Twisters spins up $80.5 million debut with #1 opening weekend
Twisters twisted through the competition to grab the #1 spot at the box office in its opening weekend.
The disaster flick, a standalone sequel to 1996's Twister, brought it a total of $80.5 million during its debut frame, Variety reports. That's good enough for the third-biggest premiere weekend of 2024, following Inside Out 2 and Dune: Part 2, which opened with $154 million and $82 million, respectively.
Twisters stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos, and is accompanied by a soundtrack filled with some of the biggest names in country music, including Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain and Jelly Roll.
Coming in at #2 in the box office was two-week champ Despicable Me 4, which brought its domestic total to $259 million with an extra $29 million. Inside Out 2, already the highest-grossing movie of 2024 and Pixar's highest-grossing worldwide film of all time, added $12.7 million to its now $596.4 million total.
A pair of horror movies rounded out the top five: Longlegs grabbed #4 with $11.7 million in its second week, followed by A Quiet Place: Day One, with $6.1 million in its fourth week.
Source-ABC
Kamala Harris "honored" by Joe Biden's endorsement
Following President Joe Biden's surprise announcement Sunday that he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and that he was endorsing Kamala Harris, the vice president shared her thanks for her 2020 running-mate's support.
"On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country," Harris wrote on Instagram. "I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination."
Political world reacts to Biden's announcement
The Biden news sent shockwaves throughout Washington, D.C. and beyond, with various political figures offering their reactions.
"Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe's remarkable career in public service," said former President Barack Obama. "But what I came to admire even more was his character -- his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts."
Several other figures of the Democratic Party followed Biden in also giving their endorsement to Harris, including Bill and Hillary Clinton.
On the other side, former president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!" His running-mate, JD Vance, added, "Joe Biden has been the worst President in my lifetime and Kamala Harris has been right there with him every step of the way."
Source-ABC
Joe Biden drops out of 2024 presidential race
President Joe Biden is leaving the 2024 race after a halting debate performance against Donald Trump led to questions from Democrats about his age, ability to carry out his campaign and whether he could serve a second term.
Biden said in a statement posted Sunday that he will "stand down."
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," he wrote, in part. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."
"I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision," he added.
The stunning move upends what has been a long general election rematch between Biden and Trump, both of whom handily won their party's primaries, with less than four months until the November contest.
In a follow-up post, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
"My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term," Biden wrote. "My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it's been the best decision I've made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this."
Source-ABC
Global IT chaos persists as Crowdstrike boss admits outage
A worldwide outage shocked the world today to epic proportions after the world experienced blackness due to a software outage. While we are still uncertain if this was a hack or not, this impacted systems from the Caribbean to the world. It begs to question if this was a test or if was it just a glitch!
The glitch affected key sectors including hospitals, airports, banks, and other sectors.
The number of flights canceled across the world after the major IT disruption has risen to 5,078 – 4.6% of those scheduled – according to the latest update from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
In the UK, 167 departures have been canceled – 5.4% of those scheduled – and 171 arrivals were canceled, the firm says.
Several US airlines, including American, United, and Delta, issued ground stops – an air traffic control measure that slows or grounds aircraft at a given airport – earlier as IT outages disrupted across the globe.
This timelapse from the flight-tracking website Flightradar24 below shows just how many flights were impacted.
Payment systems have been among the IT systems impacted by today's disruption.
Morrisons said this morning it was experiencing “some issues” with payments in some stores, but around 40 minutes after it issued an update saying the problems had been fully resolved.
Posts on social media suggested some Waitrose stores were only taking cash payments for a time this morning.
The supermarket said it was briefly impacted earlier in the day, but it said this was limited to stores being unable to process contactless card payments, with chip and pin and cash payments still possible.
Asda, M&S, Tesco, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Iceland and Lidl all said their stores operated as normal.
Co-op said it didn't experience any significant impact, and that cash and card payments were running as normal.
Billboards from New York City's Times Square, where some billboards went blank during today's IT outage show black screens and "the blue screen of death" in place of the vibrant advertisements that typically light up the area.
Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, says a “handful” of the more than 100 billboards in the area remained offline earlier on Friday,
Crowdstrike is a cybersecurity company founded in 2011 to safeguard the world’s biggest companies and hardware from cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
It specializes in endpoint security protection and tries to prevent malicious software or files from hitting corporate networks from devices that connect to them, such as phones and laptops.
It also aims to protect the data of companies that have shifted from guarding it under their roof, or on their servers, to so-called cloud providers.
The Texas-based firm was co-founded by entrepreneurs George Kurtz, who remains chief executive, and Dmitri Alperovitch. It listed its shares publicly on the tech-heavy Nasdaq stock exchange in 2019.
Since it first launched, the company has seemingly played a key role in helping firms investigate cyber-attacks.
In 2016 Crowdstrike was called in by the US Democratic National Committee, the strategy arm of the Democrat Party, to investigate a breach into its computer network.
Ambulance services have recorded higher than normal demand amid the IT outages today.
Some trusts pointed to the disruption suffered by other healthcare services during the IT disruption – GPs and pharmacies have been affected by outages, and some hospital appointments were also postponed.
The North East, South East Coast, South Central, and London ambulance services have all recorded increased demand. The surge in London has been described as "huge".
Patients with the most serious or life-threatening conditions have been prioritized, with others being warned wait times could be impacted.
Gatwick airport says its IT systems are now operating as normal and it expects the "majority" of flights to operate as usual tomorrow.
“Some delays and cancellations will however continue this evening and over the weekend. We strongly advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest updates," a spokesperson says.
They add that there will be additional staff in the terminals this evening and some of the shops and eateries will remain open later than normal.
3-DAY PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST
GENERAL SITUATION: The ridging pattern continues to dominate the weather across the Turks and Caicos Islands supporting moderate to fresh breezes. A thick plume of Saharan Dust has moved into the area and will reduce air quality across the islands today.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: THE HEAT INDEX IS VERY HIGH, POSING A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES SUCH AS HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO STAY COOL, HYDRATED, AND AVOID PROLONGED OUTDOOR EXPOSURE… THE PRESENCE OF SAHARAN DUST WILL REDUCE THE AIR QUALITY, THOSE ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO AIRBORNE PARTICLES SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.
AREA: ALL AREAS
WEATHER: Partly sunny with a very slight chance of isolated showers or an isolated thunderstorm today. The chance of rain is 10 percent—partly cloudy with isolated showers possible tonight.
ADVISORY: A Heat Advisory is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands …A Small Craft Advisory is in effect….
WINDS: East to southeast at 10 to 20 knots
SEAS: 2 to 4 feet nearshore, building up to 5 to 8 feet over open waters
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 91°F 33°C HEAT INDEX 109°F 43°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 82°F 28°C
SUNSET: 07:33 PM
NEXT LOW TIDE: 01:18 PM (0.7 FT)
NEXT HIGH TIDE: 07:55 PM (3.0 FT)
EXTENDED FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS: The Saharan dust will quickly move out of the area by tomorrow ahead of an approaching tropical wave. Expect showers and thunderstorm activity late Saturday into Sunday as the tropical wave moves through the islands. Another plume of Saharan dust is expected to move in on Monday.
FORECAST FOR SATURDAY
WEATHER: A slight chance of showers in the morning, then a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Partly to mostly sunny and hazy, becoming partly cloudy with a high near 92. The chance of rain is 30 percent. A slight chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Partly cloudy, with a low around 81. The chance of rain is 20 percent.
ADVISORY: Expect gusty winds and higher seas in or near showers and thunderstorms. Some showers or thunderstorms may be strong to severe at times… A Small Craft Advisory will remain in effect…
WINDS: East to southeast at 20 to 25 knots
SEAS: 6 to 8 feet, building up to 7 to 10 feet in easterly swell at night.
SUNRISE: 06:16 AM
SUNSET: 07:33 PM
LOW TIDE: 02:24 AM (1.0 FT) 02:06 PM (0.3 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 08:00 AM (2.3 FT) 08:41 PM (3.0 FT)
FORECAST FOR SUNDAY
WEATHER: Isolated showers are possible in the morning, then a very slight chance of isolated showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon. Partly cloudy, with a high near 91. The chance of rain is 10 percent. Mostly fair at night, with a low near 79.
ADVISORY: Expect gusty winds and higher seas in or near showers and thunderstorms. Some showers or thunderstorms may be strong to severe at times… A Small Craft Advisory will remain in effect…
WINDS: East to southeast at 15 to 25 knots
SEAS: 6 to 8 feet over the ocean
SUNRISE: 06:17 AM
SUNSET: 07:33 PM
LOW TIDE: 03:08 AM (0.7 FT) 02:54 PM (0.3 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 08:46 AM (2.3 FT) 09:25 PM (3.0 FT)
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next seven days.
Leeds in the UK is left to burn for HOURS
Terrified residents have taken to the streets of Leeds to defend their homes after 'violent' thugs drove riot police out after setting the city ablaze.
Chaos erupted in Harehills, east Leeds early yesterday evening following an outbreak of 'serious disorder' that saw bonfires lit across the city, a cop car overturned and a double decker bus torched, reducing it to a charred and twisted wreck.
Community members were forced to plead with the rabble as police, despite having first responded to the disturbance around 5pm last night, remained relatively absent from the mayhem until 1am today.
Green Party councillor Mothin Ali, who after being elected to Leeds Council in May declared his victory a 'win for the people of Gaza', begged the rioters to stop, saying 'there's children in there', as fires burned in the streets.
Police and local officials urged residents to stay home as rioters flooded the streets around Harehills and roads were closed off. But hooligans continued to turn up to the area, with many livestreaming footage of the havoc on social media.
The Home Secretary has condemned the 'shocking scenes and attacks' in the northern city and West Yorkshire police, which has been accused of intentionally avoiding the riot, vowed that the 'full weight of the law will be brought against those responsible'
Officers were called to an incident at an address in Luxor Street at 5pm on Thursday where they found an 'ongoing disturbance' involving agency workers and children, West Yorkshire Police said.
Locals allege the chaos was linked to local children being taken into care, adding that some people in the community responded by setting fires and 'throwing stones'.
A large crowd began to gather at the location, prompting the agency workers and children to be taken to a safe place and more officers were requested to attend the area where 'pockets of disorder' were emerging.
Livestream footage on social media showed angry rioters setting fire to vehicles, including a public bus.
Other footage showed how the thugs overturned and smashed up a police car with scooters, prams and bikes.
The vehicle was left in the road with its blue lights flashing, sirens blaring, and car alarms going off as crowds of people shouted in the streets.
Locals were also seen running towards a fire started in the middle of the road with a large fridge, which they hurled onto the blaze whilst onlookers cheered.
Source-MailOnline
CARPHA Provides Technical Support for Malaria Intervention in Turks and Caicos Islands
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) recently concluded a successful mission from 8 - 12 July 2024 to provide critical technical support for malaria intervention in the Turks and Caicos Islands following an imported malaria case identified in May 2024. This visit underscores CARPHA's commitment to enhancing public health measures and ensuring effective response to vector-borne diseases in the region.
The CARPHA team, comprised of esteemed experts, included:
Dr. Horace Cox, Acting Director Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control at CARPHA
Mr. Rajesh Ragoo, Senior Technical Officer, Vector-Borne Disease Surveillance, Disease Prevention, and Control
Ms. Jenna Indarsingh, CariVecNet Coordination Officer, Vector-Borne Disease Unit
The primary objectives of this intervention were multifaceted, focusing on both theoretical and practical aspects of malaria control and prevention:
Theoretical Sessions: Delivered comprehensive training on malaria epidemiology, vector biology, and bionomics to enhance the knowledge base of local health professionals.
Field Activities: Conducted extensive fieldwork investigating mosquito breeding sites to detect any potential vectors of malaria parasites and discussed effective vector control measures to mitigate the spread of malaria.
Surveillance and Response Review: Supported the review and enhancement of the existing malaria surveillance and response plan, including optimising reporting tools.
Diagnosis and Treatment Services: Evaluated access to and quality of malaria diagnosis and treatment services, incorporating quality assurance components to ensure the highest standards of care.
Action Plan Development: Assisted in the formulation of action plans aimed at resource mobilisation and community engagement activities to foster a comprehensive and sustainable malaria control strategy.
This collaborative effort between CARPHA and the Ministry of Health and Hunan Services of the Turks and Caicos Islands saw the CARPHA team working closely with the National Epidemiology and Research Unit (NERU), the National Public Health Laboratory, and the Vector Control Unit. The joint initiative aimed to strengthen local capacities and fortify the overall public health response framework against malaria.
Dr. Horace Cox, Acting Director Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control at CARPHA, stated, "Our visit highlights the importance of regional cooperation and technical support in combating vector-borne diseases. By working closely with local health authorities, we aim to enhance their capabilities in malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, ensuring better health outcomes for the community."
Dr. Nadia Astwood, Chief Medical Officer within the Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Health and Human Services, commented on the collaboration: "We are grateful for the support provided by CARPHA. This intervention has significantly bolstered our efforts to prevent and control malaria in our islands. The expertise and resources brought in by the CARPHA team have been invaluable in strengthening our public health framework and ensuring our community is well-protected against malaria."
The Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Health remains steadfast in its dedication to safeguarding the public against vector-borne diseases. Through continued collaboration with regional partners like CARPHA, the Ministry is committed to maintaining robust health systems and protecting the well-being of all residents.
Why I am running for Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Dear Editor,
Part 2/3 of Hon. Edwin A. Astwood’s PDM Convention Speech:
“I’m running so that we can keep moving towards a future where we control the economy of our Turks and Caicos Islands. A future where our children are the majority business and
homeowners, and the millionaires in our country, where every Turks and Caicos Islander is fully Empowered.”
“I’m running to ensure that our people can feel safe and secure in their homes, in our communities, and in our country. I want the TCI to have the capabilities to detect and intercept
any illegal vessel entering our waters. With all the technology that is available to us, there is no reason why those tools should not be acquired and utilized to protect our people and our
borders.”
“I am running so that our country will have a government that optimally funds our police department and other law enforcement agencies- with the much-needed manpower and
equipment that would truly allow them to tackle the violent crime crises, and that would truly allow them to stop the nightly illegal entries. I want to put in place the strongest Border
security measures in place in the history of our country. I want to make the TCI safe again…That’s why I am running.”
“I’m running to ensure that we can have a health care system that truly saves the lives of our people. A Healthcare system that is focused on disease prevention and early detection, that is
focused on healing and curing, and one that is focused on making our people well. That’s what’s at stake in this election. …….That’s why I am running.”
“I’m running to make sure that our people can afford to live in their country, not have to pack up their kids and migrate to England for a better life and better opportunities, and not being
“priced out of Paradise”…….. That’s why I am running.”
“I’m running to make sure that by 2030, percentage-wise - more of our citizens will hold a University degree and professional qualifications than any other nation in the world. I want to
help our schools hire and reward the best-trained teachers and professional lecturers, especially in Business and technology. That is why I am running for Premier.”
“I want to give at least Three Hundred more Turks and Caicos Islanders the chance to go to universities and learn the skills that our Health sector, our Education sector, our Tourism sector,
and our business sector are looking for right now. That means increasing the Budgetary allocations for scholarships from the $3M it is now ….to $12M, a $9M increase. … That is why I
am running.”
In this year 2024 and beyond, getting a scholarship for higher education or retraining cannot be an exception, or just for a select few - it must now be the rule, and it must be a budgetary imperative that every Turks and Caicos Islander should have easy access in obtaining- both the high school leavers and our working population. ……That is why I am running for Premier.
I want to promote learning through every stage of life -training, re-training, reeducating,reskilling, and requalifying. I want the Turks & Caicos Islands to be the top country in the world
with the highest concentration of PhD and Doctorate graduates.
“I’m running to ensure that our People and our country will have a Warrier as Premier, one who will fight, not only for my children but also for your children, so that they will have a better
present and a better future. Our country cannot afford to have another 4 years of such a weak, sleepy, and uncaring Premier;
That’s the choice in this election. That’s why I’m running for Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“On issue after issue, we can’t afford to spend the next four years going backward. Turks and Caicos don’t need to re-fight the battles of the past and move backward.
We have to do things together -- not like the Premier and his PNP Ministers who only do things to benefit themselves or a particular individual. Nonetheless, we have to do things that make all
of our people richer, do them because they give all of us opportunities, do them Because they moved all of us forward together -- as one people, as one nation: Forward Together, Forward
Ever, Backward Never.
The other Party won’t offer a better vision or a new set of ideas. But ……they will be spending more money than we’ve ever seen before on buying votes, because they have failed the people
and the country- over and over again, on issue after issue, in crisis after crisis. So, the only chance is to try to buy as many votes as they possibly can.
I am a strong believer that our PDM Party is at its best when we harness the God-given talents of every individual Member; when we hear every voice; and when we come together as one
Movement, striving for the same dream, and when we are determined to win.
“That’s what we’re fighting for PDMs. That is what I am fighting for as Leader of our Great PDM Party. With your help, and our industry - let us create A bold and daring Turks & Caicos; A
competitive and viable Turks & Caicos; A forward-looking Turks & Caicos; and A forward-thinking Turks & Caicos: Where all of our people have a chance to make of their life what they
will; and have a chance for the pursuit of happiness, and a chance for the pursuit of wellness. I want to make us the envy of the Region. The best Island Nation on the Planet.
That’s why I’m running for Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands.”Throughout the country, Our People are asking us plainly, - Do you PDMs, have a plan to fix our
Problems; to Grow the Economy, to tackle Crime, to combat Illegal Immigration, to adjust the cost of Living, to develop Affordable Housing, to direct Access to Capital, to fix our Health Care,
to expand school and training opportunities?
“The other side won’t be offering our Turks and Caicos people any real answers to these questions. The other side is incapable of offering our Turks and Caicos people a real solution to
these questions.
Time and Time again we have seen this current PNP Premier and his Ministers hide from addressing every issue facing our people. I can't say that they disappear when the going gets
tough, because to DISAPPEAR you have to first APPEAR. And “appear” they never do.
“And that is why I need your help. My PDM family, My Turks & Caicos Family, this election will be the most important in our lifetime;
It will determine either the fortunes or the misfortunes of our people for the next 100 years; It will decide whether or not our children will have a place in their own country; It will decide
whether or not Turks and Caicos Islands still belong to Turks & Caicos Islanders;
Too many of our people are still dying from cancer and lifestyle disorders, Too many of our young men are losing their lives from crime and violence, Too many of our friends are falling
behind in bills, Too many of our neighbors are losing their homes, Too many of our families are migrating out of our country, and too many of our students are not returning.
I’ve heard from too many people throughout our Islands, wondering why they haven’t been able to get one of the many jobs that are been advertised by both the government and the
private sector; wondering why they haven’t been able to get one of the many Contracts that are been advertised by both the government and the private sector; why their home is up for
sale; why their family member hasn’t yet received the necessary health care that they so desperately need; why their child cannot get a scholarship. Our people need a bold and fearless
Government that will fight for the things that are important to them.
That is what the issues are in this election, and that’s truly why the country needs me as the next Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands..
Stakeholders Donate Vehicle to TCI Police
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force received a Polaris Ranger vehicle donation on (July 17th) courtesy of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA)
and Turks and Caicos Resorts Economic Council (TCREC).
Commissioner of Police Edvin Martin, during the handover ceremony at the Police Headquarters, Airport Road, Providenciales, expressed appreciation for the donation, which is
intended to make the TCI a better and safer place for both officers conducting their duties and civilians going about their lives.
Commissioner Martin said, “This handover represents the close working affiliations between the Force and our stakeholders and a continuous desire to make the community safer. Thank you for
your support and trust. This vehicle will enhance our crime-fighting efforts, secure the neighbourhood, and increase police visibility.”
TCHTA President James McAnally, Chief Executive Officer Stacy Cox, Secretary Nello Lambert, TCREC, and TCHTA member Ken Patterson were in attendance.
.
Shortly after the presentation, Mr. McAnally said, "We are proud to support our local police department by donating a Polaris Ranger. At TCHTA, we believe in fostering strong community
partnerships, and this contribution underscores our commitment to enhancing safety and security in our community. We look forward to seeing this vehicle's positive impact in assisting our law
enforcement officers in their critical work."
Deputy Commissioner Rodney Adams, Superintendent (Community Policing and Division B) Dwight Gardiner, Assistant Superintendent Kemron Lowhar, and acting Insp. Kevin Clarke was
also present.
PUBLIC FORECAST FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS