Batch 4 of the Covid19 vaccines arrives in the TCI
The Ministry of Health is pleased to inform the general public that batch 4 of the Pfizer Bio-N-Tech COVID-19 Vaccine arrived at the Providenciales International Airport on 5th July 2021. A total of 1170 vials which is approximately 7,020 doses, has been received, and once fully utilized, will allow the TCI to attain above 70% coverage. Recommendations by international public health agencies, including Public Health England, is to achieve at least 80% vaccination coverage to provide effective herd immunity for the TCI.
The Ministry of Health is grateful for the continued support of the UK in providing the precious commodity of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Ministry of Health is encouraging all eligible TCI residents to register on the TCIs vaccine registration portal at: https://covidvaccineregistration.gov.tc/. Vaccines can be accessed at Primary Health Care Clinics throughout the TCI at no cost as well as through private medical clinics.
All persons in the TCI are encouraged to comply with the COVID-19 Health Protocols from the Ministry of Health;
1. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
2. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
3. Maintain social distancing of 6 feet between persons
4. Wear face coverings in public settings (covering both your nose and mouth)
5. Avoid mass gatherings or crowds
6. Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or use disposable tissues
7. Comply with public health measures
8. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 which include; cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, fever, diarrhoea, loss of sense of taste or smell-please get tested and call the health hotlines on 232 9444 or 333 0911
9. Do not visit health care facilities if you have symptoms or signs of COVID-19 unless your symptoms are severe
10. If you are under quarantine by the Public Health Team, please remain at home and comply with the guidance provided to you
11.Stay informed with the latest information from the Ministry of Health by visiting our website on https://www.gov.tc/moh/coronavirus/
12. Consult with your healthcare provider regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and register online.
Bucks defeats Suns in Game 3
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks made the NBA Finals' return to Milwaukee a slamming success. Antetokounmpo had 41 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, and the Bucks pounded Phoenix 120-100 on Sunday night, cutting the Suns' lead to 2-1.
The first NBA Finals game in Milwaukee since 1974 went to the home team in a romp, with Antetokounmpo and the bigger Bucks overwhelming the smallish Suns to the tune of a 20-2 advantage in second-chance points.
''We knew what type of game it was going to be,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''We knew we had to come here, play good basketball and compete as hard as possible.''
Game 4 is Wednesday night, with the series guaranteed to go back to Phoenix afterward.
Antetokounmpo, who missed the last two games of the Eastern Conference finals because of a hyperextended left knee and was no sure thing to even be ready to start this series, followed up his 42-point, 12-rebound performance in Game 2 by doing it all again - even making his free throws this time.
Back in front of his own fans and free of the loud counts he's been hearing on the road, Antetokounmpo went 13 of 17 at the line.
Chris Paul had 19 points and nine assists, but the Suns got next to nothing from his star backcourt mate. Devin Booker shot 3 for 14, scoring just 10 points.
Source-AP
Fires burning across West as heat waves affect millions around the country
Fires are continuing to spark in the West as a heat wave blankets millions of residents.
With another heatwave looming, extreme drought and dry conditions are persisting in the West, creating matchbox conditions. Dozens of large wildfires are currently burning in the West.
The entire state of California is in drought and 85 percent is in extreme drought, while nearly two-thirds of Utah is in exceptional drought, and more than one-third of Washington state is in extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The Beckwourth Complex Fire in Doyle, California, is now the state's largest wildfire at more than 86,000 acres and is only 8 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire prompted mandatory evacuations, closed portions of U.S. Route 395 and has nearly crossed state lines into Nevada, ABC Sacramento affiliate KXTV reported.
The Bootleg Fire in Klamath County, Oregon, grew to more than 143,000 acres on Sunday, prompting evacuations in the area, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The worst of the heat wave wrapped up Sunday, and the extreme heat will subside over the next few days.
Surfside building collapse latest: Death toll rises to 90
The death toll of the devastating partial collapse of a 12-story residential building in Surfside, Florida last month rose to 90, officials announced Sunday.
The recovery effort entered its 19th day on Monday and officials said 62 victims are now identified, 217 people are accounted for, and 31 are potentially unaccounted for.
Officials would not provide an estimated timetable for the end of recovery efforts.
Eight additional victims have been identified, the Miami Dade Police Department said Friday, including 3-year-old Luis Lopez Moreira III, the youngest so far; the boy's father, Luis Pettengill, 36; and his mother, Sophia López Moreira, 36, the sister of Paraguay's first lady, Silvana López Moreira. Two other children in the family remain missing.
The cause of the partial collapse to a building that has withstood decades of hurricanes remains unknown and is under investigation. Built in the 1980s, the Champlain Towers South was up for its 40-year recertification and had been undergoing roof work -- with more renovations planned -- when it partially collapsed, according to officials.
Source-ABC
Novak Djokovic wins Wimbledon to claim record
Novak Djokovic tied Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal by claiming his 20th Grand Slam title Sunday, coming back to beat Matteo Berrettini 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the Wimbledon final.
The top-ranked Djokovic earned his third consecutive championship at the All England Club and sixth overall.
He adds that to nine titles at the Australian Open, three at the US Open and two at the French Open to equal his two rivals for the most majors won by a man in tennis history.
"I have to pay a great tribute to Rafa and Roger," Djokovic said during the on-court, postmatch interview. "They are legends of our sport and they are the two most important players that I've ever faced in my career. They are I think the reason that I am where I am today. They have helped me realize what I need to do in order to improve, get stronger mentally, physically, tactically."
The 34-year-old from Serbia is now the only man since 1969 to win the first three major tournaments in a season. He can aim for a calendar-year Grand Slam -- something last accomplished by a man when Rod Laver did it 52 years ago -- at the US Open, which starts Aug. 30.
Source-ESPN
Key suspect' arrested after President Jovenel Moïse's assassination
Police in Haiti say they have arrested a doctor they believe is a key suspect in organising last week's assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
They say Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a 63-year-old Haitian national, flew into the country on a private jet in early June with "political motives".
Mr Moïse, 53, was killed at his residence on 7 July, by 28 foreign mercenaries, the police said earlier.
His wife was injured in the attack, and then flown to the US for treatment.
Martine Moïse later described the moment assassins "riddled" her husband with bullets after bursting into their home in the middle of the night.
She said the attack happened so quickly, her husband Jovenel was unable to "say a single word".
The arrest of Mr Sanon was announced at a police briefing late on Sunday in the capital Port-au-Prince.
"This is an individual who entered Haiti on a private plane with political objectives," said Haiti's police chief Leon Charles.
He said the initial plan had been to arrest President Moïse, but "the mission then changed". He did not elaborate.
"When we, the police, blocked the progress of these bandits after they committed their crime, the first person that one of the assailants called was Christian Emmanuel Sanon," said Mr Charles.
"He contacted two other people that we consider to be the masterminds of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse." The police chief did not say who the other two people were.
A delegation of senior US security and justice officials on Sunday arrived in Haiti to assess the security situation.
The team will also meet three Haitian politicians. each of whom is claiming to be the country's legitimate leader.
After the attack, Haiti's authorities asked the US and the UN to send troops to the country to protect key infrastructure.
President Joe Biden's administration initially rejected the request - but has now decided to have a closer look at the situation.
Mr Moïse had been president of Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, since 2017. His time in office was rocky as he faced accusations of corruption and there were widespread demonstrations in the capital and other cities earlier this year.
Parliamentary elections should have been held in October 2019 but disputes have delayed them, meaning Mr Moïse had been ruling by decree. He had planned to hold a referendum on the proposed constitutional changes this September.
In February this year, on the day the opposition wanted him to leave office, Mr Moïse said an attempt to kill him and overthrow the government had been foiled.
It is still unclear who organised last week's attack and with what motive. A number of questions remain unanswered, including how the alleged assassins were able to enter the property. Mr Moïse's bodyguards are due to be questioned later this week.
Source-BBC
Marvel series features Chadwick Boseman in his final appearance
Marvel Studios has just released the trailer to its animated What If...? series for Disney+, which features the last performance of the late Chadwick Boseman as King T'Challa.
For Marvel Comics fans, issues of What If...? broke with the usual narratives and saw characters swap storylines and powers -- and that's what the series will do.
The MCU's cast members returned to play their animated alter-egos. Here, Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther will swap places with Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, buddying up with Michael Rooker's Ravager leader Yondu.
Similarly, Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter swaps places with Steve Rogers in taking the super soldier serum, becoming Captain Carter, and Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger is shown rescuing Tony Stark from the Afghanistan ambush that opened Iron Man.
Acclaimed actor Jeffrey Wright voices the all-seeing The Watcher, whose divinity over time explores each story.
The series also features the voices of other MCU stars, including Josh Brolin again portraying the Mad Titan Thanos; Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury; Chris Hemsworth as Thor; Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow/Crossbones; and Dominic Cooper, who played Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger and the Agent Carter series.
At least according to the snippet, it seems Howard dons the "cave suit" that his son wore on the big screen in 2008's Iron Man -- Captain Carter is shown riding the iron giant's shoulder as it flies through the air.
Back in 2019, ABC Audio broke the story that Cooper was working on What If..., and he explained, "[I]t was very exciting to play. And it's very comical how those relationships which you've already established change if those 'what ifs' happened. And that's what's really exciting about that." (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
The series debuts on Disney+ on August 11.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
G20 finance ministers back deal to tax companies
G20 finance ministers have backed an "historic" plan which will see multinational companies pay their "fair share" of tax around the world.
The plan to battle tax avoidance puts in place a minimum global corporate tax rate of 15%.
It is likely to affect companies like Amazon and Facebook.
So far, 132 countries have signed up to the framework, being championed by The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The agreement is a further boost for the plan signed up to by leaders of the G7 major economies in Cornwall a month ago.
The G20 finance ministers - who represent 19 countries with the largest and fastest-growing economies, as well as the European Union - announced their support following a two-day meeting in Venice, Italy.
The UK's Chancellor Rishi Sunak hailed the deal as "historic", adding it would ensure the "global tax system is fit for purpose in a digital age".
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said there would be "no turning back".
"We are putting an end to the race to the bottom and the digital giants will now pay their fair share of taxes," he added. "It's a once-in-a-century tax revolution."
The policy - which will also make companies pay more in the countries where they do business - will now go to a meeting of G20 leaders in October for final consideration.
Governments have long grappled with the challenge of taxing global companies operating across many countries.
That challenge has grown with the boom in huge tech corporations like Amazon and Facebook.
At the moment companies can set up local branches in countries that have relatively low corporate tax rates and declare profits there.
That means they only pay the local rate of tax, even if the profits mainly come from sales made elsewhere. This is legal and commonly done.
The deal aims to stop this from happening in two ways.
Firstly it aims to make companies pay more tax in the countries where they are selling their products or services, rather than wherever they end up declaring their profits.
Secondly, a global minimum tax rate would help avoid countries undercutting each other with low tax rates.
Not everyone is in favour, however. Ireland is among those countries which have yet to sign up.
Source-BBC
Tesla faces fine over illegal construction at German plant
A German regional authority said it was preparing to fine Tesla for illegal building activity on the site of its planned new car factory near Berlin.
The environment ministry for Brandenburg, where the factory will be located, had found that Tesla had constructed tanks on the land where it had no authorization to do so, wrote the Tagesspiegel newspaper, which first reported the fine.
The company was banned from using the tanks it had already built, the newspaper added.
Tesla was not immediately available for comment.
A MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE ON THE PASSING OF THE PRESIDENT OF HAITI
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government was saddened to learn of the news of the death of President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse this morning. There are no words to describe or justify such an abhorrent act.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government as a neighbour to Haiti, extends our deepest sympathy to the entire nation. On behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and the people of the TCI, I extend sincere condolences to the Moise family, to the Haitian Government, the people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora in the TCI. Our hearts go out to you in your time of mourning.
To President Moise’s wife, First Lady Mrs. Martine Moise, our thoughts and prayers are with you as mourn and as you recover from this horrific incident.
My Government have been briefed on the situation in Haiti and will continue to monitor the latest developments. Our National Security Council will be engaging with internal stakeholders to discuss possible implications for the Turks and Caicos Islands and other territories in the region.
My prayer is that the perpetrators are found and held accountable for their malicious actions and that peaceful resolve and good order can arise from such a horrible tragedy.