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Six dead including suspect after 'serious firearms incident' in UK

Six people have been killed in a "serious firearms incident" in Plymouth, southwest England.

Two women, two men and another man believed to be the gunman were found dead when police were called to Biddick Drive, in the Keyham area of Plymouth today.

A seriously injured woman was treated at the scene but later died in hospital.

Police were called to a serious firearms incident in the Keyham area of Plymouth where there have been a number of fatalities at the scene.

READ MORE: Germany detains alleged Russian spy at UK embassy in Berlin

All are believed to have died of gunshot wounds and police said next of kin had been notified.

"There have been a number of fatalities at the scene and several other casualties are receiving treatment," , Devon and Cornwall Police said.

"A critical incident has been declared."

Johnny Mercer, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Plymouth Moor View, said in a tweet that the incident is "not terror-related," and that the suspect is not on the run.

Police have also stressed the incident was not terror-related.

The police added that the area has been cordoned off and that the situation is believed to be contained.

READ MORE: Gun maker offers almost $45m to Sandy Hook victims' families

Police also appealed to the public to not "speculate or share pictures of the scene on social media or anywhere else."

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport PM Luke Pollard said in an earlier message on Twitter that "this looks like a very grim day for our city and our community".

Gun-related homicides are rare in the UK.

A mass shooting in 1996 prompted the UK to tighten the country's gun laws and ban private gun ownership.

The investigation into the shooting is continuing.

With CNN.

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Cargo ship splits in two after running aground in Japan port

A cargo ship has broken into two pieces after running aground in a northern Japanese port and is spilling oil into the sea, the country's coast guard said Thursday.

All 21 Chinese and Filipino crew members were safely rescued by the coast guard, said the ship's Japanese operator, NYK Line.

READ MORE: India to deploy naval task force into South China Sea

The 36,200-tonne wood-chip carrier Crimson Polaris went aground Wednesday while sailing inside Hachinohe Port.

It managed to free itself from the seabed, but suffered a crack which widened and eventually caused the vessel to split into two early Thursday, the coast guard said.

READ MORE: Whale watchers spot two rare albino orcas in Japan

Officials were trying to contain the oil spill.

The amount of oil leaked is under investigation, NYK Line said in a statement.

READ MORE: North Korea issue warning to US, South Korea over 'hostile acts'

The broken hull of the Panamanian-registered ship has drifted about 4km off the coast, it said.

CNN reports that the oil slick is 5.1km long and about 1km wide.

Containment measures were being taken by patrol boats.

The vessel's two parts have not moved and are being closely monitored by patrol boats.

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Constituency #7 Domino League opens on September 28 under strict Covid protocols

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, August 12, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — It is back to the domino tables as the 26th annual edition of Federation’s longest running domino league, Constituency Number Seven Dr the Hon Timothy Harris Domino League, opens on Tuesday September 28 at three venues.

The Executive Committee, on Wednesday August 11, met and briefed captains of teams taking part in the league at the old Lodge Community Centre in Lodge Project as to how the 26th edition will be executed under strict Covid-19 protocols.

Present at the meeting were President of the Executive Committee Mr Calvin Farrell, who is also the league’s coordinator, and Vice President Mr Simeon Liburd. Others were Secretary Mrs Octavia Huggins-Sewell, Treasurer Mr Keithly Blanchette, PRO Allington Berridge, and Floor Members Dr Marc Williams, and Mr Steven Gilbert.

Constituency Number Seven Dr the Hon Timothy Harris Domino League is sponsored by Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Area Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Seven, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris.

Registration of teams taking part in the league this year will start on Wednesday September 15 and will close on Wednesday September 22.

Number Seven Domino League Executive Committee, L-R: Dr Marc Williams, Mr Allington Berridge, Mrs Octavia Huggins-Sewell, Mr Calvin Farrell, Mr Simeon Liburd, Mr Steven Gilbert, and Mr Keithly Blanchette.

Fourteen teams took part in the league last year. They were Tabernacle Domino Club, Unity Domino Club, Lodge Domino Club, Phillips Domino Club, Small Corner Bar Domino Club, Parsons Domino Club, Molineux Domino Club, Christ Church Domino Club, Saddlers Domino Club, Mansion Domino Club, Sylvers Domino Club, Unstoppable Domino Club, Guinness Domino Club, and Giants Domino Club.

While two of the teams, Molineux Domino Club and Christ Church Domino Club, were represented at the meeting on Wednesday August 11, it is nonetheless expected that they will return this year.

This will as a result bring the number of teams taking part in the 26th edition of Constituency Number Seven Domino League to fifteen after Mr Jacob Nisbett, formerly of Molineux Domino Club, announced that he will be playing for his village team, Ottley’s Domino Club which is making a return to the league after a number of years of absence.

Due to limited time available occasioned by the prevailing nightly curfews, this year’s league will be a one round affair as opposed to the two rounds in previous years. Teams will face each other once.

The three venues that were used last year will be used this year. These are the old Lodge Community Centre in Lodge Project, the pavilion at the Edgar Gilbert Sporting Complex in Molineux, and the Tabernacle Community Centre. All games will start at 7:00 p.m. on the dot and because of curfew time, which now starts at 11:00 p.m., there will be no grace period.

There will be mandatory hand sanitising and a non-contact head thermometer will be used to take temperatures of all persons. Covid-19 protocols in place will mean that there will be strict registration of players, and they were advised that they have to give their official names and they must give their proper addresses and telephone numbers. That information will be necessary should there be a need for contact tracing down the road if it will be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

There will only be two games at a time in each of the halls, and the only persons allowed in the hall will be the eight players, the scorers, captains of the teams playing or their representative if the captain is playing, and an executive member.

Use of masks will be mandatory and they must be used properly by the players on the table while they are playing, and there will be limited talking while on the table.

“The captains will go back to the teams and enlighten the members,” said President Mr Farrell. “We will put out a Covid-19 regulation bulletin and each captain will get one. If players are not complying, they will not be allowed to play because we are not going to jeopardise the league as a result of players’ recklessness – the league is bigger than all of us.”

On a sad note, Vice President Mr Simeon Liburd informed the meeting that he had learnt of the passing, that morning, of veteran domino player Mr John Charles who was a founder player turning out for Christ Church Domino Club when the league started. They said they will monitor funeral arrangements being made by the family of the deceased for them to give him a fitting farewell.

Some of the captains of teams taking part in Constituency Number Seven Domino League during the meeting on Wednesday August 11 at the old Lodge Community Centre in Lodge Project.

 

 

 

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Award winning game 'Hades' gets next-gen release

One of the biggest video games of 2020 has been given a huge upgrade and is being released on PlayStation and Xbox today.

The new console and physical releases of Hades boast upgraded visuals and new experiences for players.

9News went hands-on with the new version of Hades before its release to see what's new and how it stacks up on the new-gen consoles.

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For those new to Hades, you play as the Prince of the Underworld, Zagerus, on a mission to escape your father's clutches and retreat to the land of the gods, Mount Olympus.

The gods assist you along the way, offering special power-ups to aid your fight. But when you die, you must return to the realm of Hades and start over again — hence the roguelike genre.

Each escape attempt you gather various materials that can be used to upgrade Zagerus, making it that little bit easier the next time you step foot in the dungeon.

An indie game at heart, Hades was crowned game of the year countless times in 2020.

It's taken out awards for best action game, best roguelike and best fighting game — there's no cabinet big enough for developer SuperGiant and publisher Private Division's accolades combined.

READ MORE: Hands on with Atari's first console in 20 years

It would be strange to review the gameplay, as the game has been available and successful for almost 12 months now.

But it's worth noting again, this game is celebrated for a reason — it's really good.

The new-gen upgrade boosts the resolution to 4K and runs at a smooth 60fps, a noticeable difference from the Nintendo Switch version.

Load times are almost non-existent with the PS5 hardware, something that I'm starting to overlook within new-gen titles — it's incredible to think just 12 months ago we'd often wait half a minute or more for a game to load.

On PlayStation 5, the game now utilises the DualSense controller's haptics and adaptive triggers; although the triggers aren't used too much throughout the game, it's a feature in high demand for the console.

Combat feels great in your hands, the controller vibrations reacting to every explosion, swing of your sword and interaction with items.

READ MORE: Review: Ratchet and Clank is the new poster child of next generation gaming

The RGB lighting on the controller is also a nice highlight, matching the game's environment and the NPCs you interact with.

The physical version of the game is coming to all the main retailers and will also include a digital download for the game's soundtrack, as well as an artwork booklet — something very rare with game releases these days.

If you're yet to pick up and play Hades, now's a better time than ever to experience its beautifully-crafted world.

If you pick up the game on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, a free downloadable upgrade to the next-gen version will be included.

Hades is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on August 13.

It retails for $49.99 and will also be available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on launch.

headline

Florida: DeSantis Feeling Heat Over COVID-19 Handling

By Max Greenwood

 

MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is facing growing resistance to his hardline stance against COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates.

Officials in a handful of Florida school districts are moving to flout DeSantis’s July 30 executive order banning schools from requiring students to wear face masks, even as his administration threatens to withhold pay to superintendents and school board members who defy his orders.

At the same time, a federal judge delivered a blow this week to the governor’s efforts to prevent cruise operators from requiring passengers to show proof of vaccination, ruling in favor of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in a lawsuit seeking to block enforcement of the ban.

The efforts to defy DeSantis on his approach to the COVID-19 pandemic comes as Florida scrambles to contain a resurgence in the virus that has transformed the Sunshine State into the new epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

As of Monday, Florida is averaging more than 20,000 new infections each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s Covid Data Tracker. The Florida Hospital Association announced on Tuesday that some 14,787 people are hospitalized and nearly 90 percent of the state’s intensive care unit beds are filled. Hospitalizations are now up 145 percent from Florida’s previous peak in July 2020, according to the group.

“The governor – what he’s done, which I think is really almost sinister, is that he has taken this obvious health care challenge and decided to exploit it,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, a Democrat, said in an interview on NPR’s “All Things Considered” on Tuesday.

DeSantis and the Republican-controlled state legislature have sought to wrest control of the pandemic efforts from county and municipal officials in recent months, relying on a flurry of legislation and executive orders intended to curb local governments’ authority to impose coronavirus-related restrictions and mandates.

In May, DeSantis signed legislation giving him sweeping authority to invalidate local pandemic emergency measures, including mask mandates and school shutdowns. That legislation also made permanent an executive order that DeSantis signed earlier this year that banned businesses from requiring patrons to show proof of vaccinations.

But it was an executive order signed by DeSantis in late July banning schools from requiring face masks that touched off the recent furor from school districts.

On Tuesday, the Broward County School Board voted to maintain a mask mandate approved just days before the governor’s executive order, becoming the third school district in Florida to flout DeSantis’s order. School leaders in Leon County, which includes Tallahassee, and Alachua County, where Gainesville is located, have taken similar steps.

Students in those school districts are required to provide a doctor’s note to opt out of the masking requirements.

The efforts to defy the executive order have drawn the ire of DeSantis, who has argued that the ban on school mask mandates is intended to protect parents’ right to choose whether their children should wear masks. His office threatened this week to withhold the salaries of superintendents and school board members who intentionally ignore the order.

“Ultimately – Education funding is for the students,” said Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for DeSantis. “The kids didn’t make the decision to encroach upon parents’ rights. So any financial penalties for breaking the rule would be targeted to those officials who made that decision.”

That was met with defiance from school officials, who said they were willing to proceed with the mandates despite the DeSantis administration’s threats. After the Broward County School Board voted on Tuesday to maintain its mandate, board member Nora Rupert challenged the governor: “Lose our salaries? Bring it.”

The Biden administration has also thrown its support behind the efforts to defy DeSantis’s executive order, telling reporters on Tuesday that it was examining how it could counter the potential pay cuts.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the administration is looking into whether it can use unspent funds from the American Rescue Plan, the massive COVID-19 relief bill approved in March, to pay school officials who have their salaries docked.

“We’re continuing to look into what our options are to help protect and help support these teachers and administrators who are taking steps to protect the people in their communities,” Psaki said.

DeSantis responded to the White House’s suggestion on Tuesday, arguing that the federal government has no right to involve itself in parents’ decision to have their children wear masks or not.

“I think that they really believe government should rule over the parents’ decisions and I think the parents’ decision in this regard should ultimately be what is done,” DeSantis said at a press conference. “The idea that the federal government would get involved in that I think obviously would be very inappropriate.”

There are more battles on the horizon. A circuit judge in Leon County has scheduled a Friday hearing in a lawsuit brought by a dozen parents from several Florida counties challenging DeSantis’s executive order on masking in schools.

It’s not yet clear what effect the COVID-19 surge in Florida could have on DeSantis’s political ambitions.

The Florida governor, who’s up for reelection next year, rose to prominence among conservatives last year for his laissez faire – and at times defiant – approach to the coronavirus pandemic and quickly surged toward the top of the list of potential 2024 Republican presidential candidates.

A Florida Chamber of Commerce poll released last week found DeSantis’s approval above water at 54 percent. The same survey showed him in a strong position against his two main Democratic challengers, Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) and state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. He led Crist in the poll by 8 points and Fried by 9 points.

Another survey from St. Pete Polls, however, showed a less certain outlook for DeSantis. Forty-four percent of respondents in that poll said they approve of his job in the governor’s mansion compared to 49 percent who did not. The poll also showed DeSantis narrowly trailing Crist, while he led Fried by 3.3 percentage points.

The same survey from St. Pete Polls found a majority of likely Florida voters – 62 percent – in favor of a mask requirement for children in schools.

Still, DeSantis, who has cast himself as a conservative bulwark against a Democratic-controlled Washington, has continued to rake in massive sums of money to his political committee. In July alone, the Florida governor raised more than $4 million, far outpacing both Crist and Fried.

One Florida Republican strategist said that DeSantis remains the favorite to win reelection next year, noting the goodwill he carries among supporters of former President Donald Trump both in Florida and nationally.

The strategist also noted that DeSantis’s instincts on how to best handle the coronavirus pandemic have played out well for him in the past; as the governor eschewed some of the strictest COVID-19 restrictions last year, the state’s caseloads and death rate remained relatively low compared to other large states.

But, the strategist added, “there’s still a chance that maybe he doesn’t come out on top this time.”

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US Government donates 5.5 Million Pfizer Vaccines to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana – The US Government has generously gifted the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) with 5.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccines.  This is the culmination of efforts initiated by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley, who as Chair of CARICOM, wrote to President Joseph Biden of the United States earlier this year requesting a supply of vaccines for the Community.

President Biden subsequently announced that the US was donating a supply of vaccines to the Region as part of its world-wide distribution of 80 million doses. US Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke with Prime Minister Rowley in June confirming the allocation to CARICOM.

15 CARICOM Member States will receive the much-anticipated Pfizer vaccines, with 1.5 million doses being allocated to Haiti and the other 4 million doses for distribution among 14 CARICOM countries.  The donation from the White House also includes 3 million ancillary kits containing needles, syringes, diluent and other supplies which have already been received.

This donation follows months of discussions between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Pfizer, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the CARICOM Secretariat. At the beginning of those discussions, the total number of persons vaccinated in CARICOM countries stood at a meagre 515,000, which emphasizes the importance of the donation by the US Government.

CARICOM Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque expressed his appreciation to President Biden for his generosity and to his team at the White House for their commitment to delivering the vaccines.  “This end result is due to the hard work put in by the White House staff, the staff of CARPHA , the staff of the Secretariat and the team at Pfizer,” the Secretary-General said. “These vaccines would contribute significantly to the Region’s ability to control this pandemic and place the Caribbean on a path to economic recovery. Importantly it would also allow for schools to be re-opened given that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for emergency use for children 12 years and over,” Ambassador LaRocque added.

CARPHA Executive Director, Dr. Joy St. John gave the assurance, “As the public health agency leading the regional COVID-19 response, we have worked with Member States to ensure that they are ready to accept the vaccines, especially as it relates to regulatory approval, coordination, planning and delivery, logistics, shipment receipt and procedures”.   Dr. St. John added, “CARPHA was pleased to collaborate with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), as they facilitated specialized training on vaccine systems, while we facilitated the special ultra-cold chain training, which Pfizer delivered to the countries receiving the vaccine donation”.

Dr. St. John confirmed that 3 million ancillary kits have already been delivered, with the support of Caribbean Airlines and the CARICOM Regional Security System (RSS). Another tranche of 1 million ancillary kits will be delivered directly by Pfizer along with vaccine shipments.

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