Serena unruffled by great expectations at Wimbledon
Serena Williams insists she doesn’t feel under pressure to retain the Wimbledon title and finally end her long wait to win a 22nd Grand Slam crown.
When Williams left the All England Club after defeating Garbine Muguruza in the final 12 months ago, she held all four major titles and was on the verge of a historic calendar Grand Slam.
But the world number one’s bid for tennis immortality crumbled when she suffered a shock defeat against Italy’s Roberta Vinci in the US Open semi-finals.
Since then, the 34-year-old American has looked scarred by her loss in New York and also burdened by the expectation she will equal Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles.
Belgium slam four past Hungary
Eden Hazard scored his first goal of Euro 2016 as Belgium cruised into the quarter-finals with a 4-0 win yesterday to end Hungary’s fairy-tale campaign.
Belgium go into the European Championship quarter-finals for the first time since losing the 1980 final. They were dominant throughout at Stadium de Toulouse after Toby Alderweireld headed them into a 10th-minute lead.
The Red Devils wasted a series of great chances to put the game to bed before Michy Batshuayi — with his first touch as a substitute — Hazard and Yannick Carrasco, scored in the last 12 minutes.
Belgium now meet Wales in Lille, looking for a place in the semi-finals, but on the back of this promising performance, coach Marc Wilmots will be looking for improvements in front of goal.
World Cup champs dominate Slovakia 3-0
Jerome Boateng scored his first international goal to set Germany on their way to a 3-0 win against Slovakia at Euro 2016 yesterday, as the world champions cruised into the quarter-finals.
Boateng opened his account eight minutes into his 63rd international appearance and Joachim Low’s side never looked back against outclassed opponents.
Mesut Ozil had a penalty saved soon after but Julian Draxler set up Mario Gomez to double the lead two minutes before half-time, and the impressive Draxler then completed the scoring just after the hour mark.
There was never any threat of a repeat of Slovakia’s 3-1 win when the teams met in a friendly just four weeks ago and Germany will move on to a last-eight tie against either reigning champions Spain or old rivals Italy next weekend.
T&T top U-19 women’s CRICKET, D efending champs B’dos third
Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) crowned themselves champions of the Regional Under-19 Girls’ Twenty20 Invitational Championship when they easily disposed of Windward Islands in the final here Saturday.
Playing at the National Cricket Centre (NCC), the hosts reached 101 for four from their 20 overs and then restricted the visitors to 74 for eight, to pull off an uncomplicated, 27-run victory.
In the consolation final, reigning champions Barbados slumped to a seven-wicket loss to Guyana at Gilbert Park, to finish last in the four-team tournament.
Supreme Court Strikes Down Texas Abortion Law
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld abortion rights Monday, ruling that states across the country had no right to curb the constitutional right of women to end their pregnancies by imposing an "undue burden" on them to limit their access to abortion clinics.
The 5-3 decision was perhaps the court's most important abortion rights ruling in a quarter century.
The majority overturned a law in the southwestern state of Texas, similar to that enacted in other states, that required abortion doctors to have patient-admitting privileges at hospitals near their abortion clinics and that their clinics be equipped with costly hospital-grade healthcare equipment.
Writing for the court majority, Justice Stephen Breyer said that the state's regulations were medically unnecessary and unconstitutionally limited a woman's right to an abortion.
"The surgical-center requirement, like the admitting-privileges requirement, provides few, if any, health benefits for women, poses a substantial obstacle to women seeking abortions, and constitutes an 'undue burden' on their constitutional right to do so," said Breyer.
President Barack Obama said he was pleased with the decision Monday, noting "every woman has a constitutional right to make her own reproductive choices."
The Supreme Court ruling, coming on the last day of the court's current term before its summer recess, could affect thousands of women in Texas alone, and many more throughout the U.S.
US, Somalia Launch New Chapter in Relations
The United States has filled a diplomatic void in Somalia, swearing in its first ambassador to that country in 25 years.
Ambassador Stephen Schwartz took his oath Monday in Washington, following his Senate confirmation in May.
Schwartz, a senior Foreign Service officer who served as deputy chief of missions in Zambia, will replace James Bishop, who left more than two decades ago as the U.S. embassy came under threat.
The U.S. pulled its diplomatic presence and forces out of Somalia in 1993, after militiamen shot down a U.S. military helicopter, killing 18 soldiers.
The al-Shabab extremist group emerged out of the country's civil chaos of that time. In recent years, the group has been ousted from Somalia's major cities, although it has continued to launch attacks.
"None of us have any illusions about the challenges that lie ahead, challenges to Somalia's political process, its stabilization efforts, its economic recovery, its fight against terrorists," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, as he swore in Schwartz. However, he added that Somalia has made progress because its leaders see the importance of growth, peace and stability.
But diplomats acknowledged the country needs to do more.
"It is time for Somali authorities to establish a responsive and effective Somali national army to defeat al-Shabab and unify the country," Schwartz said.
Schwartz's appointment comes a year after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced visit to Mogadishu, becoming the first sitting U.S. secretary of state to visit Somalia.
During his short trip last May, Kerry showed support for the war-torn country and its efforts to restore normalcy.
Over the years, the U.S has provided millions of dollars to Somalia as it dealt with drought, piracy and the al-Shabab insurgency.
Kerry, Leaders Warn Against Punishing Britain
Britain’s crisis deepened Monday as British and EU officials scrambled to deal with the shock of British voters’ decision to leave the European Union, and ease both anger and the uncertainty that has plunged the country into what some describe as its worst disarray since World War II.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stopped in London Monday and reaffirmed what he said is an unbreakable bond between the United States and Britain.
Kerry assured Britain the special relationship between the two countries will not change because of the Brexit decision. Speaking after a meeting Monday with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, the top U.S. diplomat said that relationship is “perhaps even more important in these days of questioning on behalf of many people.” Ties, he said, remain “strong and crucial.”
British officials spent Monday working to contain the aftermath of the vote that sent markets and the British pound tumbling for another day. In his first remarks to parliament since the vote, Prime Minister David Cameron said the British economy is strong enough to deal with the turbulence. “It is clear that markets are volatile. There are some companies considering their investments and we know this is going to be far from plain sailing,” he said.
Earlier, in Brussels, Kerry appealed for calm amid the anxiety that British voters’ decision has caused in Europe, and in global markets around the world.
He also cautioned EU members against punishing Britain for its decision.
“It’s absolutely essential that we stay focused on how, in this transitional period, nobody loses their head, nobody goes off half-cocked, people don't start ginning up scatterbrained or revengeful premises,” Kerry said.
PAHO says it has strong strategy to support countries affected by Zika
The long-term outlook for the Americas resulting from the Zika virus outbreak is uncertain and the number of people affected is difficult to gauge, but the Pan American Health Organization is responding with a strong, four-tiered strategy to support its countries, according to Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, PAHO’s incident manager for Zika.
In a briefing to members of PAHO’s Executive Committee, which met this week, Aldighieri said that PAHO has sent 88 experts on 53 missions to countries and territories, focusing on priority areas of detection, prevention, response and research in Zika.
He said much work remains to be done in research to define the absolute risk for congenital malformations and to describe the clinical spectrum of Zika congenital infections.
PAHO Director Dr. Carissa F. Etienne assured members of the committee that PAHO will continue to provide leadership and coordination of the Zika response.
“Our challenge will continue in the medium and long-term on Zika. Aedes aegypti is a very elusive vector with high infestation rates, but we are fully committed to our Member States as far as Zika is concerned,” she said.
Cuba awards 8 medical scholarships
EIGHT young Jamaicans have been awarded medical scholarships to study in Cuba for the 2016-2017 academic year, under the Cuba-Jamaica Cooperation Programme.
Cuban ambassador to Jamaica Bernardo Guanche Hernandez presented the scholarships to the awardees on June 24 at the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in St Andrew.
In his remarks, Guanche said the programme has helped to strengthen the friendship and cooperative ties between Cuba and Jamaica over the years.
He noted that Cuban institutions have kept that programme going despite Cuba’s economic challenges.
UWI Vice Chancellor urges close regional unity in light of Brexit
The Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Sir Hilary Beckles says the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) should use Britain’s exist from the European Union to deepen and strengthen its internal operations and external relations with the wider world.
“CARICOM should use this development in order to deepen and strengthen its internal operations and external relations to the wider world. It’s a moment for CARICOM to come closer together rather than drift apart.
“The region should not be seen as mirroring this mentality of cultural and political insularity, but should reaffirm the importance of regionalism within the global context for the future,” Sir Hilary said.
In a statement, Sir Hilary warned that every aspect of Caribbean life will be adversely affected by the development;” from trade relations to immigration, tourism to financial relations, and cultural engagements to foreign policy”.
Caribbean leaders are still assessing the implication of the vote, noting that it is too early to say what impact it would have on their countries.