against Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday, 11 September.
Ronaldo became the all-time leading men's international goalscorer with two goals against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, but was booked by the referee for removing his shirt.
Ronaldo scored two late headers to take his tally to 111 for Portugal, surpassing the record previously held by Ali Daei, who scored 109 goals for Iran between 1993 and 2006.
Source-BBC
Jamaicans urged not to worry about record COVID-19 numbers and deaths
Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness has urged Jamaicans not to panic despite the sharp spike in the COVID-19 numbers in recent days.
Up to Tuesday the island had recorded 68,482 cases of the virus with 1,549 deaths and 18,103 active cases.
But Holness, in a media briefing last evening, said there was no need for Jamaicans to panic as the Government is doing its best to deal with the present challenge.
“It is a difficult time… and I know many people are panicking, many persons are distressed, and a lot of people don't know what to believe, what to think. But someone who was… being interviewed [on a radio programme] said something that is very important, 'Now is not the time to panic,' ” declared Holness.
“And it is one thing that I don't do ever is to panic, and I don't think that Jamaica should panic. We have this situation under control, [even though] it is not a situation where we have all of the variables under control.
“It is not a situation where things have happened that should not have happened but, in general, I think we have done what is necessary to bring the situation under control and to rapidly end this curve, and I think the measures that are in place… are doing that,” added Holness after announcing the extended lockdown measures as the island continues to record troubling COVID-19 numbers.
Following a record 929 new cases on Saturday, the island recorded 739 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, 729 on Monday, and 351 on Tuesday, prompting the Government to extend the no-movement days that have been in place across the island over the past two weeks.
Holness used the address to the nation last evening to announce that the island will be under no- movement days from this Sunday, September 5 to Tuesday, September 7. The no-movement period will resume on September 12 and extend to September 14, while the daily curfews will be in effect from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am Mondays to Fridays and begin at 6:00 pm on Saturdays in Jamaica.
Source- Jamaica Observer
’Possible’ US will partner with Taliban against ISIS-K
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, asked about the relationship between the U.S. and Taliban going forward, given their recent and uneasy cooperation during the evacuation mission, offered a pragmatic view, without sugar-coating the militant group.
"We don't know what the future of the Taliban is. But I can tell you from personal experience that this is a ruthless group from the past, and whether or not they change remains to be seen," Milley said. "And as far as our dealings with them at that airfield or in the past year or so, in war, you do what you must in order to reduce risk to mission and force, not what you necessarily want to do."
Asked whether the U.S. might coordinate with the Taliban against ISIS-K, the terror group responsible for a suicide bomber attack last week which that killed 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghans, Milley said, "It’s possible."
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin then chimed in, "I would not want to make any predictions."
Milley also vowed that the Pentagon will continue it counterterrorism efforts despite not having troops on the ground in Afghanistan, echoing President Joe Biden's remarks from Tuesday in saying the U.S. mission has changed over time.
Milley said that as of Wednesday morning, approximately 20,000 Afghans have arrived at eight different military bases in the continental U.S. and more refugees are on the way. Since the evacuation mission began, he said 124,334 people were airlifted out of Afghanistan by the U.S. and partners.
Source-ABC
The Weeknd drops sexy alternate version of "Can't Feel My Face" video
Let's all go back to 2015, when The Weeknd was enjoying his second number-one hit with "Can't Feel My Face." Why? Because the Canadian superstar has released a new, much sexier version of that song's video.
A rep tells Variety that this "alternate" version is actually the original version, which was then replaced with a different one due to a "shift in creative direction." The new version features The Weeknd frolicking in bed and in the back of a cab with a lingerie-clad blonde. They're also seen dirty dancing in a club, intercut with shots of strippers grinding onstage. The same woman is also seen making out with another girl in a bathroom stall.
Drugs aren't seen, but it's heavily implied that the woman and perhaps The Weeknd are both taking them. There are also a few shots of an octopus, whatever that means.
In the original video, The Weeknd is seen performing at a nightclub; a patron throws a lighter at him and he goes up in flames, but continues to perform until he eventually just runs out of the club.
Variety notes that the six-year anniversary of the release of The Weeknd's album Beauty Behind the Madness, which includes "Can't Feel My Face," just passed last weekend.
The singer recently released "Take My Breath," the first single from his forthcoming album. Meanwhile, his song "Save Your Tears," from his 2020 album After Hours, is still hanging around on the upper reaches of the chart.
Source-ABC
New COVID restrictions are in effect officially as of September 1st,2021.
New COVID restrictions that were approved at last Cabinet meeting held on 25 August are set to come into effect officially tomorrow, 1 September.
The measures include the following:
• No person shall host an event consisting of 50 persons or more without approval from the Chief Medical Officer or Chief Environmental Health Officer. (Definition of Event: Something that happens at a given time and place including Hotels, Bars, and Restaurants – e.g. show, party, karaoke, music festival, house party, private banquet, ball, dance, etc.),
• Work permits/temporary work permits should not be granted to performers for the purposes of hosting or performing at social events,
• All night clubs and bars should reduce occupancy to 50%,
• Patrons at night clubs and bars must provide proof of being fully vaccinated,
• Bars/clubs to be responsible for verifying the identification and vaccination status of all participants and a logbook kept with the same, and shared with the Ministry of Health and the Environmental Health Department every Monday
The government also approved a requirement for the introduction of a customer tracking system (manual or electronic) be implemented for all events going forward from 14 September 2021.
These restrictions follow on top of the government’s vaccine mandate for all tourist 16 and over.
Despite Health Minister, Honourable Jamell Robinson, seeking to calm public concern and some backlash, many residents remain upset about the new measures saying that it shows a lack of care or concern on the part of the government for the people. However, the government has continued to insist that such measures are necessary to protect the people of the TCI as the country is in its own third wave of the virus.
The matter remains a contentious one but the real results of the government’s new policy will only be seen in the coming days once they have taken effect.
At that same 25 August meeting, Cabinet also approved several planning applications, in particular one application in relation to the development of a Farmers Market on Providenciales.
Cabinet approved a COVID works Program Policy under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development to come into effect on 1 September.
There were also discussions and approvals in relation to several ordinances; and approval of appointments of members to several boards.
Delta variant threatens to slow the jobs recovery in the U.S.
The US jobs recovery is about to get a reality check.
It was a strong summer, with nearly 2.5 million jobs added back between May and July even as the Delta variant started to increase Covid-19 infections — but economists are now growing cautious that August may not have been as strong.
Economists polled by Refinitiv still predict 728,000 jobs were added last month. But that forecast was revised down from 750,000 early Wednesday after a disappointing reading from ADP Employment Reports, which looks at private sector payrolls.
It was the second time in a row that the ADP report was significantly below expectations: 374,000 jobs were added in August, compared with 613,000 predicted, according to Refinitiv.
The two measures of the labor market aren't correlated — but the ADP report, which comes out first, is seen as a barometer for the jobs data later in the week.
And all this is happening just as the unprecedented stimulus that helped the economy during the worst of the pandemic is coming to an end.
Three US government programs designed to help the jobless during the past year and a half are ending this month. About two dozen states have already ended at least one of the federal unemployment benefits programs, opting to close them early this summer.
Last week, 340,000 Americans filed for initial jobless benefits, adjusted for seasonal swings, a new pandemic-era low. Claims under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which provides benefits to workers such as the self-employed, slipped to 102,405, according to the Labor Department. PUA benefits will run out in a matter of days. Without the seasonal adjustments, a total of 390,156 claims were filed under both programs last week, still well above pre-pandemic levels.
Both investors and the Federal Reserve will be watching Friday's jobs report closely.
Source-CNN
TCI Hospital prepares to implement "MyCareCorner" patient portal
Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital is preparing to implement a secure online portal that provides enrolled patients with convenient 24-hour access to certain personal health information within their medical records from anywhere on the internet.
MyCareCorner is an interactive user platform that is desktop-based and downloadable as a mobile application on the Apple Store and Google Play to access health information on the go. The hospital will manage the data, and enrolled patients can access specific health information such as recent doctor visits, discharge summaries, medications, immunizations, allergies, and lab results. The hospital is currently reviewing the type of information that will be made available to enrolled patients. In July, an online community survey entitled 'MyCareMatters' was launched to canvass feedback on several service areas, including the patient portal.
The platform is private and is accessed on a secure connection via an encrypted, password-protected logon to protect patients' health information. The hospital is seeking to complete the implementation stage of the patient portal by the end of the year. Following this stage, information about the enrolment process will be provided.
Patient portals can add significant value to the patient experience with faster access to essential medical information. This platform empowers patients to be more actively involved in their care and their family members' health, based on patient consent and guardianship.
MyCareCorner also connects with specific everyday home health and fitness devices like blood pressure cuffs, blood glucose devices, and weight scales. This feature eliminates the need to enter readings manually and ensures that subscribers' medical records always have accurate, consistent on-time data.
Patient portals implemented in other health care facilities have reflected improvements in medication adherence, disease awareness, self-management of disease, a decrease in the number of medical office visits, an increase in preventative medicine, and increased patient satisfaction. Patients can utilize the portal to accomplish tasks that generally require a phone call or even multiple phone calls.
Commenting on the platform, Dr. Denise Braithwaite-Tennant, Chief Executive Officer at TCI Hospital, stated: "InterHealth Canada - The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital, is continuously exploring innovative ways to enhance the experience of the patients and families. We believe that engaging patients in their health care can improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Digital information storage systems such as electronic medical records provide a space where patient information can be securely stored and accessed within a timely manner."
She continued: "The increasing adoption of electronic medical records by hospitals has given patients wider access to their clinical information. Seamless access to medical records can positively affect communication between the patient and their health care team. It also empowers patients and enhances their involvement in their care. All of our patients are encouraged to enroll when the patient portal enrolment process is announced."
Visitors bowled out for 60 in losing first Twenty20
New Zealand were bowled out for 60 to equal their lowest Twenty20 total as Bangladesh won the first of their five-match series by seven wickets.
The visitors won the toss in Mirpur and opted to bat, but their top four fell for just nine runs.
Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls, both with 18, were the only players to score double figures.
Bangladesh lost both openers for one before Mushfiqur Rahim and captain Mahmudullah led them to victory.
New Zealand were last bowled out for 60 in their World Twenty20 defeat by Sri Lanka in Chittagong in 2014.
The second match in the series will take place at the same venue on Friday.
Source-BBC
Barbados to re-open all schools online on Sept 20
The Barbados government Tuesday said that all classes will be fully online when the new school term begins on September 20.
“We believe, and after discussions this morning with the various representatives of the trade union movement, as well as the PTA's (Parent Teacher Associations), we believe that the time has now come for us as we approach the start of the September term to go fully online,” Education Minister Santia Bradshaw said in a video statement.
“Therefore I want to announce that all classes will begin for both students at the public and private schools on the 20th of September but they will now be fully online now,” she added.
The announcement comes as the island deals with a surge in the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and some schools being used as isolation centres.
The authorities said on Tuesday that the number of people in isolation is 339 and Bradshaw said over 100 people now in isolation across the various centres and that as the surge of COVID-19 cases continues more schools may be drafted to assist the Ministry of Health.
“In order to be able to get ahead of this particular virus, there may be other sites in the coming weeks that may have to be used. Some of our schools may have to be used.
“It is not a measure of first resort, but the truth of the matter is that many of our schools have in fact been upgraded and the bathroom facilities and showers lend to being able to be considered as an adequate facility to be able to host persons who may be sick.
“In the past few days, we've had to set up the Blackman and Gollop (schools) as an isolation facility and I know that there are some who believe that we shouldn't be using these schools, but the truth of the matter is that this facility has been able to serve the Ministry of Health and Wellness well.
“In the past, we've been able to hand it back over to the school at the appropriate time, and I think the situation now warrants that we're able to provide additional facilities for the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” Bradshaw added.